mypcmla.ca - Peter Sandhu RSS 2.0 Feed

July E-Newsletter

edmonton.manning@mypcmla.ca — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 00:00:00 MST

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June 2010 E-Newsletter

edmonton.manning@mypcmla.ca — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 00:00:00 MST

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May 2010 E-Newsletter

edmonton.manning@mypcmla.ca — Fri, 07 May 2010 00:00:00 MST

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Vaisakhi 2010 in the Alberta Legislature

edmonton.manning@mypcmla.ca — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 00:00:00 MST

Vaisakhi in Sikhism, it is one of the most significant holidays in the Sikh calendar, commemorating the establishment of the Khalsa at Anandpur Sahib in 1699, by the 10th Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh.

Legislature Update - April 2010

edmonton.manning@mypcmla.ca — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 00:00:00 MST

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Competitiveness Review - Energizing Investment

edmonton.manning@mypcmla.ca — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 00:00:00 MST

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Alberta Gives Green for Going Green

edmonton.manning@mypcmla.ca — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 00:00:00 MST

Thousands of Albertans have made their homes more energy efficient since the Alberta government announced the energy efficiency rebate program in April, 2009. More than 38,000 Albertans have received $9.3 million in rebates, helping to avoid over 330,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions. That's the equivalent of removing 63,000 vehicles off the roads.

In Edmonton, over 15,000 homeowners have received cheques totaling $3 million.

The program provides consumer rebates for:

energy evaluations for homeowners to assess the current energy efficiency of their home and to measure its efficiency after improvements are made;
efficient home heating systems, hot water heating systems, clothes washers and insulation upgrades; and
new homes achieving a high level of energy efficiency.

'The tremendous response to the energy efficiency rebate program in just under a year speaks to the commitment of Albertans to reduce their environmental footprints,' says Environment Minister Rob Renner. 'Consumers have the power to make a positive environmental impact through their day-to-day energy decisions. Clearly, the people of our province want to do their share.'

Delivering on commitments laid out in its 2008 Climate Change Strategy, the Government of Alberta invested $36 million over three years to help Albertans reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. Many of the rebates are tied to the federal ecoENERGY Retrofit Program, enabling consumers to recoup costs from both programs. The program is administered by Climate Change Central, a non-profit organization empowering Albertans to take action on climate change.

Rebates are available on purchases retroactive to January 1, 2009. To apply for a rebate, visit http://www.climatechangecentral.com/ or phone 1-888-537-7202.

Legislature Update - March 2010

edmonton.manning@mypcmla.ca — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 00:00:00 MST

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Budget 2010 strikes the right balance and readies Alberta for the future

edmonton.manning@mypcmla.ca — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 00:00:00 MST

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Legislature Update Feb 2010

edmonton.manning@mypcmla.ca — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 00:00:00 MST

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Legislature Update January 2010

edmonton.manning@mypcmla.ca — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 00:00:00 MST

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Edmonton - Manning Summer 2009 Newsletter

edmonton.manning@mypcmla.ca — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 00:00:00 MST

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Member's Statement - Organ Donation

edmonton.manning@mypcmla.ca — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 00:00:00 MST

Mr. Sandhu: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I stand today to recognize organ donor week, which is April 19 to 26 this year. Organ donation has always been an important issue for me.

That is why I introduced Motion 528, urging the government to require Albertans to make an election regarding organ donation on the back of their Alberta health card.

In the April 5 Edmonton Journal, there was an article about organ and tissue donations. This article said that Canada has more than 4,000 people waiting for transplants; 600 of these people were in Alberta alone. Last year, sadly, 51 people died while on the waiting list for transplants at the University of Alberta. This article said that one donor could help as many as 80 people.

It is not difficult to become an organ donor. All you need to do is carry an organ donor card in your wallet. It is also very important to discuss your wishes with your family. Once we are no longer living, organ donation is one last chance to help people, to give people another chance at life or at living in a normal way.

There are so many people who have died while waiting for transplants, and this does not have to be the case. I urge all members of this Assembly and, indeed, all Albertans to discuss organ donation with their family and to sign their health card and let others know of their decision and explain the benefit of this life-changing decision.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Member's Statement - Fraser Elementary School Fundraising

edmonton.manning@mypcmla.ca — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 00:00:00 MST

Mr. Sandhu: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I rise today to recognize the incredible fundraising effort of the Fraser elementary school, located in my constituency of Edmonton-Manning. With the help of teachers and students at the school and their community they raised over $11,000 for the Kids with Cancer Society.

The Kids with Cancer Society was instrumental in making a difference in the life of one student in particular at Fraser elementary school. Adam is a three-time cancer survivor and is only nine years old. Despite the struggle Adam has faced early in his life, he is here with us today. The Kids with Cancer Society took Adam to hockey games and the rodeo and special camps with other children with cancer.

The Fraser school community participated in a variety of fundraisers, including selling candygrams, bake sales, coin tosses, and movie afternoon in the gym. There were even a few brave students, teachers, and parents who participated in a head shaving fundraiser.

These participants grew out their hair, some to their backs, and the hair that was at least 10 inches long was donated to Locks of Love.

Locks of Love is a public, nonprofit organization that provides hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children in Canada and the United States suffering from long-term medical hair loss from any diagnosis. It is wonderful that these students give of themselves to help others in need. I am humbled by their efforts and am proud to be their representative.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Peter Sandhu, MLA's Maiden Speech

edmonton.manning@mypcmla.ca — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 00:00:00 MST

Mr. Sandhu: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

As a new member it is a pleasure and honour to rise today on behalf of the people of Edmonton-Manning and address the Assembly in response to the Speech from the Throne. I would like to begin by congratulating all my colleagues in the Assembly on their hard work. We have been given a great opportunity, and that comes with important responsibilities to represent our constituents and Albertans.

In particular, I would like to congratulate both the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker on your appointments. It will be an honour to work with you and the new committee chairs. I would also like to extend my best wishes to the Sikh community on the special occasion of Vaisakhi, the birth of the Khalsa. This was on the 27th Legislative Assembly's opening day, and it was truly remarkable that these two events happened on the same day in our Assembly. Many, many congratulations to the Sikh community in Canada and throughout the world on the eve of Vaisakhi.

I would like to thank my wife, Kamal, and my three children, Preet, Neetu, and Deep, along with my siblings for their support in my campaign and in my new job as MLA. I will be celebrating my 25th anniversary next year, January 29, 2009, with my wife, Kamal, and I will be inviting all my colleagues. I know that I will be working long hours, but it will be well worth it.

I also owe great thanks to my friends, my campaign team, and student volunteers for getting me here. I will never forget your sacrifice and contribution.

Mr. Speaker, as the new Member for Edmonton-Manning I promise to work hard and listen to the people in my riding to ensure that I remain the MLA for the area for years to come. My constituency was named after the Hon. Ernest C. Manning. He was not only an MLA but also served as Premier of Alberta longer than any other person. I'm also delighted that the hon. Premier is the representative for my neighbouring riding, Fort Saskatchewan-Vegreville.

Affordable housing, accessibility to daycare spaces, employment opportunities, education, and health care are a few of the critical issues I will be advocating based on the needs of my constituents. Health care premiums were also an important issue that I heard about while door-knocking. The minister of finance presented the budget in the Legislature last week, and I am proud to say that we have delivered for Albertans. As of January 1, 2009, health care premiums will only appear in history textbooks.

Now I would like to say a few words about myself. My interest in politics dates back to 1967, when my uncle was campaigning in India. I was only a young boy, but I still remember my uncle's election as an MLA to this day. Even before 1940 my grandfather was appointed by the British government as head of many villages, and his role in policing and civil matters was very important.

As a first-generation Canadian-Albertan I am very delighted. I left India to come to Canada in 1979 at the age of 18. I arrived with $10 in my pocket on Halloween day. I didn't know what to expect or what challenges I would face as a young immigrant. However, I had hope, determination, and motivation to succeed in this new country. I initially arrived in Vancouver, and I was first employed on a farm since I grew up in a farming family. Alberta is also soil rich, and farming is widespread. I later worked at a sawmill. Then I decided to move to Alberta in 1981, where I began working in a steel factory.

I had a serious back injury in 1987 at the steel factory, which, overall, declined my health status. In 1991 I built my own house. I enjoyed building, and therefore I decided to start my own business in that industry. I continued to work two jobs for 10 years. I worked during the night as a crane operator at the steel plant, and in the day I was a home builder and a realtor. I worked day in and day out to build an empire. Finally, I decided to quit working at the steel plant after 20 years of hard work and managed my business full-time. Four to five hours of sleep and hard work brought me this success. I have owned this successful business for 16 years.

Though I was not born in Canada, it has been my home for 29 years. This country gave me opportunities and freedom of choice, speech, justice, and religion to live as a free citizen, not only to me but to every citizen. Canada is a country free from discrimination on race, culture, religion, and gender and treats all citizens equally. I have always been proud of Albertans and how they do not judge one's background or one's skin colour but care about one's actions and contributions.

Living in Alberta has provided me with opportunities, and that along with hard work has made me a successful businessman and a people person as well. I enjoy working in the community, and I'm heavily involved in many different organizations with my wife's support.

I was honoured and thrilled to receive the Queen's jubilee medal in 2003, and I had the opportunity to be a 2005 centennial ambassador for the province of Alberta. I was very proud to be part of the centennial celebration as part of the 100-person delegation as this was a great landmark in the history of this great province. It was a great moment for our family.

Now I'm beginning another journey as an MLA, and just as I have served people in the past by building their dream homes, now I want to serve them in this new way. I entered politics because my country has given me so much, and I want to give back to the community at large and represent the people in my riding. I am both honoured and grateful that the people of Edmonton-Manning have chosen me to represent them in the Legislature. I look forward to carrying out the vision of honesty and integrity established by this government.

While I was door-knocking, people expressed many emotions. Many were happy with the actions of our government. However, some people had concerns related to the rapid growth in Alberta. I will listen to and represent the concerns of all the people in the Assembly.

I'm excited to see that we are moving ahead with the construction of the north part of the Anthony Henday road. I stood in the Legislature to ask the Minister of Transportation about the project

last week. He informed the Assembly that construction will begin as early as fall 2008 and be completed by fall 2015. These are very large projects, especially the bridges that will be built, and I'm excited to see the construction begin.

The cost of education is a huge factor for students in my riding, and I'm pleased to see that making postsecondary education more affordable and increasing the spaces available within our universities and colleges have been priorities for this government. Tuition fees make it extremely difficult for many Albertans wanting to attend university even with funding assistance. I have two children currently attending the University of Alberta. I know as a parent how hard it is to send children there. We need to invest in our children's education because we understand that a better educated workforce is important for the economy.

Crime is an issue that touches all Albertans. We understand that parents want to raise their families in safe neighbourhoods and do not want to live in fear. There will be an addition of 100 new police officers on the front lines in this year in Alberta as included in the budget for the next fiscal year.

Some other concerns I heard about on the doorsteps were regarding the education portion of property tax for seniors. Eliminating this tax will be helpful in allowing seniors to live in the comfort of their own homes.

There is also a need for more accessible, affordable daycare spaces.

The boom economy and shortage of labour are also issues that concern Albertans. I feel that we should encourage bringing in immigrants from overseas to fill these needs. We should develop a program for the building industry to give some incentive to the builders so they can build energy-efficient houses for the future.

I plan to bring these messages to the appropriate ministers in the coming month.

I also want to be a voice for the Albertans who really need our help such as those on AISH. I look forward to working with the Minister of Aboriginal Relations to respect and honour the First Nations people of Alberta. They're pioneers for our province, and they have helped with building Alberta into the great place to live that it is.

Mr. Speaker, as I mentioned earlier, I'm very pleased to have the opportunity to work hard for the people in my riding. I want to make Edmonton-Manning a better place and will do my best to represent these generous and hard-working people. I would like to acknowledge the compassion of the people in my riding. It is diverse in culture, income, and family makeup, and these people are friends, neighbours, and colleagues. They are very loving people.

I would like to thank my constituents for the work they do above and beyond the call of duty. They are very willing to volunteer and give their time to community leagues and nonprofit organizations out of the goodness of their hearts.

I received thank-you letters for pulling out my campaign signs after the election. The thank-you letters along with all of the other positive feedback has encouraged me to work even harder for my people. I look forward to debating in the Assembly about how to improve the lives of Albertans, ensuring that this province continues to prosper for generations to come.

I will always remember the first time I walked into this Assembly. I was so moved with pride, and at the same time I was excited about this new chapter of my life. I was touched by all the phone calls, cards, and letters of congratulations from around the world and members of my extended family.

I look forward to the coming session. I salute our brave soldiers and police forces for protecting our country. God bless our Alberta, and God bless our Canada.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.