Colin Mayes, MP -- Okanagan - Shuswap - Mayes Minutes

May 03, 2010

Government Happenings

On Monday, May 3, 2010, Minister Nicholson and Minister Paradis announced legislation to establish mandatory jail time for fraud over $1 million and to help ensure the voices of victims are heard
when white collar criminals are sentenced.

Our government is standing up for victims of white collar crime. We have listened to their concerns and are taking action.
The legislation introduced today would:
make jail time mandatory for fraud over $1 million, by setting a new mandatory minimum sentence of two years for such crimes
add new aggravating factors to toughen sentences – factors such as the impact on the victim and the magnitude of the fraud
require judges in all fraud cases to consider demanding offenders make restitution to their victims
allow affected groups to submit Community Impact Statements to the court.

On Tuesday, May 4, 2010, The Honourable Rob Nicholson, P.C., Q.C., M.P. for Niagara Falls, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada and Steven Blaney, M.P. for Lévis-Bellechasse, today announced the introduction of legislation in the Senate tackling property crime, including the serious crimes of auto theft and trafficking in property that is obtained by crime.
The proposed legislation would give law enforcement and the courts better tools to tackle auto theft and the entire range of activities involved in the trafficking of all types of stolen or fraudulently obtained property. The proposed legislation would:

create a separate offence of "theft of a motor vehicle", which would carry a mandatory prison sentence of 6 months for conviction of a third or subsequent offence when the prosecutor proceeds by indictment;
establish a new offence for altering, destroying or removing a vehicle identification number(VIN);
make it an offence to traffic in property obtained by crime; and,
make it an offence to possess such property for the purpose of trafficking.

Weekly Poll

Last week’s poll results:
Do you agree with me that the House of Commons should be focusing on jobs and the economy instead of mud-slinging?
No - 7%
Yes - 92%

Our Minister of Finance, the Honourable James Flaherty did not endorse a special tax on all banks in order to build a International reserve for bailouts. Canadian Banks did not need government money to bail them out so why should we pay an international bank tax to support banks in countries without a regulatory framework?

Do you agree with our government’s position?

I would like to hear from you on this issue.
You can cast your vote at www.colinmayes.ca.

Meetings & Delegations

I had the pleasure of meeting with constituents from my riding who were here in Ottawa and I welcome anyone visiting Ottawa to drop by.

I met with representatives from the Okanagan-Mainline Real Estate Board who were in Ottawa with community real estate boards from across Canada to discuss issues related to the
federal budget and homeownership. As well, I met with representatives from the Canadian Automobile Association on key issues such as, road safety, the environment, infrastructure,
mobility and consumer protection. I attended a post-earthquake Haiti priorities update and later met with a representative from the Okanagan ARPA.

During the week of April 26th, I attended the Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Communities, where we examined aviation safety and security with regards to
rights of Canadians and Safety Management Systems. During the week of May 3rd, the Transport Committee continued to discuss Aviation Safety and Security concerns.

"My Parks Pass" Program

In May 2010, over 400,000 “My Parks Passes” will be distributed to grade 8 students across the country (secondary two students in Quebec). The pass will provide free access for students to 27 national parks and 68 national historic
sites that charge fees and that are administered by Parks Canada. The pass will also provide discount incentives for the kids to visit with their families.
This initiative is based on a stakeholder suggestion from the 2009 Minister’s Round Table on Parks Canada. It was suggested that a youth pass targeted at youth would serve to provide an opportunity for direct engagement and to instill supportive attitudes and values by encouraging them to visit parks and sites. Parks Canada is working closely with Nature Canada and the Historica-Dominion Institute to optimize the success of the project.
Parks Canada will complement the My Parks Pass with a new policy of free access for all grade 8 students and teachers who are visiting as part of an organized school trip. This access will not require the students to show their passes and will be valid for any time within the school year to any park or site.
The objective of the program is to encourage youth to experience parks and sites with their families or with their classes so that they will become visitors and supporters of protecting nature and historic places, now and in the future.

The My Parks Pass program includes the following components:

A physical My Parks Pass will be distributed annually to students along with a student kit that outlines the many exciting opportunities to experience parks and sites. A coupon will also be included to provide a price incentive on daily, annual and Parks Canada Discovery Passes when they visit with their family and friends.
A package designed for teachers will accompany the passes when delivered and will include information on the program, a promotional poster and web links for curriculum based materials.
A My Parks Pass program micro website will be created that provides a program overview and offers related information and links.
A contest will be aimed at engaging youth in the program as soon as they receive their pass. The goal of this contest will be to entice active participation opportunities for students who visit as well as those that do not.

The launch of My Pass Program is part of a series of events to celebrate the 125th anniversary of Canada’s national parks.

Local Events

Hugh Rayment Book Signing—May 8, 2010 10am-4pm at the Schubert Centre. The Vernon author will have signed copies of his book, ‘Outerspace and Beyond’.
Family Fun Rollerskate - May 8, 2010 6-8pm at the Nor Val Arena in Armstrong. Hosted by the Raggedy Rollers.
Spring Auction & Family Fun Day - May 8, 2010 from 11am to 2pm at the Vernon Christian School. 6890 Pleasant Valley Road, Vernon. Visit www.vcs.ca.

Local Events Listings

The event listing page at www.colinmayes.ca/events continues to be a useful feature for my website visitors, and the listing is filled with exciting events. Most events are family-friendly and free.