green party

A man wearing ceremonial Indigenous dress stands in a forest in front of a river.

Green Party taps Gitanyow member Wil Marsden to represent them in Bulkley Valley-Stikine at the 11th hour

October 17, 2024 by Dan Mesec

As the clock ticks down to election day on October 19th, CICK News has invited each candidate in the riding of Bulkley Valley-Stikine to talk about their campaigns and platforms.

Just before the nomination period closed for provincial candidates in the 2024 election, the Green Party of B.C. tapped Wil Marsden to run for them in Bulkley Valley-Stikine.

The Gitanyow member is a first time candidate and hopes to bring attention to the Prince Rupert Gas Transmission pipeline, which he opposes, as he feels it will only worsen the climate crisis.

He spoke to CICK News about the pipeline as well as other important issues in the riding.

Three people sit behind a white table on a stage with another person standing behind a podium.

New Brunswick Provincial candidates discuss arts sector

October 7, 2024 by Johnny James

Provincial candidates gathered this weekend at Fredericton’s Charlotte Street Arts Centre for a forum hosted by the Fredericton Arts Alliance to discuss how their parties will help improve issues in the provinces arts sector.

Fredericton Grand Lake NDP candidate Arthur Taylor, Fredericton North Green Party candidate Anthea Plummer and Fredericton North Liberal Candidate Luke Randall took questions on various issues related to the arts sector. Topics of discussion included the impact arts can have on creating a cross cultural dialogue, where the arts fit in terms of education and healthcare and their commitment level towards creating new opportunities for artists to establish sustainable careers in the sector.

The candidates spoke about the impacts the sector can have on mental health and literacy, how it brings communities together and the need for more funding to help kickstart those pursuing careers as artists.

Green Party candidate for Prince George–Valemount takes spotlight at first of three UNBC all candidates debates

October 7, 2024 by Ian Gregg

Gwen Johansson, former Councillor and former Mayor of Hudson’s Hope became a crowd favourite by default at the all candidates debate held on UNBC campus Tuesday October 1st — she was the only candidate in attendance.

Candidates running for the Prince George–Valemount seat were invited by UNBC’s Sustainability Office and the Prince George Electric Vehicle Association to the all candidates forum announced in late July, but Johannson was the only candidate in attendance for the forum. The moderator of the event, Gil Quesnelle ask questions of the candidate and opened further questioning up to those in attendance.

Johansson revealed her experience working between local government, individual stakeholders, and resource corporations, positions on environment, energy transition, generation, and her commitment to the region she grew up in as a resident of McBride. Have a listen to this summary of the debate and follow up questions.

A man wearing a blue suit with a white shirt and pink tie, holding a microphone in one hand and a banner reading "Accelerez la #PCPHdlci2023". He is standing on the stone pathway leading to Parliament Hill and the Centre Block is visible in the background of the image, as is the boards that have been put up to black the view of the building while construction is being undertaken..

Locally initiated petition calls for federal government to refine the Canada Disability Benefit

June 28, 2024 by Dan Kellar

On June 21st, petition e-4993, initiated by Waterloo Regional Councillor Chantal Huinink and authorized by MP Mike Morrice (MP – Kitchener Centre), closed with 3219 signatures.

The petition asks the government to revisit the terms of the Canada Disability Benefit, and give increased support to more people in a less bureaucratic manner. While MPs have left Ottawa for the summer, the petition will be presented once the House of Commons resumes activities in September.

In the 2024 budget, the federal government announced the benefit which would be a payment of $200 per month, restricted to those who qualify for the Disability Tax Credit. Payouts are to start in July of 2025.

This show features interviews with Waterloo Regional Councilor Chantal Huinink and Kitchener Centre Green Party MP Mike Morrice, responding to the implementation of the Canada Disability Benefit and discussing petition e-4993.

Liberal MP Marc Serré (Nickel Belt) provided a short statement to CKMS News regarding the Canada Disability Benefit.

A birds eye view of a green field between residential , commercial, and service developments. and abutting a road. The picture shows a field which has been donated for housing construction.

Kitchener donates land for not-for-profit housing project as MPP urges province to do the same

May 6, 2024 by Dan Kellar

On April 29th, Kitchener city council approved a land donation to build affordable housing. Habitat for Humanity will receive the land and have most development fees waived, and in return they will build more than 60 homes, including larger three and four-bedroom units, and smaller studio, one, and two-bedroom units.

As of January 2024, more than 8000 people remain on the affordable housing waitlist in Waterloo Region alone, waiting years for assistance. However, Kitchener Centre Green Party MPP Aislinn Clancy’s new motion may address waitlists across the province as it calls on the provincial government to use provincial land to build affordable housing.

This show features interviews with Kitchener Mayor Berry Vrbanovic and MPP Clancy, who is also a former Kitchener city councilor. Mayor Vrbanovic focuses on how projects like this are helping to meet the city’s housing goals, while MPP Clancy discusses her new motion.

A picture of a row of townhomes in an affordable housing project in Memphis Tennessee with stairs leading to the doors, some simple pleasant landscaping with small shrubs in front of the homes. Homes are red brick and siding and have solar panels on the roof. Blue sky in the background.

YWCA leader and local MPP talk about the effects of record high rents on women

March 22, 2024 by Dan Kellar

As “record high rents” has been a recurring headline across the country over the past years, demand for social services such as food banks and housing have continued to rise.

Responding to the high costs of housing, Kitchener-Centre Green Party MPP Aislinn Clancy introduced the “Keeping People Housed Act” on March 6th, which will reintroduce rent and vacancy control on all rental units, create better regulations for renovictions, implement rules for replacing any losses of affordable housing units, and establish a task force to report on Above Guideline Rent Increases.

This show features interviews with Jennifer Breaton, the CEO of the YWCA of Kitchener/Wateroo (YWKW), and MPP Clancy. They discuss the effects of high rental prices on women and gender diverse folks across the region and province, and share ideas to address structural and systemic problems related to housing. Breaton also highlights the work the YWKW does, and MPP Clancy discusses her legislation.

A man stands in the middle of a room with a microphone giving a speech. There are people sitting in chairs listening to him. Behind him, there is bunting on the walls and string lights.

New Brunswick Green leader wants to ‘heal’ healthcare

March 1, 2024 by Erica Butler

About 50 people gathered in the Sackville Commons on Lorne Street to hear from Green Party leader David Coon and Memramcook-Tantramar MLA Megan Mitton on “Healing our Healthcare.”

“Really the reason for getting around the province is to hear where people’s thinking is, what their experiences are, and what they think should change and would help,” said Coon on Tuesday night.

Coon is on a small tour of the southeast this week, meeting healthcare workers and patients and hosting town hall sessions.

“There was so much great engagement tonight,” Coon told CHMA. “I really appreciated people coming out and participating in that way.”

A woman wearing a cedar hat and with red paint on her face with a bicycle lock around her neck chained to a gate on a logging road.

Former Green Party deputy leader guilty of contempt of court

January 23, 2024 by Mick Sweetman

Green Party of Canada former deputy leader Angela Davidson, also known as “Rainbow Eyez,” was convicted of seven counts of criminal contempt of court on Jan. 18 for her participation in an anti-logging blockade near Fairy Creek on West Vancouver Island in 2021 and 2022.

In his judgment, Chief Justice Hinkson wrote that “Ms. Davidson’s conduct was defiant, repeated and public, and certainly not minimal.”

Davidson, who was also the Green Party’s Indigenous affairs critic, is a Kwakwaka’wakw person and a member of the Da’naxda’xw First Nation. She argued that her actions were supported by position as a Kwakwaka’wakw land guardian.

In his judgment, Chief Justice Hinkson wrote that “I find that Ms. Davidson’s role as a Land Guardian did not entitle her, let alone require her to enter the territory of another First Nation to impose her priorities in such territories.”

A Gladue report is now being prepared for sentencing this spring.

Correction: A previous version of this article stated that Davidson was the Green Party’s deputy leader, she is the party’s former deputy leader. CHLY regrets the error.

An image with a black background and 2 pie charts. At the top in white text "Canada Votes 2019". The pie chart on the right is labelled 'Proportional Representation. The other is labeled 'First Past the Post'.

Voter led reform revisited in House of Commons last week with motion to establish ‘citizens assembly’

November 14, 2023 by Dan Kellar

A motion for electoral reform which builds on the work of Mike Morrice, Green Party MP for Kitchener Centre, had its first debate in the House of Commons on November 7th.

Motion 86 seeks to establish a national “Citizens’ Assembly” which would investigate alternatives to Canada’s first past the post electoral system, and inform the government on which proportional systems would best reflect the needs and preferences of the people in Canada.

The motion was brought forward by NDP MP Lisa Marie Barron (Nanaimo-Ladysmith) and built on the work of Mike Morrice, Green Party MP for Kitchener Centre who was the first to second the motion back in June. Morrice’s second was followed by 18 other seconders from the NDP, Liberal, and Conservative parties, including Bardish Chagger of the Waterloo riding.

This cross party collaboration is exactly what Fair Vote Canada, one of the grassroots organizations which contributed to the motion, hopes will become standard operations in governments under an electoral system based on proportional representation.

The radio show features interviews with Kitchener Centre MP Mike Morrice, and Evan Rosamond, the co-chair of the Fair Vote Canada chapter for Waterloo Region.