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 -- With so much attention on the debate in the House regarding the Emergency Act other matters that occurred went largely unnoticed


 

On Family Day, Monday, February 21, a vote was held in the House of Commons to “confirm the declaration of a public order emergency proclaimed on February 14, 2022.” In other words, to confirm Prime Minister Justin Trudeau invoking the Emergencies Act here in Canada.

I seldom share my personal thoughts, but I will admit to being surprised by this. Given that the only remaining blockade in Canada was in Ottawa, which had been cleared by police over the previous weekend, I had anticipated the order would be revoked on Monday.

I was wrong.

Not only did the Prime Minister insist on maintaining the Emergency Act, he also made the vote a “confidence vote” meaning if the vote did not pass, the PM would once look to call an election.

Two Liberals MPs, who joined the Conservative and BLOC position (also backed by the Canadian Civil Liberties Association) that the legal threshold to invoke the Emergency Act had not been met, admitted they would have to vote in favor of the motion solely because of the Prime Minister’s threat.

The NDP had already committed support for invoking of the Emergency Act, before the details of what was being proposed by PM Trudeau was tabled in the House.

Ultimately the motion to invoke the Emergency Act passed with 185 votes in favour and 151 votes opposed, including my own.

Fortunately, two days later, on Wednesday, February the 23rd, the Prime Minister reconsidered and announced that the Emergency Act was being revoked. I fully support this action by the Prime Minister to revoke these provisions of the Emergencies Act.

With so much attention on the trucker protest in Ottawa, and the debate in the House regarding the Emergency Act, other matters that occurred went largely unnoticed.

One item that was completely overlooked relates to your wireless cell phone bills. On Wednesday February 9th, in the House of Commons, Prime Minister Trudeau made the following comment:

“We promised Canadian families that we would reduce the cost of their cell phone bill. Today, I am happy to announce that we have met our 25% price reduction target. In fact, we have done so three months ahead of schedule.”

This statement from PM Trudeau relates to his 2019 election promise that your cell phone bills would be reduced by 25% within two years saving the “average Canadian family $1,000” a year.

This leads to my question for this week:

Have your wireless cell phone bills gone down by 25% as Prime Minister Trudeau claims they have?

I can be reached at Dan.Albas@parl.gc.ca or call 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