IN TOUCH WITH MP EARL DREESHEN

January 19, 2016

The New Year is hitting full swing and we are starting to get a clearer picture of the challenges that Central Alberta will be facing in 2016 and beyond. I will be heading back to Parliament the last week of January and am ready to hold the government to account on what they will be doing to help mitigate some of those challenges.

Trans Pacific Partnership

Under the previous Conservative government, Canada signed on to the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade agreement, which has the potential to unlock massive and growing markets for Canadian exports across all industrial sectors. My colleagues and I are calling on the government to sign and ratify the TPP at the earliest opportunity, in order to maintain our original signatory status. The TPP provides access to new markets with which we don’t currently have free trade agreements such as Japan, the world’s 3rd largest economy. In addition, ratifying the TPP will preserve Canada’s privileged access to our largest trading partner – the United States – and strengthens our partnership within NAFTA. The TPP will help us and our allies set the rules for trade in Asia-Pacific region for generations to come

Currently, 1 in 5 jobs in Canada and 60 percent of our nation’s GDP is directly linked to exports. The TPP represents a market of almost 800 million consumers with a combined GDP of $29 trillion – over 14 times the size of Canada’s economy

Tax Discrepancy

A key part of the Liberal election platform was to provide a middle class tax cut while hiking the taxes of those in the highest income bracket. During the campaign, they repeated over and over again that this was going to be revenue neutral as part of their commitment to run “modest deficits.”

We saw shortly after the election that someone finally showed them the math around their promises. Their modest deficits of under $10 billion have ballooned to a projected $25 billion with a sizeable portion being an immediate $1.5 billion gap in their “revenue neutral” tax changes. Those who benefit from this change the most are individuals who earn between $124 thousand and $200 thousand per year with people earning under $45,282 receiving no benefit while watching their share of Canada’s debt grow as a result.

Mobile Office Update

A reminder that mobile office will be in at Olds Council Chambers on Wednesday, February 3 and at the Innisfail Legion on Wednesday, February 17. Hours are from 10-2 on both days. Either myself or my staff will be on location to gather thoughts, comments and concerns from the community on my behalf.

Sincerely your Member of Parliament,

Earl Dreeshen