Skip to main content

“I am a Canadian, free to speak without fear, free to worship in my own way, free to stand for what I think right, free to oppose what I believe wrong, or free to choose those who shall govern my country. This heritage of freedom I pledge to uphold for myself and all mankind.” ~~ John G. Diefenbaker

DAN ALBAS -- That is government revenue that now must be made up either through reductions in spending or increased taxes elsewhere

One of the reasons why I write weekly MP reports is so citizens can be informed and follow events occurring in Ottawa ... and by extension, hold myself and MP's from other parties to account.


As much as I would like to share events occurring in Ottawa this week unfortunately the House of Commons is still not in session. Despite the election occurring back in late October, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has waited until Thursday, December 5th to recall the House for a Throne Speech.

After the Throne Speech the House is not scheduled to sit again until Monday, January 27th of 2020.

The House of Commons was last in session in late June of this year and, with the exception of the brief throne speech on December 5th, it will have sat vacant for over half a year.

While it is understandable that this is an abnormal time, as a result of the federal election, it is concerning that nearly three months will have passed, since the election, before the House assumes regular sittings.

I raise this because the BC Forest industry, as one example, is in a crisis situation. Citizens in Kelowna are deeply concerned that 174 residents who worked at the local Tolko lumber mill are now out of work.

This week the BC NDP Government announced, in the fiscal update, that revenue received from the BC forest sector has decreased by $110 million.

That is government revenue that now must be made up either through reductions in spending or increased taxes elsewhere.

Also, this week Canfor announced that 10 lumber mills will be shut down for a two-week period, temporarily displacing over 2,000 workers.

These critically important points deserve to be raised on the floor of the House of Commons for response from the Liberal Government.

Not all problems in the forest industry can be solved by Government. The current timber shortage, and devastation from the mountain pine beetle, are two examples of that.

However, we also have to recognize that some BC forest companies, currently closing down lumber mills in BC, are not leaving forestry. Instead they are investing in and opening up new lumber mills in the United States.

This is deeply concerning when BC forest companies leave BC to invest in other regions.

Many of the regions they are investing in have different government policies.

As an example, a lumber mill operating is some of these US jurisdictions does not have higher payroll costs such as increased Canadian Pension Plan, or the BC NDP created Employer Health Tax. They also do not pay carbon taxes or are subject to added duties at the border due to a lack of a softwood lumber agreement.

These are some areas where the Federal Government can show leadership.

Unfortunately, with the House not sitting, the ability to raise these issues and hold the government to account is denied.


My question this week:

Do you think it is reasonable that the Prime Minister has waited until December the 5th to table a Throne Speech?

I can be reached at:
Email: Dan.Albas@parl.gc.ca
Toll Free: 1-800-665-8711
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

'Very good news' that Supreme Court will hear B.C. mineral claims case, Eby says

The BC government needs clarity from the Supreme Court of Canada on a landmark mineral rights claim, Premier David Eby says. But the lawyer representing the challenger says that they would have preferred the province respect the lower court's decision. Eby said Thursday it is very good news that the court will hear its appeal of a ruling that found the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the provincial mineral claims regime are "inconsistent." The BC Court of Appeal ruled in December that the provincial Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act, or DRIPA, should be "properly interpreted" to incorporate the UN declaration into the laws of B.C. with immediate legal effect. That ruling set off the appeal from the province amid concerns that it could cause economic uncertainty ... CLICK HERE for the full story 
Post a Comment
Read more

EBY OFFSIDE WITH NATIONAL INTEREST AS CARNEY AND SMITH BUILD BC'S ECONOMIC FUTURE WITHOUT HIM ~~ BC Conservatives

IMAGE CREDIT :  CBC News   Prime Minister Mark Carney and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith announced a landmark agreement today committing Ottawa to designate a new pipeline to BC's west coast as a project of national interest by October 1, 2026, with construction approval targeted for September 1, 2027. The deal pairs the pipeline with a new industrial carbon pricing framework and a fall 2027 construction start. British Columbia, the province where the pipeline ends, where the jobs would land, and where the export terminal would be built, was nowhere at the table. "This is a nation-building deal, and the BC NDP have been locked out of the room," said Trevor Halford, Interim Leader of the Official Opposition.  "While the Prime Minister and the Premier of Alberta were doing the hard work of growing the Canadian economy, the NDP is on the sidelines calling this pipeline a 'fiction' and an 'energy vampire.'  He chose petulance over partnership, and now BC ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Kamloops - North Thompson BC Conservative MLA Ward Stamer speaks to Bill 20 — K’ómoks Treaty Act

The following is a condensed version of Kamloops – North Thompson MLA Ward Stamer’s remarks, to the BC Legislature, on the afternoon of Tuesday May 19th : I rise today to continue remarks on Bill 20, the K’ómoks treaty, and to address what I believe are some of the most important constitutional, democratic and governance concerns facing this Legislature today. At the centre of this debate are two major issues. First, unresolved overlapping territorial boundaries tied to this treaty process. And second, the growing legal and political consequences arising from the provincial government’s implementation of the Declaration of Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act, more commonly known as DRIPA. Much of the government’s defence on DRIPA rests upon references to the United Nations declaration on the rights of Indigenous Peoples, commonly known as UNDRIP. And this is where we must begin having a more honest and mature conversation in this province. UNDRIP was never originally designed to function ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Labels

Show more