Old Age Security has been in the news recently, because of changes that are being considered to the program.  But OAS isn’t the only source for retirement income and the Conservative government has taken several steps to increase retirement security for Canadians.

In the last few years we have:

• introduced pension income splitting
• eliminated federal income tax for 380,000 lower income seniors
• increased the GIS earnings exemption from $500 to $3500
• introduced the Pooled Registered Pension Plan, and
• introduced automatic renewal of the Guaranteed Income Supplement.

All of these changes will help with retirement; several of which will specifically help low income seniors.  If you include the introduction of tax fee savings accounts, and enhancements to CPP for older workers, Canadian retirees are significantly better off after six years of Conservative government.

I’m Brad Trost, your Member of Parliament in Saskatoon-Humboldt. You can reach my office in Saskatoon at 975-6133. Feel free to drop by my two offices for a visit: Saskatoon (Monday to Friday) or Humboldt (Tuesday and Wednesday). I always appreciate your feedback.

If you follow the news, you probably have heard discussion about The Protecting Children from Internet Predators Act. While most media commentary focused on privacy rights, what was not discussed as much was the problem we are trying to combat: child pornography.

Child pornography is not a pleasant subject to talk about but we as a society need to do everything we can to stop it.

In a recent investigation in Ontario, 22 children were rescued from abuse after the police were able to obtain IP addresses for 60 computers. But investigators were unable to obtain IP addresses for nearly 9,000 other computers that had sent and received child pornography in the previous 60 days.

Inspector Scott Naylor, manager of the Ontario Provincial Police child exploitation unit said that our current system for obtaining IP addresses of suspected child pornographers is “like putting a cup under Niagara Falls.”

This is why our Government has introduced this legislation.

I’m Brad Trost, your Member of Parliament in Saskatoon-Humboldt. You can reach my office in Saskatoon at 975-6133. Feel free to drop by my two offices for a visit: Saskatoon (Monday to Friday) or Humboldt (Tuesday and Wednesday). I always appreciate your feedback.

A few months ago, I got a phone call asking if the federal government could do something to help with the doctor shortage that Wakaw is facing.

The caller understood that the provincial government deals directly with healthcare, which is the constitutional responsibility of the provinces. But the federal government does do what it can to help.

Specifically, in our last federal Budget, we introduced a program to lessen student loan repayments for doctors who choose to settle in rural areas.  The program also assists nurses and nurse practitioners who choose to work in rural or remote regions, giving them incentives to stay in these areas for five years.

This program is too new to know for sure how many doctors will leave the city for rural Canada. However, this is just one thing we are doing for rural communities like Wakaw that need a boost in attracting physicians.

Your Conservative government is working to help cover health care needs for rural communities.

I’m Brad Trost, your Member of Parliament in Saskatoon-Humboldt. You can reach my office in Saskatoon at 975-6133. Feel free to drop by my two offices for a visit: Saskatoon (Monday to Friday) or Humboldt (Tuesday and Wednesday). I always appreciate your feedback.

Terrorism is not a fun subject to discuss; but the Air India Bombing and the Toronto 18 demonstrate that Canada is not immune to the threat of terrorist activities on our soil.

Last week, the Government released a new counter-terrorism strategy.

The goals of the Counter-Terrorism Strategy are:

• preventing individuals from engaging in terrorism
• detecting the activities of individuals who may pose a terrorist threat
• denying terrorists the means and opportunity to carry out their activities
• responding proportionately, rapidly and in an organized manner to terrorist activities to mitigate their effects.

While no plan can perfectly protect Canadians, all the time everywhere, the Conservative government is determined that a tragedy like the Air India bombing will never be repeated on Canadian soil.  Protecting citizens is a fundamental duty of government, and this plan will help protect Canada from terrorist threats.

I’m Brad Trost, your Member of Parliament in Saskatoon-Humboldt. You can reach my office in Saskatoon at 975-6133. Feel free to drop by my two offices for a visit: Saskatoon (Monday to Friday) or Humboldt (Tuesday and Wednesday). I always appreciate your feedback.

You may not know that 2012 marks the 50th anniversary of the creation of the Canadian Coast Guard:

• Since those early days of lifeboats and Arctic voyages, the organization now includes a workforce of roughly 4,500 dedicated employees and a fleet of 116 vessels and 22 helicopters.

• Whether it is to support Canada’s fishing industry, maritime transportation, shipping, or the country’s millions of recreational boaters, our brave men and women are always there, ready to serve.

Since 2005, the Conservative Government has provided close to $1.4 billion for the Coast Guard fleet, including new “Hero Class” mid-shore patrol vessels.

Also, the Canadian Coast Guard will be acquiring three new offshore fisheries science vessels, one new oceanographic science vessel and a new polar icebreaker – CCGS John G. Diefenbaker.

So congratulations to the Coast Guard, Happy 50th.

I’m Brad Trost, your Member of Parliament in Saskatoon-Humboldt. You can reach my office in Saskatoon at 975-6133. Feel free to drop by my two offices for a visit: Saskatoon (Monday to Friday) or Humboldt (Tuesday and Wednesday). I always appreciate your feedback.

You might have missed an announcement last month regarding air travel to the United States.

* In order to speed up travel to the U.S., the federal government announced that Canadian travelers will soon be able to use their NEXUS cards to expedite screening at Canada`s eight largest airports beginning in February.

* Also, Canadian passengers will benefit from the elimination of duplicate baggage screening over the next three years. This will allow Canadians to book tighter connecting flights while travelling through and to U.S. cities; and have a better chance of getting their bags on the same connecting flight.

* These border initiatives, like the one described above, not only make flights easier and more convenient. They also help create jobs and economic growth in Canada by improving the traffic flow between our two countries.

I’m Brad Trost, your Member of Parliament in Saskatoon-Humboldt. You can reach my office in Saskatoon at 975-6133. Feel free to drop by my two offices for a visit: Saskatoon (Monday to Friday) or Humboldt (Tuesday and Wednesday). I always appreciate your feedback.

So, what do Members of Parliament do when the House of Commons is not sitting in Ottawa?

Well, this January, I’m speaking to a Grade 8 class; doing a coffee hour at seniors’ residence; helping with a passport clinic; speaking to an agriculture conference; doing a breakfast talk to a coffee group; making official federal announcements; and (hopefully) finding time to drop in on one of the Hutterite colonies in the constituency.

Along with public engagements, I make sure I take the time to meet with constituents one-on-one.

In short, Members of Parliament spend their non-Ottawa weeks reaching out to hear from their constituents.  We do it because it’s the best way we know to serve our voters. We appreciate everyone who gives us their honest input. It helps MPs do their jobs.  It helps us serve you better.

I’m Brad Trost, your Member of Parliament in Saskatoon-Humboldt. You can reach my office in Saskatoon at 975-6133. Feel free to drop by my two offices for a visit: Saskatoon (Monday to Friday) or Humboldt (Tuesday and Wednesday). I always appreciate your feedback.

The Indian Act needs to go.  It’s not working and needs to be replaced.

Major efforts have been made over the years to raise the standard of living on Reserves. However, the standard of living on many Reserves across Canada is not even close to a level that would be considered adequate in most of the country.

Toss in the frustration that many taxpayers feel when they see billions of dollars being spent for what they see as next to no return and we have a situation where almost no one benefits from the status quo.

Inertia and piecemeal solutions are the order of the day, unfortunately. Something major needs to be done. Getting rid of the Indian Act would be a good start.

If legislation was passed sun setting the Indian Act and forcing a major overhaul of the Department of Aboriginal Affairs, we might start to get results that would benefit all Canadians.

I’m Brad Trost, your Member of Parliament in Saskatoon-Humboldt. You can reach my office in Saskatoon at 975-6133. Feel free to drop by my two offices for a visit: Saskatoon (Monday to Friday) or Humboldt (Tuesday and Wednesday). I always appreciate your feedback.

I would like to wish you and your loved ones a Merry Christmas and a Happy 2012.

This last year, we have been blessed by many things in Canada. We should also remember those who are less fortunate than us.

As you celebrate Christmas and New Years with your friends and family, please reach out to those who are in need.

On behalf of myself and my staff in Ottawa, Saskatoon and Humboldt: Merry Christmas to you and your family.

I’m Brad Trost, your Member of Parliament in Saskatoon-Humboldt. You can call my office in Saskatoon at 975-6133 or drop by our two offices to visit: Saskatoon Monday-Friday or Humboldt Tuesday and Wednesday. I always appreciate your feedback.

Revenues from oil help keep people employed in Saskatchewan, they pay for our hospitals and our schools and are, along with agriculture, and mining, very important to our economy.  So you would think that all Canadian politicians would want to get as much money as possible by exporting oil to our southern neighbours.

Not so the NDP. Their MPs flew down to Washington, D.C. to argue against building a pipeline that would export oil to the U.S.

The NDP are opposed to the Keystone XL pipeline because they are opposed to the oil sands. They just don’t care about the jobs and money that flow into Alberta and Saskatchewan. Now, I realize that the new NDP is Quebec-centric. But by asking American politicians to kill jobs in Western Canada, the New Democrats are not only abandoning the West, they are openly attacking my province. The NDP should be ashamed for attacking a vital sector of our prairie economy.

I’m Brad Trost, your Member of Parliament in Saskatoon-Humboldt. You can call my office in Saskatoon at 975-6133 or drop by our two offices to visit: Saskatoon Monday-Friday or Humboldt Tuesday and Wednesday. I always appreciate your feedback.