The House Resumes
It is my pleasure to return to the House of Commons as your Member of Parliament for the new constituency of Red Deer -Lacombe. As this is my first Calkins…Currently since the election, I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who supported me during the election by volunteering on my campaign or casting a vote on Election Day. I am humbled by your overwhelming support and I am honoured to represent you in Ottawa.
Certainly, across the country, the results were not to our liking, but I am confident that under the leadership of the InterimLeader of the Official Opposition, Rona Ambrose and the new and returning Conservative Members or Parliament, we will hold the Liberal Government to account to ensure that all Canadians are best served.
A Moment on Electoral Reform
Canada inherited the Westminster style of Parliament from the Palace of Westminster when we were granted responsible government. The Westminster style of Parliament, including “first past the post” elections have served us well for nearly 150years and are deeply entrenched in our democratic history.
The Liberal Party has committed to unilaterally changing the way Canadians vote and without their direct consultation. Since the 1950s, Canadian Governments have consulted their people in a referendum when trying to alter their electoral systems and it remains imperative that you, as Canadians, are consulted directly on any proposed fundamental change to Canada’s democratic process.
If you believe that a referendum should be held before any fundamental changes are made to Canada’s democratic process,I would encourage you to add your name to petition calling for a referendum on electoral reform. The petition #e-48 can be found by clicking here.
Promises Made, Promises Broken
For the first several months of 2015, Canada was respected on the international stage, we had our fiscal house in order, oure economy was on track to continue to grow, and taxes were the lowest in over 50 years. Canada was moving forward confidently on trade deals with Europe (CETA) and the Pacific region (TPP), and we were seen as a dependable ally in the fight against terrorism and ISIS.
Fast Forward to October 19th.
Voters were sold a bill of goods that was anchored on the mantra Real Change. This real change was supposed to be a different way, a sunnier way to supposedly restore confidence in the House of Commons. If the first 40 days of this new government are any indication of the Real Change Justin Trudeau is going to bring Canadians, voters may be asking for their change back in 2019.
So let’s have a recap of these first few days:
Liberal promised to relocate 25,000 refugees by the end of 2015, which we now know was unrealistic. Promise broken.
Trudeau also deceived Canadians by saying he’d take our CF-18’s out of the fight, which he has apparently reneged on.Promise Broken.
Trudeau also indicated he’d only run $10 billion deficits for the first few years of a Liberal mandate. The fiscal update passed in early December by the Liberals indicates they will run up the debt for Canadians by more than double that.Promise broken.
However, the Liberals have kept some promises: Canadians taxes will be going up, you can save less of your hard earned money in a Tax Free Savings Account, and families will be losing benefits under the Universal Child Care benefit, promises which weren’t worth keeping.
To further exacerbate problems for working Albertans, Keystone XL was cancelled by president Obama just a few days after Trudeau became the PM, and Northern Gateway Pipeline seems all but dead now, as Trudeau has promised to ban tanker traffic off the west coast.
Then, there’s the Liberal entitlement attitude, creeping back in! Remember Trudeau saying that income splitting and theUCCB wasn’t a good policy, because it only benefitted rich families like his? However, once he took office, with the ink barely dry on his swearing in papers, he ordered Cabinet to approve the salary cost to hire two nannies to raise his children.Mr. Trudeau believes he is entitled to his entitlements and he believes that you and I should be the ones who pay for them.
Finally, keep in mind the Liberals spent almost 3 billion dollars internationally in their first 30 days in office, all of which were not accounted for in their platform. The rising cost of Liberal commitments will have to be offset by some sort ofrevenue generating tool (taxes). Justin Trudeau woke up on October 20th with a hangover realizing he won the lottery, and in true frat boy mentality, he is intent on spending every dollar possible as recklessly as possible.
Senate Appointment Process
Earlier this month, Democratic Institutions Minister Marayam Monsef announced the appointment of the “IndependentAdvisory Board for Senate Appointments.” Unfortunately, this is cannot really be considered a reform measure. An unelected and unaccountable board of individuals will be making recommendations to appoint an unelected Senate.
It does not matter who is on the panel, as the lists that the panel creates are secret and non-binding. Prime Minister Trudeau can still appoint Senators who don’t appear on any list. How is this more democratic?
Legalization of Marijuana Not As Easy As Justin Trudeau Thinks
Another one of Justin Trudeau’s campaign promises was the legalization of marijuana. It was a pretty simple promise to make, but the fact is, the legalization of marijuana is actually a very complex issue. Within Canada, marijuana is addressed in many pieces of legislation such as the Canada Health Act and the Criminal Code and involves working with the Provinces.Amendments to these pieces of legislation on their own will be a monumental task, but in addition, Canada is part of three international treaties – all of which criminalize the possession and production of marijuana. No matter where you stand on this issue, it is important to know that legalization is not as simple as it sounds.
Canada Summer Jobs 2016
The application period for Canada Summer Jobs opened on January 4, 2016. Canada Summer Jobs provides a great way for employers to create summer job opportunities for students. More details on this program can be found here. The deadline for applications is February 26, 2016.