Fueling a More Affordable Canada

If you’ve stepped into a grocery store lately or looked at your latest monthly bills, you don’t need an economic degree to know something is deeply wrong. For too many Canadian families, simply affording the everyday essentials is getting harder.

How did a country with Canada's vast resources and potential end up here?

The reality is that Canadian families are caught in a twin squeeze: stagnant economic growth and a relentless rise in the cost of living.

While global factors exist, Canada's deepest challenges stem directly from choices made at home. Current Liberal policies are quietly eroding our standard of living, while pragmatic solutions are sitting right on the table. 

Take a look at the latest numbers from Statistics Canada. In July, our economy stopped growing altogether, with major drops in manufacturing, mining, oil and gas, and local stores. Prime Minister Mark Carney promised Canadians the fastest-growing economy among the world’s top nations. Instead, Canada grew by a tiny 0.1 per cent in his first year, making it the weakest start for any Prime Minister in history. As economist Trevor Tombe put it, compared to other countries, our economy is looking anything but strong. 

This is not just abstract policy jargon. It hits home in your household budget. Today, the typical Canadian worker earns more than $8,600 less than the typical American worker. While our American neighbours pull ahead, Canadian families are left behind, dealing with shrinking paycheques and soaring bills. 

The Liberals often point the finger outward. Carney blames foreign conflicts, such as the war with Iran, or points to trade disputes, tariffs, and export bans from the United States. International turmoil certainly plays a role, but Canada’s economic troubles did not begin with the latest provocations from Washington. The real damage comes from domestic policies that penalize production and add unnecessary costs to the basics of life. 

Consider the price of diesel. You might not drive a diesel truck or operate a combine on a farm, but you pay for diesel every single time you buy groceries, order goods online, or purchase furniture. Diesel is built into the price of virtually everything that moves across our vast country. It fuels the tractors that grow our food, the transport trucks that deliver it, and the heavy equipment that builds our housing and infrastructure. 

Even though Canada holds the fourth-largest oil reserves in the world, Canadians are paying roughly 41 cents more per litre for diesel than the global average, and 32 cents more than Americans. 

Why? Because after eleven years of Liberal rule, federal policies, such as anti-development bills C-48 and C-69, have systematically delayed major energy projects while piling on costs through the industrial carbon tax, GST on fuel, and tax hikes. When Ottawa penalizes domestic energy, it acts as an invisible tax on every single consumer purchase. 

Canada needs a path forward that treats our resource sector as a solution rather than a problem. 

That is why Conservatives have proposed the practical Emergency Fuel Relief Plan aimed at giving families immediate breathing room while strengthening Canada’s long-term resilience. The proposal will be debated in the House of Commons on Tuesday.

First, the Conservative plan would provide immediate relief at the checkout line by removing federal fuel taxes, like the GST on fuel, Clean Fuel Standard, and industrial carbon tax, which artificially inflate the cost of moving goods and buying groceries.

Second, our plan would get Canada building again by slashing red tape. That means fast-tracking 500 backlogged infrastructure projects, eliminating capital gains taxes when profits are reinvested back home, building a strategic refined petroleum reserve to protect Canadians during supply disruptions, and repealing anti-development laws like Bills C-48 and C-69. Removing these roadblocks will bring back good-paying jobs, grow our paycheques, and restore Canada's independence.

The choice before us is clear. We can continue down a path of stalled growth, higher prices, and falling living standards, or we can adopt common-sense solutions that cut fuel taxes, spark investment, and make life affordable again. On Tuesday, Liberals have an opportunity to put partisan politics aside, accept our proposal, and partner with us to build a stronger, more prosperous Canada.

Bringing Lethbridge’s Voice Back to Ottawa

This summer, I hosted my 10th annual Whoop-Up Days pancake breakfast. Beyond the festivities, what makes this tradition invaluable to me is the chance to connect directly with the people of Lethbridge. Every conversation offers a clear snapshot of what matters most to our community—insights I am determined to bring with me when Parliament reconvenes on September 21. 

As I return to the House of Commons, my focus remains squarely on what I heard most from our community: making life more affordable, securing a fair trade deal with the United States, and building a strong Alberta within a united Canada.

Over a decade of Liberal financial mismanagement has made life unaffordable for many Canadians. Massive Liberal spending creates inflationary prices, and Prime Minister Mark Carney has managed to outspend Justin Trudeau, delivering the most expensive deficit in Canadian history outside of the COVID-10 years. Canadians are faced with massive food inflation, the worst household debt in the G7, and personal insolvencies at their worst since the Great Global Recession.

Conservatives fought the Carney Liberals’ planned gas tax hike, and this week they were forced to back down. Only after months of Conservative pressure, Liberal Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne announced a delay of the government’s proposed gas tax hike until early next year. While Conservatives won another battle for Canadian families, this modest extension of the Liberals’ current tax plan will not be enough for Canadians already squeezed by higher costs.

Conservatives continue to call for the government to remove all federal taxes on gas and diesel until at least Canada Day 2027 to save Canadians up to 25 cents per litre. That includes the 7-cent-per-litre Clean Fuel Regulations, the GST, and a permanent cancellation of the Industrial Carbon Tax so Canadians aren’t forced to pay more for food and fuel. We will never stop fighting for an affordable Canada.

Economic stability relies heavily on our trade relationship with the United States. In Lethbridge alone, our region exports over $2.2 billion in goods every year, with nearly 92 per cent bound for American markets. Conservatives stand firmly with Canadians against unjustified attacks from Washington; we cannot accept a one-sided deal that de-industrializes our nation, and we will always defend Canadian workers.

But effective leadership demands transparency, which Prime Minister Carney has failed to provide. Carney himself warned that tariffs are “taxes which are ultimately paid by consumers,” yet the Liberals proceeded to roll out dollar-for-dollar retaliatory tariffs anyway. The hardest hit will be families already living on tight budgets, as new tariffs on items like food and hygiene products push everyday grocery bills even higher, alongside rising costs for appliances and electronics.

Over a year after missing his self-imposed July 21, 2025 deadline, Carney has still failed to deliver the trade agreement he promised Canadians. With conflicting stories surrounding the breakdown in talks, he must release the rejected deal so Canadians can see the facts for themselves.

Underpinning all of these national issues is the clear imperative for Ottawa to respect Alberta and its rightful place in Confederation. Canada was built on the practical principle that power belongs as close to the people as possible. The British North America Act established a framework designed to balance local autonomy with shared national strength—assigning local priorities like natural resources, health, and education to the provinces, while reserving Ottawa’s role for national matters like defence and borders.

Over the last decade, Ottawa has failed at its core duties while overreaching into provincial jurisdiction—taxing industrial carbon, blocking energy projects, and pushing divisive ideologies that erode our shared identity. This overreach harms not just Alberta, but all of Canada.

Throughout my conversations across Lethbridge, the message from our community has been consistent: Albertans want the freedom to develop our natural resources and protect our core values, with a federal government that respects our contribution. My Conservative colleagues and I will continue to fight to unleash Alberta’s economic potential, amplify our voice in Ottawa, and secure a stronger Alberta within a united Canada.

Canadians simply cannot afford more broken promises, higher taxes, or secret backroom deals. As Parliament returns on September 21, I will champion total transparency, real tax relief, and the accountability our community deserves.

Elbows Up, Results Down!

“Elbows up.”

That was Prime Minister Mark Carney’s message to Canadians. It was meant to project strength against Washington and reassure the country that he could handle President Donald Trump.

Canadians should judge that promise with the answer to one simple question: has the Prime Minister’s approach actually made Canada stronger?

Since Carney took office, tariffs have escalated, negotiations remain unresolved, businesses are holding back investment, and a recent KPMG survey reveals that 42 per cent of Canadian manufacturing companies have either already moved production to the United States or are considering doing so.

Instead of putting forward a strategy that delivers results, the Liberals have repeatedly caved. Carney’s elbows are supposedly up, but the results are discouraging. His approach is doing more harm than good, and the consequences are hitting close to home—especially in Lethbridge.

Lethbridge has far more at stake than most. In 2023, businesses in our region exported more than $2 billion worth of goods to the United States, accounting for a staggering 91.7 per cent of all local merchandise exports and nearly one-fifth of our total regional GDP. It is no surprise the Canadian Chamber of Commerce ranked Lethbridge 10th out of 41 Canadian cities for vulnerability to U.S. tariffs.

These figures are not abstract. They represent family farms, processing plants, and manufacturers across southern Alberta, alongside hardworking people whose paycheques depend on reliable access to our largest customer. The United States is not just another market for us; it buys our beef, canola, potatoes, and manufactured goods. When that access becomes uncertain, the shockwaves hit farm gates, factory floors, and family budgets directly.

President Trump’s tariffs belong to his administration, but Canadians rightly expect their government to prepare for foreseeable risks and defend our national interests.

A strong government would make restoring free trade with the United States its top priority. Yet, under the Carney Liberals, tariffs have worsened, and major concessions have been handed out for nothing in return. Recently, the government agreed to hand over half of the Gordie Howe International Bridge’s net revenues to a U.S.-controlled fund for its first 15 years—surrendering revenue from a bridge Canada fully financed.

To make matters worse, the Bank of Canada warns that persistent trade uncertainty has left business investment flat as companies indefinitely freeze expansions and equipment purchases.

Real strength does not mean picking fights for political applause. It means knowing what Canada needs, defending it tactfully, and securing results. Canada must restore stable, tariff-free access to the United States and give businesses the certainty to invest. That is impossible if Carney continues to needlessly antagonize President Trump, as he has done on multiple occasions, including during his speech at Davos.

Serious economic challenges require serious negotiation, not theatrics.

While economic diversification is a vital long-term goal, it cannot become an excuse to neglect the customer buying nearly 92 per cent of Lethbridge’s exports today. New markets cannot replace American demand overnight, nor can the necessary infrastructure be built quickly enough to protect producers facing tariffs right now.

A responsible government treats our relationship with our largest customer as an economic necessity. Tough talk may generate headlines, but it doesn’t move trucks across the border. Canada’s trade policy must be grounded in the livelihoods at stake—especially in communities like Lethbridge.

When a Prime Minister raises his elbows without a plan, it's everyday Canadians who take the hit.