In The News

IN THE NEWS- Federal Funding Cuts will sink efforts to tackle ocean plastics

Ocean cleanup groups worry years of work and good jobs tied to cleaning up plastic pollution on Canadian shorelines are set to flounder after the federal government cut a critical source of funding in the recent budget.

The Ministry of Fisheries and Oceans' (DFO) Ghost Gear Fund - which sunk nearly $60 million into 139 projects to alleviate the problem of ocean plastics - isn't outlined in the recent federal budget, said Josh Charleson, relationships director with the Coastal Restoration Society based in B.C.

The federal government tabled a budget that seemingly cuts funding to clean up ocean plastic pollution just before hosting international negotiations for a global plastics treaty, Johns said.

“I’m absolutely flabbergasted and frustrated and coastal people are in disbelief. [The Ghost Gear Fund] became a renowned program, a model around the world.”

IN THE NEWS- Finalize Plastics Treaty

Reaching a global agreement by the end of this year to address a plastic-waste crisis will require the environment minister to do more to push back against the oil, gas, and chemical sectors, according to an NDP MP who successfully passed a motion in 2018 to create a national strategy against plastic pollution.

“We need the minister to actually show courage and get something done,” said NDP MP Gord Johns (Courtenay–Alberni, B.C.). “We need some courage. Stand up to the petrochemical industry, the chemical industry, and the oil and gas industry and say, ‘No, we’re not going to provide resources to you … when we want to enact and implement policies to protect the health of Canadians.”

IN THE NEWS- NDP pharmacare plan on the House of Commons to-do list

Ottawa- The government’s proposal to begin rolling out a Canada-wide pharmacare plan — a key component of the supply-and-confidence deal between the governing Liberals and the New Democrats, which was introduced earlier this year after months of intense closed-door negotiations between the two parties, and is now poised to be put on the legislative fast track.

Before heading into the House of Commons this afternoon, New Democrat Leader Jagmeet Singh will hold a midday media availability at a downtown Ottawa park, where, accompanied by his party’s mental health and harm reductions critic Gord Johns, he’ll provide an overview of the New Democrat plan to “make sure young people have access to the mental health supports they need.”

IN THE NEWS- Canada's housing policy must be tailored to meet the needs of lower-income households: NDP

Federal New Democrats spent Wednesday seeking guidance from Albertans, who the party said are on the front lines of Canada's housing crisis, to help them form policies around addressing the needs of lower-income households.

The free market cannot be trusted to solve the country's affordability crisis and more solutions are needed, said Gord Johns, the NDP's mental health critic.

"The free market has never solved affordability issues", Johns said to a roundtable of housing experts in Edmonton on Wednesday.

IN THE NEWS- Canada's National Observer: New Registry Announced

The federal government announced a new registry to track plastic production to set the tone as negotiations on a Global Plastics Treaty kick off on April 23 in Ottawa.

The NDP wants to see the federal government cap plastic production and end federal subsidies to fossil fuel and petrochemical companies, said Johns.

Johns’ crafted a motion that calls on the government to negotiate a Global Plastics Treaty that reduces global plastic production and closes these export loopholes.

The NDP pushed for a national strategy to tackle plastic pollution in 2018 when Johns tabled a motion (it passed) that called for a national strategy to combat plastic pollution. It included measures that have been adopted by the Liberal government, including a program that helps remove old fishing gear from the ocean. However, Johns noted that the Liberals’ have not reinstated funding for the program despite the importance of addressing “ghost gear.”

IN THE NEWS- Tracking Plastics for Life: New Registry Announced by Feds

The federal government announced a new registry to track plastic production to set the tone as negotiations on Global Plastics Treaty kick off on April 23 in Ottawa. The NDP and advocacy groups have called for the registry as a necessary first step to address plastic pollution. However, the Liberals need to do more to hold companies accountable, said NDP MP Gord Johns in an emailed statement to Canada’s National Observer.

The NDP wants to see the federal government cap plastic production and end federal subsidies to fossil fuel and petrochemical companies, said Johns.

Guilbeault to host high-level summit on plastic pollution ahead of week-long negotiating session

With the next round of United Nations-led talks on a propsed new international treaty to reduce plastic pollution set to get underway in Ottawa tomorrow, Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault will makes the rounds at two "high-level events" organized by Canada in conjunction with the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF).

Also keeping tabs on Canada’s role in the push to limit plastic: New Democrat MP Gord Johns, who will hit the West Block press theatre to promote his newly-tabled, non-binding call for the government to “stop Canada’s harmful plastic waste export,” with representatives of Surfrider Foundation Canada and the Basel Action Network also expected to speak.

Talks under way in Ottawa on Curbing Global Plastics Pollution

A delegation of U.S. politicians visiting Ottawa for a UN conference on plastics pollution is calling for urgent action on the pollutant that can harm human health and the environment, saying the world can’t repeat the mistakes of the climate change response.

In a separate news conference on Monday, NDP MP Gord Johns said the plastics registry is welcomed, but highlighted that more work needs to be done by the federal government.

“They’ve taken a slow reaction in terms of tackling this crisis,” Mr. Johns said, explaining that the government has not put a cap on oil and gas in the production of plastics.

“We expect and need that to happen in the negotiations here as host nation.”

Shout-out to the outstanding volunteers of Ucuelet Fire Rescue

Great to see the shout-out to the outstanding volunteers of Ucuelet Fire Rescue in the federal budget this week. The UFR was established in 1949 and its 19 dedicated members currently respond to an average of 150 calls each year. This budget item responded to my private members bill (C-310) by doubling the income tax benefit for volunteer firefighters and search and rescue responders. It notes that "about 100,000 Canadians volunteer their time and sacrifice their own safety to keep their neighbors safe". Truer words could not be spoken about the Fire Hall in Ucuelet and equally about about volunteer fire departments throughout our riding and across the country. Give a call to the volunteer fire department near you and check out the opportunities to serve.

IN THE NEWS- Heat Raise Risk of Repeat of Last Summer's Record- Breaking Wildfires

Persistent drought and months of above-average temperatures have escalated the risk of another record-breaking wildfire season, federal ministers said Wednesday as they warned about the urgent need to address climate change.

The 2023 fire season was Canada's worst on record, with more than 6,600 fires burning more than 15 million hectares, an area almost twice the size of Lake Superior. It forced more than 230,000 people from their homes - including the entire city of Yellowknife - and created unprecedented smoke conditions across much of the country and into the United States.

NDP MP Gord Johns, who has also long advocated for the credit to go to $10,000, agreed that the government's move was a good start but not enough. Johns said Canada has lost 30,000 volunteer firefighters and search and rescue personnel since 2016.

"We need to do everything we can to try to ensure that we support recruitment," he said.

Johns also said Canada needs to invest in a national firefighting team, with 400 personnel and a fleet of planes to support provinces.

With the coming fire season looking to be as bad as 2023, if not worse, "the federal government needs to step up their game," Johns said.

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