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When it comes to nabbing foreign crooks, NDP MP Jinny Sims fears Canada is wielding too big a net. “For us, this legislation goes too far and captures those it was not meant to capture,” says the member for Newton-North Delta BC.

The legislation Sims is referring to is Bill C-43, the Faster Removal of Foreign Criminals Act.  Introduced last June by the Conservative government, C-43 will enhance the government’s ability to deport permanent residents, refugees, and visitors for criminal activity.  Sims has been a vocal opponent of the bill during its passage through the House of Commons. Continue Reading

How does the All Star vote work? Watch Kevin O’Keefe explain:

Our annual All Star Voting Block kicks off April 2 and runs until April 9.  We have invited back three of the most popular MPs of the season to engage in one final race to decide who your top MP of the year is.  In deciding the All Star Round we wanted representatives from each of the three main federal parties.  After calculating the number of votes each garnered with the number of questions each received, your three All Stars of the season are: Continue Reading

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 Keeping the home fires burning has taken an all too literal meaning for Liberal MP Sean Casey. “We have a problem,” says the MP for Charlottetown.  “Invariably we are looking at brownouts and blackouts as a result of the age and capacity of these cables.” Continue Reading

Another season of #FAQMP is drawing to a close as we mark the last of our “regular season” play.  We’ll be moving into the “playoffs” next week when we begin our annual All Star Round (stay tuned for more info on that), so this week is your last chance to put a new MP in the hotseat.  The overall standings for the year indicate that you’ve been almost as eager to hear from the Liberal Party as you have from the Conservatives.  Of the 17 blocks contested, the Tories have taken 7 while the Grits have sewn up 6.  You seem less interested in the Official Opposition’s perspective, as only 4 NDP have been tipped for a ride on the hot seat this season.  To put a finish on this year’s overall standings here are your final 3 candidates in the running on #FAQMP : Continue Reading

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One of the more indelible images of Hollywood terror is the appearance of a shark fin on the open ocean.  But according to the NDP’s Fin Donnelly, the real life horror in this situation is felt exclusively by the shark.

“Sharks are being finned. The practice of finning is brutal,” says the MP for New Westminster-Coquitlam.  “If I could show an image of a shark getting its fins cut off before being dumped back into the ocean, people would be horrified.”

Donnelly is currently pursuing his Private Members Bill C-380, the Ban on Shark Fin Importation Act.  The Bill seeks to prohibit the importation of shark fins.  While the practice of shark finning has been banned in Canada for almost 20 years, importing shark fins from foreign sources remains perfectly legal.

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All eyes will be on Finance Minister Jim Flaherty this week as he gets ready to unveil the 2013 Federal Budget on Thursday. It’s like a second Xmas in way, with Canadians eagerly waiting to see if they’ll be getting any financial treats or if they’ll be finding lumps of coal in their general ledgers.  Either way, the budget will be stirring up debate for weeks to come and I’m sure it will leave many of you with more questions than answers. Send those questions our way and we’ll be sure to put them to our upcoming MPs. In the meantime, while Minister Flaherty mulls over the selection in the shoe department, you can help pick out the next guest for #FAQMP.  The MPs up for your vote this week are: Continue Reading

The number of sharks in the sea and the medicines in your bathroom cabinet are just a couple issues at the heart of this round of the #FAQMP voting block.  But with the wealth of political experience between our three latest candidates, rest assured that any one of them can provide a unique perspective on the countless matters currently before the House of Commons.  Our three candidates this week are: Continue Reading

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Linda Duncan is hearing a familiar theme these days from many Aboriginal officials, “Every one of them says the same thing. They feel they have been silenced by the parliamentary process.”

In recent weeks, the New Democrat MP has become increasingly distressed with the Conservative government’s approach to aboriginal policy.  At the heart of her concerns is a failure to engage indigenous people in a process of consultation. Continue Reading

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Bernard Trottier believes Canada’s future lies in its natural resources. “It is part of our national DNA and a legacy for all Canadians,’ says the Conservative MP. “We are starting from a position of strength, but we can and must become even stronger.” Continue Reading

With Voting Block 15 upon us, let’s briefly pause and take stock of this season’s action.  We are now more than half way through the 2012-2013 voting, so I want to get your feedback on how the blocks have gone down.  Are there any MPs you definitely want to see in the remaining blocks? Are there any issues you want us to pay greater attention to during our interviews? How has this format worked for you and how has it not?  With only a few votes left on the year let’s see if we can get some of the answers you haven’t gotten to hear from an MP so far.

The latest 3 MPs vying for a ride on the hot seat are… Continue Reading