CAEM Petition Presented in the House of Commons
On Monday, April 26th, Brad Vis, the MP from Mission-Matsqui-Fraser Canyon, rose in the House of Commons and presented a petition on CAEM’s behalf. View the video here. This petition, the content of which can be read here, defined the trade and consumer show industry as among the hardest hit sectors and outlined our key asks.
CAEM’s President, Executive Director and Board Member Brad Styba, met with MP Vis on March 31. Needless to say MP Vis was very empathetic to our industry’s plight and immediately understood that our situation is dire. He offered to present a petition to the House of Commons to highlight our industry if CAEM could gather the signatures. In a matter of days, 50 CAEM members and stakeholders signed the paper petition in person – with Covid 19 safety protocols in place – and the petition was then sent to MP Vis' office in Ottawa so it could be sent to the Clerk of the House of Commons for approval.
Now that MP Vis has presented the petition, it will be forwarded to the Office of Parliamentary Returns of the Privy Council which coordinates with the appropriate government department for them to prepare a reply. CAEM can expect a reply in the next two months from a Minister or Parliamentary Secretary outlining their recognition of the issue at hand and what the government plans to do. Once we have this response, we will share it with you.
Having a petition presented in the House of Commons on CAEM’s behalf is a major achievement in our advocacy strategy. With Crestview Strategy’s help and guidance, we are raising our industry’s voice with government and making a meaningful impact. This is an important victory for CAEM, but rest assured that our work is ongoing as we continue to meet with MPs and targeted Ministries such as Finance; Economic Development; Small Business; Heritage; Innovation, Science & Industry and Women & Gender.
Finally, CAEM would like to thank MP Brad Vis for recognizing our industry and championing our cause by presenting a petition in the House of Commons. Please help us thank him for his support by sharing the video on your social media channels and tagging MP Vis. Linkedin: @Bradley Vis; Twitter @BradleyVis; Instagram @brad_vis