Update from the House:
It has been an intense month. Schools are back in session, the second wave of the pandemic is hitting other parts of Canada, and we saw the federal Throne speech tabled on September 23rd after five weeks of Parliament being prorogued. My team and I have been listening, learning and fighting for you at every opportunity. I have heard from many of you on the Speech from the Throne. Here are a few of my reflections:
- Some familiar and encouraging language: I was pleased to see strong language in the Throne speech on ending systemic racism, fighting the climate crisis, and addressing homelessness. Many of these commitments are recycled from the 2018 platform and the 2019 Throne speech. This past year has thrown Canada some curve balls, but we cannot let these priorities fall to the wayside. I’m going to need to see some real action. Here are some of the specific commitments that I’m looking forward to:
- Action Plan for Women in the Economy
- Disability Inclusion Plan
- A plan to exceed Canada’s 2030 climate goal and legislate Canada’s goal of net-zero emissions by 2050.
- Accelerating work on the National Action Plan in response to the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls’ Calls for Justice.
- The future of Nuclear Energy in Canada?: The same day the Throne speech was delivered, Minister O’Regan published a press release describing nuclear energy as a priority. On October 16th Minister Bains announced $20M in Ontario for Small Modular Nuclear Reactors (SMNRs). We know that nuclear has had 50 years to be the reliable, cheap and clean energy source it’s being touted as. Energy efficiency must be our focus as we recover from the effects of Covid-19, not an expensive push for no-so-new nuclear. Home energy renovations can support our local trade economies, lower our electricity bills and help us continue our mission of reducing consumption and reliance on fossil fuels. If anyone on this mailing list wants to get involved in this discussion or learn more, the Coalition for Responsible Energy Development in New Brunswick is a great place to start.