Tag Archives: NDP Canada

Rivers & Oceans

Canada is claiming credit for tackling ghost gear, despite scuttling funding

Canada’s National Observer, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Canada continues to tout itself as a “world leader” in tackling ghost gear’s threats to marine life and coastal communities even though funding for the program dried up in 2024. 

Fisheries and Oceans Canada’s (DFO’s) former investments to address abandoned, lost or discarded fishing gear, were axed without explanation by the federal Liberals more than a year ago, said Gord Johns, NDP MP for the Courtenay-Alberni riding on Vancouver Island. 

Core pillars of the ghost gear program to retrieve the plastic pollution and responsibly dispose of, recycle, or return ghost gear, have been cut completely, or dramatically scaled back, since the program launched in 2020, Johns said. What’s more, Ottawa remains silent about future ghost gear funding after the release of the recent budget in November.

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Politics

Jennifer Lash: Why I still Think Mark Carney is the right Prime Minister For Canada

It has been two months since Mark Carney survived a non-confidence vote and went on to sign an MOU in which he agreed to support a new bitumen pipeline across British Columbia. In this morning’s interview, Jennifer Lash, the Liberal candidate for our North Island Powell River riding in the last election,  explains why she still thinks Mark Carney is the right Prime Minister for Canada. 

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Arts, Politics

Film Night at Linnaea: Climate Action, Politics and Societal Change

Two films by veteran journalist, educator, and NDP candidate Avi Lewis are being shown at the Linnaea Education Centre this weekend. At 7 PM on Friday, January 23, 2026, Lewis and his wife Naomi Klein tell the story of Argentinian workers who took control of a bankrupt auto plant and turned it into a cooperative. At 7 PM on the following night, their documentary ‘This Changes Everything’ connects climate action to economic justice.

Max Thaysen, who is organizing the showings, explained, “Avi Lewis is running for the leadership of the Federal NDP, and he has made a couple of awesome films that I actually haven’t seen yet. So, I thought that it would be interesting to see his films, learn more about him, share that with the community, and take the opportunity to chat about the leadership race and how people can get involved if they want to.”

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Politics

Liberal Budget survives Non-confidence vote

On November 17, Canada’s Liberal Government narrowly survived a non-confidence vote on the Budget: 170-168. It passed because Green Party MP Elizabeth May supported the motion and four other opposition MPs abstained.

May told reporters that up until Question Period on the day of the vote, she had not seen any evidence that Prime Minister Mark Carney was going to try to address the climate crisis, or Indigenous reconciliation. Many Greens urged her to help bring the government down. 

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Finances, Politics

What did the 2025 Budget Mean for North Island Powell River?

See: Liberal Budget survives Non-confidence vote 

Monday November 17, 2025 – Prime Minister Mark Carney’s government is expected to face another non-confidence motion today. This will be the third non-confidence motion this month, which the opposition parties have made in regard to the 2025 budget. In this morning’s interview, Jennifer Lash, the liberal candidate for this riding during the last election, explains why the budget is good for North Island Powell River, and why it’s good for climate action.  

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