IN TOUCH WITH MP EARL DREESHEN

FEBRUARY LEGISLATION UPDATE

February 24, 2012

Parliament returned to session on January 30, 2012 and our strong, stable, majority, Conservative Government has been busy implementing the changes we outlined in last spring’s election.

Ending the Long Gun Registry

Of course, one of the major Bills that we ran on in the last election and one of the reasons that the people of Canada gave us a majority is Bill C-19 the Ending the Long Gun Registry Act.

On February 15, 2012 our Government was finally able to pass Bill C-19. Our Government received a strong mandate to end the wasteful and ineffective long-gun registry once and for all, and that is exactly what we are doing. The vote on February 15th marks a leap forward towards fulfilling our promise to scrap the wasteful and ineffective long-gun registry. We are delighted to be closer than ever to doing away with a $2 billion boondoggle that criminalizes law-abiding Canadians and does nothing to deter real criminals.

Pulling out of the Kyoto Accord

In December of 2011, our Government made the decision to pull out of the Kyoto Accord. However, we remain committed to working together to address climate change in a way that is fair, effective and comprehensive and allows us to continue to create jobs and growth in Canada.

Before this week, the Kyoto Protocol covered less than 30% of global emissions. Now it covers less than 13% — and that number is only shrinking. The Kyoto Protocol does not cover the world’s two largest emitters – the United States and China – and therefore will not work.

To meet the targets under Kyoto for 2012 would be the equivalent of:

  • Either removing every car, truck, ATV, tractor, ambulance, police car and vehicle of every kind from Canadian roads
  • Or, closing down the entire farming and agricultural sector and cutting heat to every home, office, hospital, factory and building in Canada.

The alternative would have been the loss of thousands of jobs or the transfer of $14 BILLION from Canadian taxpayers to other countries – the equivalent of $1600 from every Canadian family — with no impact on emissions or the environment.

Marketing Freedom for Grain Farmers

Couple these two recent initiatives with the finalization of Bill C-18 the Marking Freedom for Grain Famers Act and our majority Conservative Government has finally been able to move forward on our election platform. By delivering on these key promises, we have taken action on issues that are important to Central Albertans and all Western Canadians.

Thank you to everyone who has worked hard for so many years to keeping these issues in the limelight. For those of you who kept your old bumper stickers reading “No Kyoto, No Gun Registry, No Wheat Board” – you can pull them out of the closet and check off all three.

Until next time,

Earl Dreeshen, MP

Red Deer