Green Caucus Week in Review 11/22-26

This week was the start of the 44th Parliament. Elizabeth May returned for her fourth session of parliament after being re-elected for the third time as the representative for Saanich – Gulf Islands. She was joined by Mike Morrice (Kitchener Centre), the newest Green MP and the first ever elected in Ontario!

Emergency Debate

On Wednesday, Elizabeth requested, and was granted, an emergency debate on the catastrophic climate events that unfolded during the previous week in BC.

She opened the debate with a speech about the events in BC, how they relate to the global climate crisis, and what we can do to avoid its worst effects.

Mike’s First Intervention

Mike’s first intervention in the House of Commons was during the emergency debate. He drew attention to the government’s ongoing subsidies to the fossil fuel industry, knowing full well that the combustion of fossil fuels contributes over 75% of global greenhouse gas emissions.

Running for Speaker

Elizabeth left her name in the running for Speaker of the House. She wanted to raise some important concerns in her candidacy speech.

She called for the Speaker to assert their authority in the house when deciding who to allow to speak. For the past 40 years, the speaker has deferred their authority to party whips and back-room operatives. The Westminster Parliamentary system was never intended to operate in this manner. All MPs are equal to one another in the Chamber and should be treated as such.

Key Moments

Petitions