Newsletter Vlog #20

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Timestamps

00:00 Introduction & the Finns

00:27 Indigenous Rights & Reconciliation

01:46 Legislative Session Highlights

02:26 Constituent Spotlight: Deanna Woods and Regenerock

04:07 Advocacy: Reducing Tobacco Sales in Pharmacies & Constituent Spotlight: Leo Levasseur

05:09 Climate Action & Constituent Spotlight: Tannis Wightman

05:57 Happiness & Community Wellbeing

06:34 Summer Events & Outreach

WEEK OF MAY 18th

🏛️IN THE HOUSE

Gov Bills

  • Bill 9 FOI

    • In Committee Stage

  • Bill 17 Local Gov Code of Conduct

    • 2nd Reading

  • Bill 18 Local Gov Parental Leave

    • no debate started

  • Bill 20 K'omoks Act

    • In Committee Stage

  • Bill 21 Kitselas Act - no debate started

Estimates

  • Completed: JEG, MOTT, PSSG

  • In Progress: FIN (finance)

Private Members’ Bills

  • M205 (Dew) motion on financial literacy courses for MLAs (amended by gov) will continue debate on Monday

  • M207 (Morisette) motion on independent movie theatres and liquor started debate,

  • Conservative MLA Dhaliwal introduced a motion during regular business (not Private Members Time) to recognize the 1984 Sikh genocide

    • Needed unanimous support from the house to start debate, but didn’t receive it

🗣️Speeches in the house, in order of occurrence:

Let’s Get Social

Week of May 18th

Supreme Court accepts BC Government appeal of mineral claims regime a-la DRIPA. Green Party member of the legislature Rob Botterell said if government had done the work to align provincial laws with DRIPA, neither the initial court decision nor the government's appeal would have been necessary. "It is ironic that DRIPA was intended to help move First Nations and government out of the courts, yet the government is now choosing to fight a court decision instead of bringing outdated laws into alignment with DRIPA," he said. (Canadian Press) 

No, Your Property Is Not at Risk After the Cowichan Decision. Anxiety about the threat to fee simple private property posed by Aboriginal rights is so deep in British Columbia that Green MLA Rob Botterell, Saanich North and the Islands, was able to draw more than 100 people to a mid-afternoon public meeting Saturday, a sunny long-weekend Saturday in the middle of Stanley Cup playoffs. (The Tyee)

WEEK SIX: April 14th

🏛️IN THE HOUSE

Private Members’ Bills:

  • Kiel Giddens M233 Public Sector Construction Projects Procurement Act - started second reading

  • Misty Van Popta M214 Firefighters Health Act received royal assent 

  • Gavin Dew introduced M242 Brain Injury Support Act

  • Tara Armstrong introduced M243 Speculation and Vacancy Tax Repeal Act

  • George Anderson M216 Professional Reliance Act  - PMB committee recommended that the Bill not continue

Government Bills:

Introduced: historic moment first new treaty legislation introduced in 10 years

  • 20 K'omoks Treaty Act

  • 21 Kitselas Treaty Act

Second Reading:

  • 14 Forestry Statutes Amendment Act completed

  • 15 EAA completed

  • 16 Miscellaneous Statutes Amendment Act (AG, ECS, HMA, PSSG amendments) started

Committee:

  • 11 RTA completed

  • 15 EAA completed

Royal Assent:

  • 2 Budget Measures Accountability Act

  • 6 Motor Vehicle Amendment Act

  • 8 Civil Forfeitures Act

  • 10 Labour Statutes Amendment Act

  • 11 Residential Tenancy Amendment Act

  • 12 Safe Access to Schools Amendment Act

  • 13 Safe Access to Places of Worship Act

  • 15 Environmental Assessment Amendment Act 

🗣️Speeches in the house, in order of occurrence:

WEEK SIX: In The News

  • B.C. Green MLA Botterell said it’s clear that Eby and the B.C. NDP is at a crossroads.  “Do they want to be on the side of history where we’re back in court and stepping everything back 20 years, or do they want to be on the side of history where we’re actually going to do the work that’s not getting done working with First Nations?”  His and the Green Party’s view is that there is “really no need for the amendment of DRIPA.”  Botterell pointed to comments from Olsen that MLAs in the legislature “really need to think carefully about what they’re going to do, and particularly the ones that were there in 2019,” meaning the MLAs who helped bring in the act six years ago. (Black Press)

⛰️ RIDING NEWS

  • Woodfibre LNG plans massive expansion: federal minister. Energy minister Tim Hodgson told investors that Woodfibre LNG has ambitions to double and triple its size—raising critics' fears that the project could act as a 'regulatory Trojan horse'. (BiV)

WEEK FIVE: April 7th

🏛️IN THE HOUSE

 Government Bills:

  • introduced:

    • Bill 14 Forest Statutes Amendment Act - will provide BC Timber Sales a new tool to provide more fibre more quickly outside of traditional auction system through "contract logging authorizations"

    • Bill 15 Environmental Assessment Amendment Act - will make changes to dispute resolution process from input gained through consultation and engagement with First Nations 

    • 🚩Bill 16 Misc Statutes Amendment Act - proposed changes to multiple ministries: (AG) Judicial Reviews, (ECS) Fuel Prices and Zero-Emission EVs,  (HMA) Sewage + drainage, Manufactured Home parks, University Endowment Lands, Residential Tenancy Act, (PSSG) Corrections Act amendments with involuntary treatment

    • Bill 17 Housing and Municipal Affairs (Code of Conduct) Amendment Act - will create a provincewide, mandatory code of conduct for municipal and regional district elected officials

    • Bill 18 Housing and Municipal Affairs (Parental Leave) Amendment Act - will establish a provincial minimum parental leave entitlements for local elected officials

  • Debated:

    • Bill 2 Budget Measures Implementation Act (FIN) passed committee

    • Bill 6 Motor Vehicle Amendment Act (AG) passed committee, third reading 

    • Bill 8 Civil Forfeiture Act (PSSG) passed committee, third reading 

    • Bill 10 Labour Statutes Amendment Act passed committee, third reading

    • Bill 11 Residential Tenancy Act passed second reading (Rob spoke at length against)

    • Bill 12 Safe access to schools Act (AG) passed second, committee, third reading

    • Bill 13 Safe access to places of public worship act (AG) passed second, committee, third reading 

  • passed: Bills 2, 6, 8, 10, 12, 13 will be up for Royal Assent on April 16th

Private Members Bills:

  • Introduced:

    • M239 Aboriginal Title Transparency Act - MLA Scott McInnis

    • M240 Transparency of Advocacy Organizations Act - MLA Tara Armstrong

  • Debated: 

    • M201 passed - adjourned debate with respect to affirming commitment to affordable, equitable and accessible clean water as an important component of Canadian Sovereignty

    • M203 failed - debate adjourned with respect to affirming the application of the merit principle within B.C. Public Service be overseen by an independent officer of the Legislature

  • Other:

    • M214 Firefighters Health Act (MLA Misty Van Popta) was reported back to the House from Committee with amendments, will be debated on April 13th

🗣️Speeches in the house, in order of occurrence:

Week Five: Let’s Get Social

🌠LET’S GET SOCIAL 

absolutely perfect video of MLA Botterell in the 90s.

Our statementA:  BC MLA was arrested on domestic violence charges

.MLA Botterell says ProRep puts a Pep in your Step

basic facts about DRIPA and UNDRIP

VideoStatement: MLA Botterell with old pal Hegus John Hackett from Tla’amin Nation

MLA Botterell’s reaction to Premier Eby’s announcement to “pause” some sections of DRIPA instead of amending