Libby Speaking out on Medical Marijuana - Health Canada Must Consult With Stakeholders

February 4, 2010 Open Letters to Ministers & Public Officials

Hon. Leona Aglukkaq
Minister of Health
House of Commons
Ottawa, ON K1A 0A6

Dear Minister Aglukkaq,

Thank you for your August 2009 letter in response to my call for a full public review of the Canada’s Marijuana Medical Access Regulations (MMAR).

In your letter, you outline your plan to amend the MMAR to address the Supreme Court of Canada’s ruling that Paragraph 41 (b.1) violates the Charter or Rights and Freedoms and “unjustifiably limits the ability” of authorized patients to access medical marijuana. You also mention the need to examine regulations concerning the use of medical marijuana in public.

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Libby speaking out against Conservative's so-called "crime agenda"

February 1, 2010
The Hill Times
Justice Minister Nicholson pushes crime bill he used to be againstFederal Justice Minister Rob Nicholson, who is pushing the government's tough on crime agenda and plans to revive the bill on mandatory minimum sentences for drug crimes in the next Parliamentary session, did not support the proposed law when he was a Mulroney backbencher. In 1988, Mr. Nicholson vice-chaired a Parliamentary committee that released a report recommending mandatory minimum sentences not be used, except in the case of repeat violent sexual offenders. The committee found, based on testimony and the U.S. experience, that the law didn't work and increases prison populations....NDP MP Libby Davies (Vancouver East, B.C.), whose party voted against Bill C-15, said Mr. Nicholson's zest for introducing mandatory minimum sentences for drug crimes is purely political.
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Libby says no to Olympic freebies

January 28, 2010
The Globe and Mail
Federal politicians turn down Games freebiesA sports arena is not the place to do the people's business, federal cabinet minister James Moore declared yesterday, as he strongly distanced his government from British Columbia's contentious policy of buying up nearly $1-million worth of Olympic tickets, including many in private suites, for the use of provincial politicians and prospective investors. "They are free to take that approach," Mr. Moore said, "but I certainly don't plan on doing any government business in the stands of a hockey game. In my judgment, I don't think that's realistic." Opposition MPs have spurned even that, arguing that it is not right for MPs to have special access to Olympic tickets, regardless of whether they pay for them...Added Libby Davies of the NDP: "We decided we did not want any preferential treatment, where the public could not get tickets. So we declined them."
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Libby on Prorogation and Parliament

January 25, 2010
The Hill Times
House leaders warn government: don't count on our legislative supportThe opposition House leaders are warning Prime Minister Stephen Harper that he shouldn't take their cooperation for granted in the next session and say his government has "soured" the atmosphere in the Commons by proroguing Parliament. "It will be quite tense," said NDP House Leader Libby Davies (Vancouver East, B.C.) of her expectations for the resumption of Parliament, March 3. The NDP extended an offer to the government to restart all of the 36 bills that died on the order paper when Prime Minister Stephen Harper (Calgary Southwest, Alta.) prorogued Parliament on Dec. 30, if he agreed to reverse his decision and bring Parliament back when it was scheduled to resume, Jan. 25. In order for a bill to be restarted from where it left off it requires the unanimous consent of the House, and Ms. Davies said Mr. Harper shouldn't count on their help in getting his government's legislation through.

Libby joins Vancouver rally against prorogation

January 22, 2010 Press Release

MEDIA ADVISORY
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
JANUARY 22, 2009

NDP MP LIBBY DAVIES TO JOIN VANCOUVER RALLY AGAINST PROROGATION

Vancouver – Vancouver East MP Libby Davies will join hundreds of concerned citizens at Saturday's “Rally for Canada, Stand Up for Democracy!” protest starting at the Vancouver Art Gallery.

The Vancouver rally is one of many that will take place across Canada to protest the Conservative Government’s move to shut down Parliament by proroguing the House of Commons back in December, 2009. Participants will march from the gallery to Victory Square.

WHAT: Rally for Canada, Stand Up for Democracy!

WHEN: 1:00 PM SATURDAY, JANUARY 23

WHERE: VANCOUVER ART GALLERY to VICTORY SQUARE
(

“Hundreds of thousands of Canadians are speaking up to say they want their MPs back in the House of Commons,” said Davies. “They need help to recover from the recession, many are still struggling to find work, there is a pensions’ crisis, yet Stephen Harper chose to lock the doors of parliament instead of getting back to work.”

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Recommendations from Operatin Phoenix - A National Housing Strategy

January 19, 2010
The Province
Housing: Ottawa must get back into housingOttawa must provide more leadership in the widely supported drive to provide more housing for the homeless and other disadvantaged people across Canada. It should reintroduce the type of national housing program that was scrapped in the 1990s. It should also recommit to the kind of partnership with B.C. that has helped create scores of social housing units in this province. The current level of federal funding for housing for the homeless simply isn't enough to meet the growing demand for it, especially in downtown Vancouver....Libby Davies, the NDP Vancouver East MP, has put forward a bill calling for a national housing strategy to combat homelessness which has received widespread support.

From Palestine to Parliament Hill

Libby Davies's picture
Image

A Public Event

Three Canadian MPs joined a Canadian-led delegation to the West Bank and Gaza from August 7 to 14, 2009 to document the living conditions of Palestinians.

Please join us to hear them report their findings, and to discuss strategies for peace in the region.

Thrusday, January 21st
7:30 to 9:30 pm
Oakham House, Ryerson University
63 Gould Street
Toronto

Featuring:

Libby Davies: Member of Parliament for Vancouver East (New Democratic Party)

Richard Nadeau: Member of Parliament for Gatineau (Bloc Québécois)

Borys Wrzesnewskyj: Member of Parliament for Etobicoke Centre (Liberal Party)

Discussion will follow the MPs' presentations. All are welcome to participate.

Organized by:
Codepink: http://www.codepink4peace.org/
Sam Gindin Chair in Social Justice and Democracy: http://www.ryerson.ca/socialjustice/
Toronto Coalition to Stop the War: http://www.nowar.ca/
rabble.ca | New for the rest of us: http://www.rabble.ca/