Times Colonist: MLAs set up rebel group on agriculture

Lana Popham organized the rebel group after the Liberal
government  rebuffed calls for an official standing committee.  
Photograph By BRUCE STOTESBURY, Times Colonist

LINDSAY KINES / TIMES COLONIST 

Independent MLA Vicki Huntington has agreed to co-chair a renegade Opposition committee on agriculture with Saanich South MLA Lana Popham.

Popham, the NDP’s agriculture critic, organized the rebel group after the Liberal government rebuffed calls for an official standing committee. The last one was disbanded in 2001, Popham said.

Huntington said Thursday that the lack of properly functioning committees of MLAs is “one of the great under-achievements of our democracy in the legislature.”

The Delta South MLA hopes to highlight that issue, while also focusing attention on agriculture and food security.

“I think it’s a good initiative and I think it brings attention to the fact that these standing committees don’t work properly and, in some cases, like agriculture, don’t exist,” she said.

As an unofficial committee, Popham, Huntington and the other members will receive no money or clerical support. Nor will Hansard record the proceedings. Popham hopes to livestream the meetings, perhaps with the help of a GoPro camera. “I won’t be wearing it on my head, but that would make it interesting,” she joked.

Popham expects the committee will meet monthly around the province. People will register to make 10-minute presentations and the committee will likely issue a report next fall.

“It ramps up the discussion and the importance of agriculture,” Popham said. “Although the government is choosing not to participate, it’s certainly a message that they’re going to be hearing, so I think the committee will still have the ability to influence policy decisions.”

Agriculture Minister Norm Letnick said Popham and Huntington are “doing what politicians do, which is try to attract attention to their cause.”

But he dismissed the need for a standing committee. “I have a ministry advisory committee made up of people from different parts of agriculture and agrifoods, including aquaculture,” he said.

The advisory committee will meet in the coming weeks to go over the ministry’s draft agrifoods plan. “That’s really the benefit of having that committee structure with industry players on it as opposed to politicians,” Letnick said.

Huntington said the Opposition committee will give local communities and citizens a chance to be heard. “Anything that can publicize the need to spend more time in defining what food security means to the people of this province is important,” she said.

Huntington said the Liberals dislike legislative committees because they “don’t like losing control.”

“The fewer committees you have, the fewer opportunities you have for input or for publicity or for criticism,” she said.

“In the time I’ve been in the house, the standing committee on environment has never met. The standing committee on Crown corporations [has] never met.”

lkines@timescolonist.com

Source: http://www.timescolonist.com/news/local/mlas-set-up-rebel-group-on-agriculture-1.1747541

A disaster waiting to happen?

Dear Saanich, 

Residential oil spills from aging oil tanks and accessories are harming our local environment and creating significant financial liability for home-owners.

Join MLA Rob Fleming and me for a public forum to discuss this problem and the solutions.

Thursday February 5th

7:00 - 8:30 p.m.
Spectrum Community School Theatre, 957 Burnside Rd W.

Panelists:

• Dean Murdock - Saanich Councillor
• Tim Pringle - Past-president Partnership for Water Sustainability in BC
• Ethan Krindle - Environmental Lawyer
• Dave Rogers - President of BC Hazmat Management Ltd.
• Dorothy Chambers - Colquitz River Steward
• Judith Lavoie - Freelance writer, former reporter Victoria Times Colonist

A recent report from the Partnership for Water Sustainability found that over 13,000 homes constructed in the CRD prior to 1992 had oil heating. Aging oil tanks and accessories, if not properly maintained can lead to catastrophic damages to local fish and wildlife in our waterways and pose significant clean-up costs for property owners and local governments.

Hope to see you on the 5th! Refreshments provided.

For more information: amber.nash2@leg.bc.ca

Warm regards,

Lana Popham

MLA, Saanich South

BC Legislative Standing Committee on Agriculture!

The Official Opposition is taking the unprecedented step of convening an Opposition Standing Committee on Agriculture and Food after well over a decade of neglect by the BC Liberal government of our province's agriculture industry.

Agriculture is a multi-billion dollar economic generator that has enormous untapped potential. This is an industry that can unlock prosperity in communities throughout the province. 

A Standing Committee could help reverse the age gap in B.C.’s agriculture industry by developing strong agricultural policies that incent young people into agriculture, and allow them to make a good living.

Retaining young farmers is critical to having a strong agricultural future. The B.C. Liberals have not taken the steps needed to encourage young people to get into the industry. In 15 years they haven’t developed a long-term agriculture plan and they have put our provincial food security at risk.

I've urged the B.C. Liberals government to bring back the Select Standing Committee on Agriculture for six years. Although the Opposition Standing Committee on Agriculture and Food will be operating without legislative supports such as Hansard, the committee has support across the province.

I have heard tremendous support for a legislative committee from all parts of the agriculture industry. We have support from small farms and big farms, conventional farmers and organic farmers, and from entrepreneurs and food security advocates.

British Columbians can’t afford to wait for action on agriculture in the face of climate change and missed economic opportunities.  We must have a long-term, sustainable agriculture and food plan in order to be resilient.

The members of the committee are:

• Lana Popham, MLA Saanich South 
• Raj Chouhan, MLA Burnaby-Edmonds
• Katrine Conroy, MLA Kootenay West
• Robin Austin, MLA Skeena
• Nicholas Simons, MLA Powell River-Sunshine Coast

A schedule of committee meetings, a public website and information on how the public can participate will be released over the next month.

Lana Popham, MLA Saanich South & Agriculture Spokesperson for the Official Opposition

Saanich News: More oil tank spills, still no new solutions

Crews from Saanich public works set up a containment boom on
the Colquitz River in 2013. 

— Image Credit: Black Press File Photo

• by  Daniel Palmer - Saanich News
• 
  
• Three home heating oil leaks that have found their way into Bowker Creek and the Gorge Waterway this month are just the latest in a long list of expensive spills across the region, and local MLAs believe the province needs to do more to protect homeowners.
• 
  
• On the evening of Jan. 5, Saanich received a call from Oak Bay fire crews about an oil sheen and strong smell of diesel fuel on Bowker Creek near Mortimer Street. Booms were installed in the area, but finding the source of the leak proved difficult.

MMBC & Urban Impact

Quick note. Today I met with Nicole Stefenelli and toured her company, Urban Impact. 

This remarkable BC company, located in New Westminster, takes in 450 tonnes each day of recyclables. 

450 tonnes! 

It has more than 100 employees. Nicole started her company from scratch when she was in her early twenties. Up until recently it handled more than 25% of the province's recyclables.

Regrettably, recent changes made by the BC government have created a new monopoly in her industry, MMBC, and her company has been cut out. 

Nicole is an amazing business woman with a great team and I am sure she will find a way to thrive. 

But that doesn't mean we should look the other way while this government actively undermines the recycling sector! I certainly intend to do exactly the opposite.

For more information on my work challenging MMBC, see:

• November 2014: Sign Petition for Review of MMBC

• September 2014: Local Recycilng Business forced to close

• June 2014: Letter to Auditor General re. MMBC

• May 2014: Small Business & MMBC

• March 2014: Standing up for Recycling in BC

• April 2014: No taxation Without Representation

Critical Moment for Maltby Lake

Dear Friends,

This Monday a BC Supreme Court will hear arguments about the future of Maltby Lake.

The Land Conservancy owns 35% of this Saanich property but is under pressure from its Court-appointed Monitor to sell off its share to the highest bidder. (TLC has been under Creditor Protection since late 2013.)

Many people in Saanich have contacted me to say that if a sale is ordered by the court it must be to a bidder that will accept an obligation to maintain its natural state. Such a bidder has come forward. The individuals involved have widespread support from the community at large, local Saanich Councillors, local conservationist organizations, and even from the general membership and Board of TLC.

Now we are looking to the BC Supreme Court to recognize this significant public support and fairly balance the valid financial interests of TLC’s creditors with the environmental importance of the watershed itself.

Let’s not forget that the beauty and ecological value of this watershed is extraordinary.

The video which follows is a 10 minute excerpt from a public event I held recently about Maltby. The speaker is an expert in hydrology and has been actively studying Maltby for years. His talk and images are very engaging and clearly lay out why this watershed is worthy of protection.

You can show your support by ‘liking’ the Maltby Lake Society’s facebook page or signing their petition.

Background:
http://saanichsouth.blogspot.ca/2014/10/protect-maltby-lake.html
http://saanichsouth.blogspot.ca/2014/10/maltby-lake-event-success.html

Christmas? Hanukkah? ...Art? Donuts!

Dear Residents of Saanich South,

Join me on Wednesday December 17th, between 6:00 and 7:30 pm, at my Constituency Office, 4085 Quadra St.

Award-winning portrait and still life painter Marcia Perkins will be in attendance with more than thirty of her paintings and drawings.

To celebrate Christmas, carollers from the much-loved Linden Choir will sing between 6:30 -7:00 pm. 

We will also have mulled apple cider made from local apples and savory mini-quiches made by a local chef. 

And to celebrate Hanukkah, we will be making hot sugar doughnuts on site!

Hope to see you soon!

Lana

MLA Saanich South

Letter to Auditor General re. MMBC

Sign petition calling for review of MMBC by Auditor General

Cool Aid Society & Olympic Vista

Here is a statement I made in the Legislature yesterday:

L. Popham: I rise to speak on the accomplishments of the Cool Aid Society. As is well-known in this House, the Cool Aid Society is the lead organization in the capital region helping homeless people. At the moment, Cool Aid is providing 374 supportive housing apartments and shelter for over 1,700 people every year. Cool Aid does tremendous work, and its staff and supporters have our heartfelt thanks.

One of Cool Aid's remarkable success stories is Olympic vista located in Saanich South. It was completed in 2011 and provides long-term supportive housing for 36 seniors who have struggled with homelessness. I visited the site last week, and I was so impressed by the staff that work at Olympic Vista because they are dedicated to ensuring that this is not just a facility addressing a serious problem but a safe, welcoming home with access to the help and the respect that these residents require to thrive and make their housing situation successful.

My view on Site C

Here is a clip from my response to the Oct 2014 Throne Speech where I lay out my view on the controversial Site C proposal. 

Transcript of the entire speech is here

Lana Popham

MLA Saanich South

Your thoughts on private money in municipal elections?

Dear Saanich South Residents,

The BC Legislature’s Special Committee on Local Elections Expense Limits is currently conducting public consultations on principles for local elections expense limits. 

In particular, the Committee is examining principles for the relationship between elector organizations and their candidates with respect to expense limits and principles for establishing expense limits for third party advertisers, including whether there should be an overarching, cumulative limit on third party spending such as exists in provincial general elections.

LNG & Climate Change in BC

Here is a brief excerpt of my Oct 2014 Response to the Throne Speech where I summarize my environmental objections to the BC Liberal's LNG plans. 

You can find a transcript for the whole speech here:https://www.leg.bc.ca/hansard/40th3rd...

Decrease in crashes = a great birthday present!

Here is a very kind birthday card my office made for me.

Safety improvements made at Pat Bay and Sayward appear to be working well. Only time will tell (and keep driving safely!) but it is certainly a very positive sign that there has been a significant decrease in serious crashes at this intersection since the safety improvements were completed exactly one year ago.

Thanks are due to the Cordova Bay Community Association (notably Graham Shorthill featured in the card) for keeping the pressure on. I recall past-president Roger Stonebank bending my ear on this issue before I was even elected! Thanks also to the Ministry of Transportation, especially former Minister Blair Lekstrom, Senior Engineer Dave Edgar and District Manager Kirsten Pedersen, as well as the skilled workers who brought the plans to life in a very dangerous workplace. Thanks also to Saanich, BC Transit and local business owners... and of course all of us BC taxpayers who footed the bill!

Lana
MLA, Saanich South

The Heights at Mt. View is open!

What a huge day in our community! We now have a beautiful new seniors residential care facility in Saanich South called The Heights at Mt View. 

President and CEO of Baptist Housing Howard Johnson said he has visited more than 200 sites around North America to incorporate latest advances for seniors with dementia and who are in need of complex care. 

Maltby Lake Event a Success

Here is a report on the event from Carmel and Woody Thomson:

Thank you for venturing out on such a miserable evening to attend the Open House & Community Meeting for the protection of Maltby Lake. Woody and I were thrilled with the turnout. During the Q&A portion, and while I sat amongst a panel of stellar presenters, was it wrong for me to count heads? I counted 79. I admit to being nervous stepping up on the stage, but so glad I did if only to see the faces of the many supporters who have been with us from the beginning. Thank you!

To have a forum dedicated to understanding the ecology, and the natural and conservation values of Maltby Lake was phenomenal. We wish to thank Saanich-South MLA Lana Popham for hosting the learning forum and to her constituency assistant Samuel Godfrey for organizing the event with volunteers.

Guest speakers were experts in the fields of science and conservation. They presented significant information (data) during the course of the evening. It was satisfying to see Maltby Lake recognized for what it is: An ecologically sensitive ecosystem rarely found in the urban landscape.

Location change for Maltby Lake meeting!

The community meeting about Maltby Lake will now take place at:

Claremont Secondary School, 4980 Wesley Road. (Click here for a map.) Tuesday Oct. 21^st.

Agenda

7:00pm - 7:20pm      Displays, coffee, tea and delicious sweets from Cascadia bakery.

7:20pm - 7:30pm      Introduction, MLA Lana Popham

7:30pm - 8:10pm      Presentations on the environmental value of Maltby Lake

·         Mary Haig-Brown, Chair, Friends of Tod Creek Watershed

·         Ian Bruce, Executive Director, Peninsula Streams Society

·         William Shulba, Maltby Lake Mapping Project; and

·         Adam Taylor, Executive Director, Habitat Acquisition Trust

8:10pm - 8:30pm      Questions & answers, discussion.

8:30pm - 8:40pm      Next Steps & meeting close, MLA Lana Popham

We’ve changed the location to accommodate far more interest than we had anticipated. We now have more than enough space (the theatre in the school) so feel free to share the invite and bring a friend or two.

Site C doesn't fit behind closed doors

Site C doesn't fit behind closed doors

Hydro-electricity is extremely important for our province. It's an economic engine and a source of clean and renewable energy.

The Site C project is potentially the next big public hydro project and it’s been up for discussion for years. This past week the BC Liberals granted this project environmental approval. They claim that the benefits outweigh the social and environmental costs of building it.

The Federal Government has said the same thing.

The next step that a responsible Government would take in a project this size, 8 to 10 (or more) billion taxpayer dollars, would be to send it to the BC Utilities Commission.

Protect Maltby Lake

UPDATE: Location change! 

The event is now being held at Claremont School, 4980 Wesley Rd. (Map here) 

No RSVP necessary.

Dear Friends,

Please join me at my Community Office on Tuesday October 21st, from 7:00pm - 8:30pm for an Open House & Discussion about Maltby Lake. 

Few are aware of this extraordinary place, even though it is in Saanich and just ten kilometres from Victoria. There is no place closer to the provincial capital that surpasses Maltby Lake in terms of ecological value or wild beauty. 

  

People of faith, thank you!

Faith in Action is a social-justice group made up of community leaders from different religions and faith traditions. The group has released an evocative 'social covenant' that defines our concerns and responsibilities as citizens of British Columbia. 

Please come to the front steps of the BC Legislature at 11:30am on Wednesday, October 8. Your presence will demonstrate the importance of these ideas.    

New poll confirms overwhelming support in BC for the ALR

As Opposition spokesperson for agriculture, I have very important news to share with you: a poll released this week shows that more British Columbians than ever want strong protections for B.C. farmland.

Commissioned by the Real Estate Foundation of British Columbia and the Vancouver Foundation, the poll found an astounding 95 percent of British Columbians believe our Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR) should be preserved for green space and growing food.

A full 80 percent of those polled were concerned about our dependence on other countries for our food supply.

Our society is stronger, safer and more productive when we support those in need

My office helped this family secure temporary shelter and I will keep working with them and others in Saanich South who are homeless or in crisis. Our society is stronger, safer and more productive when we support those in need. Lana
PS. Excellent editorial in Today's Times Colonist: "Housing worth public expense"

'We're at our breaking point:' Saanich family in housing crisis

• by  Daniel Palmer - Saanich News
• posted Sep 19, 2014 at 7:00 AM
• 
  
  William Boggs’ commanding stature is betrayed only by strained eyes and the subtle scent of damp clothing.
  The U.S. military veteran sifts through stacks of doctors’ notes, veterans files and correspondence atop a narrow table inside Saanich South MLA Lana Popham’s constituency office while his wife, Diane, sits wearily beside him.
  “We’ve been to every housing agency in Victoria,” Boggs says. “We’re phoning these agencies daily and hearing nothing. The fingers just point at the next door.”
  

The fight for public education is far from over

It is excellent news that public schools may re-open next week. 

However, it is an absolute outrage that our kids have missed 5 weeks of school in total.

  

This has been the longest province-wide shut-down of schools in BC’s history.  

Teachers will vote today on whether or not to accept the tentative agreement reached between their union and the BC Government.

I offer a heartfelt "thank-you" to the teachers for fighting so hard for public education.

  

Every citizen of this province benefits from a well-educated population.  A sure way to “grow the economy” is to fund a public education system that allows the opportunity for everyone to reach their potential.

In my opinion,  we have a Premier and Education Minister who do not appreciate the value of what public school teachers do and do not understand the importance of public education.

The loss of teaching time has hurt our kids' education and is a shameful mark on the record of the BC Liberal government.

Regardless of the outcome of the current contract negotiations today, the struggle to protect public education in BC is far from over. 

As a parent of a public school student and as a Member of the BC Legislative Assembly, I will continue to fight for a public education system that we can all be proud of. 

Our kids deserve nothing less. 

-
My recent statements on the school shut-down:

Premier, my son wants to go to school

Sep 10, 2014

As the parent of a child in public school (grade 11), I personally understand how unacceptable the current situation is. I am working with my colleagues in the Official Opposition to press the government towards a fair resolution.

We continue to advocate for arbitration. The government is currently rejecting arbitration. It is important to maintain pressure and rally the public to demand the government reconsider its rejection of arbitration ….

Time for Premier Clark to set a new tone with teachers

Sep 04, 2014

Tuesday should have been the first day of school in our province. It should have been the exciting beginning of a new year, but instead, it brought another day of frustration and disappointment for children and their families ….

Opposition Education Critic calls for education minister to step down

Aug 31, 2014

New Democrat education spokesperson Rob Fleming released the following statement on the breakdown of talks in the education dispute:

“With just two days left before the start of school, it is clear Education Minister Peter Fassbender has utterly failed kids and families in B.C. Either he should admit he is not up to the task and step down, or Premier Clark should remove him ....

Inside Saanich South: Public schools are worth fighting for!

Aug 07, 2014

I'm also a parent of a grade eleven student in public school. And I'm a citizen who believes passionately in the importance of accessible high-quality K-12 education for all, regardless of one's ability to pay. That is why I argue ....

Inside Saanich South: Public Education is the foundation of ...

Jun 20, 2014

Instead, we see the government turning away from the breakdown in our public school system. In fact, we know from testimony made under oath in Court by the BC Liberal government's own chief negotiator that the ....

BC Government failing to respect public school teachers

May 27, 2014

I'm also angry at how the BC government is treating our teachers and the school system. Premier Clark and her government have not only failed to negotiate an agreement with teachers, they have escalated the conflict with a ....

Inside Saanich South: School kids used as political pawns

Feb 03, 2014

A child who entered kindergarten when Premier Clark was first made education minister will graduate this year having spent all their years in school in larger classes with fewer supports because of her legislation. Legislation ...