June 28th, 2010
This is my last column until September, so first of all I want to wish each and every one a great summer.
The most pressing issue in the constituency this spring has been the flooding that has prevented the seeding of farm land. I`ve been out looking at waterlogged land, along with federal Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz.
To help producers deal with the financial impact of this difficult weather, there are three programs.
First, there is crop insurance. This is a basic line of defence, and like all insurance programs, requires a premium to be paid. In some years, crop insurance pays out and some years it doesn’t.
Second, there is AgriStability. This is a program that pays out farmers if their income drops below a certain average threshold. This will help producers who are particularly hard hit. But producers who have excellent crops on land that they were able to seed will not benefit, because their income will not have taken the same hit.
Finally, there is AgriRecovery. This is a program for natural disasters whose cost is split between the federal and provincial government. This program is triggered when natural disasters happen, like this spring’s rain. Since AgriRecovery deals with different natural disasters, the ways this program is implemented does vary.
These three programs will provide assistance to farmers affected by flooding.
Happy Canada Day. Watch for me this summer.
I’m Brad Trost, your Member of Parliament in Saskatoon-Humboldt. You can call my office in Saskatoon at 975-6133 or drop by our two offices to visit: Saskatoon Monday-Friday or Humboldt Tuesday and Wednesday. I always appreciate your feedback.
June 21st, 2010
My office helped a constituent acquire a machine gun a couple of weeks ago. Now we wouldn’t do it for just any constituent. However, since Rev. Al Hingley (curator of the Benson-Hingley Military Museum in Humboldt) already has an armoured personal carrier (APC), we thought it would be alright.
The Department of National Defence donated the APC as a display piece to the Benson-Hingley Military Museum. A (non-functioning) machine gun was recently promised by the DND to the museum as well. The machine gun and the APC it will sit on will be a physical reminder of the service and sacrifice made by the men and women who have protected our country.
The donation of these pieces of retired military equipment to a local museum also illustrates an important point: Canadian culture and history need to be celebrated throughout the whole country; not just in the big urban centers.
Canadian culture should not be about subsidized programs doled out by the government in a handful of big cities. Local museums (like the one in Humboldt, run by volunteers) and other such institutions also preserve and promote Canadian history and culture.
Our culture is defined by the Canadian people in the regions in which they live–not by some government program. Culture is not something invented in Ottawa.
I’m Brad Trost, your Member of Parliament in Saskatoon-Humboldt. You can call my office in Saskatoon at 975-6133 or drop by our two offices to visit: Saskatoon Monday-Friday or Humboldt Tuesday and Wednesday. I always appreciate your feedback.
June 14th, 2010
We’ve all heard stories of unsafe cribs sold in stores, dangerous levels of lead in children’s products and batteries that overheat and explode.
Canada’s out-of-date product safety laws leave families vulnerable to unsafe products that sometimes end up on store shelves.
So, last week, your Conservative government introduced new, tough provisions to help prevent unsafe products from getting into Canadian homes, and, into the hands of our children.
The Canada Consumer Product Safety Act includes new government powers to recall unsafe products and ways to ensure that industry keeps effective records to quickly track where they’ve sent unsafe products.
Bill C-36 will also require manufacturers or importers to provide test/study results on products when asked.
Safe products help ensure safe families and we all need the House of Commons to quickly pass this important legislation.
I’m Brad Trost, your Member of Parliament in Saskatoon-Humboldt. You can call my office in Saskatoon at 975-6133 or drop by our two offices to visit: Saskatoon Monday-Friday or Humboldt Tuesday and Wednesday. I always appreciate your feedback.
June 7th, 2010
One of my Conservative colleagues, Ontario MP Michael Chong, has put forward a proposal to change Question Period.
Chong’s proposal would designate specific days in the House of Commons for certain subjects. In addition, the Prime Minister would be allowed to answer questions at length during Question Period one day per week. The time allowed for MPs to ask questions would be lengthened. MPs would be permitted to ask questions that are not approved by their House leaders.
I will be supporting these changes for two reasons. First, I believe they will bring a better quality of debate to our national legislature.
Secondly, it will allow backbench MPs, to better represent you, our constituents. We will be free to ask questions that have relevance to our ridings. Today, most of Question Period is staged theater: an attempt to get national press coverage for the most sensational issues.
It is time the House of Commons becomes more relevant to the everyday lives of Canadians. These proposed reforms to Question Period are a good place to start.
I’m Brad Trost, your Member of Parliament in Saskatoon-Humboldt. You can call my office in Saskatoon at 975-6133 or drop by our two offices to visit: Saskatoon Monday-Friday or Humboldt Tuesday and Wednesday. I always appreciate your feedback.
