- Member of Parliament
- Member of the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians
- NDP
- Vancouver Kingsway
- British Columbia
- Voting Attendance: 59%
- Expenses Last Quarter: $153,893.57
- Government Page
moved for leave to introduce Bill C-337, An Act to establish a national strategy on the reduction of textile waste.
He said: Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise to introduce the textile waste reduction strategy act, with thanks to the member for Nanaimo—Ladysmith for seconding this bill.
Consumers are currently buying more clothes and wearing them for less time than ever before. This has caused a sharp increase in the pollution, waste and greenhouse gas emissions associated with the fashion industry in Canada. We send nearly 500 million kilograms of textile waste to landfills every year.
This legislation would help address the impacts of fast fashion by requiring the Minister of Environment and Climate Change to develop a national strategy to reduce, reuse and recycle textile waste.
This bill is the result of the vision of a bright highschool student from Vancouver Kingsway, Kaylee Chou, who attends Windermere Secondary School. Kaylee is this year's winner of my Create Your Canada contest, which invites highschool students to participate in our democracy and offer their ideas for a better country. I hope all parliamentarians will support her thoughtful and creative initiative.
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moved for leave to introduce C-328, An Act respecting the development of a national strategy on student loan debt.
He said: Mr. Speaker, I am honoured to rise today to introduce the student debt relief act, with thanks to the great member for Edmonton Griesbach for seconding this legislation.
Far too many Canadian students have been forced to assume a crushing debt load simply to receive an education. In Canada, the average student loan debt is now $28,000 for a bachelor's degree and $15,300 for college graduates. This legislation provides for the development of a national strategy to address student loan debt by cancelling debt from government-provided students loans, permanently eliminating interest from all government-provided student loans, increasing nonrepayable student grants and protecting future students by reducing the cost of post-secondary education across Canada.
In fact, in my view it should be free.
New Democrats believe that every student who studies hard should be able to access a world-class education without going into debt.
I call on all parliamentarians to work together to make debt-free, accessible post-secondary education a reality for all students across Canada.
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moved for leave to introduce Bill C-312, An Act respecting the development of a national renewable energy strategy.
He said: Mr. Speaker, I am honoured to rise today to introduce the national renewable energy strategy act. I thank my colleague from Port Moody—Coquitlam for seconding this legislation and for her tireless advocacy in support of environmental justice.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has been clear that we must cut global greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2030 and reach net zero by 2050 to avert global climate change. The time for action is now. That means implementing solutions for clean energy and transitioning away from fossil fuels.
While we do this, we must ensure that workers are not left behind. Jobs in Canada's clean energy sector are projected to grow by nearly 50% by 2030, and the industry's GDP contribution is on track to reach $100 billion by the end of the decade.
This legislation would accelerate our transition to a clean energy future by requiring that the Minister of Natural Resources develop and implement a national strategy to ensure 100% of electricity generated in Canada comes from renewable energy sources by 2030.
I call on all parliamentarians to support this vital initiative for our country and for our planet.
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moved for leave to introduce Bill C-307, An Act to amend the Canada Labour Code (menstrual products).
He said: Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to introduce this bill, an act to amend the Canada Labour Code, menstrual products. I would like to thank the member for Winnipeg Centre for seconding the bill and for her tireless advocacy for gender equity.
Menstrual products are a basic health necessity, yet one in three Canadians struggles to afford them. To help address period poverty in Canada, the legislation would require federal employers to supply free menstrual products to everyone with access to their workplace, including employees, contractors and members of the public.
The bill is a result of the vision of two bright high school students from Vancouver Kingsway, Vivian Naumenko and Chanel Kershaw, who attend Sir Charles Tupper Secondary School. Vivian and Chanel are this year's winners of my “Create Your Canada” contest, which invites high school students to participate in our democracy and offer their ideas for a better Canada. I hope all parliamentarians will support their thoughtful and creative initiative that is long overdue.
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moved for leave to introduce Bill C-272, An Act respecting the development of a national employment strategy for persons with disabilities.
He said: Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce the employing persons with disabilities act, with great thanks to my colleague, the hon. member for Skeena—Bulkley Valley, for seconding the bill.
This legislation would provide for the development of a national employment strategy to increase the economic participation of persons with disabilities. Across Canada, persons with disabilities continue to face barriers and stigma when looking for work, seeking accommodation or trying to advance in their careers. As a result, over 400,000 working-age Canadians with disabilities are unemployed despite being willing and able to work.
People with diverse needs also have diverse skills and have a great deal to contribute to our society, like my daughter Cerys, her friends Calum, Melissa and Elliott, and many others. We must do more to support their participation in the workforce.
I call upon all parliamentarians to support this vital initiative because when people with diverse abilities succeed, we all succeed.
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moved for leave to introduce Bill C-265, An Act respecting the development of a national perinatal mental health strategy.
He said: Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise today to introduce the national perinatal mental health strategy. I would like to thank the hon. member for Edmonton Strathcona for seconding this legislation and for her tireless advocacy in support of perinatal mental health.
Perinatal mental illness is a critical issue affecting nearly one in four Canadian families. However, programs and policies across Canada have not kept up with best practices, research or the overarching science. The services currently available to people experiencing a perinatal mental illness are largely inadequate.
This legislation would require the Minister of Health to address this by developing a national strategy to support perinatal mental health across Canada. The strategy includes measures to provide universal access to perinatal mental health screening and effective treatment services, combat stigma, promote awareness, improve training, support research and address the social determinants of perinatal mental health.
I call on all parliamentarians to help women, parents and their families by supporting this vital and overdue initiative.
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moved for leave to introduce Bill C-256, An Act to amend the Financial Administration Act (composition of boards of directors).
He said: Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce an important bill to Parliament. This legislation would amend the Financial Administration Act to require gender parity on the board of directors of Crown corporations and agencies.
I would like to thank the hon. member for Winnipeg Centre for seconding this bill and for her tireless advocacy for gender equality.
Today in Canada, women make up only 27% of federal appointments to Crown corporation boards. Only 18% of director seats are held by women across all corporate boards in Canada, and 61% of boards are composed entirely of men. This is unacceptable and must change. By adopting this legislation, the federal government can lead by example and take concrete action to advance gender equality in Canada.
For systemic change to occur, we must change the system. I hope all parliamentarians will support this important and overdue initiative.
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moved for leave to introduce Bill C-255, An Act to amend the Income Tax Act and the Canada Student Financial Assistance Act.
He said: Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce an important bill to Parliament, the post-secondary education financial assistance for persons with disabilities act, with thanks to the hon. member for Edmonton Griesbach for seconding it and his tireless advocacy for diversity and inclusion.
This legislation would provide tuition-free post-secondary education for all Canadians with disabilities. This is not only fundamentally just; it is an investment in our citizens that will unleash potential and benefit our society. While there has been progress in broadening inclusion for students in Canadian colleges, universities and trade schools, there is still much more to be done.
I call on all parliamentarians to support this vital initiative to help Canadians with disabilities reach their potential and share their talents, skills and energy with us all, because when people with diverse abilities succeed, we all succeed.
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moved for leave to introduce Bill C-254, An Act to amend the Parliament of Canada Act (change of political affiliation).
He said: Madam Speaker, I am pleased to rise today to address the issue of floor crossing, with great thanks to the hon. member for Skeena—Bulkley Valley for seconding this bill.
Elections are an essential opportunity for voters to express their democratic preferences, but when parliamentarians cross the floor they unilaterally negate the will of their electors. This is a betrayal of trust of the first order. For example, in my riding of Vancouver Kingsway, David Emerson ran as a Liberal in the 2006 election, only to cross the floor to sit in the Conservative cabinet within weeks of being elected. Kingsway citizens of all political persuasions were incensed. They know that the only people who have the right to determine which party represents them in the House of Commons are the voters themselves.
This legislation would not prevent MPs from leaving their caucus or changing their political affiliation, but it would require members who wish to join another party's caucus either to obtain the consent of their constituents or sit as an independent until the next election.
I urge all members to support this important measure to protect the fundamental democratic rights of Canadian voters to choose how they wish to be represented in their House of Commons.
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moved for leave to introduce Bill C-227, An Act to amend the Canada Elections Act (voting age).
He said: Mr. Speaker, today I am honoured to introduce legislation that would extend the right to vote to all Canadians aged 16 and over. I would like to thank the hon. member for Skeena—Bulkley Valley for seconding this bill and for his tireless efforts to move this important initiative forward.
The history of the franchise in Canada is one of constant expansion. At the time of Confederation, voting was restricted to male British subjects who were at least 21 years of age and owned property. However, as our country progressed over subsequent generations, voting rights were extended to women, Asian Canadians, indigenous people, those without property and those under 21 years of age, now 18.
I believe it is time to give young people the full rights and responsibilities of citizenship as well. Young Canadians are engaged, well informed and passionate advocates for a brighter future, their future. They work and pay taxes, but they have no say in how those tax dollars are spent. This disenfranchisement is unjustified and must change.
I call on all parliamentarians to make young people equal participants in our democracy by supporting this vital legislation.
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moved for leave to introduce Bill C-220, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (assault against a health care worker).
He said: Mr. Speaker, I am honoured to rise today to introduce an important bill to Parliament with thanks to the hon. member for Esquimalt—Saanich—Sooke for seconding it. This legislation would amend the Criminal Code to require a court to consider the fact that the victim of an assault is a health care worker as an aggravating circumstance for the purposes of sentencing. Violence against health care workers has become a pervasive and growing problem within the Canadian health care system.
Over the last decade, violence-related lost time claims for front-line health care workers have increased by 66%: That is three times the rate for police and correctional officers combined. This is absolutely unacceptable. Health care workers take care of us when we are at our most vulnerable, and we have a responsibility to protect them in return. This legislation would send a strong message that those who provide such critical services must be treated with respect and security. I call on all parliamentarians to support this vital and overdue initiative.
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moved for leave to introduce Bill C-212, An Act to develop a national school food program for children.
He said: Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise today to introduce my bill proposing the school food program for children act. I would like to thank the hon. member for Winnipeg Centre for seconding this bill and for her tireless advocacy and support of food security.
This legislation would require the Minister of Health to develop a national school food program to ensure that all children in Canada have access to healthy food. The program would operate at little or no direct cost to children or their families; build on existing practices from other jurisdictions; and promote evidence-based, healthy food education.
In a country as prosperous as Canada, no child should have to struggle through the school day on an empty stomach. Prior to COVID-19, more than 1.5 million children lived in families who struggled to put food on the table in this country. Food insecurity has grown dramatically through the pandemic. A national school food program would not only give every student in Canada access to nutritious food, but it would make healthy eating a daily lesson for our kids.
I call on all parliamentarians to work together to support this important health and social justice initiative that so many other countries around the world are already doing.
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