John Weston, member of parliament for West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast-Sea to Sky Country, Canada’s longest riding name, was Powell River Chamber of Commerce’s guest speaker at its monthly luncheon Wednesday, January 14.
Weston talked about his relationship with Powell River, and the successes he has shared with the region over his years representing the Upper Sunshine Coast.
He took the opportunity to share some of the items he is working on currently for the riding.
At the end of 2014 he was successful on passing his National Health and Fitness Bill which, he said, is an attempt to try and “change the trends of inactivity, obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular problems that plague our country.” He added that the health care costs alone of those amount to close to $1 billion annually.
Weston is advocating to make health and fitness the focus of Canada’s 150-year celebrations in 2017 and wants to include the Trans Canada Trail in those celebrations.
He has been working with seniors in the riding on the federal government’s rules around retirement income which were instituted in the early 1980s. Weston explained that at least two assumptions on the registered retirement savings plan (RRSP) and retirement income fund programs are out of date. He added that Canadians are living longer, about five years, and that typical investments are not providing as large a return as they were in 1982.
Seniors are required to take out a certain percentage per year of their retirement investments, a percentage which declines each year, but Weston said some seniors face the crisis of running out of money. He is proposing that the rules be relaxed to allow people more freedom to manage their investments.
Weston is a member of the fisheries committee and has been for most of his time as an MP. He is currently trying to promote the idea of creating a federal fisheries research centre in West Vancouver.
He is also working on a number of issues around prescription drug abuse and the safe disposal of medicine. He is a proponent of giving parents more authority over drug-dependent mature minors and working to develop more support for Canadians in recovery from substance abuse.
He noted that 2015 is special because after October he will not have the opportunity to represent Powell River formally in the House of Commons, as the Upper Sunshine Coast is being carved off from the riding. He said he plans on running again in this year’s federal election.
“I’d like to take the last few months and continue to do my job up until the last day as MP,” he said. If he is re-elected to the riding, he reassured that Powell River can count on him to continue his relationships and stand, if the newly elected MP for North Island-Powell River wants, as an unofficial advocate for the Upper Sunshine Coast.
