​One of the many collateral repercussions that have occurred with the ongoing SNC-Lavalin controversy within the Prime Minister’s office has been the leaking of confidential information related to the judicial appointment process for the Supreme Court of Canada.

For what appears as purely partisan political purposes, personal information was revealed about a judge from Manitoba who had been considered for a potential Supreme Court appointment.

The intent of the leak was to suggest there was prior conflict between the Prime Minister and the now former Justice Minister, Jody Wilson-Raybould. 

As a result of this serious leak both Ms. Wilson-Raybould and the opposition parties asked for an investigation to identify the source of the leak.

Although Mr. Trudeau has condemned the leak and denied his office was responsible, the Liberals have also blocked a motion to allow for this investigation to occur.

Fortunately, our federal Privacy Commissioner Daniel Therrien confirmed that his office will be investigating this leak of confidential information related to a candidate for the Supreme Court of Canada.

Despite calls from the opposition to suspend any further nominations to the Supreme Court pending the outcome of this investigation, Mr. Trudeau has refused and publicly stated "We have the merit-based independent process to choose judges.”

I mention all of this as the Globe & Mail just reported breaking news that “The Prime Minister’s Office is using a private party database called Liberalist in its background checks on candidates for judicial appointments, a tool that allows them to see whether would-be judges have supported the Liberal Party in recent years…”

My question this week:

Do you believe it is appropriate for the Prime Minister’s office to use a Liberal party database to vet potential judges?

I can be reached at Dan.Albas@parl.gc.ca or call toll free 1-800-665-8711.

​On April 1st in British Columbia, the carbon tax rate was increased from $35 tonne to $40 tonne. 

This translates to an increase on the carbon tax you pay on your gas home heating bills as well as when you fuel up your vehicle.

As a result I am increasingly hearing complaints from citizens over higher gas bills and the price at the pumps.

One recent question I received was how much higher the carbon tax increases will go.

When Prime Minister Trudeau called for a Pan Canadian agreement on pricing carbon pollution in Canada, it mandated
a carbon tax rate of $50 per tonne in 2022. 

So, April 1st of each year, BC's carbon tax rate will increase until it hits $50 per tonne, currently forecast for April 1, of 2021.

In terms of revenue, the BC NDP 2019 provincial budget over the next three fiscal years reveals that the carbon tax is forecast to generate $1.7, $1.97 and $2.2 billion. 

That is close to $6 billion of carbon tax revenue collected over the next three years.

There has also been some confusion as the federal government imposed a national carbon tax on provinces that did not agree to the Pan-Canadian carbon pricing agreement. 

In those provinces, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario and New Brunswick, the Trudeau Government has indicated the intention is to ensure the national carbon tax is revenue neutral to citizens, although there is some debate on the veracity of those claims.

Is the carbon tax revenue neutral here in BC? 

While BC's carbon tax will generate close to $6 billion in tax revenue over the next three years, the climate action tax rebate, intended to offset those costs to lower income citizens over the same period, is forecast to return just $928 million. 

“Clean BC”, another climate relate provincial program, has a total spending forecast of $679 million over the same three year time frame. 

Therefore, in order to meet Mr. Trudeau’s $50 per tonne carbon tax target, BC citizens will pay close to $6 billion in new carbon tax over the next three years. 

Despite collecting $6 billion carbon tax revenue, only roughly $1.6 billion is being returned in various programs related to climate change.

That means, in BC , the carbon tax is not revenue neutral.

I mention this as many citizens are confused when they hear the federal government suggest the carbon tax is revenue neutral when that is not what is being experienced here in B.C.

It is also important to be aware that while the federal government has dictated the $50 per tonne carbon tax increase, in BC, it is the decision of the current NDP provincial government if the carbon tax is revenue neutral or not.

My question this week: 

Do you support the carbon tax increasing to $50 per tonne by 2021/22?

I can be reached at Dan.Albas@parl.gc.ca or call toll free 1-800-665-8711.

This week’s report will be a short one.

Chances are you have heard of the giant grocery retailer that is owned by Canada’s second wealthiest family, the Weston’s.

Loblaws is a multi-billion dollar company that media sources reported, posted a $221 million net profit in the fourth quarter of 2018

The reason I mention this is the Liberal Government announced this week that it is giving Loblaws up to $12 million to help the for profit company to buy new, more energy efficient, refrigeration systems to help reduce Loblaws emissions.

This announcement has been one of considerable controversy in Ottawa as both the NDP and the Conservative opposition strongly disagree.

The obvious concern is that, when it comes to what Mr. Trudeau calls “putting a price on pollution”, why does the average person have to pay when a multi-billion dollar private company earning hundreds of millions in profits receives potentially $12 million towards new refrigeration? 

 My question this week:

 Do you support large private corporations being given millions of your tax dollars on programs such as this one? 

 I can be reached at Dan.Albas@parl.gc.ca or call toll free 1-800-665-8711. 

The last seven days have not been like any that I have experienced in my time on Parliament Hill. 

The release of an audio recording of a conversation between the former Justice Minister and the former Clerk of the Privy Council is unprecedented. 

The content of this recorded conversation was also disturbing as it verified and confirmed that indeed the former Justice Minister was being pressured to authorize a deferred prosecution agreement (DPA) to SNC Lavalin. 

This pressure was being applied despite the fact that an independent prosecutorial decision had already been made that SNC Lavalin did not meet the criteria for using a DPA. 

The recorded conversation also confirmed that the Prime Minister was “going to find a way to get it done, one way or another.”

The release of this recording led to a series of events that ultimately resulted in Mr. Trudeau removing Ms. Wilson-Raybould and Ms. Jane Philpott from the Liberal caucus. 

Ms. Wilson-Raybould has also been denied the right to run again as a Liberal Party candidate.

This decision by Mr. Trudeau has outraged many Canadians including first nation’s leaders such as Grand Chief Stewart Phillip who has called this Liberal caucus expulsion of these two women a “witch hunt”.

My thoughts? 

To me this issue is about credibility. 

Throughout this entire situation the details provided by Ms. Wilson-Raybould have been verified as being factual and accurate. 

In contrast, Mr. Trudeau first denied that this situation even occurred and has since provided differing versions of events, many of which do not reconcile.

Although the Prime Minister did issue a waiver, it has a restriction that prevents the former Justice Minister from discussing meetings that occurred after the period she was no longer the Justice Minister.

To this day it remains unknown if Mr. Trudeau’s newly appointed Justice Minister and Attorney General David Lametti will grant a DPA to SNC Lavalin or not.

Closer to home here in BC, Mr. Louis De Jaeger who is the vice-president of the Chilliwack-Hope federal Liberal riding association has resigned in support of Jody Wilson-Raybould and Dr. Jane Philpott.

I have also heard many expressions of disbelief and anger over this cabinet expulsion from a wide variety of citizens. 

 Mr. Trudeau insists this decision was made because trust had been broken and as a result these two individuals could no longer remain as members of the Liberal caucus team. 

 My question this week: 

 On the question of credibility do you believe Mr. Trudeau or Ms. Wilson-Raybould?

 I can be reached at Dan.Albas@parl.gc.ca or call toll free 1-800-665-8711.