We have reached the final month of the 42nd Parliament that began with the Liberals’ election in 2015. The 2019 election is fast-approaching, and the campaign will soon begin. However, there is still a lot going on in the House of Commons and around Parliament Hill, so I wanted to update you on what’s been happening here in Ottawa.
Many of you have probably heard about the Mark Norman case. This scandal looks like more attempted political interference from Justin Trudeau’s government – just like the SNC Lavalin Affair. It’s more evidence that the Liberals have broken their election promise to deliver open and transparent government.
Liberal scandals have been dominating the headlines, but we have also been debating the ongoing trade dispute with China. Canola farmers continue to be impacted by this government’s mismanagement of our relationship with China. We need real action on this file, like launching a WTO complaint and appointing an ambassador to China. We also need to immediately cancel the billions in funding the Liberals are sending to the Asian Infrastructure Bank, which will be used to build pipelines in China – that plan never made any sense in the first place.
I recently questioned the government in the House of Commons on both the Norman case and the canola crisis. I do not believe their answers have been anywhere close to satisfactory. My Conservatives colleagues and I will continue to press for answers on the Norman case, and real action on the canola situation.
Outside the House of Commons, committees have been hard at work. As a Member of the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage, I have had the opportunity to participate in a study on secondary ticket sales. If you ever buy concert or sports tickets, you might find our study interesting. We are getting input from major ticket sellers as well as consumer advocates to get a sense of whether there’s a problem – and if there is, how to fix it.
Senate committees have also been very active. They have recommended the government cancel Bill C-48, which is another Liberal anti-energy Bill. They have also proposed over one hundred amendments to C-69, the anti-pipeline Bill – but we need that Bill cancelled entirely. It remains to be seen if the Liberal government will accept any of the Senate proposals.
While we are still busy on Parliament Hill, Conservatives are ready for the 2019 election. I hope we have earned your support in our bid to make Justin Trudeau a one-term Prime Minister.
I can be reached in Ottawa at martin.shields@parl.gc.ca. My Brooks office can be reached at 403-793-6775 or martin.shields.c1@parl.gc.ca, and my Strathmore office at 403-361-2980 or martin.shields.c1B@parl.gc.ca. Please don’t hesitate to contact me about any federal issue.
