Randall Garrison
Encyclopedia
Randall C. Garrison is a Canadian
politician and Member of Parliament in the 41st Parliament
. He was elected to the House of Commons in the 2011 federal election. He represents the electoral district of Esquimalt—Juan de Fuca
and is a member of the New Democratic Party
. He serves as the NDP critic for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and transsexual issues, succeeding former MP Bill Siksay
. A criminology
and political science
instructor at Camosun College
, Garrison is openly
gay
and lives in Esquimalt, British Columbia
, with his partner, Teddy Pardede.
Garrison previously stood for election in the 2004
and 2006
federal elections, both times as the NDP candidate in the Esquimalt—Juan de Fuca riding and both times narrowly losing to incumbent MP Keith Martin. He lived in Vancouver for a short time, during which he was nominated to be the NDP candidate in the Vancouver Centre
riding during the 2008 federal election
before dropping out for "personal and professional reasons". After moving back to Esquimalt he was elected to the Esquimalt City Council for a three-year term starting in November 2008.
Garrison has served on the boards of several non-profit organizations as well as the Esquimalt Police Board. He is also an international human rights activist. He has worked as a policing researcher in Afghanistan
with Amnesty International
, on a Christian-Muslim peace building project in Indonesia
for the International Catholic Migration Commission, and as co-coordinator of IFET, an international non-government human rights observer mission for the East Timor
independence referendum in 1999. In May 2010, Garrison served as an international observer with the People's International Observers Mission (PIOM) in the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao for the national elections in the Philippines
.
, Randall Garrison eventually moved Canada in 1973. He spent two years living in Yellowknife, working for the government recording vital statistics. He moved to British Columbia where, at the age of 26, Garrison graduated from the University of British Columbia
with a masters degree specializing in political science
. He moved to Victoria
where he worked within the B.C. provincial government as a public policy
researcher and director. By the 1990s, and until he was elected as a Member of Parliament, he taught at Camosun College
, in criminal justice
, political science, and pacific rim studies
. In 1990, as a member of the Victoria Civic Electors, Garrison ran for Victoria City Council, but did not win a seat. At the time he was president of the Vic West Community Association and executive director of the South Pacific People's Foundation of Canada. In 1999, Garrison helped coordinate the International Federation for East Timor who acted as neutral election observer during the East Timorese independence referendum. Garrison's other work overseas included peace-building between religious groups in Indonesia and investigating human rights issues in Afghanistan. Back in Canada, Garrison became a member of the Victoria and Esquimalt police board
. During this time, Garrison also helped co-found the Victoria Immigrant and Refugee Centre.
In the 2004 federal election
, the 53-year old Garrison became the New Democratic Party
candidate in the Esquimalt—Juan de Fuca
riding. The election was seen as a three-way race between Garrison, the Liberal Party
incumbent Keith Martin and Conservative Party
candidate and former Martin aide John Koury. Garrison placed second, 4.6% behind Martin who was re-elected to a fourth term. A year-and-a-half later, with another federal election expected soon, Garrison was acclaimed the NDP candidate, and again faced Martin, but this time Conservative challenger was lawyer Troy DeSouza. This January 2006 election
was again considered a toss-up and as a result CBC Radio One
's Cross Country Checkup
broadcast a show highlighting the riding and the candidates. However, Garrison again lost to Martin, this time by 3.6%. Subsequently, Garrison and his partner moved to Vancouver
's West End
where, in January 2007, he was acclaimed the NDP candidate in the Vancouver Centre
riding for an expected election. The next election did not occur until October 2008
and by that time Garrison had moved back to Esquimalt and withdrew from the Vancouver Centre election.
Instead Garrison stood in the November 2008 local government election where he won a seat on the Esquimalt
municipal council. On local issues Garrison was critical of police budget request increases of 10% in 2009 and 5% in 2010 and argued that Esquimalt's merger of its police force with the Victoria Police Department was not producing the benefits that were promised and costing the municipality more than it should. The council adopted a resolution, proposed by Garrison to fund the full budget requests of the police minus one dollar. Garrison lobbied to get the municipality to adopt a living wage policy. At the time a living wage in Greater Victoria was calculated to be $17.31 per hour for a full time worker. The council adopted the proposal in prinicple, but ultimately approved a policy that only applied to limit situations.
riding. With the Liberal Keith Martin no longer seeking re-election, the riding was once again seen as a potential win for the NDP, Liberals and Conservatives. The election came in the spring 2011 and other candidates included home-maker Shaunna Salsman for the Green Party
, Canadian Action Party
leader Christopher Porter
and independent Louis Lesosky, as well as Langford
councillor Lillian Szpak for the Liberal Party. Garrison campaigned on supporting development of light rail and universal child care. He was endorsed by the Conservation Voters of British Columbia. The Conservative Party candidate, Troy DeSouza, who had come in second to Martin in the 2008 election and third to Martin and Garrison in the 2006 election, was supported this time by party leader and prime-minister, Stephen Harper
, who visited the riding early in the election campaign. However, DeSouza campaigned heavily on attracting federal funding for a highway overpass between Victoria and Colwood, but was compromised by Finance Minister
Jim Flaherty
who refused to make a commitment to the project. Still, late in the election, The Globe and Mail
estimated the riding was "Leaning Conservative". Regardless, due to rising NDP support nationwide and significant votes from Saanich and Esquimalt, Garrison won the riding over DeSouza by 0.6% but the Conservative Party had won a majority government, with the NDP forming the official opposition.
opened, party leader Jack Layton
appointed Garrison as the NDP critic on LGBT issues. Openly gay himself, Garrison had participated in LGBT culture
previously. In Ottawa, on Spirit Day
, he spoke at an remembrance ceremony for a teenager who had committed suicide due to bullying
concerning his sexual orientation. When Conservative Party MPs made a 'It Gets Better' video in response to the bullied teenager, a video which received independent criticism regarding its hypocrisy (the MPs had previously voted against same-sex marriage legislation
) Garrison explained that, while well-intention, they were just repeating a slogan and did not understand the concept.
Garrison introduced one piece of legislation, An Act to amend the Canadian Human Rights Act and the Criminal Code (gender identity and gender expression) (Bill C-279) which include gender identity
and gender expression amongst the characteristics protected from discrimination and eligible to be considered in sentencing crimes motivated by hate
. The private member's bill had previously been introduced by Bill Siksay
in the 38th
, 39th
and 40th Parliaments
, reaching the Senate in February 2011 before dying once the election was called in March. The bill was once again re-introduced as Bill C-276 in the 41st Parliament, unexpectedly by Liberal
Hedy Fry
two days before Garrison was going to re-introduce it. Regardless, Garrison re-introduced it again, but with a small amendment concerning the coming into force
date, as Bill C-279.
He was also assigned a political mentor to work with, fellow British Columbian NDP MP Jean Crowder
. While Garrison and Crowder shared an office in Ottawa, Garrison opened his constituency office in View Royal
. On local issues, Garrison joined with with fellow NDP MP Denise Savoie
, provincial Member of the Legislative Assembly Rob Fleming
, and local councillors, and the Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce
to advocate for federal and provincial funds to develop a light rail transportation
system from Victoria to Langford, a system which had already had commitment from Victoria Regional Transit Commission
, the Capital Regional District and the BC Transit
.
During the New Democratic Party leadership election, 2012
, following the death of Jack Layton
, Garrison supported Peggy Nash
, saying she "embodies the NDP values of social justice, environmental sustainability and prosperity for all".
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...
politician and Member of Parliament in the 41st Parliament
41st Canadian Parliament
The 41st Canadian Parliament is the current Parliament of Canada, with the membership of its House of Commons having been determined by the results of the 2011 federal election held on May 2, 2011...
. He was elected to the House of Commons in the 2011 federal election. He represents the electoral district of Esquimalt—Juan de Fuca
Esquimalt—Juan de Fuca
Esquimalt—Juan de Fuca is a federal electoral district in the province of British Columbia, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1988.-Demographics:-Geography:It initially consisted of:...
and is a member of 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...
. He serves as the NDP critic for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and transsexual issues, succeeding former MP Bill Siksay
Bill Siksay
William Livingstone Siksay, former MP is a Canadian politician, and was the Member of Parliament who represented the British Columbia riding of Burnaby—Douglas for the New Democratic Party from 2004 to 2011.Receiving his high school diploma from McLaughlin Collegiate and Vocational Institute in...
. A criminology
Criminology
Criminology is the scientific study of the nature, extent, causes, and control of criminal behavior in both the individual and in society...
and political science
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
instructor at Camosun College
Camosun College
Camosun College is located in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. As of 2009 it had over 12,500 full-time and part-time students between its Lansdowne and Interurban campuses. The Lansdowne campus provides university transfer and access programs, as well as career, technical and vocational...
, Garrison is openly
Coming out
Coming out is a figure of speech for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people's disclosure of their sexual orientation and/or gender identity....
gay
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
and lives in Esquimalt, British Columbia
Esquimalt, British Columbia
The Township of Esquimalt is a municipality at the southern tip of Vancouver Island, in British Columbia, Canada. It is bordered to the east by the provincial capital, Victoria, to the south by the Strait of Juan de Fuca, to the west by Esquimalt Harbour and Royal Roads, to the northwest by the...
, with his partner, Teddy Pardede.
Garrison previously stood for election in the 2004
Canadian federal election, 2004
The Canadian federal election, 2004 , was held on June 28, 2004 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 38th Parliament of Canada. The Liberal government of Prime Minister Paul Martin lost its majority, but was able to form a minority government after the elections...
and 2006
Canadian federal election, 2006
The 2006 Canadian federal election was held on January 23, 2006, to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 39th Parliament of Canada. The Conservative Party of Canada won the greatest number of seats: 40.3% of seats, or 124 out of 308, up from 99 seats in 2004, and 36.3% of votes:...
federal elections, both times as the NDP candidate in the Esquimalt—Juan de Fuca riding and both times narrowly losing to incumbent MP Keith Martin. He lived in Vancouver for a short time, during which he was nominated to be the NDP candidate in the Vancouver Centre
Vancouver Centre
Vancouver Centre is a federal electoral district in British Columbia, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1917.-Geography:...
riding during the 2008 federal election
Canadian 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...
before dropping out for "personal and professional reasons". After moving back to Esquimalt he was elected to the Esquimalt City Council for a three-year term starting in November 2008.
Garrison has served on the boards of several non-profit organizations as well as the Esquimalt Police Board. He is also an international human rights activist. He has worked as a policing researcher in Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
with Amnesty International
Amnesty International
Amnesty International is an international non-governmental organisation whose stated mission is "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights, and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated."Following a publication of Peter Benenson's...
, on a Christian-Muslim peace building project in Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
for the International Catholic Migration Commission, and as co-coordinator of IFET, an international non-government human rights observer mission for the East Timor
East Timor
The Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, commonly known as East Timor , is a state in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the nearby islands of Atauro and Jaco, and Oecusse, an exclave on the northwestern side of the island, within Indonesian West Timor...
independence referendum in 1999. In May 2010, Garrison served as an international observer with the People's International Observers Mission (PIOM) in the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao for the national elections in the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
.
Background
Born in NebraskaNebraska
Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
, Randall Garrison eventually moved Canada in 1973. He spent two years living in Yellowknife, working for the government recording vital statistics. He moved to British Columbia where, at the age of 26, Garrison graduated from the University of British Columbia
University of British Columbia
The University of British Columbia is a public research university. UBC’s two main campuses are situated in Vancouver and in Kelowna in the Okanagan Valley...
with a masters degree specializing in political science
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
. He moved to Victoria
Victoria, British Columbia
Victoria is the capital city of British Columbia, Canada and is located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific coast. The city has a population of about 78,000 within the metropolitan area of Greater Victoria, which has a population of 360,063, the 15th most populous Canadian...
where he worked within the B.C. provincial government as a public policy
Public policy
Public policy as government action is generally the principled guide to action taken by the administrative or executive branches of the state with regard to a class of issues in a manner consistent with law and institutional customs. In general, the foundation is the pertinent national and...
researcher and director. By the 1990s, and until he was elected as a Member of Parliament, he taught at Camosun College
Camosun College
Camosun College is located in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. As of 2009 it had over 12,500 full-time and part-time students between its Lansdowne and Interurban campuses. The Lansdowne campus provides university transfer and access programs, as well as career, technical and vocational...
, in criminal justice
Criminal justice
Criminal Justice is the system of practices and institutions of governments directed at upholding social control, deterring and mitigating crime, or sanctioning those who violate laws with criminal penalties and rehabilitation efforts...
, political science, and pacific rim studies
Pacific studies
Pacific studies is the study of the Pacific region across academic disciplines such as anthropology, archeology, art, economics, geography, history, linguistics, literature, music, politics, or sociology....
. In 1990, as a member of the Victoria Civic Electors, Garrison ran for Victoria City Council, but did not win a seat. At the time he was president of the Vic West Community Association and executive director of the South Pacific People's Foundation of Canada. In 1999, Garrison helped coordinate the International Federation for East Timor who acted as neutral election observer during the East Timorese independence referendum. Garrison's other work overseas included peace-building between religious groups in Indonesia and investigating human rights issues in Afghanistan. Back in Canada, Garrison became a member of the Victoria and Esquimalt police board
Victoria Police Department
Victoria Police Department is the municipal police force for the City of Victoria and the Township of Esquimalt, British Columbia, Canada. It is the oldest municipal police department in Canada west of the Great Lakes, the first Canadian law enforcement agency to deploy Tasers and creating the...
. During this time, Garrison also helped co-found the Victoria Immigrant and Refugee Centre.
In the 2004 federal election
Canadian federal election, 2004
The Canadian federal election, 2004 , was held on June 28, 2004 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 38th Parliament of Canada. The Liberal government of Prime Minister Paul Martin lost its majority, but was able to form a minority government after the elections...
, the 53-year old Garrison became 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...
candidate in the Esquimalt—Juan de Fuca
Esquimalt—Juan de Fuca
Esquimalt—Juan de Fuca is a federal electoral district in the province of British Columbia, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1988.-Demographics:-Geography:It initially consisted of:...
riding. The election was seen as a three-way race between Garrison, the Liberal Party
Liberal Party of Canada
The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
incumbent Keith Martin and Conservative Party
Conservative Party of Canada
The Conservative Party of Canada , is a political party in Canada which was formed by the merger of the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada in 2003. It is positioned on the right of the Canadian political spectrum...
candidate and former Martin aide John Koury. Garrison placed second, 4.6% behind Martin who was re-elected to a fourth term. A year-and-a-half later, with another federal election expected soon, Garrison was acclaimed the NDP candidate, and again faced Martin, but this time Conservative challenger was lawyer Troy DeSouza. This January 2006 election
Canadian federal election, 2006
The 2006 Canadian federal election was held on January 23, 2006, to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 39th Parliament of Canada. The Conservative Party of Canada won the greatest number of seats: 40.3% of seats, or 124 out of 308, up from 99 seats in 2004, and 36.3% of votes:...
was again considered a toss-up and as a result CBC Radio One
CBC Radio One
CBC Radio One is the English language news and information radio network of the publicly-owned Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. It is commercial free and offers both local and national programming...
's Cross Country Checkup
Cross Country Checkup
Cross Country Checkup is a Canada-wide open-line radio show that airs Sunday afternoons on CBC Radio One.Every week, host Rex Murphy presides over a lively discussion on an issue of national interest or importance and invites listeners to call in with their opinions and thoughts. The topics are...
broadcast a show highlighting the riding and the candidates. However, Garrison again lost to Martin, this time by 3.6%. Subsequently, Garrison and his partner moved to Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
's West End
West End, Vancouver
The West End of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada is on the downtown peninsula neighbouring Stanley Park and the areas of Yaletown, Coal Harbour and the downtown financial and central business districts....
where, in January 2007, he was acclaimed the NDP candidate in the Vancouver Centre
Vancouver Centre
Vancouver Centre is a federal electoral district in British Columbia, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1917.-Geography:...
riding for an expected election. The next election did not occur until October 2008
Canadian 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...
and by that time Garrison had moved back to Esquimalt and withdrew from the Vancouver Centre election.
Instead Garrison stood in the November 2008 local government election where he won a seat on the Esquimalt
Esquimalt, British Columbia
The Township of Esquimalt is a municipality at the southern tip of Vancouver Island, in British Columbia, Canada. It is bordered to the east by the provincial capital, Victoria, to the south by the Strait of Juan de Fuca, to the west by Esquimalt Harbour and Royal Roads, to the northwest by the...
municipal council. On local issues Garrison was critical of police budget request increases of 10% in 2009 and 5% in 2010 and argued that Esquimalt's merger of its police force with the Victoria Police Department was not producing the benefits that were promised and costing the municipality more than it should. The council adopted a resolution, proposed by Garrison to fund the full budget requests of the police minus one dollar. Garrison lobbied to get the municipality to adopt a living wage policy. At the time a living wage in Greater Victoria was calculated to be $17.31 per hour for a full time worker. The council adopted the proposal in prinicple, but ultimately approved a policy that only applied to limit situations.
Federal politics
In January 2011, as the NDP were preparing for a potential up-coming election, Garrison was again acclaimed as their candidate in the Esquimalt—Juan de FucaEsquimalt—Juan de Fuca
Esquimalt—Juan de Fuca is a federal electoral district in the province of British Columbia, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1988.-Demographics:-Geography:It initially consisted of:...
riding. With the Liberal Keith Martin no longer seeking re-election, the riding was once again seen as a potential win for the NDP, Liberals and Conservatives. The election came in the spring 2011 and other candidates included home-maker Shaunna Salsman for the Green Party
Green Party of Canada
The Green Party of Canada is a Canadian federal political party founded in 1983 with 10,000–12,000 registered members as of October 2008. The Greens advance a broad multi-issue political platform that reflects its core values of ecological wisdom, social justice, grassroots democracy and...
, Canadian Action Party
Canadian Action Party
The Canadian Action Party is a Canadian federal political party founded in 1997. It promotes Canadian nationalism, monetary and electoral reform, and opposes neoliberal globalization and free trade agreements.- Background :The Canadian Action Party was founded by Paul T...
leader Christopher Porter
Christopher Porter
Christopher Porter was the biggest buyer and seller of dolphins in the world. In the period from 2003 to 2009 he had sold 83 dolphins around the world. In late 2009, he decided to leave the dolphin-export business and become an environmental activist...
and independent Louis Lesosky, as well as Langford
Langford, British Columbia
Langford is a city of 22,459 residents on southern Vancouver Island, within the province of British Columbia, Canada. It is considered one of Greater Victoria's Western Communities...
councillor Lillian Szpak for the Liberal Party. Garrison campaigned on supporting development of light rail and universal child care. He was endorsed by the Conservation Voters of British Columbia. The Conservative Party candidate, Troy DeSouza, who had come in second to Martin in the 2008 election and third to Martin and Garrison in the 2006 election, was supported this time by party leader and prime-minister, Stephen Harper
Stephen Harper
Stephen Joseph Harper is the 22nd and current Prime Minister of Canada and leader of the Conservative Party. Harper became prime minister when his party formed a minority government after the 2006 federal election...
, who visited the riding early in the election campaign. However, DeSouza campaigned heavily on attracting federal funding for a highway overpass between Victoria and Colwood, but was compromised by Finance Minister
Minister of Finance (Canada)
The Minister of Finance is the Minister of the Crown in the Canadian Cabinet who is responsible each year for presenting the federal government's budget...
Jim Flaherty
Jim Flaherty
James Michael "Jim" Flaherty, PC, MP is Canada's Minister of Finance and he has also served as Ontario's Minister of Finance. From 1995 until 2005, he was the Member of Provincial Parliament for Whitby—Ajax, and a member of the Progressive Conservative Party caucus...
who refused to make a commitment to the project. Still, late in the election, The Globe and Mail
The Globe and Mail
The Globe and Mail is a nationally distributed Canadian newspaper, based in Toronto and printed in six cities across the country. With a weekly readership of approximately 1 million, it is Canada's largest-circulation national newspaper and second-largest daily newspaper after the Toronto Star...
estimated the riding was "Leaning Conservative". Regardless, due to rising NDP support nationwide and significant votes from Saanich and Esquimalt, Garrison won the riding over DeSouza by 0.6% but the Conservative Party had won a majority government, with the NDP forming the official opposition.
41st Parliament
As the 41st Parliament41st Canadian Parliament
The 41st Canadian Parliament is the current Parliament of Canada, with the membership of its House of Commons having been determined by the results of the 2011 federal election held on May 2, 2011...
opened, party leader Jack Layton
Jack Layton
John Gilbert "Jack" Layton, PC was a Canadian social democratic politician and the Leader of the Official Opposition. He was the leader of the New Democratic Party from 2003 to 2011, and previously sat on Toronto City Council, serving at times during that period as acting mayor and deputy mayor of...
appointed Garrison as the NDP critic on LGBT issues. Openly gay himself, Garrison had participated in LGBT culture
LGBT culture
LGBT culture, is the common culture shared by lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer people. It is sometimes also referred to as Queer culture. The term gay culture, though not synonymous, is sometimes also used though this may also apply specifically to the culture of homosexual men.LGBT...
previously. In Ottawa, on Spirit Day
Spirit Day
In early October 2010, Canadian teenager Brittany McMillan promulgated the observance of a new commemoration called Spirit Day, the first observance of which took place on October 20, 2010, in which people wear the color purple to show support for LGBT young people who are victims of bullying...
, he spoke at an remembrance ceremony for a teenager who had committed suicide due to bullying
Gay bashing
Gay bashing and gay bullying is verbal or physical abuse against a person who is perceived to be gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender . Such abuse is used also to bully heterosexual persons and persons of non-specific or unknown sexual orientation.A "bashing" may be a specific incident, and one...
concerning his sexual orientation. When Conservative Party MPs made a 'It Gets Better' video in response to the bullied teenager, a video which received independent criticism regarding its hypocrisy (the MPs had previously voted against same-sex marriage legislation
Same-sex marriage in Canada
On July 20, 2005, Canada became the fourth country in the world and the first country in the Americas to legalize same-sex marriage nationwide with the enactment of the Civil Marriage Act which provided a gender-neutral marriage definition...
) Garrison explained that, while well-intention, they were just repeating a slogan and did not understand the concept.
Garrison introduced one piece of legislation, An Act to amend the Canadian Human Rights Act and the Criminal Code (gender identity and gender expression) (Bill C-279) which include gender identity
Gender identity
A gender identity is the way in which an individual self-identifies with a gender category, for example, as being either a man or a woman, or in some cases being neither, which can be distinct from biological sex. Basic gender identity is usually formed by age three and is extremely difficult to...
and gender expression amongst the characteristics protected from discrimination and eligible to be considered in sentencing crimes motivated by hate
Hate crime
In crime and law, hate crimes occur when a perpetrator targets a victim because of his or her perceived membership in a certain social group, usually defined by racial group, religion, sexual orientation, disability, class, ethnicity, nationality, age, gender, gender identity, social status or...
. The private member's bill had previously been introduced by Bill Siksay
Bill Siksay
William Livingstone Siksay, former MP is a Canadian politician, and was the Member of Parliament who represented the British Columbia riding of Burnaby—Douglas for the New Democratic Party from 2004 to 2011.Receiving his high school diploma from McLaughlin Collegiate and Vocational Institute in...
in the 38th
38th Canadian Parliament
The 38th Canadian Parliament was in session from October 4, 2004 until November 29, 2005. The membership was set by the 2004 federal election on June 28, 2004, and it changed only somewhat due to resignations and by-elections, but due to the seat distribution, those few changes significantly...
, 39th
39th Canadian Parliament
The 39th Canadian Parliament was in session from April 3, 2006 until September 7, 2008. The membership was set by the 2006 federal election on January 23, 2006, and it has changed only somewhat due to resignations and by-elections...
and 40th Parliaments
40th Canadian Parliament
The 40th Canadian Parliament was in session from November 18, 2008 to March 26, 2011, and was the last Parliament of the longest-running minority government in Canadian history that began with the previous Parliament. The membership of its House of Commons was determined by the results of the 2008...
, reaching the Senate in February 2011 before dying once the election was called in March. The bill was once again re-introduced as Bill C-276 in the 41st Parliament, unexpectedly by Liberal
Liberal Party of Canada
The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
Hedy Fry
Hedy Fry
Hedy Fry, PC, MP is a Canadian politician and physician. She is the Member of Parliament for Vancouver Centre.-Early life:Fry was born into poverty in San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago...
two days before Garrison was going to re-introduce it. Regardless, Garrison re-introduced it again, but with a small amendment concerning the coming into force
Coming into force
Coming into force or entry into force refers to the process by which legislation, regulations, treaties and other legal instruments come to have legal force and effect...
date, as Bill C-279.
He was also assigned a political mentor to work with, fellow British Columbian NDP MP Jean Crowder
Jean Crowder
Jean A. Crowder is a Canadian politician, who has been an MP since 2004.Born in Montreal, Quebec, Crowder received a degree in psychology from Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, Ontario....
. While Garrison and Crowder shared an office in Ottawa, Garrison opened his constituency office in View Royal
View Royal, British Columbia
View Royal is a town in Greater Victoria and a member municipality of the Capital Regional District of British Columbia, Canada. View Royal has a population of approximately 8000 residents and was incorporated as a municipality in December 1988....
. On local issues, Garrison joined with with fellow NDP MP Denise Savoie
Denise Savoie
Denise Savoie is a Canadian politician, currently serving as the federal Member of Parliament for Victoria. She was elected to the Canadian House of Commons in the 2006 federal election as a candidate of the New Democratic Party....
, provincial Member of the Legislative Assembly Rob Fleming
Rob Fleming
Rob Fleming is a Canadian politician who represents the riding of Victoria-Swan Lake in the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. Fleming was elected the British Columbia New Democratic Party Member of the Legislative Assembly for the district of Victoria-Hillside in the 2005 British Columbia...
, and local councillors, and the Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce
Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce
The Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce or GVCC is a business association that serves the Greater Victoria Region of British Columbia Canada. The Chamber of Commerce is created under the [Federal Board of Trade Act]...
to advocate for federal and provincial funds to develop a light rail transportation
Light rail
Light rail or light rail transit is a form of urban rail public transportation that generally has a lower capacity and lower speed than heavy rail and metro systems, but higher capacity and higher speed than traditional street-running tram systems...
system from Victoria to Langford, a system which had already had commitment from Victoria Regional Transit Commission
Victoria Regional Transit System
Victoria Regional Transit System provides public transportation in the Greater Victoria region of British Columbia, Canada. Its operations are governed by the Victoria Regional Transit Commission in association with BC Transit. There were more than 25 million riders in 2010.-History:Transit service...
, the Capital Regional District and the BC Transit
BC Transit
BC Transit is a provincial crown agency responsible for coordinating the delivery of public transportation within British Columbia, Canada, outside of Greater Vancouver...
.
During the New Democratic Party leadership election, 2012
New Democratic Party leadership election, 2012
An election for the leadership of the New Democratic Party , a social democratic party in Canada, will occur on March 24, 2012, as a result of the death of Jack Layton, the party's former leader. The party's executive and caucus set the rules for the campaign at a series of meetings in September 2011...
, following the death of Jack Layton
Jack Layton
John Gilbert "Jack" Layton, PC was a Canadian social democratic politician and the Leader of the Official Opposition. He was the leader of the New Democratic Party from 2003 to 2011, and previously sat on Toronto City Council, serving at times during that period as acting mayor and deputy mayor of...
, Garrison supported Peggy Nash
Peggy Nash
Peggy A. Nash is a Canadian labour official and politician from Toronto, Ontario, Canada. She is the New Democratic Party Member of Parliament for the Parkdale—High Park electoral district in Toronto, and was the Official Opposition's Finance Critic, in Canada's 41st parliament...
, saying she "embodies the NDP values of social justice, environmental sustainability and prosperity for all".