New session of parliament

By Martin Shields Member of Parliament Bow River Riding

The House of Commons is back in session, and as a member of Her Majesty’s Loyal Opposition I can guarantee there will be no free ride for the Trudeau Liberals. Canadian voters reduced the Trudeau government to a minority in the last election. Now, the Liberals will have to work with the opposition parties to pass legislation. We are ready to work, and they had better be willing to listen.
There are a number of issues at the top of our agenda as the session begins. NAFTA is a big one. Canada’s Conservatives want free trade with the United States. After all, NAFTA is a legacy of the Conservative movement. However, it is the democratic obligation of Conservative MPs to analyze legislation that is brought before the House of Commons. This is especially true when it comes to a trade deal with Canada’s largest and most important trade partner. The Liberals failed to work with opposition parties during the negotiation and ratification process and are now rushing to get this deal done. They also failed to provide documents outlining the impacts of the new trade deal despite numerous requests from opposition members. We want the deal, but we will be analyzing it in full.
The new NAFTA is even more important due to the ongoing situation with China. The United States is our biggest trading partner. Trade with the U.S. is worth nine times as much as trade with China. I believe we need to shore up our relations with the U.S. and fix our trade issues with countries like India. China has proved it is not currently a reliable trading partner.
Another huge issue coming down the pipe is the Liberals’ proposed gun ban. I have heard from many of you opposing the Liberal plan, and I fully agree with your concerns. Making law-abiding firearms owners follow even more rules will not help solve gun crime. It’s easy, lazy government to force people who are already following all the rules to just follow a few more. It’s much harder and much more difficult to go after the gang members and the illegally trafficked firearms, and that’s what the government has failed to do. I join my Conservative colleagues in strongly opposing the Liberal plan. My colleague, MP Glen Motz, has sponsored a petition started in Medicine Hat on this issue. I would encourage you to go to glenmotzmp.com to sign it.
Finally, we know the Trudeau Liberals have provoked a national unity crisis through their reckless disregard for the west. I am laser-focused on fighting for our province’s best interests. As vice-chair of the Conservative Alberta caucus, I am committed to working with my fellow Alberta Conservatives to stand up for our province in Ottawa. Under the Liberals, billions of dollars in investment is still fleeing the energy sectors in Alberta and Saskatchewan. We will use every tool at our disposal to stop the Liberal government’s attacks on our economy.
As always, I can be reached in Ottawa at martin.shields@parl.gc.ca. My Brooks office can be reached at 403-793-6775 or martin.shields.c1@parl.gc.ca, and my Strathmore office at 403-361-2980 or martin.shields.c1B@parl.gc.ca. Please don’t hesitate to contact me about any federal issue.