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Rachel Blaney

Member of Parliament
NDP

North Island—Powell River
British Columbia
Voting Attendance: 65%
Expenses Last Quarter: $145,542.18

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Ms. Rachel Blaney (North Island—Powell River, NDP)

Feb/2/24 11:26:38 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, toxic drug overdoses have devastated countless communities, like in my riding. Campbell River just witnessed the worst year on record for toxic drug-related deaths, having the fifth-highest rate of deaths in British Columbia. People need a plan and a federal government willing to act. Liberals drag their feet and offer up patchwork plans while Conservatives try to criminalize our loved ones who are struggling. Canada needs a health-based plan for harm reduction and treatment with a timeline. What is the holdup?

86 words

Context: House Hansard - 241 - Oct/27/23

Ms. Rachel Blaney (North Island—Powell River, NDP)

Oct/27/23 11:46:16 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, on Wednesday in my riding, a 13-year-old overdosed at a local business. Luckily, a nurse and local firefighters saved her life, and I am so grateful. In B.C. alone, more than 1,800 people have died this year due to the toxic drug supply. The Liberals have delayed mental health funding while people die, and the Conservatives want to punish people who are struggling. When will the Liberals deliver a national health-based plan to address the toxic drug crisis?

85 words

Context: House Hansard - 202 - May/30/23

Ms. Rachel Blaney

May/30/23 5:18:47 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I do not often say this, but I will thank the member for his question. I actually think it was somewhat thoughtful. There are numerous constituents who really do care about this issue. It is absolutely true. I live in a part of the world where there are a lot of folks who are fighting for this because we have weather stations that tell people who are either on the water or flying if it is safe to do so, and a lot of them are not working. Because of this, there is a greater increase of risk for them and for the well-being of their business, so we are definitely working on things like that. Housing is a big issue, as is the opioid overdose crisis. All of these things are really important, but it does not mean this is not also important, because people need to trust in our systems and we are seeing it is broken. As parliamentarians, our job is to identify where the problem is and provide a solution. I am hoping we get out of the partisan rhetoric and really get into dealing with this issue in a way that is mindful. I hope the colleague will join us in that.

210 words

Context: House Hansard - 196 - May/12/23

Ms. Rachel Blaney (North Island—Powell River, NDP)

May/12/23 11:14:18 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, hearing a parent say, “Once they are dead, there is no helping them” is terrible. Across Canada, so many people have lost their loved ones to the toxic drug crisis. In the past six years, nearly 25,000 Canadians have died of apparent overdoses. Moms Stop the Harm is fighting back, in the name of the precious children they have lost, using all that pain to take action for every opportunity to save a life. A recent report by the Mental Health Commission of Canada and the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction found that fewer than one in four people with problematic substance use accessed services. Many constituents have talked to me about safe consumption, knowing that safe supply is there to address what is killing their loved ones, the toxic drug supply. This is not a treatment for addiction; it is an intervention to keep people alive. There is nothing I would not do to keep someone alive long enough to consider treatment. To save lives, we must stop the stigma.

178 words

Context: House Hansard - 86 - Jun/10/22

Ms. Rachel Blaney (North Island—Powell River, NDP)

Jun/10/22 11:04:51 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, across Canada, many are losing loved ones to toxic drug overdoses. Last month, I met with service providers from across my riding, and we discussed a health-based approach to substance abuse and Bill C-216 from the member for Courtenay—Alberni, which was sadly voted down by many Liberals and the Conservatives. Feedback was clear: Rural and remote communities have very specific challenges. There is a lack of access to basic health care services, compounded by a lack of access to supports for families and for people struggling with substance abuse. There is a lack of affordable housing and often no supportive housing, putting stabilized people at risk of returning to the streets, where it is impossible for them to stay clean. There is a lack of support for families struggling to support their loved ones who suffer from addiction, and the stigma silences and stops addicts and their loved ones from getting access to the help they need. I want to thank the many organizations that came to speak with me on that day, and I am so grateful for their dedication to saving the lives of Canadians.

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Member of Parliament

Rachel Blaney