Hon. Alice Wong, P.C.

Our office received a copy of an invitation for a town hall meeting by a future candidate in the next general election. In light of the fact that the media was also sent copies of this invitation, the letter is attached here.

Our response, given last Monday, is the following:

Dear Mr. Peschisolido,

Thank you for the invitation to your town hall meeting. However, I do not feel that this is the proper forum to discuss this issue and so will politely decline your invitation.

Having said that, I certainly respect the fact that you are a constituent of Richmond, so if you would like to book a private meeting with me at my office I am more than happy to accommodate you. Please feel free to contact my staff and we can schedule a meeting at a mutually convenient date and time.

Sincerely,

Alice Wong, MP (Richmond)

As mentioned previously, the Standing Committee on Finance is taking submissions for the Budget 2011 consultation. The deadline is August 13, 2010, so please submit your comments in before this deadline.

==============================

CANADIANS ARE INVITED TO SHARE THEIR PRIORITIES FOR THE 2011 FEDERAL BUDGET

Ottawa, June 17, 2010 –

Today, the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance is inviting Canadians to participate in its annual pre-budget consultation process. The 2010 consultations will result in a report to be tabled in the House of Commons in late fall 2010, and the suggestions by Canadians as well as the recommendations by the Committee will be considered by the Minister of Finance in the development of the 2011 federal budget.

“This year, like in previous years, Canadians are invited to participate in this very important process. The federal budget is important to all Canadians, and the suggestions received by the Committee during its annual pre-budget consultation process are a critically important contribution to the development of the budget. On behalf of all Committee members, I invite you to share your budget priorities with us,” said Mr. James Rajotte, M.P., Chair of the House Finance Committee.

Interested individuals and groups should submit a written brief not exceeding five pages, in either English or French, to the Committee Clerk no later than August 13, 2010. These briefs will be translated and distributed to Finance Committee members. Briefs can be submitted electronically to FINA@parl.gc.ca or can be mailed to:

Jean-François Pagé, Clerk
Standing Committee on Finance
6-14 131 Queen Street
House of Commons Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0A6

Beginning in September, the Committee will hold hearings in Ottawa and in designated Canadian cities. For these hearings, an invitation will be extended by the Committee Clerk, on behalf of Committee members, to selected individuals and groups. Those invited to make a presentation to the Committee should expect to be contacted by the Committee Clerk no later than the last week of September.

In particular, the Committee anticipates that its schedule will be:

– Surrey, British Columbia: September 27, 2010
– Kamloops, British Columbia: September 28, 2010
– Saskatoon, Saskatchewan: September 29 and 30, 2010
– London, Ontario: October 18 and 19, 2010
– Lebel-sur-Quévillon, Québec: October 20, 2010
– Saint John’s, Newfoundland: October 21

The Board of Internal Economy released today an announcement concerning the Auditor General and the expenses of House of Commons Members of Parliament.

The following is a release from the Board of Internal Economy Spokespeople Jay Hill and Marcel Proulx:

The Board of Internal Economy met yesterday with Ms. Sheila Fraser, the Auditor General of Canada, to address and clarify some of the concerns and issues raised in recent weeks by Board members, Members of Parliament, and the media concerning her request to audit the House of Commons Administration.

Having considered the key points raised in that meeting, as well as the assurances provided by the Auditor General as to the process her Office would follow in doing the audit, the Board has decided to invite the Auditor General to undertake an audit of the House Administration and to grant her access to the House of Commons and its records.

As always, the Board is receptive to the concerns expressed by Canadians on any issues connected to the proper management of their tax dollars. In fact, stringent rules and transparency to ensure financial oversight in the House of Commons has always been the Board’s priority.

An audit by an independent accounting firm is conducted annually and these audits, as well as House of Commons financial statements, are posted on the Parliamentary website. Individual members’ expenditures are also available to the public on this site.

The limits on allowances and expenses that any MP is permitted to incur are very specific and clearly itemized, and public servants within the House of Commons Financial Services section strictly enforce these rules and diligently verify that MPs’ expenses are compliant.

While we remain confident that these rules are robust, we have decided to take this extra step of inviting the Auditor General to conduct an audit.

The Board noted that the audit would examine key systems and practices of the House Administration to assess whether adequate rules are in place and if these rules are properly adhered to. In auditing financial management practices of the House Administration, the Auditor General explained that her office would be developing a statistical sampling representative of the entire population of MPs.

We appreciate this approach since we too believe that any sampling of Members must be representative of overall political affiliation in the House as well as of urban and rural constituencies where demands on Members often differ substantially.

The Board of Internal Economy has pledged that the Administration of the House would offer its full cooperation to the Office of the Auditor General, ensuring open communication and effective coordination between the House and the Auditor General so that this audit can be carried out in the most efficient manner with due regard for the House procedures and protocols.

As a result of some inquiries over the matter, the following is an excerpt (pages 3 and 4) from the document “Individual Member’s Expenditures for the Fiscal Year 2008-2009“, published October 2009:

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Effective April 1, 2008, the basic annual Member’s Office Budget for all constituencies was $280,500 (prorated to $129,880 for new Members elected on October 14, 2008). Members who represent densely populated constituencies receive an Elector Supplement, ranging from $8,570 to $51,370 (prorated amount of $3,970 to $23,790 for new Members elected on October 14, 2008). Also, due to the election, some re-elected Members received an adjusted Elector Supplement. Members who represent constituencies of 500 square kilometres or more receive a Geographic Supplement, ranging from $4,740 to $52,120 (prorated amount of $2,190 to $24,130 for new Members elected on October 14, 2008).

Members who represent constituencies listed in Schedule 3 of the Canada Elections Act receive an additional supplement of $16,580 or $19,900 (prorated to $7,680 or $9,210 for new Members elected on October 14, 2008).

The MOB is used as follows:
(1) STAFF AND OTHER EXPENSES ─ includes employee salaries, service contracts and constituency office operating expenses such as utilities, telephone service for secondary constituency offices, additional cellular and Personal Digital Assistant (BlackBerry) services in excess of goods and services provided by the House (as well as airtime and data plans), furniture and computer equipment. This item also includes a Miscellaneous Expenditures Account of up to 3% of the Member’s Office Budget for certain hospitality expenses and gifts given for reasons of official protocol.

(2) TRAVEL ─ includes travel, accommodation, meal and incidental expenses incurred by the Member and the Member’s employees, designated traveller and/or dependant(s) within the constituency or the province or territory in which the constituency is located. It also includes certain transportation expenses incurred by the Member within the National Capital Region, as well as accommodation, meal and incidental expenses incurred by employees on parliamentary business trips within Canada specifically authorized by the Board of Internal Economy.

(3) ADVERTISING ─ allows Members to communicate with their constituents about their office location and contact information, assistance and services they provide and meeting announcements related to the discharge of their constituency functions, and to issue congratulatory messages or greetings to constituents and opinions or statements in support of their parliamentary functions. The Advertising Expenses Account is limited to 10% of the Member’s Office Budget.

(4) OFFICE LEASE ─ rental of constituency office(s).

The following costs are charged to House Administration central budgets:

(5) TRAVEL
(a) each Member is allowed a maximum of 64 return trips each fiscal year between Ottawa and their constituency and other parts of Canada (30 return trips on a prorated basis for all Members elected on October 14, 2008 ). Four (4) of these trips can also be used to travel to Washington, D.C., and the point of departure must be Ottawa, the Member’s constituency or the American border airport closest to their constituency. Opposition Party Leaders are entitled to an additional 16 return trips for a total of 80 return trips (7 return trips on a prorated basis for Opposition Party Leaders elected on October 14, 2008 for a total of 37 return trips);
(b) while in travel status, each Member may be reimbursed for private or rented accommodation and for meals and incidental expenses up to the per diem rate, to a maximum of $25,092 per fiscal year (prorated to $11,620 for new Members elected on October 14, 2008).

(6) TELEPHONE ─ four lines, one fax line and one toll-free number for the primary constituency office telephone services and long-distance charges; a maximum of four wireless devices and services with three voice plans and one data plan.

(7) PRINTING
(a) Householders – printed materials sent by Members (up to four householders per calendar year) to inform their constituents about
parliamentary activities and issues;
(b) Ten Percenters (additional householders) – printed or photocopied material reproduced in quantities not exceeding 10% of the total number of households in a Member’s constituency;
(c) Ten Percenter Regrouping (additional householders) – some or all Members in a recognized party collectively submit, via their Whip’s office, an identical ten-percenter request; up to one regrouping per month is allowed, to a maximum of 10% of the total households represented by the Members submitting the request.

(8) OFFICE SUPPLIES ─ for the Ottawa and constituency offices.

(9) CONSTITUENCY OFFICE FURNITURE AND EQUIPMENT IMPROVEMENT FUND ─ Members may purchase, out of this fund,
office furniture, equipment, computers and supplies for their constituency office(s) using House Administration standing offers only, up
to a maximum of $5,000 per year (prorated to $2,320 for new Members elected on October 14, 2008).

(10) OTHER ─ includes furniture, computer and communication equipment, software and renovations for the Member’s Ottawa office.

==================

With respect to Alice Wong, page 62 of the document has the following entry (click to zoom in):

The financial statements for the House of Commons can be found here. They are audited by KPMG.

Information about the Board of Internal Economy can be found here.

All of the information provided here for fiscal 2008-2009 has been publicly accessible since October 2009.

Alice Wong, in addition to Parliament Secretary of Finance Ted Menzies, Minister of State for Seniors Diane Ablonczy, and BC Government Deputy Minister of Finance Graham Whitmarsh listened to the statements given by many people in the audience on May 3, 2010. The meeting went from 5:00pm to approximately 8:30pm in Richmond.

The deadline for submissions has been extended from April 30 – If you were not able to attend, you can still submit comments online by clicking on http://www.fin.gc.ca/activty/consult/retirement-eng.asp – or by sending an email to ris-consultations-srr@fin.gc.ca by May 14, 2010.

The Ministry of Finance also kindly points out, “A consultation is not a poll. Please do not send multiple or duplicate submissions.”

We have received inquiries with respect to merchants and credit and debit card processing. The constituency of Richmond has a large number of small businesses, especially restaurants, that are reliant on economical processing of credit and debit card transactions.

Residents of Richmond will be receiving an information brief regarding the government’s credit card code of conduct. These policy proposals include the following:

1. Increased Transparency and Disclosure by Debit and Credit Card Networks and Acquirers to Merchants
2. Merchants will receive a minimum of 90 days notice of any fee changes related to any credit or debit card transactions.
3. Following notification of a fee change, merchants will be allowed to cancel their contracts without penalty.
4. Merchants who accept credit card payments will not be obligated to accept debit card payments from the same payment network, and vice versa.
5. Merchants will be allowed to provide discounts for different methods of payment (e.g. cash, debit card, credit card). Merchants will also be allowed to provide differential discounts among different brands.
6. Merchants can decide whether they will accept multiple forms of debit card payment. In such a case, merchants can choose the lowest-cost option on transactions involving co-badged debit cards.
7. Co-badged debit cards shall be fairly branded.
8. Debit and credit card functions shall not co-reside on the same payment card.
9. Premium credit cards may only be given to consumers who apply for or consent to such cards. In addition, premium cards shall only be given to a well-defined group of cardholders.

These policy proposals will enable merchants to choose the credit/debit card processing packages that are most appropriate for them. More importantly, they can choose to engage in differential discounting depending on method of payment (#5) – such as offering a cash discount for that method of payment.

Depending on the type of transaction performed, a credit card transaction can cost a business roughly 2-3% of the transaction amount, and a debit card transaction is typically around 20-50 cents. Merchants can pass cost savings associated with a cash transaction onto the customers if the code of conduct policy is adopted. Currently most merchant agreements prohibit such a policy.

On the consumer side, most regulations the government has enacted are effective on January 1, 2010. They require credit card providers to provide better disclosure to consumers.

Specifically, credit card providers will have to:
* Provide a summary box on credit contracts and application forms that sets out key features, such as interest rates and fees.
* Inform consumers how long it would take to fully repay their balance if they only make a minimum payment every month.
* Mandate an effective minimum 21-day, interest-free grace period on all new credit card purchases when a customer pays the outstanding balance in full.
* Lower interest costs by mandating allocations of payments in favour of the consumer.
* Require express consent for credit limit increases.
* Limit debt collection practices used by financial institutions.
* Prohibit over-the-limit fees solely arising from holds placed by merchants.
* Mandate advance disclosure of interest rate increases prior to their taking effect, even if this information had been included in the credit contract.

The exact wording of the change in regulations can be found on the September 30, 2009 edition of the Canada Gazette.

During the last weekend, Alice Wong was consulting with various groups with the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, Jason Kenney. The following are a few pictures from consultations with a couple community groups:

One of the full-week Parliamentary breaks this spring is scheduled for April 5-9, where Alice will be back in Richmond.

Over the past year, we have been working very hard in bringing federal infrastructure dollars into Richmond. Your tax dollars are being prudently invested in projects that will benefit the public, whether your commute on Highway 99 is quicker due to the transit lane expansion, or whether your water and sewage services are maintained to the excellent standards we all currently enjoy whenever we turn on our taps or flush our toilets.

Through the Recreational Infrastructure Canada fund, we have worked to bring in about $4 million in federal funding that helped to build projects such as the middle arm of the dike just north of the Olympic Oval; construction dollars for renovations to places such as the Steveston Community Center; South Arm Community Center; the Minoru Aquatic Center; and the Minoru Lawn Bowling Club. Finally, the Hamilton Community Centre (located in east Richmond) received funding toward its expansion.

Additionally, the Knowledge Infrastructure Fund has provided funding Kwantlen Polytechnic Unviersity’s Richmond campus planned library expansion.

We continue to work hard for the people of Richmond and respect taxpayers’ dollars. Ultimately these investments go toward projects that will benefit all of Richmond.

Links:
Building Canada – BC
Recreational Infrastructure Canada Grants
Knowledge Infrastructure Grants

Words from Alice Wong, MP:

I personally want to express my deepest condolences to the many in Haiti who have suffered so tragically from this recent disaster. Our sincerest hope is that we can mobilize relief efforts in an efficient and expedient manner to alleviate their pain and suffering. Our thoughts, prayers, and material resources are all focused on assisting them in their time of need.

As a result of some inquiries made to this office with respect to the issue of Canadian troops in Afghanistan, we inform people that on March 13, 2008, the House of Commons adopted a motion on Canada’s involvement in Afghanistan. The exact wording of the motion is as follows:

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Whereas,

the House recognizes the important contribution and sacrifice of
Canadian Forces and Canadian civilian personnel as part of the UN
mandated, NATO-led mission deployed in Afghanistan at the request of
the democratically elected government of Afghanistan;

the House believes that Canada must remain committed to the people of
Afghanistan beyond February 2009;

the House takes note that in February 2002, the government took a
decision to deploy 850 troops to Kandahar to join the international
coalition that went to Afghanistan to drive out the Taliban in the
wake of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, and that this
deployment lasted for six months at which time the troops rotated out
of Afghanistan and returned home;

the House takes note that in February 2003, the government took a
decision that Canada would commit 2000 troops and lead for one year,
starting in the summer of 2003, the International Security Assistance
Force (ISAF) in Kabul and at the end of the one-year commitment,
Canada’s 2000 troop commitment was reduced to a 750-person
reconnaissance unit as Canada’s NATO ally, Turkey, rotated into Kabul
to replace Canada as the lead nation of the ISAF mission;

the House takes note that in August 2005, Canada assumed
responsibility of the Provincial Reconstruction Team in Kandahar
province which included roughly 300 Canadian Forces personnel;

the House takes note that the government took a decision to commit a
combat Battle Group of roughly 1200 troops to Kandahar for a period of
one year, from February 2006 to February 2007;

the House takes note that in January 2006, the government
participated in the London Conference on Afghanistan which resulted in
the signing of the Afghanistan Compact which set out benchmarks and
timelines until the end of 2010 for improving the security, the
governance and the economic and social development of Afghanistan;

the House takes note that in May 2006, Parliament supported the
government’s two year extension of Canada’s deployment of diplomatic,
development, civilian police and military personnel in Afghanistan and
the provision of funding and equipment for this extension;

the House welcomes the Report of the Independent Panel on Canada’s
Future Role in Afghanistan, chaired by the Honourable John Manley, and
recognizes the important contribution its members have made;

the House takes note that it has long been a guiding principle of
Canada’s involvement in Afghanistan that all three components of a
comprehensive government strategy–defence, diplomacy and
development–must reinforce each other and that the government must
strike a balance between these components to be most effective;

the House takes note that the ultimate aim of Canadian policy is to
leave Afghanistan to Afghans, in a country that is better governed,
more peaceful and more secure and to create the necessary space and
conditions to allow the Afghans themselves to achieve a political
solution to the conflict; and

the House takes note that in order to achieve that aim, it is
essential to assist the people of Afghanistan to have properly
trained, equipped and paid members of the four pillars of their
security apparatus: the army, the police, the judicial system and the
correctional system;

therefore, it is the opinion of the House,

that Canada should continue a military presence in Kandahar beyond
February 2009, to July 2011, in a manner fully consistent with the UN
mandate on Afghanistan, and that the military mission should consist
of:

(a) training the Afghan National Security Forces so that they can
expeditiously take increasing responsibility for security in Kandahar
and Afghanistan as a whole;

(b) providing security for reconstruction and development efforts in Kandahar;

(c) the continuation of Canada’s responsibility for the Kandahar
Provincial Reconstruction Team;

that, consistent with this mandate, this extension of Canada’s
military presence in Afghanistan is approved by this House expressly
on the condition that:

(a) NATO secure a battle group of approximately 1000 to rotate into
Kandahar (operational no later than February 2009);

(b) to better ensure the safety and effectiveness of the Canadian
contingent, the government secure medium helicopter lift capacity and
high performance Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) for intelligence,
surveillance, and reconnaissance before February 2009; and

(c) the government of Canada notify NATO that Canada will end its
presence in Kandahar as of July 2011, and, as of that date, the
redeployment of Canadian Forces troops out of Kandahar and their
replacement by Afghan forces start as soon as possible, so that it
will have been completed by December 2011;

that the government of Canada, together with our allies and the
government of Afghanistan, must set firm targets and timelines for the
training, equiping of the Afghan National Army, the Afghan National
Police, the members of the judicial system and the members of the
correctional system

that Canada’s contribution to the reconstruction and development of
Afghanistan should:

(a) be revamped and increased to strike a better balance between our
military efforts and our development efforts in Afghanistan;

(b) focus on our traditional strengths as a nation, particularly
through the development of sound judicial and correctional systems and
strong political institutions on the ground in Afghanistan and the
pursuit of a greater role for Canada in addressing the chronic fresh
water shortages in the country;

(c) address the crippling issue of the na2istently undermines
progress in Afghanistan, through the pursuit of solutions that do not
further alienate the goodwill of the local population;

(d) be held to a greater level of accountability and scrutiny so that
the Canadian people can be sure that our development contributions are
being spent effectively in Afghanistan;

that Canada should assert a stronger and more disciplined diplomatic
position regarding Afghanistan and the regional players, including
support for the naming of a special envoy to the region who could both
ensure greater coherence in all diplomatic initiatives in the region
and also press for greater coordination amongst our partners in the UN
in the pursuit of common diplomatic goals in the region;

that the government should provide the public with franker and more
frequent reporting on events in Afghanistan, offering more assessments
of Canada’s role and giving greater emphasis to the diplomatic and
reconstruction efforts as well as those of the military and, for
greater clarity, the government should table in Parliament detailed
reports on the progress of the mission in Afghanistan on a quarterly
basis;

that the House of Commons should strike a special parliamentary
committee on Afghanistan which would meet regularly with the Ministers
of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and National Defence and
senior officials, and that the House should authorize travel by the
special committee to Afghanistan and the surrounding region so that
the special committee can make frequent recommendations on the conduct
and progress of our efforts in Afghanistan;

that, the special parliamentary committee on Afghanistan should
review the laws and procedures governing the use of operational and
national security exceptions for the withholding of information from
Parliament, the Courts and the Canadian people with those responsible
for administering those laws and procedures, to ensure that Canadians
are being provided with ample information on the conduct and progress
of the mission; and

that with respect to the transfer of Afghan detainees to Afghan
authorities, the government must:

(a) commit to meeting the highest NATO and international standards
with respect to protecting the rights of detainees, transferring only
when it believes it can do so in keeping with Canada’s international
obligations;

(b) pursue a NATO-wide solution to the question of detainees through
diplomatic efforts that are rooted in the core Canadian values of
respect for human rights and the dignity of all people;

(c) commit to a policy of greater transparency with respect to its
policy on the taking of and transferring of detainees including a
commitment to report on the results of reviews or inspections of
Afghan prisons undertaken by Canadian officials; and

that the government must commit to improved interdepartmental
coordination to achieve greater cross-government coherence and
coordination of the government’s domestic management of our commitment
to Afghanistan, including the creation of a full-time task force which
is responsible directly to the Prime Minister to lead these efforts.