Surprise visit

Times Contributor

 

MP Kevin Sorenson dropped in on the Wheatland Council meeting to update councillors on news from parliament hill on April 17.

He said to watch for new announcements that will affect municipalities. 

“We always desire to work closely with the province and municipalities on issues,” said Sorenson.

He indicated that he was a little disappointed that government had not taken stronger measures to reduce the budget deficit sooner. Hearing from the constituents, he said they indicated a desire for short to mid-term solutions. The deficit reductions will be five to10 per cent and completed by 2015.  

“I was one of the MP’s to push for a balanced budget,” said Sorenson.

On the topic of money, Sorenson said there had been a lot of response to discontinue pennies. He pointed out that to make a penny, it costs 1.6 cents and there is an estimate of 158,000 uncirculated coins kept in jars across the country. The collectors can still redeem the coins for their 1-cent value, but no new pennies will be minted. Many collectors hope the coins will increase in their numismatic value. Last January, a 1936 dot penny sold for $402,000. 

The government is looking at new environmental review guidelines. He said the government will still maintain a focus on environmental protection, but they would like to see one review per project. Currently multiple reviews are hampering the ability of projects to move forward. Environmental policies are still in place and issues surrounding water and transportation will remain a priority. 

“Multiple reviews slow everything up,” said Sorenson. “It is a huge issue.”

On the agriculture front, the government is working with the larger grain companies and the new wheat board to offer farmers a choice as to how they market their grain. They are working hard to ensure that it is an individual choice and that no one should feel that they are being pushed into a program they can’t use.

Sorenson has received positive feedback about scrapping the gun registry, which freed approximately two billion dollars. He wanted to reassure people that the licensing program is still in place. There is also a registry which lists criminals with weapon offences to ensure guns are not licensed to previous offenders. He did not elaborate on any measures dealing with illegal gun ownership.

Councillor Alice Booth suggested a sponsorship program be implemented for immigrants contemplating work in Canada, whereby they would have a job promised before they entered the country. She congratulated Sorenson on the government’s efforts to reform the immigration process. Sorenson said in the past immigration matters were not as time consuming as they are now. With the western provinces economies booming, the need for workers has become a hot issue. Consultation is done with other countries to coordinate training and accreditation standards, so that professionals and tradesmen can enter Canadian jobs more quickly. 

“The question is how we are going to assess our standards and coordinate those standards with other countries,” said Sorenson.

The councillors wanted more information on the purchase of the F-35 fighter jets. Sorenson said there had been confusion over the pricing of the jets and that communication had been poor.  He said the increased prices, stated by the auditor generals’ report, included maintenance and operation of the jets over their lifetime.

“When we buy a car, we usually don’t include that in our purchase price,” said Sorenson.

The jets were to replace the current F-18 jets that are nearing the end of their use. Rather than paying dollars to refurbish old jets, Sorenson said that consultations with other countries would fit into a collaborative effort to save money. The concept was that countries could share resources, such as mechanics and parts. It was hoped it would show positive savings, if the F-35’s were purchased.

“We are taking what the auditor general said seriously and we are trying to comply with that,” said Sorenson.

Sorenson thanked the councillors for their correspondence and said he makes an effort to review all emails and letters sent to his office. He encouraged people to continue writing him about their concerns.