In Parliament

Parliament is where I bring the voices of Vancouver East constituents to government and fight for real action and legislative change. I do this through debating and voting on legislation in the chamber, as well as attend committee meetings where Members of Parliament examine, discuss, and debate issues in greater depth and details.

On this page you can see all question period questions, statements and speeches that I make in the House of Commons. In the “In Committee” page you can see my debates and proceedings in various parliamentary committees.

Select videos of questions and statements can be viewed under the “House Speeches” section.

Parliament Video: Jenny asks minister on parent/grandparent immigration and taking immigrant/refugees from Hong Kong

On June 17, 2020 at the Parliament's immigration committee, NDP MP Jenny Kwan asks the minister on the opening of the parent/grandparent immigration and whether Canada is working on a plan to take immigrant/refugees from Hong Kong:

Parliament Video: Jenny asks if the federal government would commit to a 50-50 sharing with BC to house the homeless

On June 17, 2020 at the Parliament, NDP MP Jenny Kwan asks if the federal government would commit to a 50-50 cost sharing with the province to buy the assets necessary to house the homeless population:

Parliament Video: Jenny asks questions on the Canada Housing Benefit agreement and Migrant Worker Rights in COVID-19

On June 2, 2020, I questioned Ministers about the long-delayed implementation of the $4 Billion Canada Housing Benefit, first announced in 2017, and about the conditions that migrant workers face during the COVID-19 pandemic in housing, in lack of health care and in seeking a path to permanency in Canada.

Parliament Video: Jenny asks questions about Long Term Care

On May 27, 2020, MP Jenny Kwan asked questions of the Minister of Health about the devastating report by the Canadian military on what they saw in long-term care homes in the COVID-19 pandemic:

Parliament Video: Jenny asks questions on rent subsidy and support for municipal entities, incl. Translink & PNE

MP Jenny Kwan at the House Special COVID-19 Committee asking finance minister and deputy prime minister questions on emergency rental subsidy for businesses and support for municipal government, Translink and PNE:

Parliament Video: Jenny asks the PM: Will he close the gap so single parents & their children get support they need?

In the May 12 Virtual sitting of the House (COVID-19 Special Committee), I asked:

Parliament Video: Jenny Questions the Prime Minister on Housing, Homelessness & Urban Indigenous Housing support

On May 12, I asked the following questions:

Parliament Video: Now is our moment. Bring in universal comprehensive public single payer Pharmacare in Budget 2020!

On March 12, 2020, I gave a speech in the House on universal comprehensive public single payer Pharmacare.

This was in support of the NDP's Motion:

March 10, 2020 — Mr. Davies (Vancouver Kingsway) — That the House: (a) acknowledge the government’s intention to introduce and implement national pharmacare; (b) call on the government to implement the full recommendations of the final report of the Hoskins Advisory Council on the Implementation of National Pharmacare, commencing with the immediate initiation of multilateral negotiations with the provinces and territories to establish a new, dedicated fiscal transfer to support universal, single-payer, public pharmacare that will be long term, predictable, fair and acceptable to provinces and territories; (c) urge the government to reject the U.S.-style private patchwork approach to drug coverage, which protects the profits of big pharmaceutical and insurance companies, but costs more to Canadians; and (d) recognize that investing in national pharmacare would help stimulate the economy while making life more affordable for everyone and strengthening our health care system.

Parliament Video: Jenny in the House: Bring in universal comprehensive public single payer Pharmacare in Budget 2020

On March 12, 2020, I gave a speech on Pharmacare in the House, in support of the NDP motion:

Parliament Video: A Top Housing Priority: a funded housing strategy led by Indigenous peoples, for urban, rural, and northern Indigenous peoples

When I rose to ask the Prime Minister about the failures of his national housing strategy, including the glaring absence of a housing strategy that is led by Indigenous peoples, for rural, urban and northern Indigenous peoples, I received the usual meaningless talking points. This happened despite the fact that the Liberals pledged in 2017 with the introduction of the national housing strategy to address the housing crisis for Inuit, Métis and First Nations people.

The Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development even committed on the public record that the Liberals are committed to a separate national urban indigenous housing strategy by and for urban Indigenous people. However, years later there is still no action.

Aboriginal people in Canada are 10 times more likely than non-Aboriginal people to become homeless. When I pointed out that in Vancouver 40% of the homeless population are Indigenous peoples, the Prime Minister was so busy patting himself on the back with self-congratulatory rhetoric that I do not even think he realizes how severe the housing crisis is and how grossly disproportionate it is in affecting urban, rural and northern Indigenous communities.

Jenny in Parliament