I delayed writing this week’s report slightly in order to share my thoughts on the Liberal Government’s throne speech that was announced Wednesday. 

Afterwards the Prime Minister was scheduled to address Canadians on television and my report this week was written prior to that television event occurring.

For those unfamiliar with what a throne speech is, here is the definition from the House of Commons:

“The Speech from the Throne usually sets forth in some detail the government’s view of the condition of the country and provides an indication of what legislation it intends to bring forward.”

The challenge with today’s throne speech is that it takes many previous promises made by Prime Minister Trudeau, that ultimately became broken promises, only to be promised yet again.

I will give some specific examples of this.

In this throne speech the PM promises “the Government will immediately bring forward a plan to exceed Canada’s 2030 climate goal.”

This government has for, five years now, been making this promise and yet GHG emissions only continue to rise.

Once again a promise is made that does not reconcile with previous Trudeau Liberal policy decisions, that include giving a 95.5% carbon tax discount on coal power in New Brunswick.

Another promise is “the Government will accelerate the connectivity timelines and ambitions of the Universal Broadband Fund to ensure that all Canadians, no matter where they live, have access to high-speed internet.”

The Liberals have also been making this promise for five years now and there are still many areas of Central-Okanagan-Similkameen Nicola that do not even have a wireless cellular signal let alone high speed internet.

​There has been literally no progress in these areas.

Some will recall during the election last year, the Prime Minister promised a twenty five percent reduction on cellular phone bills.

Another lofty, but to date, unfulfilled promise.

These are a few examples of promises made from Prime Minister Trudeau.

Why am I critical of this?

To use an analogy, a session of Parliament is not unlike a dinner plate.

There is only so much room to load up on food.

If far too much food is loaded onto the plate, only so much can be eaten, and the rest is thrown away.

If you have ever been served an overloaded plate of food, odds are you will pick and prioritize the items your prefer and invariably decide what items are left behind.

This is why prioritizing is critically important when a government sets its legislative agenda to get bills through the house.

At Trudeau’s cabinet table are many of the same individuals who failed to deliver on these very same promises over the past five years when this Liberal government enjoyed a majority.

To repackage many of these same, now broken, promises and add news ones is simply not credible, given the track record of this Liberal government. 

What falls off the table remains to be seen.

My question this week:

Do you prefer a throne speech that realistically advances an agenda that can potentially move through the House or the current Liberal government approach that, while ambitious, will, as history demonstrates, result in more broken promises.

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

​My apologies in advance, my report for this week may not be of interest to many of you.

If you do not operate a VHF radio, most often found in marine applications, chances are this report will be of little concern.

For those who do operate a VHF radio you will no doubt be well aware that for many decades now, Environment Canada has broadcast active weather reports to VHF radio users 24/7 365 days a year.

These reports can all include severe weather warnings including small craft advisories.

Here in the Okanagan region, there are transmitters that ensure Penticton, Summerland, Lake Country, Vernon, Peachland, Kelowna, Lumby and Douglas Lake can receive these VHF radio reports.

This service is also provided across Canada via 230 Weather Radio Canada transmitters.

Currently Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) is soliciting feedback on the possible decommissioning of 48 of these 230  transmitters.

The entire Okanagan VHF weather transmitter network is on the list of the potential 48 to be decommissioned, meaning this service would no longer be available in our region.

Other regions in B.C. potentially losing the same VHF weather service include Chilliwack and the Fraser Valley region along with the Kamloops area and will also affect people in Logan Lake.

Obviously much of this weather information can also be obtained through a smart phone, however it should be noted that there are still many areas in our region that do not have a wireless signal available.

I am told this is also a concern for outdoor enthusiasts who use this VHF weather information when engaging in back country activities. 

Currently this potential decommissioning proposal is one that Environment Canada is seeking input on.

For those impacted by this potential policy, you can contact Environment Canada directly by email at ec.radio.ec@canada.ca or by phone 1-877-789-7733.

My question this week:

 Are you concerned over the potential loss of VHF active weather service in the interior of B.C.?

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

​This week the new Official Opposition leader, the Honourable Erin O’Toole, announced his appointments to serve as his shadow cabinet critics.
 
I have been honoured to be named as the Shadow Minister for Environment & Climate Change.

This new role is of great interest to me as it relates well to our region in Central Okanagan-Similkameen-Nicola.
 
As we all know, living in the Okanagan region over the past decade, we have all witnessed firsthand the devastating impacts of flooding as our climate changes.
 
The “once in 200 year” flood has come and gone twice in recent years.

It is not uncommon to see temperature records being broken on any given day. 
 
The added heat and tinder dry forests can create wildfires of a size and scope rarely before seen.
 
These conditions, as we are again experiencing this week, can become so severe that air quality is seriously compromised.
 
However we also have other important challenges to be aware of.

We know that in many regions of Canada there are vulnerable species are at risk.

Here in B.C., the Mountain Caribou is a prime example of this.
 
We are also very aware of the ongoing threat of aquatic invasive species to our freshwater lakes, particularly here in the Okanagan, remains a serious problem, from freshwater Zebra and Quagga mussels.
 
All of these challenges require federal leadership as well as partnerships with provincial and local governments including First Nation communities.
 
I am looking forward to working with the Minister of Environment and Climate Change, the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, who is also from British Columbia.
 
My intent is to focus more on areas where we can agree and to spend less time debating areas of disagreement.
 
I believe that Canadians expect us to get to work to produce results.

All to often results in this area get lost in endless debate and lofty promises. 
 
I look forward to this new challenge and working with our great team of talented and hardworking MP's in Ottawa.
 
My question this week:

From your own views on the environment and climate change, what are your top concerns?
 
I can be reached at Dan.Albas@parl.gc.ca or call toll free 1-800-665-8711. 

​In my November 2018 MP report, I focused on newly discovered revelations that Statistics Canada was “demanding access to certain Canadians personal financial and banking information, including all transactions along with bank account balances without citizens’ consent or even notification that this is going on”.

At that time, I raised this issue in the House of Commons and no surprise, Prime Minister Trudeau fully supported this effort by a government agency to take your personal financial information without your consent or even knowledge.

Later, at the Industry Committee, the minister responsible for Statistics Canada admitted that he had not been made aware of this program nor had he signed off on it, as is required under legislation.

After the Privacy Commissioner announced that he would launch a formal investigation into these proposed actions from Statistics Canada, the project was put on hold.

Why do I mention this incident today?

Earlier this week, Blacklock’s Reporter in Ottawa found a Canada Revenue Agency, Labour Board hearing disclosure, that "admits criminals infiltrated its (CRA) databases.

A CRA employee became "romantically involved with a biker gang member and used her access to give the gang personal information about their debtors & their lawyers.”

This information is not likely to impact the average Canadian.

I raise it because it reveals the extent that your personal information, within various departments at the Government of Canada, is not as secure as it should be.

It was also announced: “A proposed class action has been filed against the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA), accusing both the agency and the federal government of negligence and breach of privacy over the recent data breach incidents”. 

This lawsuit alleges that “several failings by the government and the CRA allowed at least three cyber attacks to take place”.

In turn this theft of personal identification can result in fraudulent CERB applications being made, that can adversely impact the citizens who had their personal data stolen.

What greatly troubles me is that the Prime Minister has essentially been silent on this.

There has been no ministerial accountability. 

In effect the PM and his cabinet effectively shrug this off and expect Canadians to accept this.

I have two questions this week:

Do you believe there should be ministerial accountability from the Prime Minister when your personal information is compromised?

Do you believe that someone should be held accountable?

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