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January 11, 2021 | No Comments

I’m here to help with your federal issues

 

As your Member of Parliament, I can help you resolve issues with federal government departments, programs and services, including federal COVID-19 programs.

My office can help constituents of Edmonton Griesbach having concerns with Immigration Canada, the Canadian Revenue Agency, Employment Insurance, Veteran Affairs Canada or other departments.

You can reach me by e-mail at: [email protected] or by phone at: (780) 495-3261.

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, there are no in-person meetings. 

I heard the concerns of our community newspapers

I attended an informative meeting with my Conservative MP colleagues and representatives of community newspapers. The industry is seeking solutions to being imperilled by the fact Google and Facebook help themselves to using newspapers’ editorial content. Publishers would like legislation in Canada similar to Australia whereby Big Tech must pay royalties for the content.

Trudeau’s preparing for an election 

“Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said for the first time on Friday there could well be an election this year, indicating his government is preparing for a vote he insists he does not want.

Trudeau’s Liberal Party only controls a minority of seats in the House of Commons, which means he needs the support of opposition parties to govern and can be brought down if they unite against him.”

Read the full article by David Ljunggren, Reuters at the link below.

 

 

 

Let’s remember Flight PS752 victims

“They were students. Professors. A physician. A soccer player. Newlyweds and sisters.

When Ukraine International Airlines Flight PS752 was shot down by the Iranian military over Iran on January 8, 2020, it killed 176 passengers and crew.

Among them was a number of Canadians and Edmontonians.  One year after this Canadian tragedy, the deaths of these 13 people are still felt deeply, their lives cut short, their promise of a brighter future extinguished.”

Read the full article by Breanna Karstens-Smith, Global News at the link below.

 

 

 

In the news

  • Canada’s labour market takes bigger hit than expected, shedding almost 63,000 jobs amid lockdowns. Link
  • No, Canadians probably wouldn’t give up their vaccines for Olympic athletes. Link
  • One year later, Edmonton’s Iranian community continues to mourn downing of flight PS752. Link
  • A wealth tax would pay for three days of Ottawa’s spending. Link
  • How the toppling of the Macdonald statue in Montreal brought the two solitudes together. Link
  • Trudeau sticking to his guns: IBM awarded contract to design gun grab buyback program. Link
  • Benefits of Trudeau’s carbon tax challenged in new report. Link
  • Danielle Smith announces departure from Corus radio. Link

Last week’s straw poll results 

In my last e-newsletter, I asked folks if they thought team Canada was going to win the World Juniors for the 19th time. 

The majority of respondents predicted team Canada was going to take home the gold.

Despite an impressive tournament — where they won their previous five games — team Canada lost in the finals to the Americans and took home silver. 

A big thanks to everyone who took part.

Have your say

Do you agree with the recent lockout in the province of Quebec meant to battle the pandemic that commands people to stay indoors between 8 p.m. and 5 a.m. or face police arrests and fines?

Have your say in my new unofficial poll. I’ll publish the results in next week’s e-newsletter. 

 

 

 

 

 

Latest news on COVID-19 

 

You can find up-to-date information from Alberta Public Health or the Public Health Agency of Canada

Alberta Public Health can also be reached by phone at 811.

Benefits available for Canadians

There are programs available to help you and your family during this COVID pandemic. 

 

 

 

 

Share this valuable e-newsletter with a friend 

You can share it here.

If you’re not subscribed to this regular e-newsletter, sign up below.

Members of Parliament get the most current, accurate and comprehensive updates regarding the COVID-19 crisis. Want regular highlights of these? Sign up for my e-newsletter. You can unsubscribe at any time. Sign up here.

I want to hear from you 

I’m always eager to hear from you. Do you have beefs? Bouquets? Suggestions?

Drop me a note at my e-mail address.

Please note our local Edmonton constituency office is currently still open to serve you but it’s by appointment only. We simply ask that you call ahead to book an appointment.

Call or e-mail us and we’ll be happy to serve you.

Thanks so much. Stay healthy!

E-mail:
[email protected]

Phone:
(780) 495-3261

Mail (postage free): 
Kerry Diotte, MP 
House of Commons
Ottawa, ON K1A 0A6

Filed under: General

January 11, 2021 | No Comments

Have your say

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January 8, 2021 | No Comments

Remembering flight PS752

The tragic loss of flight PS752 is still so shocking.
Horrifically, 176 people lost their lives, 138 of whom had ties to Canada, including 13 Edmontonians.
One year later, families are still waiting for answers.
Let’s remember those who lost their lives and support their families as we search for the truth.
Filed under: General

January 4, 2021 | No Comments

New Year’s resolutions Canadians deserve

Happy New Year to you!

I hope everyone had a great holiday season.

The new year is traditionally a time when people get a fresh start and make personal resolutions. If you make resolutions this year, I wish you great success.

But as we enter 2021 here are a few resolutions I’d suggest Canadians want to see Justin Trudeau and his Liberals make:

— resolve to formulate a competent vaccine plan for all Canadians who want to be vaccinated. Vaccines are an important public health tool and the Liberal government has failed to be transparent in their vaccine rollout.

— resolve to make a thorough economic update. The Liberals have added hundreds of billions of dollars to the debt. That’s money that we’ll eventually have to pay back. Canadians need accountability and a clear path towards fiscal stability.

— resolve to tackle unemployment. Despite massive spending by the Liberals, Canadians are still being left behind. Canada continues to have one of the highest unemployment rates amongst the G7. Yet, even at a time when Canadians have been hit hard, the Liberals continue to jack up our taxes.

One personal ongoing resolution I’d like to make is to assure you that if you need help with a federal issue, I’m here for you in 2021 just as I’ve been since I was elected in 2015. Please contact my office. You can reach me by phone at: (780) 495-3261 or by e-mail at: [email protected]

I hope everyone has a happy and healthy year!

Small businesses can reap staff wage subsidies

Small businesses and not-for-profits can now apply for the Canada Summer Jobs program for 2021.

 

 

 

Glad to fight for this child, Reign, and his family. It’s really a heart-breaking situation. With Zolgensma now approved in Canada, we’re one step closer to ensuring Reign and other children with Type 1 spinal muscular atrophy get the help they need. 

 

 

 

In the news

  • Pair accused in death of Calgary police officer to appear in court Monday. Link
  • ‘You’re playing a really good team’: Canada, Russia ready for World Juniors semifinal clash. Link
  • Senseless Act of Vandalism to Afghanistan Memorial in Cobourg. Link
  • Canadians need help now — so cut their taxes. Link
  • Sir. John A. Macdonald wasn’t just a Grumpy Old Man. Link
  • Christian leaders in hiding as Chinese government ramps up persecution. Link
  • Sir John A. Macdonald’s complicated relationship with Indigenous people. Link
  • CTV, CHCH display trigger warnings before airings of Seinfeld, The Brady Bunch. Link
  • Chinese state-owned companies among recipients of Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy. Link
  •  Canadians’ paycheques to shrink as CPP payroll tax increases 9.3% in 2021. Link
  • Conrad Black: Canada racist? Nonsense. Link

Lastest straw poll results 

In my last e-newsletter I asked folks if they supported the Liberals’ massive carbon tax hike.

The clear majority said they don’t support the tax hike.

A big thanks to everyone who took part.

Have your say

Team Canada Juniors jumped off to an amazing 4-0 record in the 2021 World Juniors held in Edmonton and Red Deer.

Do you think Canada is going to continue our tradition of winning and take home the gold for the 19th time?

Have your say in my new unofficial poll. I’ll publish the results in next week’s e-newsletter. 

 

 

 

 

 

Latest news on COVID-19 

 

You can find up-to-date information from Alberta Public Health or the Public Health Agency of Canada

Alberta Public Health can also be reached by phone at 811.

Benefits available for Canadians

There are programs available to help you and your family. 

 

 

 

 

Share this valuable e-newsletter with a friend 

You can share it here.

If you’re not subscribed to this regular e-newsletter, sign up below.

Members of Parliament get the most current, accurate and comprehensive updates regarding the COVID-19 crisis. Want regular highlights of these? Sign up for my e-newsletter. You can unsubscribe at any time. Sign up here.

I want to hear from you 

I’m always eager to hear from you. Do you have beefs? Bouquets? Suggestions?

Drop me a note at my e-mail address.

Please note our local Edmonton constituency office is currently still open to serve you but it’s by appointment only. We simply ask that you call ahead to book an appointment.

Call or e-mail us and we’ll be happy to serve you.

Thanks so much. Stay healthy!

E-mail:
[email protected]

Phone:
(780) 495-3261

Mail (postage free): 
Kerry Diotte, MP 
House of Commons
Ottawa, ON K1A 0A6

Filed under: General

January 4, 2021 | No Comments

Have your say

Team Canada Juniors jumped off to an amazing 4-0 record in the 2021 World Juniors held in Edmonton and Red Deer.

Filed under: General

December 31, 2020 | No Comments

Happy New Year

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December 24, 2020 | No Comments

Merry Christmas

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December 14, 2020 | No Comments

Justin jacks up crippling carbon tax

Last Friday afternoon on the last sitting day of Parliament before Christmas, Justin Trudeau announced a massive increase of the carbon tax — so much for Liberal transparency.

Under Trudeau’s new plan, the Liberals are going to raise the carbon tax from $50 a tonne they promised in the last election to a whopping $170 a tonne by 2030. That will translate to an additional 37.57 cents per litre to the cost of gas. 

It’ll make groceries even more expensive then they already are. It’ll increase the cost of heating your house. And it’ll hurt businesses, especially here in Alberta.

In the last election — only a year ago — the Liberals promised not to raise the carbon tax. This move is the latest example of the litany of Liberal broken promises.

Canadians who are already struggling due to the pandemic, cannot afford to be punished every time they drive to work, heat their homes or put food on the table. This latest Liberal tax grab is kicking Canadians when they’re down. 

 

I called for fairness for immigration applicants

 

I spoke in the “virtual” House of Commons calling on the Liberals to ensure immigration applications filed by paper are treated similarly to ones received online. As usual, the Liberals didn’t answer my question.

Alberta government announces new stronger public health measures

The Alberta government announced mandatory, province-wide restrictions saying it hopes the measures will slow the spread of COVID-19. Find out more at the link below. 

 

 

 

It’s time for Canada to stand up to China, and stand up for freedom — Erin O’Toole

For two years, Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor will have been held hostage in China simply for being Canadian.

While Canadians are rightfully concerned about the fate of our two wrongfully imprisoned citizens, China’s hostage diplomacy has awoken the Canadian public to a far larger reality. A realignment in geopolitics has taken place over the last 40 years, and Canada has been late to heed its warnings.

For 40 years the great opening of China’s free market has not gone as we had hoped. And for the past 30 years, since tanks rolled into Tiananmen Square, the Western world has chosen to hope that things would get better.

To this day, every business, public or private, remains subject to the strategic objectives of the Chinese state. This may not have been a big deal when China produced mainly low-tech goods like shoes and toothbrushes, but it has dramatic implications today as Chinese tech firms export facial recognition technology and surveillance drones. All Chinese firms are required by law to collaborate with Chinese intelligence agencies. Yes, that includes mining TikTok videos and feel-good apps for data. And it certainly concerns Huawei building our digital future.

(Read the full article by Federal Conservative Leader Erin O’Toole, in the National Post at the link below)

 

 

 

Supporting the Salvation Army 

I was at Edmonton’s Londonderry Mall raising funds for the Salvation Army with volunteers Helen Penczek and Ed Skaley. This worthy charity is needed more than ever this year.

In the news

  • Federal carbon tax to increase to $170 per tonne by 2030 as Liberals unveil new climate plan. Link
  • Government spent $570 million on foreign-made sanitizer while Canadian companies produced for free. Link
  • Autopsy confirms Edmonton’s 36th homicide of the year. Link
  • Trudeau breaks a promise with massive carbon tax hike. Link
  • UN climate report reveals goals of Trudeau’s ‘Great Reset.’ Link
  • Our cautious start to assisted suicide is now an accelerating drive toward death-on-demand. Link
  • Edmonton police charge man after ‘hate-motivated’ attack outside Southgate Centre. Link
  • British senior says she feels ‘great’ after receiving Pfizer coronavirus vaccine. Link
  • Budget watchdog blasts feds over lack of transparency in coronavirus recovery plan. Link
  • Trudeau makes international news (for all the wrong reasons) again. Link
  • Liberals dismayed that military exercises with China were cancelled, secret documents reveal. Link

Last week’s straw poll results 

Last week I asked folks if they’ll join me in getting a vaccine when they’re eventually available.

The clear majority said they’ll get a vaccine.

Remember, vaccines will only be available after undergoing rigorous safety tests by Health Canada.

Vaccines aren’t mandatory in Canada. However, they’re an important public health tool.

A big thanks to everyone who took part.

 

Have your say

The Liberals have announced they’re going to hike the carbon tax to $170 a tonne. 

Do you support the Liberals’ massive carbon tax hike? 

Have your say in my new unofficial poll. I’ll publish the results in next week’s e-newsletter. 

 

 

 

 

 

Latest news on COVID-19 

 

You can find up-to-date information from Alberta Public Health or the Public Health Agency of Canada

Alberta Public Health can also be reached by phone at 811.

Benefits available for Canadians

There are programs available to help you and your family. 

 

 

 

 

Share this valuable e-newsletter with a friend 

You can share it here.

If you’re not subscribed to this regular e-newsletter, sign up below.

Members of Parliament get the most current, accurate and comprehensive updates regarding the COVID-19 crisis. Want regular highlights of these? Sign up for my e-newsletter. You can unsubscribe at any time. Sign up here.

I want to hear from you 

I’m always eager to hear from you. Do you have beefs? Bouquets? Suggestions?

Drop me a note at my e-mail address.

Please note our local Edmonton constituency office is currently still open to serve you but it’s by appointment only. We simply ask that you call ahead to book an appointment.

Call or e-mail us and we’ll be happy to serve you.

Thanks so much. Stay healthy!

E-mail:
[email protected]

Phone:
(780) 495-3261

Mail (postage free): 
Kerry Diotte, MP 
House of Commons
Ottawa, ON K1A 0A6

Filed under: General

December 14, 2020 | No Comments

Have your say

Filed under: General

December 11, 2020 | No Comments

I called for fairness for immigration applicants

I spoke in the “virtual” House of Commons calling on the Liberals to ensure immigration applications filed by paper are treated similarly to ones received online. As usual, the Liberals didn’t answer my question.

Filed under: General