Opinion

Dreeshen Talks Taxes And Electoral Reform

Published

9 years ago

3 minute read

In Touch with MP Earl Dreeshen

Parliament has returned to session and in the next few months we will continue pushing forward with our priorities as the conservative caucus. Those priories are clear:

To be the voice of the taxpayer.
To continue to be the only party to oppose the Liberal agenda of uncontrolled spending and deficits that has already led to higher taxes.
To hold the Liberals accountable for their misguided and risky economic plans.

Electoral Reform

On February 1, the Liberals indicated that they would be breaking his election promise that 2015 would be the last election held under our current system. Our party entered the discussion on changes to the electoral system with a principled position: that when you change the rules of democracy, everyone gets to have a say.

The Liberal government mishandled the electoral reform file from day one. With the process in tatters, our leader said late last year that it was time to set the discussion aside, and focus on the real priorities of Canadians. We are glad the government took our leader’s advice to park electoral reform. Our position remains that any change to the way we elect Members of Parliament must only be decided in a referendum.

Taxes Continue to Rise Under the Liberals

Since being elected on a platform of “cutting taxes for the middle class”, Justin Trudeau has continued piling new taxes onto Canadian families. He is bringing in a new carbon tax and a CPP tax hike. He already slashed tax-free savings accounts, and eliminated tax credits for kids’ soccer and dance classes, as well as textbooks. He’s even considering taxing Netflix. An idea the Liberals floated recently was to tax Canadians’ health and dental benefits. Given the visceral and widespread condemnation of the idea, it’s not surprising that Trudeau on Tuesday appeared to be backing away from it.

It’s time for Justin Trudeau to get serious about lowering taxes, especially as Donald Trump moves forward on a massive tax-cutting program in the United States.

Mobile Office Update

Our next Mobile Office will be in Sundre at the Greenwood Neighborhood Place on Tuesday February 7^th from 10am-12 noon. Please feel free to bring any questions, comments or concerns to my staff at that time.

Sincerely your Member of Parliament,

Earl Dreeshen

Related Topics:Earl Dreeshen In Touch with Earl Dreeshen

Up Next

Red Deer’s Air Quality debate reminds me of cigarette smoke debate or climate change debate.

Don't Miss

Is the City of Red Deer a Small Tent that is getting even smaller?

Follow Author

Emissions Reduction Alberta offering financial boost for the next transformative drilling idea

armed forces / 2 hours ago

Global Military Industrial Complex Has Never Had It So Good, New Report Finds

International / 2 hours ago

Atlantic hurricane season is 8th this century with no landfalls

armed forces

Global Military Industrial Complex Has Never Had It So Good, New Report Finds

Published on December 1, 2025

Todayville

From the Daily Caller News Foundation

By Wallace White

The global war business scored record revenues in 2024 amid multiple protracted proxy conflicts across the world, according to a new industry analysis released on Monday.

The top 100 arms manufacturers in the world raked in $679 billion in revenue in 2024, up 5.9% from the year prior, according to a new Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) study. The figure marks the highest ever revenue for manufacturers recorded by SIPRI as the group credits major conflicts for supplying the large appetite for arms around the world.

“The rise in the total arms revenues of the Top 100 in 2024 was mostly due to overall increases in the arms revenues of companies based in Europe and the United States,” SIPRI said in their report. “There were year-on-year increases in all the geographical areas covered by the ranking apart from Asia and Oceania, which saw a slight decrease, largely as a result of a notable drop in the total arms revenues of Chinese companies.”

Notably, Chinese arms manufacturers saw a large drop in reported revenues, declining 10% from 2023 to 2024, according to SIPRI. Just off China’s shores, Japan’s arms industry saw the largest single year-over-year increase in revenue of all regions measured, jumping 40% from 2023 to 2024.

American companies dominate the top of the list, which measures individual companies’ revenue, with Lockheed Martin taking the top spot with $64,650,000,000 of arms revenue in 2024, according to the report. Raytheon Technologies, Northrop Grumman and BAE Systems follow shortly after in revenue,

The Czechoslovak Group recorded the single largest jump in year-on-year revenue from 2023 to 2024, increasing its haul by 193%, according to SIPRI. The increase is largely driven by their crucial role in supplying arms and ammunition to Ukraine.

The Pentagon contracted one of the group’s subsidiaries in August to build a new ammo plant in the U.S. to replenish artillery shell stockpiles drained by U.S. aid to Ukraine.

“In 2024 the growing demand for military equipment around the world, primarily linked to rising geopolitical tensions, accelerated the increase in total Top 100 arms revenues seen in 2023,” the report reads. “More than three quarters of companies in the Top 100 (77 companies) increased their arms revenues in 2024, with 42 reporting at least double-digit percentage growth.”

International

Atlantic hurricane season is 8th this century with no landfalls

Published on December 1, 2025

Todayville

From The Center Square

By Alan Wooten

Nothing like Helene, and nothing like three hurricanes making landfall in 66 days.

Sunday’s end to the hurricane season for the Atlantic Basin was welcomed from the Gulf states to the Atlantic seaboard, with gratitude not a single one made landfall in the United States. A year ago, Hurricane Helene was among the three in just over two months that arrived in Florida, and its destruction was most heavily felt in North Carolina with 108 deaths and an estimated $60 billion to $80 billion in damages.

This is the 62nd week of recovery from Helene.

“That was a much-needed break,” said Dr, Neil Jacobs, under secretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration administrator. “Still, a tropical storm caused damage and casualties in the Carolinas, distant hurricanes created rough ocean waters that caused property damage along the East Coast, and neighboring countries experienced direct hits from hurricanes.”

This is the eighth year this century with no hurricane landfalls in the Atlantic season. The previous years were 2000, 2001, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2013 and 2015.

Thirteen storms reached a level to be named, five escalated to Category 1 (sustained winds of 74 mph or greater) and four of those eclipsed Category 3 (sustained winds 111 mph or greater).

Hurricanes Humberto and Imelda on Sept. 30 drew as close as 450 to 600 miles apart in the Atlantic Ocean, churning up the surf along much of the East Coast and drawing a warning for storm surge between Florida and South Carolina. Imelda ultimately was drawn toward and followed Humberto out to sea, enabling the Carolinas to avert catastrophe.

Erin, however, was a different story. Once a Category 5 (sustained winds 157 mph or greater) in the ocean, the storm temporarily shuttered four ferries in North Carolina and closed the 148-mile famed N.C. 12.

Tropical Storm Barry in June was the closest threat to Gulf Coast states. Imelda was the closest threat to Florida.

In Florida in 2024, Debby made landfall as a Category 1 hurricane near Steinhatchee on Aug. 5, Helene made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane in Dekle Beach on Sept. 26, and Milton made landfall as a Category 3 hurricane near Siesta Key on Oct. 9.

The 2024 season had 18 named storms, 11 reaching at least Category 1 hurricane level, and five of those accorded major hurricane level (Category 3 or worse).