Dear Constituents, an update from my office:
Bill C-62 (MAID for Mental Illness Delay)
On February 12, I spoke on Bill C-62, which will delay the expansion of medical assistance in dying (MAID) to those whose sole medical condition is mental illness for an additional 3 years. While I did support this bill, I expressed many of the concerns I heard from you, some in favour of, and some opposed to the expansion. Thank you to everyone who took the time to write me and share your thoughts.
I highlighted some of the tragic stories we’ve heard of veterans being offered MAID instead of the supports and treatment they need to live. I also shared my concern that the continued expansion of MAID is a slippery slope that will lead to more Canadians choosing this path because our healthcare services aren’t adequate. I encourage you to watch my speech here and share your thoughts on the expansion of MAID for mental illness if you haven’t done so already.
My message is this - all people should have hope. We should never give up on those suffering from mental illness. Rather than giving death to those experiencing severe depression and other mental illnesses, we should be ensuring Canadians have timely access to resources and the treatment they need to live. Let’s be frank though, this will be no easy financial feat in an already dysfunctional medical system; I simply see no other way.
Online Harms Bill
On Monday, February 26, the Liberals tabled Bill C-63, Online Harms Act. It’s a large bill with serious consequences and as such, my Conservative colleagues and I are taking the time to carefully review it. Below are some of my initial thoughts and concerns.
First and foremost, Conservatives believe that we should criminalize and enforce laws against: sexually victimizing a child or revictimizing a survivor online; bullying a child online; inducing a child to harm themselves or inciting violence. This is just common sense.
We also believe that criminal bans on intimate content communicated without consent, including deepfakes, must be enforced and expanded. These serious acts should be criminalized, investigated by police, tried in court, and punished with jail, not pushed off to a new bureaucracy that does nothing to prevent crimes and provides no justice to victims.
Lastly, this bill must not ban opinions that are contradictory to those of the Prime Minister and the government. On numerous occasions, this government has attacked free speech with legislation like Bill C-11 and Bill C-18, which limited freedom of expression online, threatened the livelihoods of Canadian content creators, and caused Meta to ban news from their platforms in Canada. They must not limit freedom of expression any further.
Please stay tuned for more information on this proposed legislation.
In the House
Recently, I had the opportunity to attend the Standing Committee on the Status of Women as the Minister of Small Business was appearing. When I asked about the alarming statistics on business insolvencies in recent months, the Minister claimed that the government was lowering taxes for small businesses, though she couldn’t name a single tax. You can watch my full intervention with the Minister here.
At the Industry Committee this week, we are continuing our study into the sky-high cell phone bills Canadians continue to face, despite promises of reduced prices. On Monday, we heard from representatives of the CRTC and the Competition Bureau, and my questions focused on roaming fees, connection fees, and the effects of the Rogers-Shaw merger. Let me know your thoughts on cell phone bills and fees, as well as the overall cost of living by filling out my survey here.
In the Riding
Last Wednesday, I had the pleasure of joining members of the Trinity Christian Reformed Church for their monthly seniors meeting. I gave an update on children’s privacy rights, MAID legislation, and the importance of community action.
On Thursday, local Conservative colleagues and I met with the President of the Union of Canadian Correctional Officers Pacific Region at Mountain Institution to discuss the prison needle exchange program and other challenges facing Correctional Officers, including drug trafficking via drones, bail reform, and effective rehabilitation.
On Thursday evening, MP Randy Hoback, MP Ed Fast, and I were hosted by the Abbotsford Chamber of Commerce for a town hall discussion on Canada-USA relations and the need to engage Americans on the importance of our trade relationship. Thanks to the Abbotsford Chamber for hosting and to everyone who came and asked questions!
On Friday, I had the opportunity to meet with Abbotsford Mayor Ross Siemens, along with my colleagues MP Tako Van Popta and MP Hoback, who is our Conservative Advisor to the Leader on Canada-US Relations and Associate Shadow Minister for International Trade. We had a productive conversation on disaster recovery, flood mitigation and working with our US neighbours.
On Friday I also attended the Mission Regional Chamber of Commerce’s 2024 Business Excellence Awards. Thanks to the Mission Chamber for another great event! Our small business leaders inspire me as they take risks and support both Mission and the Fraser Valley. Congratulations to all of the award winners and keep rockin’ the free world!
I also had the opportunity recently to join MP Joël Godin and other Conservative colleagues as MP Godin received the Kermonde Award from the Fédération des francophones de la Colombie-Britannique (FFCB) for his work in defending the French language in British Columbia. We also stopped by the Vancouver Francophone Chamber of Commerce, where I heard from small business owners on the challenges they continue to face such as high taxes, red tape and high interest rates.
Hearing From You
In my last update, I asked for your feedback on Bill C-27; the Digital Charter Implementation Act. In total, 125 people filled out the survey; thank you for the feedback! Please see the full results below.
This week, I want to hear your thoughts on the cost of living. Are you having to cut back on essentials? Have you seen your cell phone bill go up? Let me know by filling out my survey here.
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, X (Twitter), Instagram, and YouTube, where I post more frequent updates on my work as your MP.
Thank you,
Brad Vis, MP
Mission—Matsqui—Fraser Canyon