Dear Constituents,
Please find below another update from my office. It’s been a busy few weeks since the return of Parliament. We learned this week that the federal Budget will be tabled on Thursday afternoon, April 7, 2022.
Bill C-11
This week, I spoke on Bill C-11: An Act to amend the Broadcasting Act and to make related and consequential amendments to other Acts, which is the Liberal Government’s latest attempt to bring regulatory powers over the internet under the umbrella of the CRTC. As was the case with last Parliament’s Bill C-10, this legislation fails to protect user-generated content on social media, which means the CRTC may soon be able to control what you can post and view online.
Another area of concern is the level of control the CRTC will be given to force platforms to adjust their algorithms to show more Canadian content, which would actually harm Canadian creators’ ability to reach foreign viewers because of the way algorithms are designed. I speak to this and raise many of the concerns I’ve heard from constituents in my speech on Bill C-11. I strongly encourage you to visit my Facebook page and watch the speech!
NDP-Liberal Agreement
As you’ve likely heard, last week the NDP and Liberal parties signed an agreement to keep Justin Trudeau’s minority government in power until 2025. As part of ratifying the agreement, the NDP requested expensive additions to the budget. These requests will remove all fiscal guardrails to protect future generations from today’s overspending.
In early March of this year, a Parliamentary Budget Office report raised concerns on Liberal spending and identified that, should significant increases happen, the debt to GDP (Gross Domestic Product) ratio would be even higher. These concerns were raised prior to the expensive promises made to the NDP in their “confidence and supply agreement”.
With soaring inflation and already massive deficits, the last thing Canada needs is four years of a high tax, high spending NDP-Liberal coalition.
I would really appreciate hearing your thoughts on this matter, so please take a couple of minutes to fill out this survey!
Disaster Prevention and Recovery
I am still fighting to secure the resources and funding our region needs to recover from last year’s devastating fires and floods. Recently, I sent out a piece on disaster recovery and prevention, and more than 150 of you returned the attached postcards to the Finance Minister. Thank you! With the budget fast approaching, I will be delivering them to Minister Freeland in the coming days.
My colleague, Ed Fast, and I recently wrote to Minister Freeland, seeking funds for flood recovery and to make critical improvements to our flood mitigation infrastructure. We cannot afford another flood like we experienced in November.
Over the last week, I held meetings with Spuzzum First Nation, Siska India Band, and the Fraser Valley Regional District. Across the board, everyone acknowledges that the BC-Federal arrangements for disaster planning & management require major policy overhauls. This work continues and I look forward to presenting a Petition sometime in May on behalf of the FVRD with some policy recommendations.
Lytton
On March 23, my staff attended the Lytton Town Hall meeting to provide a federal update on my behalf. I am pleased to finally see some movement on debris removal and that reliable postal services are on their way. Frankly, it has taken far too long to make any progress after the fire, families should not have to wait nearly a year just for the cleanup to start. You can view my full remarks here.
Recently, I asked the Minister of Housing to utilize his Government’s housing programs to get the people of Lytton back to the place they call home. You can watch that here.
Opposition Motions
Soaring gas prices have made filling up your tank more expensive than ever before. Last week, my colleague Ed Fast, MP for Abbotsford, tabled an Opposition Motion which called for a temporary removal of the federal GST on gas and diesel. This would have reduced gas prices by an average of eight cents per liter.
Our caucus had a second opportunity to bring forward an Opposition Motion last week, and my colleague, MP Michael Barrett, tabled a Motion calling for the immediate removal of all federal vaccine mandates. While governments around the world follow the science and end their mandates, the NDP-Liberal Government in Ottawa is refusing to do the same. It is time to stop dividing Canadians, start following the science, and give people their freedoms back.
Unfortunately, both Motions were defeated by the NDP-Liberal Government. Regardless, my Conservative colleagues and I continue fighting every day for relief from inflation and freedom for all Canadians.
With the Budget coming next week, MP Fast tabled another Opposition Motion yesterday, which called for the Government to present a federal budget rooted in fiscal responsibility, with no new taxes, a path to balance, and a meaningful fiscal anchor.
Petitions
Last week, I presented three petitions on behalf of constituents here in Mission—Matsqui—Fraser Canyon on the topics of Ukraine, wildfire prevention, and firearms. If you’d like to view those, please visit the links below.
Empower communities to manage their forests
Target real criminals, not law-abiding citizens
I have just added a new petition to my website calling for more support for our Armed Forces amidst rising global tensions and the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. You can find that petition, and all petitions that I have presented here.
Save Juno Beach
You may have heard about plans to build a condo development next to the Juno Beach Centre in Normandy, France. Juno Beach is a sacred place in the history of our nation, where our brave troops stormed the beach as part of the D-Day operation, which eventually lead to the liberation of France and Western Europe.
It is crucial that the ministers of Foreign Affairs and Veterans Affairs work with their French counterparts to ensure Juno Beach is protected and that the private road leading to it is not used for construction. My colleague, MP Frank Caputo made a statement in the House on Juno Beach, which you can view here.
Ukraine
On Saturday, March 19th, I was pleased to join MP Ed Fast and Councillor Ken Herar for the Stand With Ukraine benefit dinner at St. Joseph’s Parish Hall in Mission. The dinner raised funds to support refugees who have been forced to flee Ukraine. Thank you to Dustin Hiles for organizing this event, which included incredible Ukrainian food and music, and to Rev. Mikailo Ozorovych for his inspiration remarks.
Slava Ukraini!
Something Not Political
Sometimes, constituents ask me what I do outside of politics. To be honest, not much. With a young family, practically all of my time is divided between work and family commitments. I’m not complaining, I love my job! That said, I’m going to start a new section outlining something I read, find interesting or enjoy in our riding outside of politics.
Today, I’d like to recommend a book, Talking to Strangers by Macolm Gladwell. I picked it up at the airport a few weeks ago and was intrigued by the points on facial recognition and how individual perceptions aren’t always as accurate as we think – especially when it comes to character and motivation! Seriously, it’s a fun read, you won’t be disappointed.
You’re My Boss
Your feedback is valued. Please do not hesitate to contact my office to voice your concerns or seek assistance with any federal government programs at 604-814-5710 or [email protected]. I also encourage you to follow me on Facebook where I post more frequent updates on my work as your MP.
Thank you,
Brad Vis, MP
Mission—Matsqui—Fraser Canyon