Charter challenge shows government inaction on housing
Charter challenge shows government inaction on housing
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CHARTER CHALLENGE SHOWS GOVERNMENT INACTION ON HOUSING SAYS NDP MP DAVIES
OTTAWA – “It is shameful that Canadians are forced to take the government to court for decent housing and housing support,” says New Democrat Housing and Homelessness Critic Libby Davies (Vancouver East).
“It speaks volumes about the housing crisis in Canada and need for federal leadership on the issue.”
Davies was responding to a landmark legal challenge filed Wednesday by four individuals and the Centre for Equality Rights in Accommodation. The applicants are challenging the Federal and Ontario governments under sections 7 and 15 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, asserting government policies have not only failed to address homelessness and inadequate housing, but that their inaction has contributed to the problem.
“Since Canada dismantled its housing strategy in the 1990s, the impact has been severe,” said Davies. “An estimated 4.2 million Canadians are living in inadequate, often unhealthy and unsafe housing. The people in this lawsuit represent the millions of single parents, families with catastrophic healthcare costs, laid-off workers, and others whose low incomes or inadequate and underfunded social assistance rates can’t meet soaring housing costs.”
Davies has been pushing the federal government to show some leadership and has introduced legislation for a National Housing Strategy (Bill C-304), currently being debated in Parliament.
“The federal government must take a leadership role and bring all the stakeholders together to develop and implement a national strategy to deal with the housing crisis,” said Davies.
-30-
Charter challenge shows government inaction on housing
Libby interviews Marc Emery
Libby interviews Marc Emery
As published in rabble.ca Editor's note: The following exclusive interview, recorded by rabble.ca, took place between Libby Davies, MP for Vancouver East, and Marc and Jodie Emery in January 2010 in Vancouver, days before his extradition was expected to take place. Marc, 52, was extradited to the US on May 20th to serve a five-year prison sentence for shipping marijuana seeds to Americans. This far-ranging interview covers the reasons for Emery's extradition, the war on drugs, Canadian sovereignty, and Marc's previous experience in prison.
The original article, Marc Emery: An interview before U.S. prison was published on May 26, 2010 in rabble.ca. Author(s): Libby Davies
Libby asks for national action on bedbugs
Libby asks for national action on bedbugs
November 24, 2010
Hon. Leona Aglukkaq
Minister of Health
House of Commons
Ottawa, ON
K1A 0A6
Dear Minister,
I am writing you about the issue of bedbugs. Bedbugs are a huge problem in my riding of East Vancouver, and indeed across Canada.
Reports of bedbug infestations have been on the rise for the last twenty years, and we need a national strategy to address this. Bedbug infestations cause stress and negative health effects, and are often hard to address. Many people have chronic infestations, which can cause financial hardship as well as ongoing stress.
I have responded to many constituents’ concerns on this issue, and have held meetings in the Downtown Eastside. I have urged Health Canada to get involved, to help solve this most urgent problem. Bed bug infestations are particularly hard for people living in single rooms, and with low incomes, as they have no resources (such as new bedding, vacuums, washing machines, or the ability to hire decontamination companies) to cope with the problem.
Can you tell me what Health Canada has done to address bedbugs, and whether a national strategy to address this issue will be forthcoming?
Sincerely,
Libby Davies, MP
Vancouver East