Lethbridge Herald: It's time to secure the future

In his 1984 State of the Union Address, Ronald Reagan decreed, “Let us be sure that those who come after will say of us in our time, that in our time we did everything that could be done. We finished the race; we kept them free; we kept the faith.” It was a profound declaration of hope, responsibility, and vision. It also set the tone for one of the most economically prosperous periods in American history.

While the statement is from decades past, the principle and clarion call remains just as pertinent today as when it was first spoken.

It is very easy to become overwhelmed by the pressing issues of the day. There is so much going on in the world right now that it takes a tremendous amount of energy just to manage the pressures of each day to move on to the next, but I find it helpful to step back every now and then to gain perspective.

Since the founding of this nation, Canadians have overcome a tremendous number of challenges. They have encountered wars, a depression, extreme weather, difficult lands, disease, division, and pandemics. But one thing I want to note: we have always kept on keeping on! We have pushed onward and continued to persevere.

The spirit in the Canadian people is strong and enduring.

There is an understanding that we are constantly building for a more secure and prosperous future for the generations that will come after us. Though we are living in the here and now, we are dreamers and creators; we invent, and we restore.

Although many Canadians are still struggling to make it through this pandemic, I know we are going to come out stronger on the other side.

When circumstances become unstable and our worlds get thrown upside down, there are always opportunists ready to take advantage of an unfortunate situation. We have seen governments try to step in as the saviour while simultaneously taking away certain freedoms that have always served us well.

Instead of imploring a sense of courage, stability, and peace, the current leader of our country has stoked the flames of division, fear, and worry.

When Mr. Trudeau should have been planning our recovery, he was instead planning for an election in the hopes of capitalizing on a spike in the polls, all the while declaring Canadians needed to have a say in the way forward.

No doubt, he will get his wish. Canadians are going to have their say on September 20, and I wonder if Mr. Trudeau will be surprised at the response he gets.

While he is focused on exacerbating the division that exists in this country, Canadians are looking to secure the future.

While Mr. Trudeau is hoping Canadians will put their trust in government, they are putting their trust in each other—in the longstanding strength and ingenuity of their fellow man.

It is Canadians who are the problem solvers, the solution makers, and the wealth-generators in this country, not the government.

Yes, we must get through these final stages of the pandemic, but we need to start building again. We need to get back to work, and get our economy roaring once more. We possess an inordinate amount of potential within this nation. We need to unleash it.

Canadians deserve a leader who sees where the strength and value of this country lies—with the people.

Amid every struggle is an incredible opportunity to overcome and grow in character and resolve. As much as this is true for the individual, it is also true for Canada as a nation.

This is a time for choosing. What kind of Canada do we wish to have, not only tomorrow, but in years to come?

In this election, we have the opportunity to secure a vibrant future for Canada.

My team and I have knocked on more than 15,000 doors and what I’m hearing again and again is that Canadians do not want the government to spend reckless amounts of money and weigh our country down with debt and high taxes.

Instead, they want a government that will focus on unleashing the potential of the Canadian people by getting rid of regulation and creating an environment for economic growth and prosperity. They want hope!

People elect Conservatives because they expect us to develop policy that will grow the economy and create jobs.

They expect us to budget within our means, stand up for victims, care for families, advocate for seniors, support our veterans, lower taxes, and deliver services with excellence.

They expect us to do all of this while being mindful of the cost and size of government.

People elect Conservatives because they expect us to be principled, hard-working, and compassionate—to be true public servants.

It has been a tremendous honour to serve the constituents of Lethbridge for nearly six years and it would be my great privilege to continue serving as the Member of Parliament. On September 20, I’m asking for your vote.

Lethbridge Herald: A Canadian dream

“Where there is no vision, the people perish.” This is the verse inscribed into the stone over the West window of the Peace Tower on Parliament Hill. The words are strong, but I believe they are true.

Humans have the incredible ability to cast vision and to dream of what tomorrow may look like. We can envision and create a better future, not only for ourselves, but for generations to come. This is an incredible gift; it is also a weighty responsibility.

Serving as a Member of Parliament has afforded me the extraordinary opportunity to speak with so many Canadians about what kind of Canada they wish to live in. I have heard countless stories from visionaries who want to build businesses, invent new technologies, help those who are suffering get ahead, and improve our society in areas where we are falling short. All of these conversations and general observations have given me a tremendous amount of hope for this nation’s future.

It is true that many areas look quite bleak right now. The federal government has exercised an inordinate amount of autocratic power in the last year and a half. Many have posited that our democratic institutions have been assaulted by the few in power who see the checks and balances that have been set in place as mere obstacles or hurdles to avoid.

At times, it has felt discouraging to see the very pillars of our democracy being chipped away, BUT at the same time, I cannot ignore the resounding voices of resolute determination to uphold the very principles that this great nation was founded upon.

Our identity as a nation is not defined by our government, it is a result of the combined characteristics of the people who live here.

Canadians value freedom, justice, and the rule of law. They are caring, compassionate, hardworking, and generous. It is Canadians who are the problem solvers, the solution makers, and the wealth creators, not the government. It is the Canadian people who are the visionaries, the inventors, and the moral ballast of society, not a governing few in Ottawa.

“We the People” is a powerful phrase because it appropriately depicts where the strength of a nation lies: with the people. When the people (not as a collective, but as individuals) have the freedom to live up to their potential, the whole of society benefits. Conversely, when a government sees itself as holding all of the power and imposes its will onto the people, picking winners and losers based on ideology, society regresses.

Imagine what Canada would look like in five or ten years if the Canadian people were put before government and if encroaching restrictions on speech and free expression were relinquished. Imagine what it would look like if industries were championed, and an environment was created where businesses could thrive.

Imagine what it would look like if the bridles of red tape and regulation were thrown off and entrepreneurs were given the freedom to take risks, invest in themselves, and prosper!

This is the type of Canada we can create, not through government’s imposition of ideological values, but by setting Canadians up for success and creating opportunity for each and every person to reach their greatest potential, independent of the government.

Canadians are the ones who are going to make Canada strong again. I am convinced of it! You are the ones who will push this nation forward and make us once again a leader on the world stage in economics, science, resource development, innovation, support for those in need, and environmental stewardship.

There is so much potential in Canada because there is so much potential in the individuals who make up this amazing country.

Canada does not need to be reimagined, reset, or redesigned. In fact, when the Prime Minister talks about reengineering this great country, it makes me wonder what exactly he is seeing.

Is our country perfect? No, but there is nowhere else in the world I would rather live. When our leaders constantly bash our country and diminish the many incredible successes we have achieved, it begs the question, why would you lead a country you think so ill of?

A government that seeks to destroy certain sectors of society because they do not align with its value system, is not governing in the best interest of the whole, but rather in the interest of a select few.

This type of partiality is not, nor has it ever been, a characteristic of good governance.

Unleashing the potential of the Canadian people is the key to our success!

It is my hope that you will begin to dream again, that you will start to envision the Canada that you want to create for yourselves and for your children. You not only have the ability to make this country the very best it can be.

You also have the honour of carving out your place in history here.

When I dream of a bright future for Canada, I do not look at the government, I look to the Canadian people – you.