Statement by Arnold Viersen, MP

would like to take this opportunity to first thank the extraordinary doctors, nurses and other health care providers in our riding, as well as emergency services personnel who are doing exceptional work to keep us all healthy and safe. I would also like to recognize the work of our farm families, foodbank staff, grocery store clerks, pharmacy and drug store staff, truck drivers, and other essential services who are doing extremely important work in these times of uncertainty.

I also want to thank the businesses and individuals who have stepped forward to help others in their communities. Businesses like West of the 5th who have started creating hand sanitizer for local medical staff and those in need. Or the La Crete organizers of window teddy bear hunts for families. Or those getting groceries for neighbours in isolation. Just a few of the many examples of our communities coming together to keep one another safe and lift each other’s spirits.

OPEN TODAY: Canada Emergency Response Benefit 

Applications for the Canada Emergency Response Benefit, which is meant to support Canadians who have lost income because of COVID-19, opened today. The CERB will provide $500 a week for up to 16 weeks.

Due to the expected number of applications, the CERB applications this week will be based on month of birth:

• April 6: Jan-Mar
• April 7: Apr-Jun
• April 8: Jul-Sep
• April 9: Oct-Dec

More details & application can be found here: https://www.canada.ca/en/services/benefits/ei/cerb-application.html or by calling 1-800-959-2019 or 1-800-959-2041. If you need more assistance, please contact my office at arnold.viersen@parl.gc.ca.

Support for Canada’s Charitable Sector

Local charities, community groups and religious organizations have been playing a significant role in helping Canadians get through this crisis.  And while the need for their services only continues to increase, the donations that they rely on have declined dramatically, as in-person fundraisers and events have been cancelled, and many Canadians who normally contribute are no longer in a position to give.

Conservatives are calling on the federal government to increase support for the charitable sector, by:

• Temporarily increasing the Charitable Donation Tax Credit for 2020. This would mobilize charitable contributions to hospitals, churches, food banks, women’s shelters and other worthy organizations.
• Immediately removing the capital gains tax on charitable donations of private company shares and real estate. While many businesses are struggling, some are still thriving and should be encouraged to support the charitable sector.

Support for Energy Workers

Canadian oil and gas workers are being particularly hard hit by this crisis. Businesses are worried about how they will survive, and many have already had to lay off workers. Weakened by hostile federal policies and legislation, and compounded by external factors since 2015, the human consequences of these attacks on Canadian energy have been devastating: 200,000 jobs lost and $200 billion in cancelled projects, the active drilling rigs count dropped by more than half this week, to only 42, down from 260 in February. This equates to job losses of 4,360 direct jobs and 33,790 indirect job losses – and that is just the drilling sector.

Last week, Finance Minister Bill Morneau told Parliament that the federal government would announce financial tools to help small and medium energy producers in a matter of ‘hours or days,’ and ‘not weeks.’ Nine days later, Canadian energy workers are still waiting for the government to provide this desperately needed help.

Conservatives are urging the Liberal government to deliver support for Canadian energy workers and businesses, and suggesting immediate actions they could take:

• Deliver on their promise to provide financial tools to increase liquidity and to recapitalize small and medium oil and gas employers, including credit facilities such as loan guarantees and accounts receivable insurance.
• Reduce costs by cancelling the carbon tax – Canada is the only one of the world’s top ten oil producers with a carbon tax which is an added cost and barrier to investment, and makes life less affordable for all Canadians; and immediately put on hold plans for the globally unprecedented Liberal fuel standard that also applies to natural gas and industrial buildings and will hike costs on refining, trucking, manufacturing and ultimately consumers.
• Encourage investment in Canada by working with regulators to speed up assessments for the twenty-billion dollars’ worth of oil and gas projects in the queue, including the Énergie Saguenay LNG plant in Quebec, while maintaining the evidence and science-based approach with the highest standards for which Canada is renowned.
• Provide regulatory certainty by committing to overhaul Bill C-69, and immediately adopt all the Senate amendments that were supported by the private sector and all provincial and territorial leaders.
• Expand access to export markets and get pipelines built by committing to use every federal tool to expedite construction of the Trans Mountain Expansion – its completion is now an economic emergency; work with the proponents and the United States to advance the Keystone XL and Line 3 replacement pipelines; repeal C-48, the oil shipping ban, and work with proponents to set the conditions for a dedicated export pipeline to the growing Asia Pacific markets, and for a west to east cross-country pipeline to secure domestic supply and export to Europe.

Conservatives will keep working to ensure Canadians, workers, small businesses and community organizations affected by COVID-19 have the help they need. And we will continue to use our strengthened Opposition to put forward constructive solutions to ensure that no one falls through the cracks.

For the latest updates on Canada’s COVID-19 Economic Response Plan, visit:

• Support for individuals
• Support for businesses
• Support for industries

As your MP, I want to keep you updated and informed. As always, if you have any questions or need assistance, please send me an email at arnold.viersen@parl.gc.ca.

Working for you,

Arnold Viersen, MP

Peace River – Westlock