October 15, 2022
 

On my latest trip to New Brunswick, the SOI Foundation invited me onboard
the Polar Prince during its first Ocean Conservation Expedition!

Dear friends,

I hope you and your family had a relaxing and enjoyable Thanksgiving weekend. As for me, I enjoyed the long weekend with family members, and I am now on Vancouver Island meeting with various groups on fisheries-related matters this week, then back to Ottawa! I am loving my responsibilities in the Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard portfolio, with the exception being – how very little time I now spend in Vancouver! However, you may have seen me chatting with people at the UBC and Kitsilano Farmers Markets these past weeks, which was fun.

As for my Constituency Office, we are now open for drop-in visits and staff are always available to serve you by phone or email.

At the UBC Farmer’s Market on a sunny September morning.

Apply for Vancouver Quadra’s Constituency Youth Council
If you know (or are) a young person between the ages of 14-24 and are interested in public policy, what governments do, or volunteer service, my non-partisan Vancouver Quadra Constituency Youth Council (CYC) might be of interest. Applications are open until October 31st. I and my staff have run this program for a number of years now, and I am always impressed by the dedication and capability of the CYC members. Listening to young people and learning about the issues that are most important to them – that is important to me!

Council members in turn get to meet and work with a great group of motivated peers and receive coaching on how to work together on matters of interest, organize events, and translate ideas into action.

For young people who want to find out more about how government or public service works, this is a great way to start! Please apply on my website.

A dedicated CYC volunteer and her mom at our volunteer appreciation event in June.
 

Making life more affordable for Canadians
Our government is well aware of the challenges many Canadians are facing from rising inflation – including trouble paying rent, affording groceries, and other day-to-day expenses.
Inflation is a global challenge resulting from major geopolitical events like the COVID pandemic and the horrific war in Ukraine. We have introduced a number of measures to help put more money in people’s pockets, such as:
· Increasing the Canada Workers Benefit to give families up to $2,400 a year.
· Cutting childcare fees in half by the end of 2022.
· Indexing the Canada Child Benefit, GST Credit, CPP, OAS, and GIS to inflation.
· Providing up to $1,300 over the next two years for dental care for children under 12 (coming soon!).
· Doubling the GST tax credit up to $234 for single Canadians, and up to $467 for families.
· $500 for qualifying low-income renters.
· And a 10% raise in OAS senior's benefit.
Please find more details on the federal government support available for you here.

This summer I was fortunate enough to visit many local organizations, including the Developmental Disabilities Association,
that benefit from the federally funded Canada Summer Jobs program.

Update on COVID-19 booster shots
Canada is now one of the most vaccinated countries in the world, which is why we had some of the best health and economic outcomes during the pandemic.
Additional boosters are now being made available to adults in BC, and Canada will make sure vaccination supplies continue to be free. If you haven’t already, please consider getting vaccinated.
To book an appointment visit: Get a COVID-19 booster - Province of British Columbia (gov.bc.ca).

In case you missed it:
· MP Brunch Connections will be back virtually this month. Stay tuned for an invitation! As you may have noticed, our lovely pre-COVID venue –Aphrodite’s Café – is now closed. If you know of a restaurant that may be suitable for hosting these policy discussions over breakfast once again, please let me know!
· Canada has removed all COVID-19 border and travel measures, including making the ArriveCAN app optional, as of October 1st.
 · Canada launches 2022–24 National Action Plan on Open Government.
· Minister Gould announced 10-day passport pick-up service at four additional Service Canada centers.
· The New Horizons for Seniors Program is a great way to add up to $25,000 to your Seniors Organization’s budget. Applications for funding are open until November 1st. Do check it out, and please contact Amanda in my office if you need any help!
 

Acknowledging the importance of the Latino-Canadian community,
at an Ottawa reception last week with the Brazilian ambassador, fellow MP Julie Dzerowicz, and guests.

I look forward to seeing you in the community over the coming months. Until then, please enjoy the beautiful autumn weather!

Warm regards,
Joyce

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