Arnold's election expenses

by Kate Bouey -CASTANET Feb 19, 2016 / 5:00 am
North Okanagan Shuswap MP Mel Arnold spent a whopping $94,836.41 during the Oct. 19 federal election campaign, but that was still less than half the $255,644.99 limit set by Elections Canada. Arnold went on to win the riding for the Conservatives, stepping into the shoes of fellow Tory Colin Mayes who retired after three terms in office. Elections Canada issued the information. Candidates' electoral campaign returns are public information. The data showed Arnold received $63,500 from the North Okanagan Shuswap Conservative Association war chest. He also received $10,553.64 from 48 contributors and spent $7,321.99 in personal expenses. Campaign expenses of the three other candidates in the riding, Liberal Cindy Derkaz, New Democrat Jacqui Gingras and the Green Party's Chris George are not yet available on the website. The deadline for submitting expenses is Feb. 19. Derkaz's official agent has requested a 30-day extension. "The 42nd general election was twice as long as the previous election," said Gord Adams. "The file I have on this is double the size of the last file." Adams said the Liberal campaign was more expensive than during the 2011 federal election "due to the length of the writ period."

New Zealand releases text of Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement

The Canadian Press Published Thursday, November 5, 2015 6:20AM EST Last Updated Thursday, November 5, 2015 7:44AM EST
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he wanted to read the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal before passing judgment on it -- and now he'll have his chance. The text of the agreement finalized Oct. 5 between a dozen Pacific Rim countries has been posted on the website of the New Zealand Foreign Ministry. In all, it contains hundreds of pages of provisions governing the trade of a vast range of goods, including cars, cheese and wine.

Mund eyes federal money

by Darren Handschuh CASTANET - Oct 22, 2015 / 5:00 am
They may be at different levels of government, but Vernon's mayor is no stranger to MP-elect Mel Arnold. Arnold won the North Okanagan-Shuswap federal riding Monday for the Conservative Party, which was reduced to being the official opposition after Justin Trudeau's Liberals formed a majority government. “I've known Mel for a couple of years and I am looking forward to working with him,” said mayor Akbal Mund, adding the fact Arnold is not with the ruling party should have no impact on how the area is treated by the feds. “The prime minister (designate) did make B.C. a priority and lets hope some of that priority comes to Vernon,” said Mund. “The good thing is the future prime minister has been to Vernon. He is a long time skier of Silver Star mountain. I think he's been here twice in the last four or five years. He definitely knows the area.” Like many municipal politicians, Mund will be keeping a close eye on infrastructure dollars from Ottawa. Trudeau hailed the need for infrastructure spending to get the economy moving again and Mund hopes some of those campaign promises materialize in the form of federal funding. “I think everybody is very excited about that,” Mund said. “We will have to take a wait-and-see approach because there is always a lot of promises being made, but some of those come at the last minute so we will have to wait and see.” Mund said he was surprised at how fast the Liberals formed a majority government, but was not surprised to see the Conservatives reduced to the official opposition.

Retiring MP defends pension package

by Richard Rolke - Vernon Morning Star posted Oct 21, 2015 at 9:00 AM
North Okanagan-Shuswap’s retiring MP is putting his compensation package in perspective. The Canadian Taxpayers Federation says Colin Mayes, who was in office for almost 10 years, will receive an annual pension of $47,126 and a lifetime pension of $1,365,686. “I have to live a long time to collect that money,” said the 67-year-old. “I hope I do but Jim Flaherty (former finance minister) didn’t. They could do that with an RCMP officer or a teacher or anyone with a pension. It doesn’t make me special.” Mayes also points out that he paid into the parliamentary pension program for almost a decade at about $117,393 a year. “You go into a job and they say, ‘It’s your compensation package.’ It was the contract for employment.” The Canadian Taxpayers Federation also says Mayes will receive a severance of $36,574 but Mayes insists that’s inaccurate. “I don’t get a severance because I am over 65 and of retirement age.” For MPs who retired or were defeated on Monday, the CTF says taxpayers contributed $17 for every $1 put into the plan by an MP towards their pension. After January 1, 2016, the ratio will gradually shift to a ratio of $1.60 in taxpayer contributions for every $1 put in by an MP or senator. “These pension changes are a welcome step towards broader public sector pension reform,” said Aaron Wudrick, CTF federal director. “The good news is that thanks to the hard-fought. “We encourage the new government to take the necessary steps to ensure government employee pensions are more in line with what the vast majority of Canadians working in the private sector expect to receive.”

Mayor Questions Election Result Coverage

Posted on 10/21/2015 by Ron Manz 107.5 KISSFM
Vernon's Mayor is calling into question the decision to allow federal election results from the East to be broadcast into the West before polls in our region were closed. Akbul Mund says it just may have been a factor in electing more Liberal MP's in the West than there have been in a long time. "You already see a clean sweep for the Liberals in the East, I don't know, maybe it did influence people. When people see that 'wow, everyone's voting Liberal' maybe they changed their votes at the last minute. I doubt it, but you never know what the influence could be." Vernon has gone from being a city represented in parliament in Ottawa by a ruling party MP to one now in the official opposition. Mel Arnold was elected in the North Okanagan/Shuswap for the Conservatives. Mund says you never know if the change will affect the number and possible size of federal grants Vernon could get. "I know sometimes that gets looked at. I'm not sure of the ramifications of that one hundred per cent. We'll work with the Conservatives here and move forward. We know Justin Trudeau, he's been to Vernon before so we'll see if it makes any difference. I doubt that it will." "Some people could look at it that way, but you could also look at the way that if things go well in the Trudeau era here, they may be looking at funneling money to communities like ours just to win the next election."

Pensions soften the blow

by Wayne Moore CASTANET - Oct 20, 2015 / 12:05 pm
It will cost Canadian taxpayers about $209 million in cumulative pension payments to the 180 eligible MPs who were either defeated or chose not to run in Monday's federal election. A further $12.8 million will be paid in the form of severance payments. Figures were released Tuesday morning by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation. MPs are eligible for pension benefits beginning at age 55 after six years of elected service. Defeated and retiring MPs will collect $5.3 million in annual pension payments, reaching a cumulative total of $209 million by age 90. “Losing an election can be tough, but most MPs will have a soft financial landing,” said CTF federal director Aaron Wudrick. “The good news is that thanks to the hard-fought pension reforms that take effect on Jan. 1, 2016, taxpayers will not have to shoulder as much of the burden in the future.” For MPs who retired or were defeated Monday, taxpayers paid $17 for every $1 contributed by the MP. Beginning Jan. 1, the ratio will gradually shift to a ratio of $1.60 in taxpayer contributions for every $1 put in by an MP or senator. Three outgoing Okanagan area MPs could collect more than a combined $4.83 million in pension to age 90. Kelowna-Lake Country MP Ron Cannan, who served 9.7 years in Ottawa, will receive a severance payment of $83,700. The 54-year-old is eligible for a yearly pension of $46,632 to a maximum of $2.34 million by age 90. Colin Mayes, 67, who chose not to run for re-election after serving North Okanagan-Shuswap for nearly 10 years, will pocket a severance of $36,000 and an annual pension of $47,126 to a maximum of $1.36 million by age 90. Former British Columbia-Southern Interior NDP MP Alex Atamanenko also chose not to run again after nearly 10 years in Ottawa. Atamanenko receives a severance of $37,000 and a yearly pension of $46,632 to a maximum of $1.13 million by age 90. All three contributed slightly more than $116,000 into the pension plan.
---------
The pension and severance calculations for each defeated or retired MP can be found HERE.

Moving Day in Ottawa !

Tory blue locally bucks Liberal trend nationally

by Richard Rolke - Vernon Morning Star posted Oct 19, 2015 at 9:00 PM— updated Oct 20, 2015 at 6:02 AM

North Okanagan-Shuswap has retained Tory blue while Liberal red has coloured the rest of the country. Newcomer Mel Arnold handily captured the riding as Conservative candidate Monday, winning 27,490 votes or 39.3 per cent. That was followed by Liberal Cindy Derkaz at 20,951 or 30 per cent, Jacqui Gingras, with the NDP, at 17,903 or 25.6 per cent, and Green Chris George at 3,609 or 5.2 per cent. “This is terrific,” said Arnold, a Salmon Arm businessman who takes over from retiring Colin Mayes. “It’s been a hard fought battle, I want to congratulate all the candidates. And no matter how they voted, I’m here to represent this riding.” With the Conservatives in opposition nationally, Arnold will be in the backbenches. “It will make us work a little bit harder,” he said, noting that he will lobby the new Liberal government for funding for local projects. “And I will be available to the public as soon as we have our doors open to the office.” Nationally, the Liberals won 184 seats compared to 99 for the Conservatives, 44 for the NDP, 10 seats for the Bloc Quebecois and one Green. Derkaz welcomes her second-place finish in North Okanagan-Shuswap. “I would have liked to have won but it was amazing,” said the retired lawyer. While some opinion polls had the NDP taking North Okanagan-Shuswap, Derkaz believes many residents saw the Liberals as the best route to challenge the Conservatives. “People had a huge attitude for change from the Harper government,” she said. In terms of the Liberal victory nationally, Derkaz said, “It’s a tremendously clear message that we want change as a country and we picked the Liberals to put that change into effect.” Gingras, a university professor, admits she was disappointed by the election results. “They’re not what I hoped for but I respect their choice,” she said of voters. “It’s been a very positive campaign and I met so many great people.” Gingras wouldn’t speculate on why the NDP didn’t win locally. “That’s something we will have to dwell on. I respect the decision of community members and this is only the start for us.” She isn’t sure why the party went from official opposition status nationally to third place. “Like any campaign, there are ebbs and flows. People were motivated to have Harper out,” she said. George anticipated a fourth-place finish for the Greens in North Okanagan-Shuswap. “There are no surprises here. We’re looking ahead to the next time out,” he said. “I would have preferred a minority government nationally because it’s good for Canadians. It (Liberals) is going to be a change but whether it’s the change we’re looking for, that remains to be seen.” George believes Arnold’s new term as MP could be challenging. “He will be a backbencher and that doesn’t contribute much to the conversation.”In North Okanagan-Shuswap, 69,953 of 96,243 registered electors cast ballots or 72.68 per cent (that does not include electors who registered on election day).

What happens if there is a tie for second. Who gets Stornoway ? (A possible Reality series for Canada)

Stornoway is the name of the official residence of the Leader of Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition in Canada, and has been used as such since 1950. It is provided in recognition of the opposition leader's position. Located at 541 Acacia Avenue in the Rockcliffe Park area of Ottawa, Stornoway has assessed value $4,225,000 (2008) (based on this value, which is only approximation of market value, the municipal property taxes are calculated) and is maintained with $70,000 a year in government funds. The property has been owned and managed by the National Capital Commission since April 1986. The lot size, with a frontage of 228 ft and depth of 225 ft, is slightly irregular.It is some distance from Ottawa's Parliament Buildings, about 1.5 km farther than the Prime Minister's official residence. It is located in an area which contains many ambassadorial residences.

TPP Treaty: Intellectual Property Rights Chapter - 5 October 2015

https://wikileaks.org/tpp-ip3/
Today, 9 October, 2015 WikiLeaks releases the final negotiated text for the TPP (Trans-Pacific Partnership) Intellectual Property Rights Chapter. The TPP encompasses 12 nations representing more than 40 per cent of global GDP. Despite a final agreement, the text is still being withheld from the public, notably until after the Canadian election on October 19.

Poll Suggests NDP Leads In North Okanagan

Posted on 10/8/2015 by Pete McIntyre 107.5 KISSFM

http://pollokanaganshuswap.weebly.com/

http://pollokanaganshuswap.weebly.com/

A poll done this week suggests the North Okanagan Shuswap riding could be in for a change come October 19th. A phone survey of 312 voting age people was conducted by Oraclepoll Research was done this past Monday and Tuesday and was commissioned by a group of local residents who say they are unaffiliated with any party. The results suggest 41% of decided voters support the NDP, 38% for the Conservatives, 12% for the Liberals and 9% for the Greens. About 15 percent of the people called said they were undecided. CLICK HERE for more details on the poll.

Local poll will help strategic voters in the North Okanagan decide their candidate

October 07, 2015 - 5:45 PM By Charlotte Helston INFO-TEL.CA
NORTH OKANAGAN - People in the North Okanagan-Shuswap riding are doing what they can to make sure their strategic votes count in the upcoming federal election. A non-partisan group has decided to fund a poll to help people in the riding choose who best to vote for if they want to out the Conservatives. One of the individuals involved in the initiative is Dr. Warren Bell, who says the group got together informally about a year ago. “All of us might have had a political affiliation, but like gunslingers we dropped our guns, or our party affiliations, at the door. We were primarily feeling like there was time for change in Ottawa,” Bell says. “Over the last year we evolved our thinking and came to the point where this seemed like the best thing to do.” Bell says it wasn’t hard getting people in the community to pitch in for the $1,250 poll by Oraclepoll Research, the results of which are expected to be released Oct. 8. The poll was conducted by live operators asking citizens a series of questions. “My sense is there is broad interest in this initiative,” Bell says. The main purpose of the poll, Bell says, is to help people vote strategically. “We’re not trying to tell people who to vote for, we’re trying to give them a tool to decide for themselves,” Bell says. “Lots of people have ideas about who will win, the trouble with that is it’s hard to be sure how accurate they are.” No other polls have been conducted in the riding, although a group called Leadnow is working on getting enough pledges to crowdfund for a local poll. “Any kind of information that helps people decide how to vote is useful,” Bell says. The Sicamous physician says all the candidates in the riding are good people, but he’s resigned himself to voting strategically to get Stephen Harper out of office. And while he already knows he’s voting strategically, not even he knows who he’ll be voting for until the results of the poll come out. Check back at Infonews.ca later this week for the results of the poll.

107.5 KISSFM Political Forum Oct. 6.

----------
If you missed last nights forum you can see it on the above video. There were many questions and answers but there was one that finally got some of our local candidates for M.P.'s  on the record on a very important question. 


At 27.59 of the above Video the following question was asked:
<http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/ccaps-spcca/auxil-eng.htm>

An Auxiliary Constable is an unarmed, unpaid, uniformed RCMP volunteer whose activities are governed under provincial legislation. 

The Canadian government instituted a tax  credit for Volunteer Firemen in 2011 and a similar tax treatment for Volunteer Search and Rescue in 2014 in their economic Action Plan.

Will you personally support and advocate for your parties support for a similar tax credit to all auxiliary police officers ??
------------

Background:

We are approaching the 11th anniversary of the death of Vernon Aux. Const Glen Evely <http://www.wrps.on.ca/sites/default/files/Volunteers/Auxiliary/WRAP-September2013.pdf> and the recent non fatal shooting of Aux. Const. Bond in St Albert.

Climate change controversy

by Kate Bouey CASTANET - Oct 6, 2015 / 10:37 am
Climate change has become a hot topic in the race for MP in the North Okanagan Shuswap riding. Conservative candidate Mel Arnold said he's not certain human activity is the main cause of climate change on earth. "I don't dispute human activity is having an effect,'' he added, in an interview Tuesday. Arnold said he's aware his view will court controversy. Green party candidate Chris George said Arnold's view on climate change is in the minority. "You'd likely find that nine percent of Canadians agree with his view,'' said George, pointing to 2014 polling results on climate change. "But 91 percent have a different opinion." "It's conclusive, beyond doubt,'' said George. "At this point we know that it is fossil fuel emissions and increased carbon dioxide, that has led to global warming."George pointed to predictions made in the 1980s and 90s that the world would suffer major droughts, storms and see polar ice melt. "It has happened quicker than what was predicted." Arnold believes natural factors also come into play including forest fires and solar and volcanic activity. A Canadian government website states that while "climate change can be caused by both natural processes and human activities, the recent warming has been largely attributed to human activity, primarily the release of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases to the atmosphere."

Election Forum Tonight on KISS

Posted on 10/6/2015 by Pete McIntyre 17.5 KISSFM

The federal election is less than two weeks away --and it's expected to be one of the closest races in decades. Three of the four local candidates will take questions from the public -- in an open line show on Kiss FM, from 6 to 7:15 tonight, hosted by news director Pete McIntyre. Candidates Cindy Derkaz, Chris George and Jacqui Gingras will take part in the forum, while Mel Arnold has declined the invitation.

Royal visit: Bloc leader has no time to waste on Prince Charles and Camilla

4. The House of Commons and Its Members The Oath or Solemn Affirmation of Allegiance

Before a duly elected Member may take his or her seat and vote in the House of Commons, the Member must take an oath or make a solemn affirmation of allegiance or loyalty to the Sovereign and sign the Test Roll (a book whose pages are headed by the text of the oath). When a Member swears or solemnly affirms allegiance to the Queen as Sovereign of Canada, he or she is also swearing or solemnly affirming allegiance to the institutions the Queen represents, including the concept of democracy. Thus, a Member is making a pledge to conduct him-or herself in the best interests of the country. The oath or solemn affirmation reminds a Member of the serious obligations and responsibilities he or she is assuming.

Will Bloc Quebecois Leader Gilles Duceppe be able to take his oath of office with a straight face or will he show up wearing a Niqab.

Montreal Gazette November 3, 2009 1:12 PM
MONTREAL— Bloc Quebecois Leader Gilles Duceppe says he has no time to waste protesting the presence of members of the royal family in Canada. "The monarchy is a system that is depasse and archaic," Duceppe said Tuesday in Montreal. "I call it a genetic lottery. People who say they have blue blood should see their doctor as soon as they can."

KISSFM Political POLL

107.5 KISSFM  Results FINAL

Have you decided which of the local candidates running in the federal election you will vote for?

Mel Arnold	30.9%
Cindy Derkaz	25.3%
Chris George	10.2%
Jacqui Gingras	33.5%

Liberals 'committed' to legalizing marijuana: Trudeau

Josh Elliott, CTVNews.ca
Published Wednesday, September 30, 2015 12:02PM EDT
Last Updated Wednesday, September 30, 2015 5:13PM EDT
An elected Liberal government would begin working to legalize and regulate marijuana "right away," Justin Trudeau says. "The Liberal Party is committed to legalizing and regulating marijuana," Trudeau said, in response to a reporter's question in Surrey, B.C., on Wednesday.
The Liberal Party Leader declined to set a firm timeline for legalization, but vowed to make it an early priority if elected on Oct. 19. (more)

Candidates, Minus One, Tackle Green Issues

Posted on 9/24/2015 by Pete McIntyre 107.5 KISSFM
Environmental issues were front and centre at the latest federal election forum in Vernon. About 150 people came out for the event Thursday, put on by the group SENS, the Sustainable Environment Network Society. Candidates Jacqui Gingras of the NDP, Chris George of the Greens, and Liberal Cindy Derkaz all said they -- and their parties -- were big environmental supporters, and one of the more enlightening questions was how their policies actually differ. The missing part of the debate was the Conservatives as candidate Mel Arnold opted not to attend. Other topics included how to stop blasting on Middleton Mountain, labelling for genetically modified food, climate change, making the local food system sustainable, recycling disposal fees, selling Canada's fresh water, pollution of waterways with mico-beads, and fracking. When asked about the environmental record of current Conservative MP Colin Mayes, George called it "a disaster," Derkaz gave him "a failing grade," and Gingras gave Mayes an F minus. The candidates take part in a forum at Okanagan College Friday night at 6 pm.

All Party Screening Test(s) for MP's (ANSWER SHEET for Testers)

You must Pass at least 1 of the 3 tests to Qualify.