Darren Fisher is a backbencher in Ottawa no more.
Earlier this month, he was appointed parliamentary secretary to the minister of health, whose mandate includes the implementation of national, universal pharmacare.
It’s a portfolio he looks forward to, having heard repeatedly while door-knocking during the election that affordable access to prescription medication is a priority for constituents.
“This is something Canadians want desperately,” said the Dartmouth-Cole Harbour MP. “That’s going to be a difficult process because every province and every territory is going to have to sign on with the federal government and partner to get national pharmacare done.”
Collaboration is important in fragmented House of Commons, Fisher explained. And after years of sitting on standing committees, strengthening connections with politicians of all stripes, he hopes it’s something he can help with.
“I do have good relationships with people on the other side,” he said. “…We have friends that we’ve travelled with on parliamentary associations, and I’ll go back to our environment committee — we had four years of an environment committee that for the most part, did nothing but good things.”
READ MORE: New federal program aims to clean up oceans, reel in ‘ghost gear’
Fisher spoke with Global News before the House of Commons adjourned for the holidays about his goals for 2020 and his second term in Parliament. In addition to seeing pharmacare succeed, he said his focus lies on supporting a wave of clean technology initiatives in his riding.
“I always say that environment is our biggest issue, but it’s also our biggest opportunity, and I think a lot of businesses in Dartmouth-Cole Harbour get that,” he said. “We have a clean tech boom, a clean energy boom.”
Earlier this year, the federal government announced a $2-million investment to help Atlantic Canada’s provinces create a clean energy partnership that will meet electricity needs while bolstering wind, water and solar energy efforts.
Fisher’s riding is home to a growing number of such initiatives. He named Dartmouth’s One Wind, a clean energy service provider, as an example.
“That’s gone from eight employees to over 200 employees in the last five years,” he explained. “And I think we’re just scratching the surface… We’ve got Burnside, we’ve got Woodside Industrial Park, we’ve got Cole Harbour — our downtown is doing really well, local businesses are opening up and thriving.”
READ MORE: Atlantic Canada clean energy collaboration receives $2M federal investment
Fisher has championed environmentally-friendly policies in Ottawa since his election in 2015.
In his first term, he was the driving force behind the creation of a national plan for the safe disposal of mercury-filled lightbulbs, and he said the federal government is still working with cities and provinces to make sure they have their own appropriate regulations in place.
Getting an electric vehicle mandate in Nova Scotia be one of his priorities in the new year, he added.
“Most of the electric vehicles in Canada go to Quebec, B.C. and Ontario,” he explained. “I’d like to get electric vehicles on the car dealers showroom floor where people can actually come in, look at one and buy one right now.”
The House of Commons will resume sitting at the end of January.
Comments