B.C. Greens call for immediate action on short-term rentals
VICTORIA, B.C. - The B.C. Green Caucus is calling on the Province to regulate the short-term rental industry, in order to reduce effects on the housing crisis and improve safety for renters and hosts.
“Currently, British Columbia has no system to accurately identify the number or type of housing units in the short-term rental market,” said Sonia Furstenau, Leader of the B.C. Greens and MLA for Cowichan Valley.
“Even in municipalities with existing bylaws and business license programs, hundreds if not thousands of units listed on these sites are unlicensed.”
Deadline to review the Mental Health Act missed, B.C. Greens call for action
VICTORIA, B.C. – The B.C. Green Caucus is calling on Premier David Eby to immediately begin a full public review of the outdated Mental Health Act (MHA).
“We deserve a world where everyone is safe and supported,” said Sonia Furstenau, Leader of the B.C. Greens and MLA for Cowichan Valley. “In my own community of Cowichan Valley, doctors tell me that patients are reporting with mental illness more than all other ailments. Meanwhile, the Mental Health Act continues to cause harm by enforcing outdated stereotypes and stigma for those who are mentally ill.
“B.C. has been found to be out-of-compliance with the Act on thousands of occasions. Waitlists for treatment are weeks to months long, and supportive housing often takes years to become available. It is irresponsible for Premier David Eby to speak about endorsing involuntary treatment without substantially overhauling the outdated Mental Health Act.
B.C. Greens respond to policing recommendations for City of Surrey
VICTORIA, B.C. – Today, the Province announced their recommendation for the City of Surrey to continue its transition to the Surrey Police Service. Adam Olsen, MLA for Saanich North and the Islands and B.C. Green Caucus representative on the Special Committee on Reforming the Police Act has issued the following statement:
“Moving to a Surrey Police Service is the move towards better regional services that our legislative committee recommended. A municipal police force will be better positioned to reflect the diversity of the community. Communities should have the ability to influence how they are policed, by having their services accountable to them.
Olsen and Valeriote highlight need for public transit in Sea-to-Sky corridor
VANCOUVER B.C. – B.C. Green house leader Adam Olsen and candidate Jeremy Valeriote (West Vancouver-Sea to Sky) plan to put a spotlight on the lack of public transit in the Sea-to-Sky corridor by traveling from downtown Vancouver to Squamish by public transit, streaming parts of each leg of their journey on Instagram Live.
Residents of the Sea-to-Sky corridor have been calling for regional public transit for years. B.C.’s embarrassing lack of regional public transit was recently highlighted in an episode of the BBC’s Race Across the World in which competitors had to make their way from Vancouver to Haida Gwaii. The B.C. Green Party launched a petition for regional public transit in the Sea-to-Sky corridor in February.
B.C. Greens introduce amendments to pay transparency legislation
VICTORIA, B.C. – Adam Olsen, MLA for Saanich North and the Islands has introduced amendments to the Pay Transparency Act.
“British Columbia has one of the biggest gaps in pay between men and women in Canada. The gender pay gap is especially stark for Indigenous and Black workers, people of colour, and people with disabilities,” said MLA Olsen.
“In 2001 the former BC NDP government attempted to enshrine the right of all British Columbians to be paid equally for similar work. Fast forward 22 years and BC remains one of a few provinces in Canada without pay equity legislation.
“The Pay Transparency Act represents a missed opportunity to adequately address the inequity and discrimination women face at work. The BC NDP could have introduced pay equity legislation and robust pay transparency legislation. Instead, they chose half measures.