Archive for April, 2012

Two news stories caught my attention over the last few weeks. The first is a debate over the definition of human life, the abortion debate.

The second was a story about Bruce Hyer, an Ontario MP (Thunder Bay-Superior North) who quit the NDP caucus.

In regards to the abortion debate, both the Conservatives and the Liberals respect the right of Members of Parliament to vote their conscience and respect the view of their constituents. In this case, individual MPs do not have to vote according to the dictate of their leader.

Contrast this to attitude of the NDP, where Mr. Hyer was forced to quit the NDP because of his opposition to the long gun registry.

The NDP loves to label Prime Minister Harper as a control freak. Not true. Conservative MPs have the right to disagree with Mr. Harper, a right that NDP Members of Parliament do not have.  The exercise of independence of thought by Members of Parliament is a good thing: whether it be abortion or gun control or any other issue of the day. It makes for better democracy.

I’m Brad Trost, your Member of Parliament in Saskatoon-Humboldt. You can reach my office in Saskatoon at 975-6133. Feel free to drop by my two offices for a visit: Saskatoon (Monday to Friday) or Humboldt (Tuesday and Wednesday). I always appreciate your feedback.

The Opposition has been claiming for years that the Conservatives would spend billions of dollars to build mega-prisons. In fact, last week, due to a lower than expected prison population, two prisons closures were announced.
 
The goal of our tough on crime measures is to end the revolving door of justice by keeping the bad guys in jail longer.  Longer sentences do not create new criminals.
 
The so-called experts said that prison populations would rise by over 3,000 inmates as a result of our tough-on-crime measures.  In reality, the increase has been less than one fifth of that.
 
By closing the Kingston Penitentiary and the Leclerc Institution in Laval, Quebec, we are saving $120 million per year.
 
The first priority of any criminal justice system is to keep the public safe. And just like any other government expenditure, we strive to use your tax dollars wisely.
 
I’m Brad Trost, your Member of Parliament in Saskatoon-Humboldt. You can reach my office in Saskatoon at 975-6133. Feel free to drop by my two offices for a visit: Saskatoon (Monday to Friday) or Humboldt (Tuesday and Wednesday). I always appreciate your feedback.

With the elimination of the long gun registry, one would think that no politician would be in a rush to revive the issue.
 
Well, NDP leader Thomas Mulcair wants it back. In an interview in Quebec last week, he pledged to bring the registry back should he become Prime Minister.
 
Mulcair also stated that all NDP candidates would have to back his policy on the long gun registry. Even NDP MPs who listened to their constituents and voted with the Conservatives to scrap the long gun registry will have to now do what they are told.
 
I’m displeased that Mulcair wants to bring the registry back. But the fact that Mulcair won’t permit his caucus a free vote on this issue is much more serious.
 
MPs are not voting machines for their leaders. We should be free to consider the views of our constituents and follow our own conscience. Canada is better served when political parties respect diversity. It’s something that Mulcair seems to have already forgotten.
 
I’m Brad Trost, your Member of Parliament in Saskatoon-Humboldt. You can reach my office in Saskatoon at 975-6133. Feel free to drop by my two offices for a visit: Saskatoon (Monday to Friday) or Humboldt (Tuesday and Wednesday). I always appreciate your feedback.

When Finance Minister Jim Flaherty brought down the federal budget a couple of weeks ago, he announced $5.7 billion dollars in savings from federal expenditures.

Predictably, the Opposition parties and special interest groups immediately announced that Canadians were going to suffer due to these cutbacks; there was no “fat” to cut.

While I can’t speak for all of government, I can say that Parliament can definitely cut expenditures without cutting services.

For years, MPs have asked why witnesses needed to fly to Ottawa, instead of teleconferencing for meetings; why bulk discount purchases of airlines tickets were not permitted; and why two sets of security and transport services were needed on Parliament Hill.

Parliament is changing its spending habits because it makes sense for Canadians’ bottom line.  Our job is to get value for taxpayers’ money, not just on Parliament Hill but throughout the government.

I’m Brad Trost, your Member of Parliament in Saskatoon-Humboldt. You can reach my office in Saskatoon at 975-6133. Feel free to drop by my two offices for a visit: Saskatoon (Monday to Friday) or Humboldt (Tuesday and Wednesday). I always appreciate your feedback.

Elder abuse is a serious issue. That`s why the Conservative Government has introduced legislation to ensure that sentences for crimes against elderly Canadians reflect the significant impact that crime has on their lives.

Under the proposed law, evidence that an offence has had a significant impact on the victims due to their age, and other personal circumstances (such as health or financial situation) would be considered as aggravating factors for sentencing purposes.

This legislation helps ensure tough sentences for those who take advantage of seniors. It also enhances the Conservative government’s goal of combating elder abuse in all forms.

It also builds on elder abuse awareness campaigns and the New Horizons for Seniors Program, which includes projects to increase awareness of elder abuse.

Elder abuse cannot be tolerated by our society, and this legislation is one step to protect seniors from this crime.

I’m Brad Trost, your Member of Parliament in Saskatoon-Humboldt. You can reach my office in Saskatoon at 975-6133. Feel free to drop by my two offices for a visit: Saskatoon (Monday to Friday) or Humboldt (Tuesday and Wednesday). I always appreciate your feedback.