Don Davies
Encyclopedia
Don Davies MP
(born January 16, 1963) is a Canadian
Member of Parliament
for the New Democratic Party
, representing the riding of Vancouver Kingsway
. He is also Canada's official opposition Critic for Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism.
, Alberta
. Davies earned a Bachelor of Political Science and a Law Degree
(LL.B.) at the University of Alberta
. Davies was employed as Researcher, Official Opposition Caucus, and Executive Assistant for Policy and Communications to the Hon. Ray Martin
, Leader of the Official Opposition of Alberta from 1989-1991.
Davies and his wife moved to British Columbia
in 1991. In 1992 he became the Director of legal resources for Teamsters Canada
(Local 31) - a position he held until his election to the House of Commons in 2008.
Davies has served various public bodies involving occupational health and safety, employment standards and transportation policy. He was Chair on the Mount Pleasant Parent Advisory Council and serves as Secretary-Treasurer of the Meridian Cultural Society - providing public space for childcare, church and cultural events.
Davies has been active with community organizations including Tools for Peace, Vancouver Co-op Radio
, Lawyers for Social Responsibility, La Quena Cooperative and the Dickens Community Group. He has also been a local hockey coach.
He has been married for 26 years to Sheryl Palm, a speech pathologist at the B.C. Children's Hospital; they have three children.
. He received 15,933 votes, winning the riding by 2,769 votes over his nearest competitor.
He was re-elect in the 2011 election.
Earlier, Davies was the New Democrat Critic for:
He has introduced 14 Motions, including proposals to build affordable housing at the Little Mountain site in Vancouver Kingsway, improve the recognition of foreign professional credentials, and create a National Education Strategy to improve the quality and accessibility of primary, secondary and post-secondary public education in Canada.
He has also co-sponsored more than 100 Bills and Motions, put forward by Members from all 4 parties in the House of Commons.
, and voted against Conservative Bill C-42 which would allow the personal information and medical data of Canadian air passengers to be shared with American security agencies, even for flights that did not land in the U.S. He also voted against Bill C-391, which sought to end the Long Gun Registry, by supporting a procedural vote which effectively killed the Bill. He has voted in favour of legislation to establish concrete targets for Canadian greenhouse gas reductions, and to create a national affordable housing strategy.
Canadian House of Commons
The House of Commons of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign and the Senate. The House of Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 308 members known as Members of Parliament...
(born January 16, 1963) is a Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for the New Democratic Party
New Democratic Party
The New Democratic Party , commonly referred to as the NDP, is a federal social-democratic political party in Canada. The interim leader of the NDP is Nycole Turmel who was appointed to the position due to the illness of Jack Layton, who died on August 22, 2011. The provincial wings of the NDP in...
, representing the riding of Vancouver Kingsway
Vancouver Kingsway
Vancouver Kingsway is a federal electoral district in British Columbia, Canada that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1953 to 1988 and since 1997. It is located in Vancouver.-Demographics:...
. He is also Canada's official opposition Critic for Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism.
Life and career
Davies was born in EdmontonEdmonton
Edmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census...
, Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
. Davies earned a Bachelor of Political Science and a Law Degree
Law degree
A Law degree is an academic degree conferred for studies in law. Such degrees are generally preparation for legal careers; but while their curricula may be reviewed by legal authority, they do not themselves confer a license...
(LL.B.) at the University of Alberta
University of Alberta
The University of Alberta is a public research university located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Founded in 1908 by Alexander Cameron Rutherford, the first premier of Alberta and Henry Marshall Tory, its first president, it is widely recognized as one of the best universities in Canada...
. Davies was employed as Researcher, Official Opposition Caucus, and Executive Assistant for Policy and Communications to the Hon. Ray Martin
Ray Martin
Ray Martin may refer to:*Ray Martin , English association football player*Ray Martin , Australian rules footballer*Ray Martin , United Kingdom...
, Leader of the Official Opposition of Alberta from 1989-1991.
Davies and his wife moved to British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
in 1991. In 1992 he became the Director of legal resources for Teamsters Canada
Teamsters Canada
Teamsters Canada is the Canadian trade union affiliate of the Teamsters. Established in 1992, it is also affiliated with the Canadian Labour Congress.- Teamsters Canada Rail Conference :...
(Local 31) - a position he held until his election to the House of Commons in 2008.
Davies has served various public bodies involving occupational health and safety, employment standards and transportation policy. He was Chair on the Mount Pleasant Parent Advisory Council and serves as Secretary-Treasurer of the Meridian Cultural Society - providing public space for childcare, church and cultural events.
Davies has been active with community organizations including Tools for Peace, Vancouver Co-op Radio
Co-op Radio
Co-op Radio is the short name of some radio stations operated by cooperatives:*DMX's in-store audio for stores in the British Co-op UK grocery store chain.*Kootenay Co-op Radio CJLY-FM in Nelson, British Columbia, Canada....
, Lawyers for Social Responsibility, La Quena Cooperative and the Dickens Community Group. He has also been a local hockey coach.
He has been married for 26 years to Sheryl Palm, a speech pathologist at the B.C. Children's Hospital; they have three children.
Electoral history
Davies was first elected during the 2008 federal electionCanadian federal election, 2008
The 2008 Canadian federal election was held on Tuesday, October 14, 2008 to elect members to the Canadian House of Commons of the 40th Canadian Parliament after the previous parliament had been dissolved by the Governor General on September 7, 2008...
. He received 15,933 votes, winning the riding by 2,769 votes over his nearest competitor.
He was re-elect in the 2011 election.
Parliamentary functions
Davies is currently- Official Opposition Critic for Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism (2011)
- Vice-Chair of the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration (CIMM 2011)
Earlier, Davies was the New Democrat Critic for:
- Public Safety and National Security
- Multiculturalism
- Western Economic DiversificationWestern Economic Diversification CanadaWestern Economic Diversification Canada is a Canadian federal department that works towards building strong, competitive and innovative businesses and communities in Western Canada...
- He was also the NDP Deputy Critic for Citizenship and ImmigrationCitizenship and Immigration CanadaCitizenship and Immigration Canada is the department of the government of Canada with responsibility for issues dealing with immigration and citizenship...
.
Legislative initiatives
Davies has introduced 15 Private Members' Bills in the House of Commons:- Bill C-327 - To designate April 23 as 'Canadian Autism Day', to recognize the many Canadians affected by Autism Spectrum Disorder
- Bill C-346 - To help consumers make informed choices by requiring all food to be labelled with its country of origin
- Bill C-347 - To help consumers make informed choices by requiring all fish and seafood to be labeled as either wild or farmed
- Bill C-446 - To prevent MPs from crossing the floor to join a different political party, without getting approval from voters in a by-electionBy-electionA by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
- Bill C-458 - To protect our environment and our economic interest in eco-tourism by banning oil tanker traffic from ecologically sensitive waters off the coast of British Columbia
- Bill C-495 - To mandate the creation of a national office to track firefighter and emergency response statistics from across the country, to provide firefighters and emergency responders with information they need to help them protect Canadians
- Bill C-517 - To create a tax credit for members of legions and veterans' organizations to refund the cost of their membership dues, so that these organizations can raise the revenue they need to operate without placing a financial burden on their members
- Bill C-528 - To require Canada to meet its longstanding commitment to dedicate 0.7% of our GNPGNPGross National Product is the market value of all products and services produced in one year by labor and property supplied by the residents of a country...
to foreign aid for poverty reduction in developing countries - Bill C-529 - To create a tax incentives for Canadians to make purchases to reduce their energy consumption, save families money and protect our environment
- Bill C-543 - To change the hours of voting in federal elections in B.C. to 8 am-8 pm, so that it is easier for B.C. voters to cast a ballot after work
- Bill C-550 - To provide student loan refunds to doctors and nurse practitioners who agree to practice family medicine in an under-served area
- Bill C-578 - To provide national dental and prescription drug coverage for seniors and children under 12
- Bill C-594 - To expand voting hours across Canada in federal elections to 7 am-10 pm to improve the accessibility of the voting system
- Bill C-598 - To remove the GST/HST from the purchase of batteries for medically necessary devices
- Bill C-634 - To lower the voting age in federal elections to 16
He has introduced 14 Motions, including proposals to build affordable housing at the Little Mountain site in Vancouver Kingsway, improve the recognition of foreign professional credentials, and create a National Education Strategy to improve the quality and accessibility of primary, secondary and post-secondary public education in Canada.
He has also co-sponsored more than 100 Bills and Motions, put forward by Members from all 4 parties in the House of Commons.
Voting record
As a Member of the 40th Parliament, Davies has voted on a number of high-profile pieces of legislation. He voted against Conservative legislation to re-enact controversial police powers that had sunsetted from the original Anti-Terrorism ActCanadian Anti-Terrorism Act
The Canadian Anti-Terrorism Act was passed by the Liberal government of Canada in response to the September 11, 2001, attacks in the United States. It received Royal Assent on December 18, 2001, as Bill C-36. The "omnibus" bill extends the powers of government and institutions within the Canadian...
, and voted against Conservative Bill C-42 which would allow the personal information and medical data of Canadian air passengers to be shared with American security agencies, even for flights that did not land in the U.S. He also voted against Bill C-391, which sought to end the Long Gun Registry, by supporting a procedural vote which effectively killed the Bill. He has voted in favour of legislation to establish concrete targets for Canadian greenhouse gas reductions, and to create a national affordable housing strategy.