NDP Plays Games with Foreign Interference Bill After Conservatives Offer Quick Passage
Plus, Bill to protect NHPs makes progress through Parliament, NDP-Liberals preventing Canadians from taking staycation, meeting constituents in Ottawa, and more.
The NDP played games with a foreign agent registry and anti-foreign interference law that would protect Canadian democracy. Their antics come at a time when Canada’s elections and democratic institutions are vulnerable to hostile authoritarian foreign states, such as the People’s Republic of China, Iran and the Russian Federation. We have learned from the foreign interference judicial inquiry led by Judge Hogue that “interference occurred in the last two general elections” and became so serious that it “diminished the ability of some voters to cast an informed vote. Ultimately, she concluded that foreign interference had a negative impact on the “broader electoral ecosystem” in the 2019 and 2021 general elections and that it undermined “public confidence” in Canadian elections. The Liberal government was slow to act on threats activities from foreign states, despite the multiple warnings from Canadian intelligence agencies dating back to 2018, which is unfortunate because safeguards and measures could have been in place to protect the previous two general elections. After years of pressure from Conservatives, the government finally decided to table in Parliament for debate Bill C-70, An Act respecting countering foreign interference. Conservatives were ready to work with the government to ensure the bill was passed swiftly as foreign interference legislation is long overdue and must be implemented before the next election. However, the NDP decided to obstruct a motion to make passage faster of this law. It is now uncertain whether this law will be passed quickly enough so that it can be implemented in time before the next federal election. It is shameful the NDP has decided to play political games and delay efforts to protect Canadians from the interference of hostile foreign states. These actions show their party is unserious and incapable of making sound judgments on matters of grave national importance such as the protection of our national elections. This could have been a rare moment in Parliament when all parties showed cooperation and worked together to pass good-faith legislation that improved the protection of Canadian democracy. After public pressure and pundits accusing the NDP of irresponsible behaviour they eventually relented once their unserious position was mocked widely.
Below is the letter conservative MP Michael Chong wrote to Liberal public safety minister saying that Conservatives will work to expedite Bill C-70 through Parliament:
Conservatives have taken a big step in protecting Canadians’ freedom to use natural health products despite opposition from government MPs. On Wednesday, Conservatives voted with other opposition parties to send Bill C-368, introduced by Alberta conservative MP Blaine Calkins, to be studied in the parliamentary health committee. This is great news for Canadians who are worried about this government’s attempts to shut down their right to freely access health products, such as powders, vitamins, probiotics, and supplements of their choice. Attempts to add red tape and more costly changes on many small and medium-sized businesses manufacturing or sellign health supplements will not be of benefit to the public. The NDP-Liberal coalition’s inflationary spending and carbon tax are punishing Canadian businesses already. These pointless regulations could force many already struggling businesses over the edge, destroying jobs and paycheques and giving consumers less choice. Furthermore, existing regulations on health supplements are already keeping Canadians safe with no confirmed case of overdose from natural health supplements in Canada. Conservative Bill C-368 will reverse a Liberal change from Budget 2023 that no Canadians were asking for in years prior.
Watch conservative MP Blaine Calkins talk about his Bill C-368 which seeks to protect Canadian rights to access natural health products.
The NDP-Liberal coalition must give Albertans a summer tax break. Albertans are feeling the burden of the NDP-Liberals tax and inflationary spending policies to the extent that even a simple summer road trip for families is unaffordable. For many Albertans, summer vacations were some of their favourite memories growing up, and it would seem unthinkable they would not be able to share those same experiences with their children. Sadly, the NDP-Liberals tax-and-spend agenda is forcing families to forgo their summer vacation plans in order to pay for basic necessities, which are more unaffordable. While the Prime Minister spends hundreds of thousands of dollars vacationing around the world to places like the Bahamas, Costa Rica, Tofino, and Jamaica, Albertans are barely able to afford summer road trips to the Canadian Rockies or British Columbia as they try to make ends meet. Families will have to pay $700 more for food this year than they did in 2023. Last year, food banks had to handle a record 2 million visits in a month, with a million more visits expected in 2024. Despite the ongoing cost-of-living crisis, the NDP-Liberals decided to make life more unaffordable by raising the carbon tax by 23% on Albertans. This means that the carbon tax hike will cost Albertan families an astonishing $2,943 this year. To give Albertans relief, Conservatives have introduced a motion in Parliament demanding the NDP-Liberal coalition axe the carbon tax, the federal fuel tax, and GST on gasoline and diesel between Victoria Day and Labour Day so families can afford a simple summer staycation. This would save the average Albertan family up to $955. The NDP should take this opportunity to ditch their senior coalition partners and vote with Conservatives to provide some relief to Canadians and give them a chance to enjoy a memorable summer staycation.
Canada must place restrictive measures on authoritarian regimes that unlawfully detain Canadians. I spoke up in Parliament this week in support of conservative MP Melissa Lantsman’s new proposed law, Bill C-353, the foreign hostage takers accountability act. The bill’s objective is for the Canadian government to dissuade and deter foreign nationals, foreign states and foreign entities from unlawfully imprisoning or holding hostage Canadians. This legislation would give the government more tools to put sanctions on authoritarian states such as Iran, a notorious state sponsor of terrorism, who have a track record of detaining dual citizens of Canada. During my speech, I shared the story of Behnoush Bahraminia, who had been a resident of Vancouver since 2013 but disappeared in Tehran in 2021. Since then, her family has gathered sufficient evidence that indicates the Islamic Regime is detaining her. If the government labels the Islamic Republic of Iran a “terrorist state,” then legislation like this would formalize how we treat them when they unlawfully detain or arrest our citizens. Having been born in and lived in a communist country (thankfully briefly), I understand the risks of being arbitrarily detained and why we must stand up to hostile states who think they can imprison Canadians. Legislation like Bill C-353 will provide the government with better tools to respond to authoritarian states and terrorist groups while simultaneously holding them accountable.
Watch my speech where I speak in support of strict legislation to help Canadians held as hostages by foreign regimes and terrorists:
NDP-Liberal MPs vote against making homes more affordable with the Conservative’s Build Homes, Not Bureaucracy Act. This week, the NDP-Liberal coalition refused to support the Conservative’s plan to build more homes for Canadians who are struggling to find affordable housing. I co-sponsored this legislation from Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre so that we could give hope to Canadians who can’t afford down payments, mortgages, and their rents, all while being priced out of Canada’s largest cities. The NDP-Liberal government’s own housing agency, the CMHC, has said that Canada needs to build 5.8 million homes to restore housing affordability, yet this government is nowhere close to hitting this target. The Building Homes, Not Bureaucracy Act would require cities to build more homes and speed up the rate at which they build homes every year to meet our housing targets.
Touring the Desai and Tyurin families from Calgary Shepard through Parliament. One of the joys of my job is to show residents visiting Ottawa around Parliament. I had toured the Desai family who were visiting Ottawa and wanted to see the heart of our democracy in our Parliament. As well, Daniil Tyurin with his family, were in Ottawa for a youth science fair at Carleton University. Daniil won the best project award at the Calgary Youth Science Fair and is currently a finalist at the Canada-Wide Science Fair in Ottawa.
If you are a resident of Calgary Shepard and want to visit your Parliament then let me know, please contact my office at Tom.Kmiec@parl.gc.ca, where my staff will be happy to assist.
