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House Hansard - 257

44th Parl. 1st Sess.
November 28, 2023 10:00AM
Context: House Hansard - 257 - Nov/28/23
Ms. Rachel Blaney (North Island—Powell River, NDP)
  • Nov/28/23 10:12:06 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I will be tabling two petitions today. The first petition is for the Ministry of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard. It talks about the importance of wild salmon stocks, which are currently under threat. Wild salmon support first nations cultural traditions and complex ecosystems, including contributing to coastal forests, which produce the oxygen we breathe. Pacific salmon runs on the British Columbia coast are in a state of emergency. The petitioners, from my constituency, acknowledge and express support for the closure of the Discovery Islands fish farms and urge the Ministry of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard to continue to save Pacific wild salmon by not issuing any more licences to open-net pen fish farms.
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Context: House Hansard - 257 - Nov/28/23
Ms. Rachel Blaney (North Island—Powell River, NDP)
  • Nov/28/23 10:12:52 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the second petition I will be tabling today is on expanded polystyrene, commonly known as styrofoam. The impacts of it are in the marine environment and cause significant harm to marine life, seafood resources and ecosystems. We know it is incredibly difficult, if not impossible, to clean up from the shorelines and that it has a high likelihood of entering the marine environment from damaged marine infrastructure, whether encased or not. The qathet Regional District and Association of Vancouver Island and Coastal Communities have unanimously endorsed the prohibition of EPS in marine environments. My constituents agree with this and call for the Canadian government to step up and prohibit the use of expanded polystyrene.
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Context: House Hansard - 257 - Nov/28/23
Ms. Rachel Blaney (North Island—Powell River, NDP)
  • Nov/28/23 2:15:43 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, seniors deserve better. We have the fastest-growing senior population ever, and the federal government should have a plan. Here are some examples of gaps. Seniors between 65 and 74 are receiving less OAS. Single seniors, largely women, are facing more economic challenges. They are not seeing any tax fairness. On housing, too many seniors call my office and describe themselves as house-rich but financially poor. They share that they have housing beyond their means to maintain, but the market is not building houses that they need. One senior told me that her kitchen is upstairs, but she cannot handle stairs anymore, so she lives downstairs and uses a hot plate. Far too many seniors are now unhoused. Medication continues to be too expensive, and across Canada, too many seniors cannot afford the costs. They are making choices that hurt their health. The NDP would create a national seniors strategy, working with all levels of government to create solutions that make sense locally. We would address unfair taxation and find ways to support seniors so that they could age with dignity. Is it not time for that kind of government?
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