Pubdate: Wed, 21 Dec 2016
Source: Cranbrook Daily Townsman (CN BC)
Copyright: 2016 Black Press
Contact:  http://www.dailytownsman.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/723
Author: Trevor Crawley

STETSKI REFLECTS ON 2016

It's been a year of positive highlights punctuated by a few
disappointments for Kootenay-Columbia MP Wayne Stetski, who stopped by
the Cranbrook Townsman on Tuesday to reflect on the last 12 months.

Stetski says helping constituents address and solve problems and
concerns is one of the best parts of his job, while being in
Parliament - and all the history and gravitas that it represents for
Canada's 150th anniversary - is exciting and noteworthy.

"Every day is different, every day is interesting," Stetski said. "The
best part is learning every day. Learning about Canada, learning
internationally about things that are happening around the world and
you learn about your riding."

The federal NDP, which is Stetski's political affiliation, isn't in a
position to drive the legislative agenda, but there are issues that he
is continually raising to hold the Liberal government to account.

The big three, which he campaigned on, are democratic reform,
medically assisted dying and the legalization of marijuana.

All three issues have been raised by the government in some form or
another throughout the year and will likely be ongoing in 2017 as well.

The biggest issue moving ahead will be upcoming legislation for the
legalization of marijuana.

The federal government just released a report from a task force that
recommended the legal age to purchase marijuana be set for 18. Other
recommendations included preventing the sale of liquor and marijuana
at the same business while people should be allowed only four plants
for personal use.

Stestski said that studies show the brain doesn't fully develop until
25 years of age, noting that maybe the legal age should be set there.
However, he conceded that youth would be going to the black market and
organized crime to get marijuana anyways.

He is planning on reaching out to Kootenay-Columbia residents in the
new year to hear how constituents want the issue to move forward and
what should and shouldn't be in the legislation.

"There were some good recommendations in there," Stetski said,
"assuming it's going to proceed but there are things still worth
discussing which is why I still want to hear from constituents."

Democratic reform has been a priority for Stetski, as Prime Minister
Justin Trudeau and the Liberals campaigned on getting rid of the
first-past-the-post system. However, now that the Liberals have a
majority government, that enthusiasm to reform seems to have waned,
Stetski said.

He suggested a proportional representation system would cut down on
partisan politics, which currently plagues Parliament.

"We have to find a way to get rid of partisan politics," Stetski said.
"Proportional representation would help that because it would force
parties to work together more closely, but what it currently means is
- - heading into Canada's 150th anniversary - 149 of those years
partisan politics has played a role.

"What it means is that good ideas do not make it into law because it's
not the governing party putting forward the good idea, and that's
wrong. It's just wrong. We have to find a way to fix that."

He also brought up the issue of medically assisted dying, noting that
following the Supreme Court of Canada striking down a ban on the
practice, the Liberals introduced the legislation to allow people the
option of ending their lives. However, Stetski says the legislation is
a little flawed; it allows people who are already dying to choose to
end their lives, but it prevents those with degenerative conditions
and people living with chronic pain from choosing to end their lives.

Outside of those big three issues, Stetski has also spent time
introducing a private member's bill to make the last Friday before
Thanksgiving National Local Food Day and risen in the House to make
speeches on Jumbo and Ktunaxa, poverty reduction, infrastructure and
importance to stabilize infrastructure funding for municipalities and
potential cuts to HIV/AIDS funding in the BC interior.

Other issues include meeting with Catherine McKenna, the Environment
Minister, to talk about national parks, climate change and the
Columbia River Treaty. He's also got his eye on nominating Sophie
Pierre, who was named to the Order of Canada in June, to succeed David
Johnston, the Governor General, when he chooses to retire.

Heading into the New Year, Stetski is hoping to tour the riding in the
second week of January to meet with constituents. He is also heading
over to Europe as part of an all-party committee to visit Ukraine,
Latvia, Kazakstan and Poland on behalf of the federal government.

"That's basically to show Canada's support for those countries because
they are all border with, or are heavily influenced by, Russia,"
Stetski said, "and there's a lot of concern about Russia on an
international scale, so it's very well received and appreciated by
those countries, particularly when an all-party committee come to
those countries and show how you can have differences of opinion but
still work together in the name of democracy."
- ---
MAP posted-by: Matt