- Member of Parliament
- Member of Parliament
- NDP
- Nanaimo—Ladysmith
- British Columbia
- Voting Attendance: 65%
- Expenses Last Quarter: $144,270.93
- Government Page
- May/10/24 1:14:19 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I wanted to share that there is a program in my riding of Nanaimo—Ladysmith that may be of interest to the member. It is the Loaves & Fishes Community Food Bank. It provides food security to many who do not have access to food. It also provides this incredible food recovery program: getting fruits, vegetables, meats, breads and milk from grocery stores and sorting through that. Food that is good goes to people so they can eat it, and the rest goes to farmers and those who can compost it. It is a really great program.
Can the member share his thoughts as to whether the Liberal government should be prioritizing projects just like this one so that local communities can have the investment they need to be able to truly have food security and food recovery programs?
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- May/8/24 2:57:08 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, as the cost of living continues to soar, more people in Nanaimo—Ladysmith are barely scraping by. Rent is up. Groceries are up. The number of households living below the poverty line continues to rise.
Instead of helping those who need it, the Liberals are handing $60 billion to the ultrawealthy. What about the Conservatives? They will always choose the side of lobbyists and rich CEOs.
When will the Prime Minister stop propping up rich CEOs at the expense of people in Nanaimo—Ladysmith and across Canada?
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- Feb/29/24 2:47:39 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the number of people unable to find an affordable place to live in Nanaimo—Ladysmith is staggering, and what have the Liberals done? They have cut the Reaching Home funding to Nanaimo by 60%, and the Conservatives' plan is to gut funding and leave it up to rich developers, who just so happen to be their biggest donors.
Nanaimo needs more support, not less. The mayor of Nanaimo is calling for federal support. Will the minister provide the funding required for truly affordable housing in Nanaimo?
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- Feb/14/24 4:36:12 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I am presenting a petition on behalf of constituents and volunteer firefighters in my riding of Nanaimo—Ladysmith, including those working at the Gabriola, Ladysmith and Lantzville extension; and East Wellington, North Oyster, North Cedar, Nanoose and Nanaimo fire stations.
Volunteer firefighters account for 71% of Canada's total firefighting essential first responders. In addition, approximately 8,000 essential search and rescue volunteers respond to thousands of incidents every year. These essential volunteers not only put their life on the line and give their time, training and efforts to Canadians, but also allow cities and municipalities to keep property taxes lower than if paid services were required. Increasing the tax credit would allow these essential volunteers to keep more of their hard-earned money, likely to be spent in the communities in which they live, and would help retain these volunteers in a time when volunteerism is decreasing.
For these reasons, those who have signed the petition are asking to increase the amount of the tax credit for volunteer firefighting and search and rescue volunteer services from $3,000 to $10,000.
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- Feb/5/24 11:57:10 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, it has been such an honour to bring forward Motion No. 86 in the House of Commons and to have this vitally important debate around electoral reform.
Now more than ever we need all members of Parliament to work together to strengthen Canada’s democracy to ensure those elected are representative of our communities and to encourage members of Parliament to work together to implement real solutions at the pace required to meet the emergent needs faced by Canadians.
People are struggling across this country like I have never seen before in my lifetime. An affordable, safe and adequate place to call home is out of reach for so many in my riding of Nanaimo—Ladysmith and across the country. Too many are unable to provide for their families, seniors are unable to retire with dignity and people living with disabilities do not have anywhere near the supports they need to make ends meet.
To make matters worse, the impacts of the climate crisis are here, with extreme weather continuing to devastate communities across the country. I could continue listing the problems faced by Canadians for my entire speech, but because of limited time, I will say that for all these reasons we cannot keep doing things the way they have always been done.
We cannot allow the ever-increasing rise in divisive and adversarial politics we are seeing here in this very House to become the norm. This is not representative of who we are as Canadians.
That is not what Canadians want. Now more than ever, Canadians from coast to coast to coast tell me they want their elected representatives in Ottawa to collaborate with members from all the parties, engage in respectful debate when disagreements arise, and find solutions that serve the best interests of Canadians. That is what a true democracy looks like.
However, to get there we need to see representation that matches our communities.
As I have discussed in this House before, we have only 30% women elected in this House when women account for over 50% of the general population, and this is at the highest it has ever been. The same applies to Black Canadians, who make up only 2.6 % of those elected but 4.3% of the general population. Indigenous people, whose lands we are on today, hold 3.3 % of seats but make up 5% of the Canadian population. This needs to change, and soon.
To make positive changes, we need to ensure the votes cast by Canadians are truly represented by those elected in the House of Commons. Instead, we have seen a government have 100% of the power with just over 30% of the vote in the last election.
We all watched as the Liberals campaigned on a commitment to move forward with electoral reform time and time again, which has collected cobwebs ever since, with little movement and no action taken to date. This inaction has been met with silence on the issue by the Conservatives.
It is not too late for all parties to come together and do what is right. It is time we give Canadians the tools required to move forward in a positive direction, to take partisanship out of the equation and to see solutions put forward that are not based on the next election but the long-term best interest of everyday Canadians.
Canadians across the country are reaching out to their members of Parliament asking for the implementation of a national citizens’ assembly on electoral reform. Canadians are asking for the work to be done by an independent, non-partisan and representative body of citizens to bring forward real, made-in-Canada solutions to ensure Canada’s democracy is strong and those elected are representative of the vibrant diversity that makes our country the incredible place it is.
Canadians are sharing with me that the debate we are having today and the vote to follow on electoral reform has given them hope. It has given them hope that, as Canadians, we can come together and agree that strengthening our democracy is the responsibility of each of us and hope that we can envision and create a better future. Canadians have spoken, and have said loudly that this is a priority.
Bringing this motion forward and seeing the response from Canadians across the country has been incredible as I watched floods of volunteers knocking on doors, making phone calls and getting signatures on petitions and bringing them forward to members of Parliament seeking their support on this motion. Much of this work was made possible through FairVote Canada, its tireless volunteers and so many volunteers across the country.
I want to thank all those who have participated and continue to contribute to this important work. To quote Helen Keller, “Alone we can do so little. Together we can do so much.”
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- Nov/24/23 11:15:50 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the Nanaimo Clippers Junior A hockey team in my riding of Nanaimo—Ladysmith has been on fire. Not only are they playing hard and climbing up the leader board, but the talented team has also been going above and beyond to engage with the community. It was a great evening on November 10 when I was able to not only join in the fun of watching the Nanaimo Clippers win yet another game, but also had the opportunity to do so with the crew of HMCS Nanaimo, honouring all those dedicated to service, including veterans, military personnel and first responders.
The Nanaimo Clippers recently welcomed 1,900 Nanaimo Ladysmith Public School students for the team's first-ever school-day game. For many of these students, it was their first time attending a hockey game and the Clippers did not disappoint.
From visiting schools to showing off their skills on the ice, Nanaimo is so fortunate to have this dedicated team representing our community. I hope you will all join me today in cheering on this amazing team.
Go, Clippers, go.
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- Nov/21/23 3:17:24 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, Canada's leading humanitarian aid agencies have united together to call for a ceasefire in Gaza. People in Nanaimo—Ladysmith are demanding action from the federal government.
All hostages need to be released and a ceasefire declared so that no more children are killed, but the Prime Minister does not seem to recognize the killing of over 13,000 innocent civilians and more than 1.7 million displaced is an atrocity and it must end now.
I will ask again. When will the Prime Minister call for a ceasefire?
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Madam Speaker, I thank the member for all the information, and specifically, for talking about the importance of housing. In my riding of Nanaimo—Ladysmith, so many people are struggling to make ends meet, and housing is largely unaffordable. I am hearing from many residents that they want to see an increase of co-op housing, which, I know, is something that was brought up. Could the member expand a bit on the importance of a strategy that takes into account the non-market housing that he is speaking about and of our being able to have this legislation move forward and not see the Conservatives continue to block at committee?
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- Oct/20/23 11:31:09 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, one in four Nanaimo renters is in core housing need, meaning that where they live is unaffordable, unsuitable or inadequate, and these are people who have housing. Too many do not. Nanaimo has a housing problem larger than its size, and we are seeing the symptoms of this all around us. People deserve better than years of Liberal and Conservative half measures. People deserve a place to call home.
Why is it that the government is doubling down on its failed housing plan?
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Madam Speaker, first and foremost, I want to express how shameful it is that it has taken us this long to get to the point we are at today. I know so many people living with disabilities in my riding of Nanaimo—Ladysmith who have been legislated into poverty and struggling to make ends meet, keep food on the table and keep a roof over their head. It is time for us to get this done, so I am happy we are moving in the right direction today.
One thing the NDP has been pushing for through this whole process, and of course my colleague from Port Moody—Coquitlam has been fighting to ensure, is that people living with disabilities have enough money to be able to make ends meet. It is not good enough for us to just push this through and then they are still struggling to make ends meet.
My question for the member is this. Does she feel this is a step that provides her with the optimism we all need that people with disabilities will not have to keep living in poverty and will in fact allow them to live with the dignity and respect they deserve?
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Madam Speaker, in my riding of Nanaimo—Ladysmith, we have seen rent prices continue to increase. In Nanaimo alone last year, we saw rental prices increase by 30%, and those prices have continued to increase from there. This, as we all know, is disproportionately impacting seniors on fixed incomes, families and people living with disabilities.
When will we see the Liberals put an end to renovictions and put into place a national acquisition fund so that non-profits, for example, will have a chance to keep rents low and people can afford a place to call home?
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- Jun/2/23 11:14:08 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, Raymond Salgado from my riding of Nanaimo-Ladysmith received a standing ovation from the judges after his first performance on season two of Canada's Got Talent, and he continued to amaze the judges and all of Canada with every performance. Without surprise, Salgado has continued on all the way to the finals.
It is not hard to see how Canada fell in love with Raymond Salgado so quickly with his incredibly powerful voice and the undeniable way he lights up a stage. At 24 years of age, Raymond's career is just getting started. Be sure to see Raymond Salgado perform at Nanaimo's Silly Boat Regatta and to keep following his work, with new, original music on the way.
Raymond is not new to creating beautiful music. He created one such song, entitled Runaway, at just 17 years of age, which was inspired by his experience of coming out as gay. Raymond shared that he wanted his music to help others in the 2SLGBTQIA+ community who may be struggling.
As we celebrate pride this month, I want to acknowledge incredible people like Raymond Salgado. We are proud of him.
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- May/2/23 3:09:18 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, part of my riding of Nanaimo—Ladysmith is on the traditional territories of the Snuneymuxw First Nation.
Snuneymuxw entered into a treaty in 1854, yet this agreement has not been upheld. The government has committed to transfer land where the former Nanaimo Indian Hospital stood to Snuneymuxw, but continues to delay despite being aware of the potential presence of unmarked graves at this site. It is shameful.
Will the government finally transfer this land to Snuneymuxw so they can move forward as they see fit to ensure justice and healing can begin?
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- Apr/26/23 7:07:37 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I am grateful to be here today to ask the member some follow-up questions around tax fairness for seniors.
I want to first give a big shout-out to Single Seniors for Tax Fairness for its advocacy and work to bring light and solutions forward around the unfair tax system that negatively impacts single seniors. In my riding of Nanaimo—Ladysmith, BC Seniors and Pensioners Nanaimo has been serving our community for more than 80 years. This organization provides vital services and social activities for seniors.
I am here to talk a little bit more about, and get some more answers around, why we are not implementing the changes necessary to support seniors.
One statistic is that 39% of seniors in Canada are single. Just to clarify, I am defining these seniors as being 65 and older with no partner: single, widowed or divorced. Of these single seniors I am referring to, women are disproportionately represented, for many reasons. One is that they live longer. Another point that is important is that singles need two-thirds of the income of couples to maintain a similar lifestyle to their coupled counterparts.
I think of Margaret, a constituent in my riding who is widowed. She is living off OAS and CPP. She shared with me that she has all these expenses that just keep adding up. She is asking herself when it will stop. She pays $800 each month for prescription drugs. She asked herself if she will be forced to reduce her prescription medications due to their high cost. Margaret has various health conditions that require monitoring by a health professional but she no longer has a family doctor, so she has nobody to turn to for necessary ongoing health concerns. She shared with me that she is suffering and feels like she has been pushed to the side and is not getting any help.
Currently what we see in place is that coupled seniors are experiencing tax advantages, rightfully so. They are able to make the most of their money, through income splitting of pension income, for example, which reduces the amount of taxes that each partner pays, and makes them both often eligible for full OAS payments with no clawbacks. They are able to transfer between portfolios like RRSPs, RRIFs and TFSAs.
Single seniors, on the other hand, are not able to take advantage of these same tax rules. For example, they are not able to split their full pension income. They pay full taxes on pensions, which increases the probability of OAS clawbacks. Ultimately, they are receiving less income. There are multiple ways in which single seniors, just because of their relationship status, are being placed in a position of further disadvantage.
Seniors have contributed to our communities in endless ways. At this time in their lives, more than ever, they should not have to worry about having the funds to make ends meet or about their loved ones not having access to the funds intended for them when they pass.
The question I asked the Prime Minister when he was here earlier was why single seniors are not receiving the same tax advantages as their coupled counterparts. Why is the Liberal government not making the necessary changes to ensure that seniors are not disadvantaged based solely on their relationship status?
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- Apr/18/23 11:47:41 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, when I ran for the first time to become a federal member of Parliament, I knocked on doors throughout my riding of Nanaimo—Ladysmith and talked with constituents about the needs in our community. One need that came up was dental care. Another need that came up was affordable housing, and another was addressing the toxic substance crisis.
When I spoke with these people in my constituency, I told them that I was going to come to Parliament in Ottawa to do the work that needs to be done to implement the solutions that would benefit everyday people, and that is exactly what I am doing. I am working, as we do in a minority government, across party lines to implement what is needed, with real solutions for people, and that is what I am going to keep on doing.
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- Mar/29/23 4:01:45 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I rise today to present a petition on behalf of constituents in my riding of Nanaimo—Ladysmith who are calling on the government to take the climate crisis seriously and to enact legislation that would ensure an inclusive and equitable transition to a sustainable economy. This petition includes calls to, among other things, reduce emissions by at least 60% below 2005 levels, wind down the fossil fuel industry, create good green jobs and drive inclusive workforce development, protect and strengthen human rights and workers' rights, expand the social safety net and pay for the transition by increasing taxes on the wealthiest.
I would like to thank The Council of Canadians and all signatories for bringing forward this important petition.
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- Mar/28/23 2:30:54 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, with the cost of food and housing soaring, Canadian seniors are being left behind. In my riding of Nanaimo—Ladysmith, seniors tell me they cannot make ends meet. To make matters worse, for seniors who are disproportionately women, widowed or single, costs are even harder to keep up with, yet they pay more in taxes than their coupled counterparts.
Will the Prime Minister end these discriminatory tax rules, implement equitable tax benefits and finally start supporting seniors?
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- Mar/23/23 11:04:24 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, we are all seeing across Canada, and in my riding of Nanaimo—Ladysmith, a growing income gap happening. We see so many people struggling to make ends meet while ultrarich CEOs are making higher and higher excess profits every day. This is a big problem.
I do see in here that a majority of parties came together and put together a recommendation I find to be quite good, and I wanted to ask the member about it. It reads:
Take steps to close the growing income gap and generate revenue to fund poverty reduction programs by closing tax loopholes and ending the use of low-tax or non-cooperative jurisdictions for tax purposes, taxing extreme wealth, and implementing a tax on excessive profits, including windfalls associated with the pandemic.
What are the member's thoughts on this? What is the government doing today to begin implementing this very sound recommendation?
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Madam Speaker, I want to first thank the member for Kelowna—Lake Country for putting forward this bill.
In my riding of Nanaimo—Ladysmith and across Canada, we are losing loved ones at an alarming rate as a result of the toxic substance crisis. Since 2016, more than 30,000 people have died: 30,000 preventable losses. We know the toxic substance crisis does not discriminate or follow political lines. The toxic substance crisis impacts us all in a multitude of ways.
Canadians need all members of this House to unite and move forward with evidence-based solutions to begin addressing this crisis so no more lives are lost.
According to recent reports by Island Health, illicit drug toxicity deaths are in the top two leading causes of death in all age categories, from under 19 up to the age range of 40 to 59. These are people who should have had long lives ahead of them but had them cut short because of toxic substances.
In the last year alone, 80 people died of toxic substances in my riding of Nanaimo—Ladysmith, specifically in Nanaimo. These people were somebody's father, brother, daughter, friend or neighbour: 80 people gone and their loved ones left to mourn their tragic loss, all because of toxic substances. This is horrific and inexplicable.
Fortunately, there are good people doing good work. Last month, community members and organizations in my riding of Nanaimo—Ladysmith, including the Nanaimo community action team, Canadian Drug Policy Coalition, Nanaimo Area Network of Drug Users, Nanaimo Brain Injury Society and Naut'sa mawt Community Wellness Network, all came together to continue the work that needs to be done to start saving lives. They brought together community members, including frontline workers, health care professionals, substance users and their families, and even central Vancouver Island's own medical health officer. At one point in this meeting, a speaker stood at the front of the room and asked all those in attendance to say the names of those they lost from the toxic substance crisis. It brought tears to my eyes as the names of loved ones echoed through the room, loved ones taken too soon because help was out of reach.
I, too, shared the names of my loved ones lost, family and friends whose lives were tragically ripped away. This was a stark reminder of what we are talking about today: life-saving and long-overdue supports. It is essential that we take a moment to acknowledge that prevention is key to addressing the crisis.
People are struggling. We have seen significant increases in substance use over the last few years as people struggled with isolation as a result of the pandemic. I saw this first-hand as a former frontline worker in mental health and addictions when COVID-19 first hit our country, with increased barriers in accessing supports and our loved ones separated.
As our communities work to put back the pieces, the cost of living continues to increase. People are struggling to make ends meet. The basic necessities are no longer affordable, such as a place to call home, food on the table and heat to keep warm. Adding to this, health care has hit its breaking point. We see the impacts all around us. The severity and complexity of untreated mental illness being experienced by people in our communities are on the rise. The number of those using substances to get through their day is increasing. Crime in our neighbourhoods, as too many struggle to survive, is happening more and more often. This is all right in front of our eyes in the communities we care about.
People in my riding of Nanaimo—Ladysmith are seeing this all unfold in front of us, and it is heartbreaking. People are reaching out to me, unsure of how they are going to afford their next meal. Others are reaching out fearing for their safety. When I was knocking on doors in downtown Nanaimo last week, resident after resident expressed that they were worried about the increasing number of people struggling around us, living on the streets or on the verge of being without a home.
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- Feb/17/23 11:47:44 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, everyone deserves to feel safe in their communities. My riding of Nanaimo—Ladysmith is a stunning coastal community full of kind, hard-working people, but more and more people are feeling unsafe. Crime is connected with people struggling, poverty, and insufficient housing and mental health supports. We are living with the symptoms of a broken criminal justice system that treats crime like the cause, not the consequence, of lacking basic human rights.
Will the Liberals keep our communities safe by ensuring people have mental health supports, guaranteed income and restorative justice?
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