"I think people who are associated with slavery or other odious policies or crimes against humanity shouldn't have buildings named after them," said East Vancouver MP Don Davies, who points out the man never stepped foot in Canada and has no ties to the area. "History does change and our values change and we can't be afraid to change with them. I think we have to be prepared to act because it's not just about words, it's about having the courage as a society."
Change proposed for Vancouver school named after U.K. prime minister with links to slavery
As calls to decolonize B.C. grow against the backdrop of anti-racism and Black Lives Matter movements, NDP MP Don Davies says Gladstone Secondary School needs a new name.
"I think it's time that we looked at renaming institutions of higher learning and other important buildings that have been named after people associated essentially with crimes against humanity and really odious policies," said Davies about the school in his Vancouver-Kingsway riding.
The school's namesake, William Ewart Gladstone, belonged to a family that owned over 2,000 slaves who worked on Caribbean plantations where the Gladstones made their fortune.
'Alarmed:' Health critic calls for more data on COVID-19 in trucking industry
Davies said truck drivers crossing the border should be tested and data should be collected at a federal level so as to know the risks involved in fully reopening the economy.
"That's important not only for the health and safety of the truckers and their families, but for the community at large."
Long-Term Care Crisis - As It Happens
The crisis in Canada's long-term care facilities has revealed the danger of putting profit ahead of the health of our seniors.
This week, I spoke with CBC's As It Happens about what needs to be done, including federal leadership and bringing long-term care under the Canada Health Act.
COVID-19 Emergency Report
Our COVID-19 Emergency Report is landing on doorsteps across Vancouver Kingsway. In order to enable greater accessibility, we will now also be publishing all of our print communications online. You can check it out here!
CTV Power Play - Crisis in Long-Term Care
The long-term care crisis is a national problem. We would never tolerate this kind of treatment in our hospitals.
It is time bring long-term care under the Canada Health Act.
Federal funding must be tied to strong national standards that are enforced, good working conditions, proper patient-care ratios and public delivery.
'Be vigilant, respect the rules': Critic slams couples who use loophole to reunite at Peace Arch Park
NDP health critic Don Davies says the heartfelt reunions raise some concerns, given the couples don’t technically have to self-isolate since the lines for the border are staggered at that crossing.
“Folks in B.C. may remember that one of the epicentres for COVID-19 in the U.S. was Washington state, and we’re seeing some of the transmission patterns in B.C. did come from that state. So you know we’ve done a great job in B.C. so far in following public health guidelines. We got to just keep following them now and it would be a shame if after that sacrifice we got a flare-up of transmission because of loopholes like this,” he tells NEWS 1130.
Loophole in CERB payments could be exploited by scammers, says B.C. MP Davies
A loophole in the Canadian Emergency Response Benefit that doesn’t prohibit people charging fees to help others get relief funds needs to be closed to prevent scams, an NDP MP says.
Don Davies, who represents Vancouver Kingsway, says 77 seniors at a residence in east Vancouver were approached by an individual offering to register them for the relief funds in exchange for a 10 per cent cut of the money.
MP Don Davies calls for federal ban on CERB fees
VANCOUVER – Yesterday, NDP MP Don Davies sent a letter (see below) to Prime Minister Trudeau calling on the federal government to ban third parties from collecting fees for assistance with Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) applications.
Davies' request comes in response to a scam that has targeted at least 77 seniors in Vancouver, along with reports that tax consultants are charging clients for help with CERB application
Feds’ proposal for national testing framework may invite pushback from provinces, but experts say standards ‘essential’ as economy reopens
Still, NDP health critic Don Davies (Vancouver Kingsway, B.C.) said he did not see the shift in tone from Mr. Trudeau as “a change of heart,” rather “a recognition of an abdication of duty and failure of the federal government, that they finally have corrected.”
Mr. Davies, who also sits on the House Health Committee, said experts have been reiterating the importance of testing “to get a handle on COVID-19, and begin to manage the restoration of an open economy and society” for months now. He said there is a need for a “comprehensive and extensive testing program, but we have anything but that in Canada, and I can’t find out why.”