Liberal Spending Is Crushing Young Canadians

Last week, Prime Minister Mark Carney stood before a room of young Canadians at the University of Ottawa and told them their “future will not be the same as [his] past,” which, he said, “was a time of optimism, of hope, and of promise.”

How demoralizing.

Carney went on to declare that his upcoming budget would demand “sacrifices” from Canada’s young people.

Sacrifices? After ten years of failed Liberal policies, young Canadians have already sacrificed enough.

While Mark Carney tells young Canadians they must make “sacrifices,” the government is quietly funneling billions to Liberal insiders. Under Carney, spending on consultants and Liberal-affiliated organizations has surged to over $25 billion.

It is shameful to ask young Canadians to tighten their belts while well-connected insiders continue to feast at the trough of the government.

This generation is facing a storm of high prices, stagnant wages, and dwindling opportunity. They are working hard, studying harder, and still falling behind. Here in Lethbridge, this reality is impossible to ignore.

This past summer, the unemployment rate for returning full-time students hit 17.9 per cent — the highest since the Great Recession. The owner of a local restaurant, the Duke Pub and Grill, reported that 20 students a week were walking in, desperately asking for work, but none was available.

Most of these young people are doing everything right: getting an education, showing initiative, looking for opportunity. Yet the opportunity simply isn’t there.

Those who do find work are often juggling multiple part-time jobs just to pay for rent and tuition. The University of Lethbridge even launched a Resident Emergency Food Fund to help students who can’t afford to eat. The student’s union says affordability is now its number one concern.

Mark Carney told Canadians to judge his government by the price of food. Well, the results are in, and he is failing.

Grocery prices rose four percent over the past year, which is double the Bank of Canada’s target.

A record number of Canadians are now turning to food banks, with a record 2.1 million visits per month. Nearly one-third of those visits were made by children.

Even people with full-time jobs are lining up because their paycheques simply don’t go far enough. The report found that “employment is no longer a reliable buffer against poverty,” and warned that hunger is becoming normal in Canada.

And the affordability crisis applies to rent as well. Nearly half of young renters between 18 and 24 now spend more than half their income on housing.

Even in Lethbridge, one of the most affordable cities in Canada, young people are struggling to make rent. Many are forced to choose between paying for groceries or keeping a roof over their heads.

Young Canadians make up the first generation that can’t afford homeownership. 88 percent of renters believe owning a home is out of reach. Half of millennials and two-thirds of Gen Z have considered delaying starting a family because they can’t afford a suitable home.

Home prices have risen 32 percent faster than incomes since the Liberals took office, turning Canada into the most unaffordable housing market in the G7.

Meanwhile, the government keeps spending money it doesn’t have. When Justin Trudeau left office, Canada was already facing a $42.2 billion deficit — the largest in our history. Now, Mark Carney is planning to go even further, with a massive $62.3 billion shortfall.

That kind of reckless spending doesn’t come without consequences. It drives up inflation, forces the Bank of Canada to raise interest rates, and makes everything, from mortgages to groceries, more expensive. In the end, it’s young people who pay the price.

It’s time for the government to work for Canadians, not the other way around.

Conservatives are calling for an affordable budget that puts people first. We’re calling on the Liberals to:

1. Scrap hidden taxes on food by eliminating the industrial carbon tax and food packaging tax, which drive up grocery prices.

2. Cut taxes on homebuilding, investment, and energy so life costs less and workers make more.

3. Stop the inflation tax and keep the deficit under $42 billion by cutting wasteful spending, consultants, corporate welfare, and foreign aid.

4. Unleash the economy by unlocking resource development.

Every Canadian deserves a government that lives within its means and puts people first. By taking these steps, we can lower the cost of living, create more opportunities, and build a stronger, more prosperous country.

Asking young Canadians to make more “sacrifices” while the government keeps wasting their hard-earned money is absurd. They’ve already sacrificed enough.

No More Discounts for Sexual Predators

There’s a special delight every consumer knows—the moment you realize you’re paying less than you expected. Discounts are always a win, whether it’s 15 per cent off, buy one get the other half-off, or even better—buy one get one free.

As great as these discounts are— they belong in stores, not in courtrooms.

Unfortunately, discounts are handed out far too often in criminal justice sentencing. One of these discounts is concurrent sentencing, which allows offenders to serve a single sentence for multiple crimes, often reducing their time behind bars significantly.

This type of sentencing is even applied to the most egregious crimes like sexual assault and violence. These are crimes that rob individuals of their dignity and violate them in deep ways. Concurrent sentencing should never be allowed for sexual assault.

I’m proud to address this with my Private Member’s Bill, C-246: the Ending Sentence Reductions for Sexual Predators Act. This Act will mandate consecutive sentencing, rather than concurrent sentencing, for individuals convicted of sexual offences. In plain terms, sexual predators will no longer be able to compress their crimes and walk away with a reduced sentence. Each crime will carry its own penalty, and each victim will receive the recognition they deserve.

Currently, consecutive sentences are primarily applied to crimes against children. This approach should extend to adults as well—sexual assault, whether against a child or an adult, demands the full force of the law.

In Canada, the maximum sentence for a break-in or a violent robbery is life imprisonment. In sharp contrast, the maximum penalty for sexual violence is 10 years for an adult victim and 14 years for a victim under the age of 16. A sexual offence robs an individual of their dignity and consent, yet property crime and robbery are treated more severely than sexual offences. It’s completely unacceptable.

For far too long, the scales of the justice system have been tilted in favour of criminals. Liberal soft-on-crime policies have left victims vulnerable. Since 2015, sexual assaults are up nearly 75 per cent, while offences against children are up 120 per cent.

These aren’t just numbers; they are real people.

In Toronto, a family doctor, George Polemidiotis, was charged with nine counts of sexual assault and four counts of sexual exploitation involving three patients. Despite these intrusive and grave crimes, he was handed a concurrent sentence of three-and-a-half years in prison.

These patients were supposed to feel safe and cared for by their doctor. Instead, they left the clinic feeling violated. The man responsible for such profound harm will serve only a short sentence, while his victims will carry the weight of their suffering for the rest of their lives. It’s unthinkable! This sentence not only denies the victims of justice but also inflicts further distress as they struggle to heal while facing the reality that their abuser will soon walk free in society again.

A second case highlighting Canada’s broken justice system is that of Kashif Ramzan in British Columbia. Ramzan pretended to be a talent agent with influence in the modelling world and deceived two teens into attending “auditions.” At these auditions, he sexually assaulted the two women.

This man preyed on the hopes and dreams of these young women and violated their dignity.

Ramzan pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual assault and was sentenced to 18 months for the first charge and two years for the second charge, to be served concurrently. Once again, the justice system failed these women. Each woman should have been granted the justice of seeing him serve a full sentence for the offence committed against each of them as an individual.

Whether a sexual offence is committed repeatedly against one person or once against many, justice demands it be answered in full. Sentences must be served consecutively.

It’s time to put victims first. Sexual offences should never be a two-for-one deal.

Each offence is a distinct harm. Each victim is a whole person. And each act must carry its own consequence.

Justice is not something to be discounted or bundled. It demands full recognition and full accountability for every crime and every victim.

If you agree that sexual predators shouldn’t receive reduced sentences, please take a moment to send a quick email to the Minister of Justice, Sean Fraser: mcu@justice.gc.ca

Your email doesn’t need to be long. Two sentences will do: “Please stand with victims of sexual assault by ending reduced sentences for sexual predators. Please support Bill C-246: the Ending Sentence Reductions for Sexual Predators Act.”

Standing up for Alberta's Interests, Affordability, and Safer Streets

After a summer of pancake breakfasts, festivals, and kitchen-table conversations, one message stood out: Canadians are worried. Families are anxious about how Alberta is treated, the rising cost of living, and surging crime.

As Parliament resumes, my priorities are clear: be Alberta’s voice, fight for affordability, and tackle crime.

Advocating for Alberta’s Interests

Albertans have long felt ignored by Ottawa. We supply the country with energy, food, and innovation, yet federal policies strangle development, undercut agriculture, and dismiss our strengths. This fall, Conservatives are advancing a bold solution: the Canadian Sovereignty Act.

The need is urgent. Canada is losing ground on multiple fronts. President Trump’s new tariffs are hammering workers and businesses on both sides of the border. Beijing has now imposed a 75% tariff on Canadian canola seed, on top of 100% tariffs on canola meal, peas, pork, and seafood. That effectively locks Canadian producers out of a market worth $5 billion in 2024.

Canadian agriculture is a superpower — one of the few advantages that sets us apart in a hungry world. Alberta farmers don’t just feed Canadians; they help feed the globe. Yet instead of defending them, Prime Minister Mark Carney has failed to resolve disputes and left producers paying the price. He promised Canadians he was a master negotiator. Instead, he is losing trade wars across the world. The U.S. has doubled tariffs on softwood lumber. Mexico refuses to engage in bilateral deals. Europe has chosen to buy $750 billion worth of U.S. — not Canadian — energy.

Canada cannot afford weakness. Conservatives believe ambition means rejecting the status quo and holding Mr. Carney to his promise to “think big and act bigger.” That’s why we are calling on Parliament to pass the Canadian Sovereignty Act:

• Legalize rapid resource development by repealing Liberal laws like Bill C-69, Bill C-48, the carbon tax, the oil and gas cap, the EV mandate, the plastics ban, and censorship rules that gag Canadian energy producers.

• Reward builders with tax incentives that eliminate capital gains on reinvestments and bonuses for provinces that open markets to fellow Canadians.

• Protect Canadian innovation by preventing the sell-off of intellectual property to competitors.

• Stand up for Canadian agriculture by ensuring farmers are protected from punitive tariffs and that our food exports remain competitive on the global stage.

By March 14, the one-year anniversary of Carney’s tenure, Conservatives expect progress on two major pipelines, a road to the Ring of Fire, and a new LNG project—while respecting Indigenous rights under Section 35. Leadership is being tested, and Conservatives are ready to collaborate to get it done. The Liberals have the tools and the power; what they lack is the will.

Restoring Affordability

Fall is traditionally a season of new beginnings, especially for students returning to school. Yet basic supplies are increasingly out of reach. From high unemployment to the Liberals’ cost-of-living crisis, Canadians are struggling. Sun Youth reports that school supplies alone have jumped 17% since last year, on top of rising grocery bills, rent, and other essentials.

The Liberal electric vehicle mandate raises costs by about $20,000 per vehicle and reduces choice—particularly for rural Canadians who face long distances, limited charging, and harsh winters. Meanwhile, the Liberals are quietly implementing another carbon tax through the Clean Fuel Regulations, increasing fuel prices 17 cents per litre by 2030, or $136 more per household annually. Single mothers, seniors on fixed incomes, rural households, and transit users will bear the brunt. Conservatives will fight to lower costs, strengthen take-home pay, and grow the economy.

Tackling Crime

Canada is less safe under the Liberals. Since 2015, gun crime has risen 130%, violent crime nearly 55%, homicides over 29%, sexual assaults almost 76%, fraud 94%, and extortion 330%. Yet soft-on-crime policies like Bills C-5 and C-75 have created a revolving door for repeat offenders. Soft sentences for serious crimes, including sexual exploitation and child pornography, endanger communities.

Female victims of domestic violence continue to rise, highlighted by tragic cases such as the murder of an ex-wife just hours after her abuser’s release. Cases like these prove that Liberal policies favour criminals over Canadians. Conservatives will repeal reckless laws, strengthen bail rules, deport temporary residents convicted of crimes, and give law enforcement the tools needed to restore safety. Canadians deserve to walk their streets without fear.

This fall, my Conservative colleagues and I are eager to hold the Liberal government to account and advocate for our great country and the people who call it home. Canadians deserve leadership that delivers results, restores common sense, and protects families and communities. It’s time for Ottawa to act.