Joyce Murray
Hon. Joyce Murray
Member of Parliament for Vancouver Quadra
Vancouver Quadra MP Update (Feb 11th)
February 11, 2021

                                                   

Dear friends and neighbours,                                      Feb 12, 2021

Tomorrow is the start of the Lunar New Year, a very special holiday for many people both around the world and right here in our community.
Like other holidays, it is being celebrated differently this year than in the past.  Some things, however, don’t change - the traditions within our own homes.  From within your home, I invite you to join me and others in an on-line Lunar New Year celebration.  There will be opera, dance, and more.
The celebration is taking place today, February 11th starting at 5 pm. Please confirm your attendance at [email protected]
 
                             

I hope you are keeping well amidst the on-going public health restrictions.
Despite these challenging times, I am looking ahead to the new fiscal year and an opportunity to make historic investments in Canadians to help our country and economy recover.

Over the next three years, our plan is to invest between $70 and $100 billion to quickly and effectively restore jobs and create long-term, shared prosperity for Canadians.

Pre-budget consultations are currently taking place across the country.  Canadians from all walks of life are weighing in on the question of how best to address the challenges created by the pandemic.

  

And I want to hear from you!  This week and next, please join me for a virtual one-hour roundtable on the 2021-22 Budget.  I have scheduled three different times and days when you can participate – please choose the one that best works for you by clicking on the appropriate link below and completing the Zoom Webinar Registration form: 

  • Saturday, February 13 at 11:00am - Noon
  • Tuesday, February 16 at 7:00pm – 8:00pm
  • Wednesday, February 17 at 4:00pm – 5:00pm
Following these roundtable sessions your input will be submitted in a report to Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Freeland.  You can also share your opinion through an online survey here or by emailing [email protected].

Please feel free to share this invitation with other organizations and individuals you think might be interested in participating.  Our Government is inviting all Canadians to share their ideas and help build Your Budget.

Vaccine Roll-Out

Our government continues to be very focused on the delivery of vaccines. Since the start of the pandemic, our objectives have been threefold:
  • Secure access to the leading international vaccine candidates;
  • Invest in the most promising Canadian vaccines and therapies; and
  • Make strategic investments to rebuild Canada’s domestic biomanufacturing capacity.
To date, the federal government has distributed 1.2 million vaccine doses to provinces and territories.  Upgrades to the Pfizer manufacturing plant have temporarily slowed their delivery, however, we know that deliveries are going to scale back up next month and continue to increase through March and into the Spring. Canada remains on track to receive 4 million doses of Pfizer by the end of March, as well as 2 million Moderna doses for a total of 6 million doses. 

As other vaccines are approved for use by Health Canada, additional suppliers will come on stream.  For instance, we will start receiving the 20 million doses we have ordered from AstraZeneca before the end of June. For up to date information on vaccine distribution by province and territory please visit the Government of Canada website.

I want to assure you that my colleagues and I are working tirelessly to ensure all Canadians who wish to be vaccinated will be by the end of September.

We are also continuing to work on rebuilding Canada’s bio-manufacturing capacity. From the outset of the pandemic, our government has made strategic investments in research and development and biomanufacturing to restore our lost capacity. This past week, the Prime Minister announced new investments in Canadian vaccines and biomanufacturing capabilities, including one here in Vancouver.

Cruise Ships Polluting Our Oceans

From the Oceans Protection Plan to the Tanker Ban, the past five years have seen Canada bring in some of the strongest ocean conservation and protection plans in the world. As we continue building on this good work and ultimately protect 30% of our oceans by 2030, there is an issue that has largely gone unnoticed. 

                  

The massive cruise ships that are such an important part of BC’s tourism economy (in non-COVID 19 times) dump literally 10s of billions of litres of polluted wastewater into our oceans annually. What’s worse, stronger anti-dumping regulations in both Washington State and Alaska incentivize them to dump along Canada’s coastline.

I started talking to my fellow cabinet ministers about changing Canada’s regulations and protecting our coastal waters from cruise ship pollution last September. I believe that now is the right time to act and you can count on me to make sure the new Transport Minister, the Honourable Omar Alghabra, hears what you have been telling me about this issue as well.

Jericho Lands Update

Work continues in the community and at the City of Vancouver towards finalizing the Guiding Principles and setting out the Jericho Lands Policy Statement.  Together, these will inform and guide all future development decisions.

If you are not already signed up to receive updates and be involved in the next public phases of the project, it’s not too late.  Go to https://inspirejericho.ca/ and register. Resident input is crucial to a successful outcome.

                

In Case You Missed It:
  • This week, Fisheries and Oceans Minister Bernadette Jordan launched national consultations on the Blue Economy Strategy to create jobs and opportunity in our coastal communities.
  • Last week Minister Mendicino announced the Hong Kong Pathway for students from Hong Kong in Canada to stay and have an impact in Canada
  • BC will soon have its own Regional Development Agency to support business and the economy.
  • Learn more about Black History Month and how you can observe and celebrate it.
  • If you are looking for short-term contract work, or know someone who is, Statistics Canada is currently hiring up to 32,000 Census takers.
  • Bill C 14 will provide additional support to families, students and businesses through the pandemic.
Kind regards,


The Hon. Joyce Murray, P.C., M.P.
Member of Parliament for Vancouver Quadra
Minister of Digital Government

P.S. Do you know someone who might like to receive my weekly updates? They can go to www.joycemurray.ca and click the "Get Updates" button to be added to my email list.

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