Nanaimo city councillor protests homelessness outside cabinet retreat

A Nanaimo city councillor is hoping his signs will catch the attention of the prime minister.

Coun. Gord Fuller and three other individuals were setting up signs, meant to raise awareness about the ongoing issue with homelessness in the community, out front of the Vancouver Island Conference Centre on Thursday afternoon.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and cabinet ministers are currently at the conference centre for the final day of a cabinet retreat.

Speaking to the News Bulletin, Fuller said the federal government’s national housing strategy – a $40-billion plan that spans 10 years and aims to provide 100,000 new housing units nationwide – isn’t good enough. He said decided to organize a rally about homelessness in an effort to get the attention of Trudeau and the Liberal government.

“This is hopefully to inform the Liberal government that there is a problem,” he said. “Forty billion dollars over 10 years, relying on them being re-elected and only solving half the problem is not an answer.”

Fuller said the federal government should commit $10 billion dollars over a shorter period of time with which to purchase 100,000 new homes and provide some treatment facilities, adding that it will “likely solve homelessness.”

“It’s about housing but because of the intense drug addiction and the lack of detox and treatment beds,” he said. “If you house the 50 street-entrenched drug addicts down at Discontent City … 95 per cent of them will be kicked out in two months. So you really haven’t solved anything.”

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Nanaimo councillor Gord Fuller is setting up signs (bringing awareness to homelessness) outside of the conference centre. pic.twitter.com/onP1O4Chyo

— Nicholas M Pescod (@npescod) August 23, 2018

Fuller said city councillors only found out about the retreat through the media, adding that they were never invited to meet with the prime minister or cabinet ministers. He said he would love the opportunity to meet with Trudeau or his ministers, he would be happy to do so.

“If there was an opportunity to do so, I would love to engage with them,” he said.

A spokesperson for the Prime Minister’s Office said while mayor and council were not invited to the retreat, the office can arrange meetings between MPs and council members on request.