I’d like to start this Bev’s Briefing by wishing all of you a very Happy New Year! I hope you and your family have good health and much happiness in 2012.
This will be a challenging year for our government, with the ongoing economic turmoil in other parts of the world continuing to affect us here in Canada. On the positive side, we still have the strongest economy of all G8 nations, and are in a good position to continue recovering more quickly than most of the industrialized world. Going forward, we will continue to make the economy and creating jobs our top priority .

Employment Insurance
Service Canada offices dealing with Employment Insurance claims have been experiencing a very high volume of calls and in-office visits in recent weeks, leaving some people waiting longer than normal to get answers about their claims. If you’re having difficulty with your EI claim, please give one of our offices a call, and we’d be happy to help. The Strathroy office can be reached at 519-245-6561 or 1-800-586-4614 and you can reach the Wallaceburg office at 519-627-4899 or 1-800-585-2640.

Changes to Canada Pension Plan (CPP)
Effective January 1st, 2012, employees who are at least 60 years old but under 70, and who are receiving CPP, are now required to contribute to CPP. Your continued contributions provide you with increased benefits in subsequent years through what is known as the Post-Retirement Benefit (PRB). However, once you reach age 65, you can elect to stop contributing to CPP by completing the CPT30 form available on the Canada Revenue Agency website at www.cra.gc.ca
For more information about changes to CPP, head to http://www.servicecanada.gc.ca/eng/isp/cpp/postrtrben/main.shtml

Passport Office on the Move
London’s passport office, currently located on York Street at Colborne, is closing Friday, January 27th, 2012. As of Monday, January 30th, the new location will be in Cherryhill Village Mall, at 301 Oxford Street West, London. It’s a location that will have free parking and more space for patrons. You can also bring your completed passport applications to either of our constituency offices, in Strathroy or Wallaceburg, and we’ll mail them out for you, Xpresspost. We cannot accept payment at our offices, though. Passport applications are also available at both offices.

Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal
A new commemorative medal has been created to mark the 2012 celebrations of the 60th anniversary of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s accession to the Throne. The Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal is a tangible way for Canada to honour Her Majesty for her service to this country. It also serves to honour significant contributions and achievements by Canadians. During the year of celebrations, 60,000 deserving Canadians will be recognized.  If you’d like to nominate someone for the Diamond Jubilee Medal, please contact one of our offices as soon as possible. You can find out more about the eligibility requirements and the nomination process at www.gg.ca/diamondjubilee
Until next time,

Bev Shipley, M.P.
Lambton-Kent-Middlesex