Week in Review: February 4 – 8
Welcome to Elizabeth May’s parliamentary Week in Review! This weekly e-newsletter recaps her work in Parliament when the House is in session. Using the links below, you can watch videos of Elizabeth’s interventions in the House, keep up with her media releases, and read articles she has written.
This week in the House of Commons Elizabeth spoke on a wide range of issues, met with various stakeholder groups. In addition to the usual business of the House, the government introduced An Act Respecting Indigenous Languages. This is a historic piece of legislation that Elizabeth looks forward to seeing it pass before the election, with significant improvements.
Starting on Thursday night in Montreal, Elizabeth kicked off the Community Matters Tour by hosting a Town Hall with Daniel Green (Green Party Deputy Leader). This national tour will take Elizabeth to communities across Canada in advance of the fall election. To learn more, take a look at the section at the end of this newsletter.
In question period Elizabeth asked the Prime Minister if he would support passing Bill S-203, An Act to End the Captivity of Whales and Dolphins before the next election. While his answer was supportive of the principle of the bill, he would not commit to passing it. Click here to send a letter to Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, Jonathan Wilkinson supporting Bill S-203.
For further updates on Elizabeth’s activities, you can follow her on Facebook, @ElizabethMayMP and on Twitter, @ElizabethMay.
* If you are having trouble viewing this email, please view it online here: elizabethmaymp.ca/category/publications/week-in-review-publications*
Key Moments in the House
Question Period:
In the House of Commons:
- Thanking Scott Brison for his service to Canada
- Fighting the use of time allocation
- Over 6,000 Canadians are calling on the government to protect the Gulf of St. Lawrence
- 15,000 Canadians call on the government: stop investing in Kinder Morgan
Bill S-203:
- Bill S-203 passes second reading in the House of Commons (highlight from last week)
- Elizabeth May questions the Prime Minister on Bill S-203 — share this video on Twitter
Statements and Press Releases
In the News
- Political panel heats up over bill aiming to change how energy projects get approval
(APTN, Nation to Nation, Todd Lamirande, February 8) starts at 17:20
- CTV QP: One on one interview with Evan Solomon
(CTV, Evan Solomon, February 4)
- Federal Greens undaunted by provincial Greens’ byelection results
(Nanaimo News Bulletin, Greg Sakaki, February 4)
Petitions
This week Elizabeth presented the following petitions:
Environmental Protection: calling on the government to stop investing in Kinder Morgan
Note:
Elizabeth presents petitions once the deadline for signatures has passed. After presentation in the House, the government has 45 calendar days to table a response.
You may read the governments’ responses to petitions Elizabeth has introduced here.
View and sign open e-petitions currently sponsored by Elizabeth here.
Learn about the e-petition process or create one of your own here.
Community Newsletters
September 2018 – Immigration and Refugees
Committees, Briefs and Responses
Submission to the Consultations on the Initial Environmental Assessment of the New NAFTA
Submission on the External Review of the Critical Habitat Section for Resident Killer Whales
Submission to the Consultations on an Amendment to Aquaculture Regulation
Submission to the Transport Canada Parliamentary Consultation
Submission to the Consultations on the Federal Carbon Pricing System
Submission to the Consultations on the Federal Leaders’ Debates
Submission to the Consultations on Health Canada’s Proposed Approach to the Regulation of Cannabis
Submission to the Consultations on the Proposed Excise Duty Framework for Cannabis Products
Submission to the Canada-Pacific Trade Consultations
Brief Submitted to the NAFTA Renegotiation Consultation
Brief Submitted to the Minister of Food and Agriculture Canada for “A Food Policy for Canada”
Response Submitted to the Consultations on Tax Planning Using Private Corporations
Private Members’ Bills
Elizabeth May has introduced the following bills:
Bill S-203: This bill will outlaw the cruel practice of keeping whales, dolphins and porpoises in captivity.*
Bill C-401: This bill will lower the voting age to 16.
Bill C-387: This bill will establish a legislative framework for a national passenger rail service.
Bill C-269: This bill will abolish mandatory minimum sentences for all crimes except murder and treason.
Bill C-258: This “Think Small First” bill would require that every new bill introduced in the House undergo an assessment to determine how the bill would impact Canadian small businesses.
Bill C-259: The Open Science Act would require all federal departments to make all publicly funded scientific research available to Canadians on their websites.
For a list of private members’ bills Elizabeth May has seconded, please visit elizabethmaymp.ca.
* Indicates that the bill is a Senate Public Bill
Upcoming Events
February 8
February 9
- Community Matters Town Hall in Quebec City
- Elizabeth will attend the Carnaval de Quebec and meet le Bonhomme
February 11
- Elizabeth and MLA Megan Mitton (New Brunswick Greens) will meet with students at Mount Allison University
- Community Matters Town Hall in Moncton
February 12
- Elizabeth meets with students at the University of PEI
- Community Matters Town Hall in Charlottetown with MLA Peter Bevanbaker (Leader, PEI Greens)
February 13
February 14
- Elizabeth speaks to university students in Fredericton
- Elizabeth delivers the University of New Brunswick annual Viscount Bennett Memorial Lecture
February 15
- Elizabeth meets with students at Dalhousie University
- Community Matters Town Hall in Halifax with Jo-Ann Roberts (Deputy Leader, Green Party of Canada)
February 16
Green Party of Canada – Community Matters Tour
Starting in February Elizabeth will kick off a national tour starting with visiting communities across Eastern Canada in her role of Leader of the Green Party of Canada in advance of the 2019 federal election. What matters to you? How would you improve our democracy? What can we all do together to secure our future, for humanity, for the natural world?
Come share your priorities, concerns, and vision for Canada’s future at a Community Matters Town Hall near you.
February 9, 2019 – Quebec City
February 12, 2019 – Charlottetown
February 13, 2019 – Fredericton
Stay tuned for more information about future tour dates.