Nate Erskine-Smith

Nate Erskine-Smith

  • Protecting Your Privacy

    Nate has helped to lead efforts to hold companies to account for failing to protect Canadians’ privacy, both through his work as vice-chair of the parliamentary privacy committee, and as part of an international committee dedicated to studying these issues.

     



    In addition to protecting privacy, Nate’s efforts have focused on combating election interference and illegal content online, such as hate speech and harassment.

     



    Nate traveled to Washington D.C. to meet with American Congressional counterparts and high-ranking policymakers on the subjects of major privacy breaches (Equifax) and election interference (Facebook), as well as cross-border information sharing and security concerns. Data sovereignty is a top of mind issue for Nate.

     



    In June 2018, Nate introduced a bill to give the Privacy Commissioner of Canada stronger enforcement powers.

     



    Locally, Nate hosted a privacy discussion and film screening at the Fox Theatre.

     



    Accomplishments:

    • Established penalties if companies fail to notify consumers of privacy breaches
    • Appointed a new Competition Commissioner that is taking privacy seriously
    • Conducted a national data strategy consultation to better understand how to protect privacy
    • Passed legislation to create a public registry for online political ads and to make it an offence to interfere with elections through the malicious use of computer systems


  • Local Engagement and Accessibility

    Nate hosted public events, meetings, and film screenings around the riding to engage with neighbours, solicit feedback on government policy, and inform his work in Ottawa on the issues of the day.

     

    We’ve had incredible guests at our free events

     
    • The Water Brothers
    • The Woman Who Loves Giraffes
    • Indigenous author Tanya Talaga
    • Former Parliamentary Budget Officer Kevin Page
    • Dr. Danielle Martin and Senior Government Officials
    • Assisted dying with experts Maureen Taylor and Kevin Reel
    • Professor Chelsea Rochman
    • Philip Demers, former head trainer of Marineland’s stadium shop 
     

    We engaged packed town hall audiences at venues around Beaches-East York on a range of topics including:

    • Syrian refugees town hall (many thanks to those who joined local sponsorship efforts
    • The new and improved Canada Food Guide with Dr. David Jenkins and MP Julie Dabrusin
    • Climate change
    • Gun violence with Minister Bill Blair
    • Plastic pollution
    • Gender discrimination
    • Assisted Dying
    • Pharmacare and healthcare
     

    We advertise all of these events with riding-wide mailers like the one you’re reading right now, in addition to Nate’s posts on social media. Follow Nate’s work in Toronto and Ottawa on online, or sign up to our monthly email newsletter.

     

    Nate regularly attends community events and celebrations. If you need to speak with Nate or invite him to your event, please send an email or call our constituency office in Toronto.


  • Principled Independence

    Nate is known as our principled voice, for standing up for constituents where it matters, and for highlighting the importance of thoughtful and respectful disagreement.

     

    The Huffington Post referred to Nate as, “House of Common’s top rebel, having gone against his own government 37 times out of hundreds of votes in the last Parliament.” 

     

    He voted against party lines when arguing for better assisted dying laws, declaring ISIS guilty of genocide, and ending public fossil fuel subsidies. Nate called for expungement of cannabis-related criminal records to help Canadians concerned about traveling abroad, and he voted against “National Seal Products Day.”

     

     In the podcast, Follow-up with Althia Raj, Nate explains his dissent as “principled” and reflective of “evidence and constituents and my own conscience.” 

     

    He says, “I bought into the Liberal Party… I bought into it because Justin Trudeau and his leadership was talking about reasonable disagreement and empowering parliamentarians and free votes.” To listen to the podcast episode, please press here

     

    After the 2019 Federal Election, Nate wrote an op-ed in the Beach Metro News. Making note that, “With the right approach, minority governments hold potential for greatness.” He highlights the importance of putting partisan interests aside and to work across the aisle to accomplish big ideas for our country like, climate change, the opioid crisis, stronger gun control, etc. 

     

    Earlier in 2020, Nate made a speech in the House of Commons further reiterating this idea. 

     

    He said, “If I heard anything from my constituents in the last election, it’s that they want us to work together to accomplish big ideas for our country, to be less partisan, and to make space for principled independence. Let’s seize the opportunity of this minority parliament.” 

     

    Nate wrote in his dueling op-ed in the Toronto Star (vs. Hon. Sheila Copps), 

    “No political party represents our views perfectly. We find the party that best represents our views and values, and we engage, debate and organize to bring both our party and country closer to those objectives. I am a Liberal MP and I continue to support our Liberal government. But that does not mean that I support every government action taken, or that I ought to refrain from public disagreement. In contrast to blind partisan loyalty, we promised to empower MPs and their communities through more free votes in the House of Commons.”


  • Strengthening Animal Protections

    Nate has been at the forefront of strengthening animal protection laws.

     


    In 2016, he introduced the Modernizing Animal Protections Act, which was endorsed by humane societies and animal welfare organizations across the country and for which he was recognized as the Humane Legislator of the Year by Animal Justice.

     

    Nate’s bill led to the creation of the Liberal Animal Welfare Caucus, and to government legislation to address animal fighting and abuse. He has also seconded bills to ban the captivity of whales and dolphins, shark finning, and cosmetic testing on animals.

     

    Nate builds awareness by sponsoring animal welfare petitions, and he took the animal welfare caucus to meet Esther the Wonder Pig.

     

    Locally, Nate hosted a screening of Blackfish and a conversation about banning cetaceans in captivity with Marineland whistleblower Phil Demers, a screening of The Woman Who Loves Giraffes with Anne Dagg and filmmaker Alison Reid, and a conversation on Canada’s new food guide with Julie Dabrusin and Dr. David Jenkins.

     

    Accomplishments:

    • Introduced C-84 to change the Criminal Code and address animal fighting and sexual abuse
    • Invested $153 million in plant-based food research
    • Supported bills to ban the captivity of whales and dolphins and shark finning
    • Established new science-based food guide

  • Saving lives through a Public Health approach to Drug Use

    Early in the term, Nate submitted a resolution to caucus for a public health approach to address the opioid crisis that continues to kill thousands of Canadians.

    The government acted on the resolution by investing $231 million to address the opioid crisis through a public health approach in Budget 2018, including $150 million to expand treatment options.

    To ensure more people access treatment, Nate introduced a bill to remove the criminal sanction for low-level possession. When Portugal removed the same sanction, they saw a 60% increase in people seeking treatment.

    Locally, Nate held a public drug policy forum with the help of our local youth council.

    Accomplishments:

    • Restored harm reduction as a key pillar of the Canadian Drug Strategy
    • Committed over $350 million toward a comprehensive public health emergency response to the crisis
    • Streamlined the establishment of additional supervised consumption sites that have been proven to save lives according to the Supreme Court of Canada
    • Supported prevention through new guidelines for prescription opioids and restrictions on the marketing of opioids
    • Budget 2019 proposed additional $30 million to expand access to a safe supply of prescription opioids and better access to opioid overdose responses like Naloxone

  • Supporting Reconciliation Efforts

    Nate has been a strong ally in support of action towards reconciliation with Indigenous communities.

     

    He has made public statements in the House, he has been an active member of a caucus working group focused on Indigenous child welfare, and he has raised the issues of boil water advisories and discrimination in policing and foster services directly with the Ministers responsible.

     

    Locally, Nate hosted a Kitchi blanket exercise in association with KAIROS at East Lynn Park, a town hall with Indigenous leaders, and a public screening of Indian Horse and a thoughtful conversation with award-winning author Tanya Talaga. Audio/video is available at beynate.ca 

     

    Nate sponsored an e-petition from Jenna Robar, highlighting the need to preserve and protect Indigenous languages.

     

    Nate recognizes the systematic racism that exists within Canada and says,

     

     “Beyond these two individual cases, we need to continue to address systemic racism in our criminal justice system. Whether it’s carding, drug laws, or police violence, Indigenous and Black communities in our city and country have been, and continue to be, subject to unacceptable discrimination.”

    Some Canadian stats for you: Indigenous people make up only 4.8% of the population, yet represented 15% of total fatalities from police interactions.”

     

    Recently, Nate led efforts to establish a working relationship between Toronto MPs (the Liberal 416 caucus) and the Toronto Aboriginal Support Services Council.

     

    Accomplishments to date:

     
    • 147 long-term boil water advisories have been lifted since 2015, and there are projects and funding in place to lift the remaining 29
    • Every budget between 2016 to 2024 has delivered billions of new funding for Indigenous communities, in critical areas of housing, education, and health
    • Introduced Indigenous Languages Act to fulfil TRC recommendations, with funding for languages in Budget 2019
    • Introduced Indigenous Child Welfare Act to devolve authority to communities


  • Defending Canadian Values and Human Rights on the World Stage

    Nate has represented Canada on the world stage at a number of United Nations conferences, from ocean protections to global drug policy.

     

    He has addressed global parliamentary conferences on issues of human rights, poverty reduction, and youth engagement, and he has been vocal in support of action to assist with the Rohingya refugee crisis in Bangladesh.

     

    Most recently, he has worked with colleagues from around the world to address privacy, digital rights, and election security.

     

    On Human Rights Day, Nate had the chance to engage with experts and advocates focusing on human rights issues around the world, including the incomparable Irwin Cotler. Irwin Colter served as the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada.

     

    Nate spoke with Alex Neve, Secretary General of Amnesty International Canada. They discussed why human rights should be at the heart of the response to COVID-19, how Canada’s approach meets that call in many ways but falls short in others (notably for refugees), and what the future holds for a human rights agenda post-pandemic. You can listen to the podcast here.

     

    Nate hosted town hall with Alex Neve from Amnesty International. They focused the discussion around human rights in Canada and around the world. You can listen to the town hall here.

     

    Nate spoke on  behalf of our Canadian delegation. He addressed the 135th General Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union in Geneva. The topic of the debate was ‘Human rights abuses as precursors of conflict: parliaments as early responders.’

     

    “It means nothing for me to stand here and speak to human rights, if I do not make a real commitment to address those rights at home. We must all make the same commitment to address abuses within our own borders, and by our own governments.

    A commitment to take action against human rights abuses at home means a commitment to the idea of independence. If parliaments are to be early responders to human rights abuses, we must commit to independence in our institutions, in our citizens, and in ourselves.”


  • Helping and Recognizing Our Neighbours

    Nate and his office have helped thousands of constituents navigate the federal bureaucracy on
    immigration, tax, and pension issues. We can help with other matters by obtaining information from
    government ministries and departments, by advocating for constructive solutions, and by resolving
    difficult issues fairly. If you have questions, please don’t hesitate to contact our constituency office.
    Nate has recognized the incredible contributions of Beaches-East York constituents in the House of
    Commons, from individual volunteers to service organizations. If you know of someone or something
    that is especially worthy of recognition in Canada’s Parliament, please send an email or call our
    constituency office in Toronto.

     


    Nate has recognized these notable individuals, organizations, and significant events:

    • Pegasus, a local charity that helps disabled people
    • The Shelter Movers, a charity that helps women
      fleeing violence
    • Dr. John Dick, cancer researcher & Gilda’s Club
      cancer charity
    • Shamim Ahmadi, Afghanistan refugee and
      healthcare worker
    • Dr. Tom McElroy, co-inventor of the UV Index
    • Guy Eisnor, WWII and D-Day veteran
    • Michael Garron Hospital volunteer Olive Dodds
    • International Mother Language Day
    • Balmy Beach Rugby Club, Gerry Allen, Corey
      Appleton
    • World Blood Donor Day, ending the gay blood ban
    • Penny Oleksiak’s olympic parade
    • The Neighbourhood Group’s community services

  • Reducing Poverty

    Nate served as the chair of the All-Party Anti-Poverty Caucus, and advocated for increased and automatic benefits for the working poor. 

     

    The all-party anti-poverty caucus heard compelling arguments for bold action towards a basic income from former Senator Art Eggleton (the founder of our anti-poverty caucus), and experts Evelyn Forget (economist/professor known for her analysis of Mincome) and Sheila Regehr (former executive director of the National Council of Welfare and Chairperson of Basic Income Canada Network).

     

    Nate has expressed the need to protect and build on this progress. During the government’s last term, they made significant progress by increasing basic income support for children, seniors, and the working poor. 825,000 people have been helped out of poverty since 2015, in large part due to these increased supports.

     

    Nate advocates for a basic income plan; this could help eliminate poverty, support workers in a changing economy, and significantly reduce social and healthcare costs. We’ve seen the success of basic income programs here in Canada, through the Guaranteed Income Supplement and Old Age Security for seniors, and the Canada Child Benefit for kids.

     

    He has continued to advocate for this issue and spoke with Former Senators Art Eggleton and Hugh Segal on his podcast. Both senators have been champions of a basic income in Canada. Listen to the podcast here. 
    Within the community, Nate has helped serve warm meals alongside the Out of the Cold foundation. With the help from his wife Amy,  volunteers and his office staff, they have been able to feed hundreds of people throughout the years.


  • Tackling Climate Change

    Nate has been a vocal advocate for stronger action on climate change.

     


    He successfully called for a climate emergency debate in Parliament after the most recent IPCC report.
    He’s written articles about climate change and plastic pollution, and he’s raised the need for more action directly with Environment Minister McKenna, Finance Minister Morneau, and the Prime Minister and his close advisors.

     

    Recently, Nate introduced a bill to make Canada carbon neutral by 2050, consistent with our Paris Agreement commitments.

     

    Locally, Nate has held a number of public events focused on both climate change and plastic pollution, including free movies and discussions with experts at the Fox Theatre.

     

    Accomplishments to date:

    • Making polluters pay through a revenue-neutral carbon tax that will return 90% of the funds directly to people through a $300+ Climate Action Incentive, and the remaining 10% to small businesses, schools, and hospitals.
    • Largest federal investments in public transit in Canadian history Ratified the Paris Agreement and established a Pan-Canadian Framework to tackle climate change Reducing methane emissions by at least 40%.
    • Phasing out coal here in Canada, and leading global efforts to do the same.
    • Major investments in green energy and clean tech.
    • $5000 incentive to buy a clean vehicle

Nathaniel (Nate) Erskine-Smith is the Member of Parliament for Beaches-East York.

He sits on the Executive Committee of the Canadian Group of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) as past president. In his role as President, he has represented Canada at parliamentary conferences around the world.

His speeches in the House of Commons and interventions at committee can be found here.

Nate regularly attends events around Beaches-East York, volunteers his time in support of local charitable activities, and visits local schools to talk to young Canadians about the importance of participating in the democratic process.

Nate became the M.P. on October 19, 2015, after a successful grassroots open nomination in December 2014.