Earlier this week, Peace River–Westlock MP Arnold Viersen was awarded the 2025 Parliamentarians of the Year Award for Most Collaborative MP from iPolitics.
Viersen said he has always enjoyed getting to know his colleagues and working across party lines to advance important issues.
“Whether they are Liberal, NDP, Bloc or Green Party leader Elizabeth May, there are some values and issues that can unite us as Canadians to make our country stronger and safer,” he commented.
For example, he launched the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) to End Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking in 2018. He said the four co-chairs represent different political views and regions of the country, while collaborating on a widespread injustice that takes all of us working together to end it.
“I enjoy seeing the results of what we work hard on behind the scenes,” Viersen said. “Whether it is the impact of survivors of human trafficking speaking on Parliament Hill, passing legislation like Bill S-211 (slavery in supply chains), getting the House of Commons to recognize February 22 as National Human Trafficking Awareness Day (2022) or playing a role in securing a conviction for a human trafficker, the APPG is making a difference in this fight.”
Viersen added that after being elected in 2015, his first motion in 2016 passed unanimously because he garnered support from all five political parties at the time. The motion was concerning the harms of sexually explicit material on the health of youth.
Viersen was presented with the award by Brian Storseth, publisher of iPolitics and former MP for Westlock–St. Paul, on the evening of Nov. 24.
Every year, Members of Parliament cast their ballot for an MP in four categories: Parliamentarian of the Year, Most Knowledgeable MP, Most Collaborative MP and Best Constituency Representative MP.
