Changes on Parliament Hill

Plus Liberal MPs criticize their own government, conservative leader Candice Bergen calls upon Parliament to end federal pandemic restrictions, re-introduction of new anti-free speech bill, and more

Changes on Parliament Hill

This week, I was appointed to the role of Deputy House Leader in the Conservative caucus. I will be assisting newly appointed House Leader John Brassard in keeping caucus united and driven on important issues in Parliament. Brassard is an Ontario MP, the former ethics critic, and was a firefighter before politics. As Deputy House Leader, I am responsible for question period planning, ensuring we take the voice of our constituents from across the country to our nation’s Parliament. Consequently, I am not asking questions of the government directly during that period, but I will be working to hold the government to account by coordinating our efforts as a conservative team. Other new additions to the core team are the new Whip Blaine Calkins, a fellow Albertan and veteran parliamentarian, as well as Ontario MP Lianne Rood, a former agriculture critic who has been named Deputy Whip.

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Conservative Leader Candice Bergen calls for an end to federally imposed pandemic restrictions

In a speech on Thursday, interim leader Candice Bergen called upon MP’s to support the Conservative motion to force the Liberal government to publicly provide a plan to end the federal vaccine mandates by the end of the month. She noted that it is time to end the divisiveness and stigmatization to come together as a country and get out of this pandemic. This is consistent with the majority of the opinions of the heads of public health officials across Canada and follows the decision of several provinces to end their vaccine passport systems or to publicly outline when they will end. As protests continue across the country, fueled by the divisive politics of the Prime Minister, Conservatives want to let the protesters know that they have been heard and we are taking their concerns directly to Parliament. We are also calling for a peaceful end to the blockades of critical infrastructure like the Coutts border crossing in Alberta and the Ambassador Bridge in Ontario. We will continue to stand up for Canadians wishing to return to a normal life. Watch the leader’s full speech below:

Cracks emerge in the Liberal caucus

From the early stages of the pandemic, I have been consistent in my opposition to vaccine mandates and have long criticized the federal government on its pandemic policies. This past week, four Liberal MPs, including the Chair of their Quebec caucus, came out against their own government, heavily criticizing the politicization of the pandemic response. All four MPs noted a significant amount of silent support for their position within the Liberal caucus, noting colleagues have “had enough.” These four Liberal MPs, and possibly more, now agree with the Conservative position. As senior Liberal MP Joël Lightbound stated, “I think it’s time to stop dividing Canadians, to stop pitting one part of the population against another. I can’t help but notice with regret that both tone and the policies of my government changed drastically on the eve and during the last election campaign. From a positive and unifying approach, a decision was made to wedge to divide and to stigmatize.” Watch MP Lightbound’s remarks in full below:

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Anti-free speech bill C-10 returns

A new name but the same face. The federal government reintroduced Bill C-10, now called Bill C-11, in the new Parliament, once again proposing federal government intrusion into online streaming services and how Canadian users consume content. The Liberal government claimed to have fixed the section of the Act that would have enabled C-10 to regulate user content, but University of Ottawa professor Michael Geist points out that a new exception was added that still allows for CRTC regulation, which may extend into social media once more. Conservatives will not relent, and we will continue fighting against government overreach into the online space.

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What Conservatives did in the House this week

• My colleague, Raquel Dancho, spoke on the state of our country in a strong speech calling for unity and a path forward beyond the pandemic. (link)

• Conservatives debated a motion calling for the federal government to make public the plan to lift all federal mandates and restrictions by February 28, 2022. (link)

• A Conservative motion (and constitutional amendment to the Saskatchewan Act) ends the permanent tax exemption given to CP Rail for more than a century in Saskatchewan). It passed unanimously in a 334-0 vote. It now needs to pass the Senate. This will end an unfair tax allowance to a major railway company and reduce the tax burden of Saskatchewan’s residents. This change has long been called for by the government of Saskatchewan. (link).

• The Liberal government survived another confidence vote on Bill C-8, a bill that outlined further spending measures to implement their Fall Economic Statement changes. The vote was 215-117. (link)

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CERB money went to foreign addresses

CERB was meant to support workers in Canada who were unable to work due to COVID restrictions. Documents tabled in Parliament this week show that $12 million was given to 1,610 people with foreign mailing addresses. People in India, the United Kingdom, the United States, and a dozen other countries received money that could have helped those impacted by lockdown measures. The government must immediately take the money back and an audit of COVID spending must be conducted. Where has our money gone? Watch as my colleague, MP Kelly McCauley from Edmonton, questions the government on this failure: