Thoughts on BC Politics and More

The wheels of Ottawa bureaucracy turn very slowly In the spirit of the holiday season this I have decided to share a tale of two different Cabinet Ministers from my time as a Member of Parliament representing the concerns of local citizens here in the riding. In my first year as a Member of Parliament , a man who was a citizen from another country and had a permit to live and work in Canada, decided to take a weekend trip to visit the United States, a common activity for those who live near the border. Upon return to the Canadian border, the man in question experienced an unfortunate incident where he was ordered to be removed from Canada within seven days. The removal order was based on claims that the man was not legally in Canada to begin with. This occurred despite legal documents the man possessed that clearly indicated this was not the case. It was evident that a mistake had been made but the wheels of Ottawa bureaucracy turn very slowly. This issue in question ...

Thoughts on BC Politics and More has sent a questionnaire to Conservative, Green Party, Liberal, NDP, and Peoples Party of Canada candidates for the Kamloops Thompson Cariboo riding.   Over the next week and a half, the responses will be shared with you; not just as information for those in the riding, but perhaps as information to consider for candidates in your own riding – to be clarified or asked.   PPC leader Maxime Bernier with Kamloops Thompson Cariboo candidate Ken Finlayson   Today, we’re sharing the first responses, which were returned by People Party of Canada candidate Ken Finlayson.   Before presenting his responses to the questions however, lets begin with information submitted by Ken about himself, and why he’s running. K en operates a small ranch near Lac La Hache, for non-resident owners from the lower mainland; it’s a semi retirement position he thought he’d try out a little more than year ago. Well turns out Ken’s not very good at reti...

With news that the federal election has officially begun , this will be my final MP report of the 42nd Parliament. I am running for re-election and I am hopeful to resume my weekly MP reports once the 43rd Parliament is elected however that is a decision for the people of Central-Okanagan-Similkameen-N icola to decide. I would like to thank you for reading my weekly reports and responding frequently with your comments, questions and concerns. Your feedback has been invaluable to me in the work that I do as a Member of Parliament. I would like to share an example of that. Over this past weekend, at an all candidates forum, I was asked my personal view on the medical assistance in dying legislation that was passed early in the 42nd Parliament. My answer was a simple one for me. From my perspective being a Member of Parliament is not about imposing my own view but rather expressing the will of my constituents who I represent. When the topic of medical assistan...

With the federal election date of October 21st, at some point in September, the Prime Minister will present the Governor General with an instrument of advice recommending the House of Commons be dissolved. In turn the Governor General issues a proclamation dissolving the 42nd Parliament. The Prime Minister then presents an order in council to the Chief Electoral Officer requesting the writ of an election. At this point the writ is considered “dropped” and the formal “writ period” will get underway. Part of what will occur during the writ period are debates among party leaders as well as local candidates. One new change on the national level is the Trudeau Liberal Government's creation of a 'Leaders’ Debates Commission'. In the past the major televised debates between party leaders were organized by a consortium of media broadcasters. More recently leader’s debates have also been hosted by organizations such as Macleans Magazine and the Munk Debates. ...

Every summer since I was first elected, I have traveled throughout every community in my riding as part of my annual summer listening tour. Citizens deserve to be heard and meeting with people directly in their home communities is a very important part of being a Member of Parliament. The feedback and concerns, that I hear, are part of the focus for when the House of Commons resumes typically in September. This year, the House is not expected to resume given that the next federal election will be in October. I am frequently reminded at how far away the "Ottawa bubble" is when it comes to those who live in Canadian rural communities. In several parts of my riding there are no public transit options. Where there was once Greyhound service in some areas, it now no longer exists. Some areas have no access to natural gas for home heating. There is also a lack of internet access in many areas and in some cases no wireless signal whatsoever. For this reason, both...