Skip to main content

“I am a Canadian, free to speak without fear, free to worship in my own way, free to stand for what I think right, free to oppose what I believe wrong, or free to choose those who shall govern my country. This heritage of freedom I pledge to uphold for myself and all mankind.” ~~ John G. Diefenbaker

DAN ALBAS -- From your own views on the environment -- and climate change -- what are your top concerns?

 

This week the new Official Opposition leader, the Honourable Erin O’Toole, announced his appointments to serve as his shadow cabinet critics ...

I have been honoured to be named as the Shadow Minister for Environment & Climate Change.

This new role is of great interest to me as it relates well to our region in Central Okanagan - Similkameen - Nicola. As we all know, living in the Okanagan region over the past decade, we have all witnessed firsthand the devastating impacts of flooding as our climate changes.

The “once in 200 year” flood has come and gone twice in recent years. It is not uncommon to see temperature records being broken on any given day. The added heat and tinder dry forests can create wildfires of a size and scope rarely before seen.

These conditions, as we are again experiencing this week, can become so severe that air quality is seriously compromised.

However we also have other important challenges to be aware of. We know that in many regions of Canada there are vulnerable species are at risk. Here in BC, the Mountain Caribou is a prime example of this.

We are also very aware of the ongoing threat of aquatic invasive species to our freshwater lakes, particularly here in the Okanagan, remains a serious problem, from freshwater Zebra and Quagga mussels.

All of these challenges require federal leadership as well as partnerships with provincial and local governments including First Nation communities.

I am looking forward to working with the Minister of Environment and Climate Change, the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, who is also from British Columbia.

My intent is to focus more on areas where we can agree, and to spend less time debating areas of disagreement.

I believe that Canadians expect us to get to work to produce results. All to often results in this area get lost in endless debate and lofty promises.

I look forward to this new challenge and working with our great team of talented and hardworking MP's in Ottawa.

My question this week:

“From your own views on the environment and climate change, what are your top concerns?”

I can be reached at:
Email: Dan.Albas@parl.gc.ca
Toll Free: 1 (800) 665-8711

Comments

  1. David GibsonSeptember 9, 2020 at 4:16 PM

    Okanagan floods of recent years have been caused, at least partly, by the sacrifice of natural streams and wetlands in favour of suburban development.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

NDP Government Blames Everyone but Themselves

The federal government has announced new measures to support British Columbia's forestry sector, including $65 million in funding for projects across the province. While any support is welcome, it falls far short of the level of assistance other provinces have secured for key industries. Conservative Forests Critic Ward Stamer says the NDP government needs to take responsibility for its mismanagement of B.C.’s forest industry instead of trying to pass on the blame. Despite promising to create more jobs in the forest sector, the NDP government has overseen the loss of thousands of forestry jobs and 21 mill closures which have devastated communities. “If Premier Eby spent more time addressing the regulatory issues impacting the forestry sector than he did complaining about the federal government, we would not be in the position we are now,” said Stamer. “And instead of trying to place the blame for mill closures on Donald Trump, Minister of Forests Ravi Parmar should t...
Post a Comment
Read more

Tourists Rack Up $200M in Unpaid Health Bills While BC Patients Wait Years for Care

While British Columbians wait years for basic medical care, the NDP government has allowed non-residents to rack up $200.6 million in unpaid health bills since 2020-2021. New research from SecondStreet.org, obtained through a freedom of information request, revealed that people from outside Canada are coming to BC, receiving health services, and leaving without paying their bills.  The losses span every health region in the province. "British Columbians are not guaranteed timely access to healthcare, be it treatment or diagnostics, and this situation continues to deteriorate under the NDP," said Anna Kindy, MLA for North Island and Critic for Health. "Taxpayers are footing the bill for tourists' health treatments to the tune of over $200 million, enough to cover over 21,000 hip replacements in this province while British Columbians wait months to years for that surgery.” The research found BC has the worst record of any province in Canada examined so far. Under a dec...
Post a Comment
Read more

NDP Finance Minister Given "F" on Report Card by Canadian Taxpayers Federation

Peter Milobar, MLA for Kamloops Centres and Official Opposition Finance Critic, released the following statement in response to the Canadian Taxpayers Federation's 2026 Finance Minister Report Card, which ranked BC Finance Minister Brenda Bailey dead last among provincial finance ministers in Canada with an overall grade of "F":  "British Columbians didn't need a report card to know things are headed in the wrong direction. They see it every time they pay their bills, try to buy a home, or watch another government deficit pile up. But now an independent national organization has confirmed that NDP Brenda Bailey is the worst-rated finance minister in Canada. "After nearly a decade of decline under this NDP government, British Columbia has become a province where people pay more, government borrows more, and families get less in return. We have some of the highest debt in the country, repeated credit downgrades, and no credible plan to get our finances back on...
Post a Comment
Read more

Labels

Show more