The Public Circle w/ Adam Olsen

Recently, I had the privilege to engage in a fascinating conversation with Khelsilem, Chair person for Nexwsxwníw̓ntm ta Úxwumixw, of the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Council of the Squamish Nation.)

The conversation was inspired by a series of tweets by Khelsilem, and centers on Indigenous governance. We talk about the perception and evolution of Indigenous governance, as well as important questions surrounding present-day legitimacy and authority in decision-making – particularly regarding jurisdiction and land use decision-making.

Khelsilem addresses the profound disruption and tangling of Indigenous governance structure, jurisdiction, legitimacy, and authority driven by dehumanizing colonial policies. Drawing on specific examples, we also discuss the variable progress across BC Nations to untangle the consequences of these disruptions and how this has, and continues to affect, relationships with governments, industry, environmental organizations, and activists. Emphasis is placed on how misguided narratives have shaped these processes and beliefs.

HÍSW̱KE Khelsilem, for an insightful and rich conversation.

Recently, I had the privilege to engage in a fascinating conversation with Khelsilem, Chair person for Nexwsxwníw̓ntm ta Úxwumixw, of the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Council of the Squamish Nation.)

The conversation was inspired by a series of tweets by Khelsilem, and centers on Indigenous governance. We talk about the perception and evolution of Indigenous governance, as well as important questions surrounding present-day legitimacy and authority in decision-making – particularly regarding jurisdiction and land use decision-making.  

Khelsilem addresses the profound disruption and tangling of Indigenous governance structure, jurisdiction, legitimacy, and authority driven by dehumanizing colonial policies. Drawing on specific examples, we also discuss the variable progress across BC Nations to untangle the consequences of these disruptions and how this has, and continues to affect, relationships with governments, industry, environmental organizations, and activists. Emphasis is placed on how misguided narratives have shaped these processes and beliefs.  

HÍSW̱KE Khelsilem, for an insightful and rich conversation.  

In this episode of The Public Circle Podcast I connect with Jonathan Morris, CEO of the Canadian Mental Health Association, B.C. Chapter. He has worked in the sector for the past two decades and we start our conversation discussing how he got started and what he and the CMHA is doing today.

We cover a variety of relevant topics including,

For more information about Jonathan and the programs and services offered by the Canadian Mental Health Association visit https://www.cmha.bc.ca.

Visit The Public Circle Podcast website.

In this episode of The Public Circle Podcast, I am sharing an interview from CFAX 1070 with afternoon host Ryan Price on the first annual National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.

We covered a variety of topics including why the federal government made this day a statutory holiday and what the day means and what it can be for all Canadians. I have often heard, from my constituents and beyond, of the lack of education and opportunities to learn the truth about our history. The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation offers an opportunity to reflect and learn.

As the conversation continued we discussed the responsibility that the provincial government has in implementing the calls to action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and all the calls for justice from the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. We canvassed the work ahead for Minister of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation, Hon. Murray Rankin, in delivering on the mandate he was given by Premier John Horgan to establish a secretariat within the provincial government to coordinate the reconciliation efforts of the provincial government and the next steps in implementing the actions associated with our commitments in the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act.

In the final segment, we discuss the conflict over the control of land in British Columbia and Canada, Crown governments sharing natural resources and revenue, and what we can learn from Indigenous ways of being and methods of natural resource development to help us through the conflicts happening across British Columbia.

Over the past year, we have heard many stories on the nightly news about the tragic COVID-19 outbreaks in long-term care homes. Throughout the first wave of the global pandemic our elders, specifically those living in care facilities, were the most threatened by the virus.

As a result of changes to staffing protocols, limited access and a targeted vaccination program to those most vulnerable British Columbians, far fewer lives were lost in the second and third waves of the pandemic

This episode of The Public Circle Podcast is a re-broadcast of a Town Hall on April 6, 2021, co-hosted by the Saanich North and the Islands and Cowichan Valley Constituency Offices. My colleague Sonia Furstenau and I moderated the conversation with BC Seniors Advocate, Isobel Mackenzie.

In her presentation and responses to questions, Mackenzie outlines the impact of COVID-19 on the long-term care sector and highlights what we have learned so far.

For more information about the Office of the Seniors Advocate contact them online.

To contact the Saanich North and the Islands Constituency Office email [email protected] or call 250-655-5600.

To contact the Cowichan Valley Constituency Office email [email protected] or call 250-715-2792.

This podcast is a MUST LISTEN if you are concerned about old-growth in British Columbia.

For the past thirty years Ken has worked on protecting high productivity old-growth in British Columbia. Starting in the Walbran and Clayquot forests, and as the former Executive Director of the Victoria Chapter of the Wilderness Committee, he is a leading advocate for old-growth protection in our province.

Ken and I discuss the difference between low-medium productivity and high productivity old-growth. We highlight how government officials continue to mix and muddle the numbers in an effort to take credit for massive deferrals (more than 350,000 hectares) announced last September when in reality all but 1% of those deferrals were previously protected.

We also discuss the need for British Columbia to create conservation financing and land acquisition funds to bring to the consultation table with Indigenous Nations. Otherwise, the province is simply asking First Nations to walk away from revenue and jobs that the provincial government would never consider asking any other community to do.

With so little high productivity old-growth remaining time is of the essence. Please share this podcast far and wide! Thank you.

In this episode of The Public Circle Podcast I am interviewed by Jason Goertzen. We discuss family life in politics.

Jason is the Chaplain at the British Columbia Legislature with Leading Influence Ministries. Since my election in 2017 I have enjoyed many conversations with Jason, he has provided a kind and compassionate ear, and calm advice during my most trying times.

This podcast was originally recorded for the Lead Well Leadership Course and I am thankful to have the opportunity to republish this content on my podcast.

Jason and I have a wide-ranging conversation about family life in provincial politics. We cover humility in community service, clarity in understanding your "why", responding to a loss, increasing diversity, recruiting candidates, setting personal and professional boundaries and creating health habits early on.

In this episode of The Public Circle Podcast I share a recording of the second reading speech I would have stood and delivered in response to Bill 22: The Mental Health Amendment Act (2020).

You will find more details about the proposed legislation in the opening to the podcast and details about why we were challenged by the language in the bill in my speech.

Here is the B.C. Green Caucus media release in response to Minister Judy Darcy's decision to not proceed with the bill at this time.

Click here to view the entire description of the bill and transcript.

In this episode of The Public Circle Podcast, my colleague Sonia Furstenau and I connect with Alex Soojung-Kim Pang to discuss his research on the four-day workweek.

So much of our lives have been re-designed in the past four months. It was in our workplaces where the most abrupt and dramatic changes occurred. Many of us have had to quickly adapt to working from home, our children, their teachers and administrators had to develop tools for learning online.

We quickly found out that our relationship with the office was perhaps not as cemented as we previously thought. It is possible to work remotely, and as companies evolve and develop their “new normal” perhaps it is not necessary to cling to the 20th century idea of the workplace. So I ask the question, is there an opportunity to reimagine our relationship with the office?

The four-day workweek is one of the ideas that has been testing the status quo bias during the COVID-19 pandemic. I have written about it here and republished an editorial from my colleague Sonia Furstenau here.

In this episode of the podcast I am republishing a Facebook Live conversation that Sonia and I hosted with Alex.

The discussion starts with Alex providing an overview of his book Shorter: Work Better, Smarter and Less - Here’s How. He highlights the experience of many entrepreneurs who have disrupted the workweek. His findings are encouraging. While it may seem counterintuitive, companies that have embraced the four-day workweek have generally found their profits increase as has the productivity and happiness of their worker.

We discuss these examples as well as ask some of the challenging questions that have been put to Sonia and I. In the past few weeks that we have been talking about this idea for British Columbia we have heard a mix of feedback. While there is a lot of interest in having more time to rest and administer the other aspects of life, there are also concerns from business owners about increased labour costs and workers fearing a decrease in their wages.

This is just an initial conversation and by no means exhaustive. While there are examples of private companies embracing the four-day workweek there is yet to be a jurisdiction that is exploring the idea through a public policy lens. This is an exciting area of innovation and opportunity and Sonia and I will continue to explore these ideas and opportunities for British Columbia.

I encourage you to continue to share your feedback, ideas, opportunities and concerns with us. As I say in our discussion with Alex, it is important to hear all the reasons why it could not happen in your sector of the economy because understanding the obstacles will better equip us for planning to overcome them.

In this episode of The Public Circle Podcast (the first in several months) I’m republishing a virtual town hall I hosted on Monday June 15, 2020 with Isobel Mackenzie, the B.C. Seniors Advocate.

In February 2020 the Office of the Seniors Advocate published a report titled A Billion Reasons to Care. It is the first detailed review of British Columbia’s contracted long-term care sector. The office analyzed contracts, annual statements, and revenue and expenditures from 2016/17-2017/18 of for-profit and non-profit operators in the $1.4 billion industry across the province.

Mackenzie summarizes the findings in her cover letter.

“You will read in the attached report of a funding and monitoring system that lacks the type of accountability, openness and transparency that both B.C. seniors and B.C. taxpayers deserve. The review also illustrates some marked differences in spending between contracted providers who are private businesses and those who are not-for-profit care societies.”

Our conversation begins with an overview of the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on seniors and the long-term care sector. Mackenzie then presents the findings of her report followed by our discussion about the implications for all British Columbians. We also highlight that June 15th is World Elder Abuse Awareness Day and the services available to seniors in reporting instances of abuse. As this recording is from a virtual town hall many of the questions come from the attendees.

The B.C. Green Caucus was asking questions about the long-term care sector prior to the public health emergency and we will continue to ask the government about what they intend on doing to address the shortcomings in this report and the other vulnerabilities exposed by COVID-19.