MP Report June 14, 2021

Truth and Reconciliation

As Canadians learn more about the pain and suffering inflicted by Canada’s residential school system, it is exceedingly clear that reconciliation must be progressed by immediate and sustained action including the implementation of Calls to Action released by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in 2015.

On June 7th, my Conservative colleagues and I voted in support of a motion in the House of Commons that stated, “the vast majority of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s calls to action remain uncompleted, despite the clear path to justice and reconciliation that the Commission provides” and called on the government to “accelerate the implementation of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s calls to action.”

The news from Kamloops clearly demonstrates the need for the government to fully implement Calls to Action 71-76 that specifically deal with “Missing Children and Burial Information.” Call 76 lays out clear directives for how strategies for how documenting, maintaining, commemorating, and protecting residential school cemeteries need to be Indigenous led.

I have written the Prime Minister calling on him to ensure the resources required for the process of identifying, protecting and honouring the deceased this work is undertaken according to the directives of Call to Action 76.

Bill C-10

The Trudeau government continues to try to push this bill through committee stage to third reading and deny Parliamentarians the time required to fully assess and debate the bill. This week I had the opportunity to participate in the Heritage Committee study of Bill C-10 and spoke in support of Conservative amendments that would protect Canadians’ rights to freedom of expression.

The bill’s current definition of “online undertaking” is so broad it could allow the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission to regulate everything your personal user generated content.

My Conservative colleagues and I will continue to fight for amendment or withdrawal of this flawed piece of legislation.

Ethics Committee Report on WE Scandal

On June 10th the House of Commons Ethics Committee released its report on Trudeau’s WE charity scandal, highlighting the Trudeau government’s pattern of corrupt and unethical behaviour.

The report shows how the WE charity paid $20,000 to fly the Prime Minister’s wife abroad for an event, and spent over $10,000 to produce and promote campaign style advertising for Justin Trudeau before being awarded a half billion dollar government contract.

Canada’s accountability laws were broken and the report exposes a troubling pattern of Trudeau government corruption. It is time to clean up the mess and end the abuse of public resources by the Trudeau government and their friends.

Only days remain in the current session of parliament where my colleagues and I can question the Prime Minister and his Cabinet on the floor of the House of Commons, but we will continue in our roles as Her Majesty’s Official Opposition, to hold the Liberals accountable for their ethical breeches and scandalous corruption.

I can be reached at Mel.Arnold@parl.gc.ca or call toll free 1-800-665-5040.