Jane's leadership on this environment has earned her a spot as one of only 25 candidates across Canada to be endorsed by GreenPAC in this election. By following the  Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change, Jane proposes that the next government should swiftly establish two new bodies to build support for the climate action framework, improve it where necessary, and ensure its implementation. The first should be an empowered committee of parliamentarians representing all parties and independents. The second should be an arms-length body of climate experts who will provide oversight and accountability.

I commend the Final Report of the Advisory Council on the Implementation of National Pharmacare, I hopes its recommendations will be implemented, ideally in a time frame shorter than the report envisions. I continue to have concerns over pharmaceutical pricing for Canadians, including the lack of progress on reform of the Patented Medicine Prices Review Board (PMPRB). The PMPRB was created in 1987 to protect consumers and make sure pharmaceutical companies don’t use monopolies to charge excessive prices. In May 2017, when I was Minister of Health, I announced consultations on a suite of regulatory changes that would help the PMPRB in its ability to protect consumers from high drug prices. You can watch my speech from that announcement by clicking here.

These were to be the first substantial changes to the regulations in over 20 years. It included a proposal to change the list of countries to which we compare our medication prices. (By continuing to use the USA as a comparator country, we allow inappropriately high ceiling prices.) We also proposed that value for money should factor into determining a fair drug price. And we proposed a requirement to report rebates, discount and refunds to payers, in order to increase transparency and set a fairer price ceiling. I wanted those new regulations in place no later than the end of 2018. But unfortunately, this has not happened.

No person should be forced to compromise religious freedoms in order to secure employment. I am a member of a Mennonite church. Some members of that faith community choose to wear head coverings as an expression of their faith. If these individuals lived in Quebec, they would be denied access to public-sector employment. The same would be true for many other Markham-Stouffville constituents who choose to practice their faith with a visible symbol.

I understand that some matters are the sole jurisdiction of provinces. This is not one of them. When the very principles of what makes Canada a tolerant, inclusive and culturally diverse country are in jeopardy, I believe that all of us have a duty to speak out. I applaud the efforts of civil liberties groups to challenge this bill in court and fight to protect the rights and freedoms of all Canadians, regardless of race, religion or ethnicity.

In choosing to run as an independent candidate, I promised my constituents that I would speak the truth to help build a better Canada. Treating each other with respect and upholding the rights and freedoms enshrined in the Charter are central to who we are as Canadians. Bill 21, which undermines the principle of respect and violates religious freedom, should be revoked.

In visiting numerous Indigenous communities as a Minister, the most important thing I've learned is how the social inequities present are rooted in the denial of rights. For generations, in this country, we have had laws, policies and practices that discriminate against Indigenous peoples.

At the same time, there is a path to reconciliation. It starts with the truth. If we were not taught the truth in school, it is not too late to learn. We will not achieve reconciliation without confronting the truths of our collective past. The future is the opportunity to set things right. We can move forward as a country to right the wrongs of our shared past and follow the path forward together. That path must include the recognition and affirmation of the inherent and Treaty rights of Indigenous peoples, including the right to self-determination.

In 1996, Canada received the report of the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples. It included the following assertion: “What Aboriginal people need is straightforward, if not simple: Control over their lives in place of the well-meaning but ruinous paternalism of past Canadian governments; lands, resources and self-chosen governments with which to reconstruct social, economic and political order; time, space and respect from Canada to heal their spirits and revitalize their cultures.”

There are great examples of what happens when the right to self-determination is respected. One of the most beautiful ceremonies I attended as Minister of Indigenous Services, was a 2018 celebration in Alberta to witness the transfer of authority to the Maskwacis Education Schools Commission to run 11 schools. There is abundant evidence that education authorities or health authorities run by First Nations for First Nations achieve far better outcomes, while implementing the right to self-determination.

I will continue learning about the history and present-day realities of Indigenous peoples in Canada.

VIA Rail will be studying routes and stops for potential new passenger lines, some of which may go right through Markham-Stouffville. Currently there is no planned stop to pick up and drop off passengers in our community. Most importantly, I want to hear your perspective, so I can advocate for the best decision for our community.

We continue to accept a system in federal (and provincial) elections called first-past-the-post under which the makeup of the legislatures does not reflect the electoral wishes of the people. A political party can receive votes from less than half of Canadian voters and still gain a majority of seats in the House of Commons. This is fundamentally unfair and it means that many voices go unrepresented and therefore unheard. We should adapt ballots for elections such that voters can rank the options by order of preference. This should be accompanied by the complex but essential transition to a system of proportional representation. This would mean, for example, that if a party receives votes from 10% of Canadians, then they should have 10% of the seats in the House of Commons. I’m ready to use any platform possible to push for this change. Every Canadian needs to know that their voice will make a difference. We need to inspire more Canadians to get out on election day and exercise their right to vote.

In the workings of Parliament, there’s room for more collaboration and a grown-up discussion about how to structure the daily functions of the House of Commons in a more respectful, efficient manner. There is room for more responsibility and freedom in the hands of individual MPs. We should take steps to make Question Period a time of thoughtful debate and extemporaneous questions and answers driven by a genuine commitment to accountability.

MPs can and should be able to disagree with the government, even if it is their own party. It’s actually the obligation of a representative of the people to speak for a diversity of views. An MP’s loyalty should rest with his or her constituents and with the greater good of the country.