Thursday April 27, 2023 | COLWOOD, BC [Updated 11:15 am]
by Mary P Brooke | Island Social Trends
It comes as no surprise that long-time NDP Member of Parliament Randall Garrison is wrapping up his federal political career.
First elected in May 2011, Garrison as MP for Esquimalt-Saanich-Sooke is presently serving his fourth term for the large west shore Vancouver Island riding.
Leading with gender-related successes:
He leads his announcement today with pride about his work to add transgender rights to the Canadian Human Rights Code and the hate crimes section of the Criminal Code. As well, he led initiatives to ban conversion therapy and to eliminate criminal records for the personal possession of all drugs.
“It has been a privilege to serve my constituents and to work with MPs from across the country to help make Canada a better place for us all,” said Garrison in a news release today.
“As an out and proud member of the 2SLGBTQI+ community, I hope that I have demonstrated that diversity is one of our strengths as a nation and that more diverse parliaments make better laws,” he stated.
Not mentioned:
Garrison also made a strong statement about food sustainability challenges on Vancouver Island, learning a lot from the Sooke region food sustainability community. Though he didn’t mention that in his news release.
Several years ago, he also was the MP responsible for pushing to change the name of federal riding to include Sooke in the name.
Local initiatives:
As for local initiatives he highlights his work to secure better protections for Southern Resident Killer Whales, getting federal funding for the clean-up of Esquimalt harbour, and delivering support for the local shipbuilding industry.
Garrison says he has provided strong advocacy for constituents in their dealings with the federal government.
He notes the honour of working with “the diverse communities that make up the riding of Esquimalt-Saanich-Sooke including the six municipalities, three First Nations, and the large contingent of military families”.
Garrison enjoyed the NDP stronghold support that was built by provincial MLA John Horgan in the south Vancouver Island region.
Proud of NDP succcess:
Garrison was one of the early-on NDP MPs who supported Jagmeet Singh to become leader of the federal NDP. Today he says he is “especially proud to be part of an NDP caucus under the leadership of Jagmeet Singh that has secured important victories for ordinary working Canadians in this minority Parliament including dental care, an Indigenous led housing program, and a commitment to anti-scab legislation.
The next federal election is set for October 20, 2025 but it could come sooner, if the Supply and Confidence Agreement between the Liberals and the NDP falls apart before then.
In his remaining time in Parliament, Garrison will continue to work on other initiatives including making coercive and controlling behaviour in intimate partner relationships a criminal offense, removing self-harm as a disciplinary offence from the military code of conduct, and better protecting public safety by securing expansion of community-based bail supervision programs.
Coming next:
Garrison resides in Colwood with his partner Teddy. Next-step plans for his career haven’t been articulated. But he’s in his early 70s and may well just retire.
===== RELATED:
Randall Garrison MP outlines 2023 NDP goals (Jan 20, 2023)
Randall Garrison takes a heavy chunk of Esquimalt-Saanich-Sooke for 4th term (Sept 21, 2021)
Elxn44 ESS candidates: food sustainability on Vancouver Island (Sept 12, 2021)
Randall Garrison: democracy has continued to function well during COVID-19 crisis (May 20, 2020)
Randall Garrison MP delivers bill to remove self-harm as punishable offence (Feb 22, 2020)
===== ABOUT THE WRITER & ISLAND SOCIAL TRENDS:
Mary P Brooke is the editor and publisher of Island Social Trends as published daily at islandsocialtrends.ca.
She has been covering politics, business, education and communities through a socioeconomic lens since 2008 on south Vancouver Island (previously as West Shore Voice News, and before that both Sooke Voice News and MapleLine Magazine, before launching the Island Social Trends online platform in mid-2020), all of those published by Brookeline Publishing House Inc.
Ms Brooke followed and wrote extensively about the COVID pandemic during 2020-2022, and continues to follow the topic as new developments arise. She has covered Sooke School District 62 (SD62) in depth since 2014 and BC education more broadly for over 10 years.
As an independent news contributor, Island Social Trends Editor Mary P Brooke now reports with the BC Legislative Press Gallery.