Dear Mission – Matsqui – Abbotsford,

It’s been a busy few weeks flying back-and-forth across our beautiful country to B.C. and our nation’s capital.  

I’ve been active working on legislation (more to come in my next email blast), parliamentary petitions, and speeches in the House of Commons.  

There's lots to cover, so my apologies for the long email! 

Earlier this month in Ottawa, I had the opportunity to speak in the House of Commons on several important pieces of legislation. Thank you to everyone who reached out to share your concerns. I was able to bring your voices forward during these debates.

Bill C-3: Amendments to the Citizenship Act

I support provisions in this bill that restore citizenship to lost Canadians and ensure equal treatment for adopted children. However, I oppose the added “substantial connection” test, which I believe creates unfair barriers.

Watch my speech here: https://youtu.be/Jrj6XqBLqxk

Bill C-2: Strong Borders Act

While border security is important, I raised serious concerns about privacy overreach in this bill. Drawing from my experience studying Bill C-27 (Privacy and AI) at Industry Committee, I emphasized the need for proper protections, especially against provisions that would allow Canada Post to open Canadians’ packages.

We have now learned there is a possibility of a new bill being tabled or major changes to the parts of C-2 that are very contentious. Stay tuned for updates over the coming weeks.

Watch my speech here: https://youtu.be/TEqJ4ZNeDC0

Extortion Crisis

Extortion is up 357 percent in Canada. I again shared the heartbreaking story of the Lehmann family from Mission, who lost $300,000 and saw the perpetrator sentenced to just nine months of house arrest and probation. The situation is escalating across B.C. In Surrey, police are investigating 44 extortion cases, including 27 involving shootings.
Watch my intervention here: https://youtu.be/Ytb6G_BLDIc?si=ZfQZQL1gx6dJQfyL

Gun buyback

In a leaked recording, Minister of Public Safety Gary Anandasangaree not only confessed the program’s futility but also revealed it was being pursued for purely political gain—at a staggering cost of $742 million. That money could have been used to hire 5,000 RCMP or border officers, purchase 300 port scanners, or create 37,000 addiction treatment beds.

Despite that, the government launched the program starting with a pilot project in Nova Scotia on Oct. 1. Firearm owners, who's claims are accepted in the program, can either turn in their firearms for compensation or permanently deactivate them and be reimbursed for a flat rate of $400 - $700 per firearm. Here is the list of the following firearms classified as prohibited: List of firearms: for individuals - Canada.ca

For this week’s survey, I want to hear your thoughts. Do you support or oppose the Liberal government’s $742 million gun buyback program? Click here to fill out the survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/F67NPSX

Cricket on the Hill!

I had so much fun playing cricket with Parliamentarians and Diplomats!🏏 It was great to catch up with some of my friends from Cricket BC and Mission’s very own Nishant Arora!  Many thanks to the Commonwealth Parliamentary Group for organizing such a fantastic event! Did you know that Cricket is one of the fastest growing sports in Canada?

Meeting with Railway Representatives

Last week, I met with members of the railway industry to discuss the urgent need for flood infrastructure funding. In 2021, the federal government promised $5 billion in disaster relief, yet only $1.63 billion has been delivered to date. Communities can't afford further delays.

Shadow Minister of Small Business

On Monday, I rose in the House during Adjournment Proceedings to press the government on its lack of support for small businesses. Entrepreneurs and local job creators are being squeezed by rising costs, higher taxes, and endless red tape—yet the government refuses to provide the relief they desperately need.

Watch my full remarks here: https://fb.watch/CiBO_KZV8S/

Additionally, the Audit and Evaluation Branch of Innovation, Science and Economic Development recently released an evaluation of the Women Entrepreneurship Strategy. Despite more than $130 million in federal funding, only 322 of 3,148 businesses that applied for grants were successful, and every single one of those businesses was already established. Not a single start-up received support, despite that being a stated goal of the program.

The report also noted that there were no clear targets to measure outcomes such as job creation or improvements to business growth. Seven years after this program was launched, women’s representation in small and medium-sized enterprises remains low.

As the Shadow Minister for Small Business, I will hold the Liberal government accountable for wasting taxpayer dollars and failing to deliver meaningful results for Canadian entrepreneurs.

Read more here: https://www.blacklocks.ca/cabinet-faked-success-stories/

Supporting Veterans

Last weekend, I went to one of my favourite community events of the year the True Patriot Love: Canadian Walk for Veterans! This inspiring event raises awareness for our Veterans, encourages all Canadians to learn more about their experiences, and supports the True Patriot Love Foundation, which provides essential rehabilitation and resources to help Veterans thrive.

Apply Now: British Columbia Youth Parliament (BCYP) 2025–26

The BC Youth Parliament (BCYP) is accepting applications from youth aged 16–21 to develop leadership, public speaking, and parliamentary skills while serving their communities.

Membership begins with the Parliamentary Session in Victoria this December, where members debate legislation, current issues, and plan service projects. Throughout the year, they carry out volunteer work, fundraising, and regional youth parliaments.

Each year, 97 youth are nominated by a school, club, church, or municipality with support from five members of that organization. Travel and accommodations are arranged, though meals are the responsibility of each member.

Apply here: BC Youth Parliament

Applications are due by Friday, October 31, 2025

Remembering Sherry Edmonds-Flett

The City of Mission and the Fraser Valley have lost a dedicated community leader. Sherry Edmonds-Flett co-founded Long-term Inmates Now in the Community (L.I.N.C.) with her husband Glen, creating opportunities for victims and offenders to find accountability and hope. Her work at Emma’s Acres and ongoing advocacy helped make Mission safer and more connected. Sherry’s impact on our community will not be forgotten. Rest in peace.

Temporary Foreign Worker Survey Results

Thank you to everyone who took the time to complete my recent survey on the Temporary Foreign Worker Program. Your feedback is invaluable and helps me better understand the challenges facing farmers, employers, and workers in our community.

We received a wide range of responses, and while opinions were often strongly expressed, several clear themes emerged:

1. Support for Canadian Workers First
Many respondents emphasized that Canadians should always have the first opportunity to fill available jobs. Several called for stronger enforcement to ensure employers make every effort to hire locally before turning to foreign worker.

2. Recognition of Labour Shortages

At the same time, many acknowledged that sectors like agriculture, hospitality, and construction rely heavily on TFWs because many of these positions go unfilled by Canadians—especially seasonal or physically demanding jobs. Farmers and small business owners stressed that without TFWs, some operations would simply shut down.

3. Concerns About the Broader Immigration System

Some respondents voiced concerns that high levels of immigration, coupled with the TFW program, are straining housing, healthcare, and infrastructure. Others raised worries about fairness, program abuses, and whether Canada is adequately prioritizing skilled immigration.

4. Ideas for Change

Respondents offered a variety of proposals, including:

• Training and incentive programs to better prepare Canadians—especially youth—for hard-to-fill jobs.
• Adjusting wages and working conditions to make jobs more attractive to Canadians.
• Phasing out or restricting the program in non-essential sectors while keeping it in agriculture.
• Stricter vetting of applicants and stronger oversight of employers to prevent abuse.

5. Divided Views on the Program's Future 

• While some respondents said the TFW program should be ended altogether, many others argued it must remain in place to safeguard food security and support struggling small businesses.

If you haven’t filled out this week’s survey on public safety, please fill that out: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/F67NPSX

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 – Abbotsford