Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, the minister already mentioned in the discussion today that we are in a housing crisis. He spoke earlier about the fact that buyers cannot buy and builders cannot build. I would agree with that. I would add that people who are looking to sell also cannot sell during this housing crisis. However, of course, we are in a housing crisis after 11 years of Liberal policies that have brought…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, there is no question that Canadians want, need and deserve to feel safer in their communities, especially after the Liberal government has unleashed a crime wave across the country. The minister, of course, acknowledged here today that Canadians want this urgently. They urgently want some changes to the situation that the Liberal government has caused. However, the Conservatives have …
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, over one year into this Prime Minister's mandate, and Canadians are still waiting for action on the national projects that were promised. Despite Liberal rhetoric, no new pipelines have been approved, and major projects continue to be stuck in purgatory, including the Trans‑Canada Highway through northwestern Ontario. Improving this vital piece of infrastructure is top of mind for peo…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to present a petition signed by Canadians from every province, calling for the federal government to support the twinning of the Trans-Canada Highway through northwestern Ontario. The petitioners note that this is a stretch of highway that unfortunately has frequent collisions and fatalities that subsequently lead to many road closures, which then stall the economy. From …
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Madam Speaker, under the Liberal Prime Minister, Canada is the only G20 country that is in a recession. We also have the second-highest unemployment in the G7, the worst household debt and the worst housing costs. The Liberals will say that this is just a technical recession, but there is nothing technical about Canadians who are struggling to feed their families, fill their gas tanks or make thei…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, I am presenting a petition today on behalf of over 1,000 people who are urging the government to support the proposed REACH facility in Red Lake. The petitioners note that the current Cochenour Arena is one of the oldest in northern Ontario, and a new facility would provide a modern, expanded space for recreation. The petitioners also note that the facility could serve as an evacuatio…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the member for Kings—Hants' thoughtful comments on this topic. The fact of the matter is that the Liberals have created a cost of living crisis. Canadians are struggling from coast to coast. What we are putting forward, the elimination of all fuel taxes for the rest of the year, would save an average family over $1,200 this year. The member spoke a lot about some of the s…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the member for Saanich—Gulf Islands' speech. I thought it was very thoughtful. I agree with many of the things she highlighted, one of which was this. If I am not mistaken, I believe she pointed out, quite rightly, that what the Liberals have proposed in terms of removing gas taxes until Labour Day is “insufficient” savings. I believe that was the word the member used. I …
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to catch the Speaker's eye and join debate again on this topic. The Liberals always talk about the price of gas and they try to blame foreign influences and foreign conflicts. Conservatives recognize that those foreign components have a cost associated with them. However, if we look at Canada compared with the United States, the price of fuel is 13% higher…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals are on track to add $1 trillion to the national debt. This is the cost of a decade of Liberal credit card budgeting. Now the Liberal Prime Minister, despite his illusions, has added more taxes, more costs and more debt, more of the same. He is just another Liberal. As a result, they are going to be paying more on interest payments this year than on health care. Will the L…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, the Prime Minister, last year, was elected, in part, on a promise of being a strong fiscal manager. Fast-forward a year to this economic statement and we see, in reality, more spending, higher debt and a budget deficit of over $65 billion, double that of Justin Trudeau, if anyone can believe that. It is interesting to hear the Liberals talking about their strong fiscal position when…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, the Trans-Canada Highway is top of mind for the people of northern Ontario, whether for safety, economic security or nation building. During a 10-day stretch last winter, the region saw five collisions that resulted in eight fatalities. These types of accidents are far too common. It is also the only east-west corridor in the country. When the highway is delayed just 30 minutes, it co…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, fuel costs are soaring, and people in Northern Ontario who must travel great distances for essential trips are paying the price. To make matters worse, Canadians are paying 20% more for fuel than our American counterparts. That is why Conservatives have a plan to remove the GST on fuel, the fuel excise tax, the industrial carbon tax and the clean fuel standard for the rest of the year…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, Canada has already lost 100,000 jobs this year, and today, Algoma Steel is laying off 1,000 workers. The Liberal Prime Minister cannot blame only global factors, because Canada has the only shrinking economy, the second-highest unemployment, the highest food inflation and the highest household debt in the G7. These are problems that the Liberals created, and the Liberal Prime Minister…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, the difference between the Liberal rhetoric and the realities facing Canadians is stark. Canadians are not working, because Liberal policies are not working. We have the only shrinking economy in the G7, and now the second-highest unemployment in the G7. To make matters worse, Canada has the highest food price inflation in the G7. We are leading in all the wrong categories. When will …
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I would simply remind the member that she ran on a platform to cut development charges. This is something the Liberal government promised it was going to do in the election campaign and, after being elected, has completely walked away from. It is one of many solutions I have laid out, solutions to address the Liberal-made housing crisis. We know that housing prices have doubled since …
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to join the debate on Bill C-20, a piece of legislation purportedly aiming to address the housing crisis in Canada. We know that the Liberals are talking about the legislation in the light of believing that it would build Canadian homes, but we know from reading through the legislation and from the past work, after 10 years or 11 years of Liberal governments, that it woul…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, the February jobs report is dire news for Canadians. Canada lost 108,000 full-time jobs in February. This is the largest one-month decline in full-time employment since COVID. Further, we saw 73,000 job losses in the private sector, and youth unemployment shot up to over 14%. Under the Liberals, Canada has the only shrinking economy in the G7, and now the second-highest unemployment i…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I certainly agree with the premise that the government is creating another Ottawa-knows-best bureaucracy that is not going to be effective. I would submit to the member that we should look at ways of incentivizing the provinces and the municipalities to get more homes built. That is part of what I mentioned in my remarks, tying infrastructure dollars that municipalities receive to hom…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, the hon. member is absolutely right. As I mentioned, this is something we see across northwestern Ontario and many regions of the country, including in Saskatchewan. There is a lot of opportunity for development. Northern Ontario has what the world needs in terms of critical minerals. There are many opportunities for that, but we need the housing to be able to house the workers. It is…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I appreciate the member's response on that important conversation. With all the challenges we have, whether it is on trade or the economy, we can see continually that the Liberal members and the Liberal government are saying one thing and we are not really seeing any action as a result of it. The Prime Minister has been in office now for a year but continues to say that he is new on…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I think it is really important that we are talking about global trade and access to other markets apart from the United States. This is obviously a very positive thing. I think all Canadians understand that we need to diversify our trade. However, not all trade is equal, and not all trade can simply be replaced. I think that is true of forestry. The American market is very vital to ou…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I would like to make a comment for the hon. member, and I am sure she will agree with me. Based on a lot of the comments we have been hearing from Liberal members during the debate today, they keep imploring Canadians to trust the Prime Minister because of his résumé. I would like to look at the facts. The facts are that the Prime Minister promised a free trade deal with the United …
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the member's speech, specifically what he had to say around critical pieces of key infrastructure. We have heard many times throughout this debate that Canada has what the world wants and needs, but we have to be able to get it out to the world. Of course, northern Ontario is home to the Ring of Fire, which hosts many critical minerals. The Province of Ontario is moving a…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate that the member opposite acknowledged there is a housing crisis. For 10 years, the Liberals have said everything is fine as costs drive people, particularly young people, out of the market. We know many young people are still living with their parents, unable to find a place to rent, let alone a place to buy, and start their family, but the Liberals are still talking abou…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I would simply like to make a comment for the hon. member's consideration. One of the top issues I hear across northwestern Ontario is with respect to the rising cost of living, in particular the cost of food. We know that Canada has the highest grocery price inflation of the G7 countries. People are looking for a plan in this budget to cut taxes, cut inflationary spending and bring…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, the Canadian dream of home ownership is fading for young Canadians. A new report from CMHC highlights that homebuilding is expected to fall in each of the next three years and that housing prices will rise. Another report from the Missing Middle Initiative shows that nearly half of young Canadians are having to leave the community that they were raised in because they cannot afford to…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, a recent study has found that, on average, gen Z Canadians have only between $9 and $16 left at the end of the month for spending cash. This is barely enough for survival, let alone long-term saving goals. Another report from the Missing Middle Initiative found that 93% of young Canadians are concerned about the state of housing in Canada, with many giving up completely on their dream…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, the Ear Falls sawmill has been shut down since October. The Ignace mill is expected to close in March, and now 150 people will be affected by the closure of a line at Thunder Bay Pulp and Paper. Every day more closures are announced. These are good-paying jobs for hard-working Canadians that are now gone. The government's rhetoric of supporting workers is not matching the reality of t…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister said he should be judged by prices at the grocery store, but seven months later, prices are skyrocketing and Canadians are struggling to put food on the table. Canada's food price report shows that Canadians will have to pay an extra grand to buy groceries next year. To make matters worse, sawmill workers across the country are facing job losses as their mills close…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, a report from the IMF means absolutely nothing to the workers from Ear Falls sawmill who have lost their jobs. They do not want more big government programs. They just want their jobs back. The Prime Minister said he would negotiate a win. That has not happened. He said that Canadians should judge him by prices at the grocery store and prices keep rising. By every standard the Prime M…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, unfortunately, the member for Winnipeg North must not have been listening at all to any of the comments I was making. In terms of the tax cuts being brought forward, it is going to be about $90 per month in savings for the average Canadian, but with Liberal inflation and Liberal spending, that is going to be completely wiped out. He mentions the GST relief for first-time homebuyers, b…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I think the member from the Bloc Québécois raises some very interesting, very compelling points. In response to that, all I can truly say is that it speaks to the broader discussion that I laid out in my speech around the fact that these policies being brought forward in Bill C-4, however well-intentioned they may be, are largely missing the mark in terms of what Canadians are looking…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I am happy I was able to catch the Speaker's eye and join the debate. I appreciate the warm reception from my colleagues here in the chamber. I hope that they have that same enthusiasm after they hear what I have to say. Of course, I appreciate the member for Skeena—Bulkley Valley for graciously sharing his time with me to take part in the debate. He is a great, valuable member of our…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to continue the debate. I was talking about this affordability crisis we are facing right across Canada and specifically in my region of northwest Ontario. We are seeing a housing crisis along with that. People are struggling to afford rent or housing for first-time homebuyers. Those who have a home are also worried about being able to hold on to it, with …
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals, throughout this debate, have spoken a lot about the GST relief for first-time homebuyers, leaving out the fact that relief is available particularly when it comes to first-time homebuyers buying new homes. I know in northwestern Ontario, this is something that almost never happens, in part because there are not many new homes being built but also because what young first…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, that is definitely what young Canadians are facing. That dream of Canada's promise has been taken away after 10 years of the Liberal government driving up the cost of living and pushing the cost of housing to the point that young Canadians are giving up on their dreams of home ownership. The Liberals are just moving forward with the exact same policies, which is going to continue to p…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister proclaimed himself the so-called master negotiator when it came to dealing with the Americans. He promised to negotiate a win by July 21. Now months after failing to do so, he says, “Who cares?” Well, I can tell members who cares. Conservatives care, and the sawmill workers in Ear Falls, hundreds of whom have lost their jobs, care. Will the Prime Minister look at th…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to rise and participate in the debate today. Speaking of the budget, many people I spoke to across northwestern Ontario had sticker shock. They could not believe the amount of spending and the amount of the deficit. After the Prime Minister promised spending would go down, it has gone up. He promised the deficit would go down, but it has gone up. On all …
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Madam Speaker, there is no question that young Canadians know they are worse off than their parents were and their grandparents were. I hear from youth, and I hear from their parents as well, that life has become so unaffordable. It is almost impossible to find a house in northwestern Ontario at an affordable price. Houses are being sold before they even make it to the market, because of this hous…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Madam Speaker, it is a pleasure to rise in debate and speak to this very important topic. I want to thank the member for Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan for being so gracious as to share some of his time with me and for his important work on this issue throughout the course of this Parliament so far. I know that young Canadians from coast to coast to coast are thankful for the work he has been doi…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Madam Speaker, I do not know if the member heard my comments properly, but I am actually blaming the Liberals, after 10 years of their economic mismanagement, for the youth unemployment crisis, and that is exactly what has happened. It is the Liberals who have mismanaged the housing crisis, our economy and, yes, immigration. All of these things are impacting the economic foundations of our country…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Madam Speaker, only the Liberals can look at an important discussion such as this as a filibuster. We are here talking about youth unemployment, something that is reaching record highs, because of 10 years of Liberal economic mismanagement. The member speaks of all these policies. It is the Liberal policies that have caused this crisis in the first place, that have doubled housing costs and that h…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Madam Speaker, it is Halloween, the season of tricks, masks and make-believe. It is fitting, because Canadians have seen all three under the Liberal government. Recently, the Prime Minister told a room full of students they will have to make even more sacrifices. Unfortunately, this is nothing new, as young Canadians have had to sacrifice plenty after 10 long years. They have given up completely o…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Madam Speaker, according to the Liberals' own numbers, they overspent on the bureaucracy at FedNor by 60% of what was planned last year. That is $2.7 million spent on themselves that should have been used to support communities across northern Ontario. While people across the country are struggling with housing costs, which have doubled, and a record 2.2 million people are visiting food banks, the…
Read full speech →Oral questions
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister promised he would negotiate a win with the United States, but he has broken that promise when it comes to softwood lumber. Softwood tariffs were at 14% when he took office; they then jumped to 35%, and they are now at 45%. The Prime Minister has sold out our workers, and softwood tariffs have tripled. Now the Ear Falls sawmill is facing an indefinite shutdown, affec…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister told a room full of students that they are going to have to make sacrifices. They have already given up their dream of home ownership, they went all summer without work and they are paying the price of exploding food costs. Food bank visits have doubled since 2019, and Canadians should not have to sacrifice any more for Liberal failures. They have sacrificed enough …
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, last night the Prime Minister told a room full of students that they are going to have to make sacrifices. They have already had to sacrifice their dream of home ownership. Over 70% of young Canadians are worried that they will never be able to afford a down payment. They have paid the price as food costs have exploded, nearly 4%, year over year, in September. They spent the whole sum…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, after years of talk, the Prime Minister is breaking his promise to get shovels in the ground when it comes to the constantly delayed Ring of Fire in northern Ontario. Thousands of jobs and billions of dollars are on the line, yet the Liberals refuse to move the project ahead. The roadway will not even be built until 2028, and the Liberals ignored the project completely on their nation…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, the member just spoke about the Liberals' failures. Of course, the Liberals have been in government now for 10 years, and what we have seen is that they have broken the bail system and that they failed to get frontline officers on the border and law enforcement the resources they need. I am wondering whether the member wants to speak more on the pattern of failure of the Liberal gover…
Read full speech →