SoVote

Mr. Brad Vis (Mission—Matsqui—Fraser Canyon, CPC)

Oct/4/23 3:52:57 p.m.
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Re: Bill C-204

Mr. Speaker, today, I rise on behalf of residents of Mission—Matsqui—Fraser Canyon who are frustrated with Canada's handling of plastic waste. In 2020, the member for York—Simcoe tabled Bill C-204, which was passed by the House but died on the Order Paper when the last Parliament was dissolved. The bill would have banned the export of plastic waste for final disposal, but the Liberals prevented it from passing. My constituents are calling upon the Government of Canada to toughen penalties for those who violate international laws on waste exports and to enact a ban on the export of plastic waste for final disposal. It is time for the Liberals to stop talking about protecting our environment and start doing something about it.

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Context: House Hansard - 229 - Oct/4/23

Mr. Brad Vis (Mission—Matsqui—Fraser Canyon, CPC)

Oct/4/23 6:51:29 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, before I begin, I hope you will not mind indulging me for one quick moment. On Monday, my oma, at 96 years of age, passed away. She left an amazing legacy: 14 grandchildren and 25 great-grandchildren. She was a constant in my life and just an absolutely wonderful human being. In May, I highlighted how the NDP-Liberal government has failed to uphold its duty to protect children in the agreement signed with the Province of British Columbia to decriminalize possession of illicit drugs. I asked the former minister of mental health and addictions why her government had not done more to protect children. Countless times, needles and other drug paraphernalia have been found on school grounds and in other areas frequented by children, like parks, and specifically Mill Lake in Abbotsford. Earlier that same day, during debate on an opposition motion related to the opioids crisis, I told this House about the time my son's day care had to be closed because paraphernalia had been left behind on the property in front of its entrance way. What was the minister's response to me in question period that day? She stated, and I quote, “The exemption we have approved in British Columbia specifically states that playgrounds and areas attached to schools and day cares are not exempt and must be enforced.” Unfortunately, while true, this ignores the fact that the current government provided no resources for local health authorities and law enforcement to contain these dangerous drugs and protect communities. While the government did amend its agreement with B.C. last month to broaden the scope of areas where these substances are banned, it begs the question of whether these rules will actually be enforced. In 2022, a record 2,383 British Columbians needlessly died from an illicit drug overdose. In 2023, we are on pace to surpass that figure. Those British Columbians and the thousands more like them across Canada deserve timely access to treatment and recovery services. Instead, the government has focused on making access to dangerous drugs easier without addressing treatment. The tragic story of Kamilah Sword from Coquitlam highlights how easy these drugs are to access for children. She was 14 when she died of an overdose of the very drug the current government encourages to be dispersed. Students in the area told the National Post at the time that some as young as 11 were abusing this drug, hydromorphone, and that a tablet could be bought for just $5 to $10 in their community. The reckless and irresponsible implementation of the current government's drug handout program has had tragic and deadly consequences for many Canadian youth. Therefore, will the government finally uphold its obligation to protect children under the agreement with the Province of B.C. and will it finally deliver the treatment and recovery services that are so desperately needed in my province and should be tied to any such agreement in the first place?

499 words

Context: House Hansard - 229 - Oct/4/23

Mr. Brad Vis

Oct/4/23 6:59:06 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, my office is right beside Haven in the Hollow, and I see every day the impacts of the approach taken by the government. At the end of the day, I believe that all of us in the House have one thing in common, and that is that we do not want to see people die. I firmly believe that, but the actions taken by the government were irresponsible because none of the four pillars that my colleague from Milton mentioned, which are prevention, harm reduction, treatment and enforcement, are tied to the agreement with the province of British Columbia. Since the implementation of those actions, all we have seen is an increase in the number of deaths. I would be pleased to meet with the group he mentioned. I would also encourage him to come to Vancouver and come to the Fraser Valley, where it is a fact that we do not have treatment options available for people who want to get clean, who want to restart their lives and who want to have a fighting chance at breaking addiction. The government is not supportive of those actions.

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