Jun
2
MP Report
By Denise Savoie
As we gear up for a summer of the outdoor activities that abound in James Bay and throughout the CRD, Parliamentarians are winding down a particularly divisive and alarming spring session in the House of Commons. As I write, the Conservatives are attacking our new leader Tom Mulcair for his comments about the impact of unbridled tar sands development on the economy and the environment.
Far from an attack on the West, Mr. Mulcair has spoken the truth about the need for a polluter-pay approach to the development of the oil sands, a need to put a price on carbon so that we don't leave the cost of the cleanup to the next generation. We have also witnessed the loss of thousands of well-paid jobs in the manufacturing sector in Canada and the loss of processing jobs at mills on Vancouver Island because law logs fetch better prices in China. As a result of the accelerated proposals for the Enbridge and Kinder Morgan pipeline developments, I am also hearing from British Columbians who fear an increase in tanker traffic that dramatically increases the risk of a major oil spill on BC's fragile coast.
What our caucus is calling for is a sustainable energy sector that adds jobs at home, that protects spawning grounds in hundreds of rivers and streams and that keeps pipelines away from areas prone to avalanches. We want Canada to invest in tomorrow's clean energy so that our children and grandchildren can prosper.
We also want to give all Canadians a voice about the decisions that are being made in Ottawa which is why we reached out during the last week-long recess in Parliament, to tell you about what was hidden in the Federal Budget and to give you an opportunity to speak out. People who have never sought to involve themselves in the political arena are coming into my office to share their fears and frustration. They want to know what can be done.
I ask all of you as my constituents to keep speaking out. To write to the Prime Minister, with a copy to me, and tell him what you think. Take democracy to his doorstep if he won't take it to yours. Whether it is anger at punitive new rules for people who lose their jobs and have paid into the employment insurance fund all their lives, or alarm at the possibility of a spill 10 times larger than the Exxon Valdez, or knowledge that many children in Canada are going hungry. Silence changes nothing.
I look forward to seeing many of you in person this summer at different events in Victoria and to having the opportunity to talk with you about these issues in the neighbourhoods that sow the seeds of community action. And don't forget to come out and support the community events that could not happen without enormous volunteer effort, like the James Bay Market, the Victoria International Cycling Festival, the Victoria Jazz Festival, the 2nd Annual Celebrate Our Harbour Day that takes place June 17 or the Canada Day celebration June 29th at James Bay New Horizons.