On November 27, 2020, I stood in the House to call on the federal government for urgent help for our Van East community:
"The Minister of Health said she has the highest regard for Dr. Patricia Daly, Dr. Bonnie Henry and Mayor Kennedy Stewart.
Why then has the Minister refused to follow their sound advice and decriminalize simple drug possession to help save lives?
In BC alone, 1,386 people have died from an overdose [this year].
Across the country, over 16,000 people have been taken by the war on drugs.
The DTES is under siege with record overdose deaths.
And we now have the highest COVID-19 infection rates in the city.
Our community is also grappling with the largest homeless encampment in the country.
We need urgent help from the Federal government.
Vancouver [City] Council is calling on the government to decriminalize.
The Province wants the Federal government to cost share 50/50 in their aggressive pandemic housing plan to house the homeless.
Housing advocates want the Port to stand down and not pursue civil proceedings against those who acted in solidarity with the people at the homeless encampment at CRAB Park.
I join with them to call on the Federal government to act."
This public forum is intended to build public support for this legislation by all Members of Parliament.
On January 30, join CCMS for a discussion with Jenny Kwan, Adel Iskandar, and Rachel Small, moderated by Am Johal, regarding the No More Loopholes Act.
January 30 | 4 PM
SFU Downtown Vancouver Campus | Harbour Centre | Room 2270
515 W Hastings Street, Vancouver
Bill C-233, the No More Loopholes Act, is a private member’s bill put forward by Vancouver-East MP Jenny Kwan in September 2025 to press Canada to abide by the Arms Trade Treaty that it signed in 2019. Currently arms exported to the US are exempted and have ended up being used by Israel in Gaza, by Saudia Arabia in Yemen and many other places. The private member’s bill will be voted on in Parliament at Second Reading in late-February.
This public forum is intended to build public support for this legislation.
Speakers:
Adel Iskandar, Director, CCMS
Jenny Kwan, MP, Vancouver-East
Alex Neve, Former Secretary General of Amnesty International Canada and 2025 Massey Lecturer
Rachel Small, World Without War
Moderated by Am Johal
The temperature, though relatively mild for the Kivalliq region in January, also caught some of the NDP's Vancouver MPs a bit off guard.
"The minute you came out of the plane you felt immediately the difference between communities," said Vancouver East MP Jenny Kwan. "The wind, the cold was something that I have never experienced in all of my life."
Rankin Inlet Mayor Harry Towtongie said it's good to see southern politicians get a taste of the issues his community faces.