From The Hill
Productive work done in Ottawa last week says MP
This past last week was very busy in Ottawa, with several important NDP-inspired bills and the fall economic statement. That statement, presented by the Liberal...
Cannings continues to call for removal of GST on home heating bills
Last week the federal NDP put forward a motion that sets out (what I believe to be) a truly fair, common-sense approach to deal with two of the most important...
Water issues need to be addressed across Canada
One important aspect of parliamentary proceedings that doesn’t get too much publicity is committee work. House of Commons standing committees offer...
MP says 'misinformation' being spread about carbon taxes
These are difficult times for a lot of Canadians. At the top of the list is the difficulty many have in finding affordable housing. In addition, groceries...
Small businesses need a real CEBA loan extension
This past summer, my NDP colleagues and I worked hard alongside many small businesses, our local chambers of commerce and the Canadian Federation of Independent...
Federal government needs to do its part to fund mental health care programs
The federal government needs to do more to provide better mental health supports. That sentence really could have ended in so many different ways. Last month, I...
Federal government needs to get back into housing again says MP
Last Monday was Labour Day, a time to reflect on the contributions of workers and celebrate the advances that organized labour has achieved to make our lives...
It's time for national wildfire firefighting force says MP
This summer has been the worst wildfire season in Canada, and it reached that landmark not in August, or even July, but on June 25. The British Columbia...
Federal riding redistribution splits some communities and unites others
In late July, the federal Electoral Boundaries Commission for British Columbia submitted its final report outlining the new boundaries of federal electoral...
Okanagan growers face climate, competition, market challenges
Agriculture has long been one of the pillars of the economy in the South Okanagan-West Kootenay region, but it has never been easy to be an orchardist or...
The rising cost of climate change impacts home owners
The summer has just begun, but so far it’s been another year of extreme temperatures, record wildfires from coast to coast, tornados, droughts and...
MP was busy during recent session of Parliament
Last week, the House rose for the summer, and I’m delighted to be back in the South Okanagan – West Kootenay sunshine to reflect on the busy...
Federal NDP pushing for national pharmacare program
Earlier this week in Parliament, the NDP introduced the Canada Pharmacare Act. This (proposed) legislation establishes a framework for universal, comprehensive...
Okanagan MP part of Commons committee recently in U.S. to talk trade
Last week I travelled to Washington D.C. with the House of Commons Standing Committee on International Trade. We made the trip for the obvious reason—the...
Funding needed to help communities with climate adaptation
It seems summer has come early to British Columbia, and while most of us welcome the barbecues and beach days that come with the heat, the unseasonably hot...
Government needs to do more for Canadian workers says MP
Boss Man Boss Man pay my rent A dollar I've earned is a dollar I've spent The company plan takes all my check For breakin' my back and riskin'...
MP talking timber at home and away
Last week, I attended the annual conference of the Council of Forest Industries (COFI) in Prince George. The COFI meeting is always a good forum to hear from a...
Increasing excise tax tough on Canadian craft distilleries
I was recently talking to Jorg and Anette Engel of Maple Leaf Spirits, a small craft distillery in Penticton. Theirs was one of the first craft distillers in...
World class battery recycling provided in Trail
Most people in the southern Interior of B.C. know there’s a big smelter in Trail—one of the biggest in the world. But fewer are aware of the...
South Okanagan-West Kootenay boundary change raises concern
Every 10 years, Elections Canada is obliged by law to redistribute the boundaries of federal electoral districts (ridings) to address changes in local...