On this page are selected videos of speeches, statements, debates, and questions I raise in the House.
To watch parliamentary proceedings live, you can visit: https://parlvu.parl.gc.ca/Harmony
Parliament Video: Jenny in the House: Reconsider the safe third country agreement
On November 21, 2017, Jenny rose and asked this question:
Parliament Video: Jenny in the House: No Fly List
Jenny's question to the minister about Canadians being denied flights because they find themselves on the no fly list:
Parliament Video: Housing is a Human Right
Tonight in Metro Vancouver, 3,605 people will be spending the night homeless. A substantial number of these individuals reside in my riding of Vancouver East.
The number of people, 3,605 is obtained from the 2017 homelessness count. Since 2014, the number of homeless people in Metro Vancouver has increased by 30%, and that number is constantly growing. To break that number down a little, half of them have been homeless for over a year; 16% are young people under 25; 21% are seniors; and, yes, 21% either have a part-time or full-time job.
In my riding, where the rental vacancy rate has been sitting at below 1% for years, even those who are currently housed live in constant fear that they may be the next victim of the rental evictions and demo evictions that have been dominating our local news cycles. Many are paying more than 30% of their total income on rent.
If this picture seems wrong to members, it is because the situation we have in my riding and indeed throughout the country is a human rights violation. Housing is declared as a basic right by the United Nations, and Canada has signed and ratified a number of international human rights treaties that identify the right to adequate housing as a fundamental basic human right.
Parliament Video: Jenny in the House: Reform the Temporary Foreign Worker's Program
Jenny's question in the House of Commons on November 3rd 2017:
Parliament Video: Jenny in the House: Housing is a Human Right
On November 3, 2017, Jenny rose to speak about housing:
Parliament Video: Jenny in the House: What Portugal is doing on the Opioid Crisis
While speaking to the motion to create Portuguese Heritage Month, I wanted to take some time to discuss the great things going on in Portugal in regards to harm reduction. Canada can and should learn from Portuguese model. Over 15 years ago, Portugal made a decision that things needed to change with the realization the current approach simply was not working. Portugal embraced the harm reduction approach, understanding that addiction issues were better suited to be addressed by the health care system and social welfare system than the criminal justice system. Portugal took what seemed like a radical step to many peer nations: decriminalizing minor possession of all drugs and dramatically shifting their resources away from the criminal justice system towards health and social services:
Cindy Blackstock's testimony before the Canadian Heritage Committee
Parliament Video: Jenny in the House: Will PM admit that Bill Morneau violated the Conflict of Interest Act?
On October 18, 2017, Jenny rose and asked this question:
Parliament Video: Jenny in the House: We must work to preserve Vancouver's Historic Chinatown
On October 6, 2017, Jenny rose to speak about Chinatown:
Parliament Video: Jenny in the House: The Dream of a National Pharmacare Program
On October 5, 2017, Jenny rose to speak of a National Pharmacare Program:
Mosaic Opening Speech
On Sept 26, 2017 at Mosaic new office opening:
Parliament Video: Jenny in the House: Will the government finally take the issue of asylum seekers seriously?
On September 20, 2017, Jenny rose and asked this question:
Parliament Video: Jenny in the House: Government must stop discriminating against disabled children
A question Jenny asked during question period on September 19th, 2017. The minister, as you can see, was not available: