If the Canadian people are not the focus of this federal government, then it is fair to the ask the question, who is?
The last several months have left Canadians absolutely dumbfounded at this government’s lack of care, compassion, and wisdom.
As food prices continue to rise because of inflation, and energy costs continue to skyrocket, the Trudeau government is choosing to increase the cost of living for Canadians by raising taxes and driving up inflation by spending money it doesn’t have.
Many constituents have met with me in person or written into my office to share the plight of their dire situations. These are stories from real people, and they must not be ignored.
I am talking about a senior on a fixed income living in a mobile home community struggling to get by. Her fridge was empty, and she could not afford to fill it. She would normally turn to her son or neighbours, but they were facing the same challenges due to inflation and the high price of fuel.
Or the woman who came into my office and shared with me that, due to the high cost of living, she and her husband lost their home and were living in an RV in her parents’ backyard. She was injured at work and her medical benefits were not enough for them to get by. This couple was losing everything bit by bit and it was causing severe mental health issues.
These stories are heartbreaking, but unfortunately, they are not rare.
A recent report by the Dalhousie University's Agri-Food Analytics Lab, revealed that almost a quarter of Canadians are buying fewer groceries because of high food costs. Meanwhile, the number of people accessing food banks in our community is growing rapidly and the number of children in poverty is increasing. In a country that produces food for the world, this should not be the case.
Canada has been blessed with abundance. Our riding of Lethbridge is full of bounty. We export our products around the world. It is truly something to be proud of, but instead we have a government that is choosing to punish our farmers instead of celebrating them. It’s shameful.
Food prices are through the roof. We should be incentivizing greater food production, not implementing policies that will decrease crop yield and increase the price of food for Canadians across the country.
Another area of abundance in Canada is energy. We have the third largest oil reserve in the world, and we are the fifth largest producer of natural gas. Just like food, the world needs more energy.
Canada has the potential to be the solution to many of the world’s problems. We could be stepping up and taking our place as a leader on the world stage by meeting the growing demand for food and energy. We could displace the reliance on dictators for energy and bring food stability to nations that cannot produce it for themselves.
During German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s visit to Canada in August, he expressed his desperation to find new sources for liquefied natural gas (LNG) in light of Russia’s curtailing exports to punish supporters of Ukraine.
Prime Minister Trudeau’s response to this request was that there has “never been a strong business case” for shipping natural gas directly from Canada to Europe because we lack the pipelines and LNG conversion plants to transport our resources. So, instead of working toward a mutually beneficial solution, he just sat back and said, “no.”
The fact of the matter is, there is an incredible business case for increasing production and transportation capabilities, but we happen to be dealing with a Liberal government that has a climate action agenda, which trumps economic prosperity, safeguarding humanity, and common sense.
Canada truly is a country that is blessed, not just with the resources to generate prosperity, but the innovative, creative, and hardworking people to turn raw materials into useful and beneficial products necessary for living life.
I am confident that if we can get government out of the way and provide freedom for Canadians to reach their greatest potential, our nation will not only thrive, but be a leader among other nations.
The solution to the many problems plaguing our country is less government and more Canada.