Parliamentary Speeches

Mr. Speaker, according to the CFIB, three in four small businesses do not feel supported by the Liberal government and more than half would not recommend starting a business in Canada, but the Liberals continue to punish small businesses with high taxes and red tape. There are 4,000 Canadian restaurants facing closure this year because of rising costs and taxes. Conservatives have a plan to cut taxes and red tape to keep our small businesses open. Will the Liberals reverse their economic policies so businesses can get ahead?

Mr. Speaker, after 11 years of the Liberal government, violent crime is up 55%, gun crime is up 130% and extortion is up 330%. Weak-on-crime Liberal laws continue releasing violent repeat offenders back onto our streets, and families across our country are paying the price. In Calgary, families are being threatened with extortion and having their homes shot at almost every week. When will the Liberal government get serious, take the crime crisis head-on and lock up repeat violent offenders and criminals?

Mr. Speaker, after 11 years of the Liberal government, Canadians are facing the worst food price inflation, the least affordable housing and the second-highest unemployment in the G7. Two million Canadians line up at the food bank each month, and Canada's happiness ranking has dropped from fifth in the world to 25th. Now the Prime Minister wants to put another $25 billion on the national credit card for a Liberal slush fund that would enrich Liberal insiders at the expense of Canadians. Conservatives know that Canada should be the richest and most affordable country on earth. We know that housing should be dirt cheap. We know that Liberal deficits drive up inflation and leave Canadian families to pay the bill. That is why we are calling on the Liberal government to cut the deficit, cut taxes on the work, cut taxes on homebuilding and get rid of all federal taxes on gas and diesel for the rest of the year.

Mr. Speaker, after 11 years of the Liberal government, almost one in four Canadians is living in a food-insecure household. One in three is borrowing money just to afford food, and two million Canadians visit food banks each month. Canadians know that deficits lead to higher inflation today and higher taxes tomorrow. The Liberal Prime Minister has now doubled Trudeau's deficit. When will the Prime Minister end his costly credit card budgeting so that Canadians can afford to eat?

Mr. Speaker, Conservatives have also introduced Bill C-242, the jail not bail act, brought forward by the Conservative member for Oxford. This bill would reform Canada's bail system by making public safety the primary consideration, expanding reverse onus for serious violent offences and tightening rules for repeat offenders. Conservatives will not accept a Canada where families and businesses feel unsafe in their own communities. For 10 years, Liberal soft-on-crime policies and bail reforms have weakened sentencing, reduced consequences for violent offences and made it easier for repeat violent offenders to terrorize our streets. We will fight to pass our anti-extortion legislation, restore serious penalties for violent and gun-related crimes and repeal the Liberal laws that put criminals above public safety. Canadians should never be forced to live in fear, to change their daily routines or to feel unsafe within the walls of their own homes. This is why we are calling on the government to adopt our Conservative plan to end extortion and protect Canadian families and businesses.

Mr. Speaker, as always, it is an honour to rise in the House on behalf of my constituents in northeast Calgary. I want to speak today on an issue that hits very close to home and has deeply impacted members of the South Asian community across Canada. Families and small businesses are living in fear as extortion has become rampant across the country. Communities in Surrey, Brampton and northeast Calgary have become all too familiar with these threats and intimidation. In many cases, extortion begins with a phone call from an unknown or international phone number. The perpetrator makes a demand for thousands of dollars and, in some cases, millions of dollars. They threaten to harm an individual's home, business or family. They drop details about the individual's place of residence or the names of their children and their school. They warn that going to the police will only make matters worse. In recent months, numerous families and small business owners have come to my constituency office after receiving extortion calls. They were shaken, afraid and unsure where to turn. Some told me that they did not know whether to report the threats. The safety of my constituents is my top priority in the House, and I will continue speaking on this issue until something gets done. In another case just last month, a father in northeast Calgary received a phone call over WhatsApp from an international number. The man on the line asked for thousands of dollars and claimed to know about his seven-year-old son and where he went to school. Like many others, this call was meant to terrify him into compliance and silence. Crime and extortion statistics in Canada have become so bad over the last 10 years that it is truly hard to fathom how things got so out of hand. Since the Liberals took power in 2015, violent crime has risen 54%, gun crime has risen 130% and extortion has risen by 330%. In my neighbouring province of British Columbia, extortion has risen by 480% since 2015. These are truly unfathomable numbers. Canada's extortion crisis is not an isolated issue and it did not happen overnight. It is the result of years of weakness in our criminal justice system and in the bail and sentencing laws. Liberal bills such as Bill C-5 and Bill C-75 treated perpetrators like victims and prioritized criminals' rights over public safety. These policies of lenient sentencing and reduced consequences have emboldened criminals and signalled to international crime networks, including the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, that Canada is an easy target for extortion-related crime. These Liberal policies have directly contributed to the rise in crime Canadians are now facing across the country. In my hometown of Calgary, police are currently investigating 21 extortion cases, including recent shootings in Redstone and Taradale. I want to thank the Calgary Police Service, the Alberta Law Enforcement Response Team and all of our first responders for their bravery and work ethic in dealing with these matters. Their work sends a clear message to scammers, thugs, criminals and terrorists that our communities will not take threats and will not be silenced. In Surrey, British Columbia, there have been over 30 reported extortion attempts already this year. Compared to last year's total of 133, Surrey is on pace to have 500 extortion attempts by the end of this year. Like many families across Canada, a Brampton household began the new year with hope and optimism. Within days, that hope was shattered when they received an extortion demand for half a million dollars and later had multiple shots fired at their home. Incidents like this leave families shaken and communities wondering whether their own homes could be next. This pattern is being seen in communities across Canada. It is why city councils in Brampton and Surrey have asked the Liberal government to step up its response to extortion. I agree with the mayor of Brampton, Patrick Brown, who has said that the Liberals must recognize extortion as a national public safety issue and take immediate action to address it. Mayor of Surrey, Brenda Locke, has been equally vocal, stating that “our laws are simply too weak” and that “strong federal leadership” is needed to protect communities and restore public confidence. I could not agree more. This is why, over a year ago, the Conservative member for Edmonton Gateway introduced Bill C-381, the protection against extortion act, which set out a clear plan to address this crisis. The Liberals voted it down, choosing to side with criminals instead of communities. Conservatives have also introduced Bill C-242—

Mr. Speaker, Conservatives have been calling for bail reform for years now, and we have proposed numerous bills to keep repeat violent offenders behind bars. If the Liberals were really serious about keeping Canadians safe, they would support the Conservative jail not bail act. Today, I am here to speak about extortion. It is hurting my communities. Families and small businesses are being affected. If they are ready to fix this problem, we are ready to work with them to stop it.

Mr. Speaker, Liberal bills, such as Bill C-5 and Bill C-75, are at the root of the issues we are trying to tackle here today. Conservatives have led the debate on the key issues of the cost of living and the carbon tax, which forced the Liberals to take action. I hope the Liberals take note of the concerns of my constituents that I have shared here today. I absolutely think more needs to be done to tackle organized crime in Canada. I was glad to see that the Liberals have finally agreed to label the Bishnoi gang as a terrorist entity, but I am still concerned about the alarming rate of extortion happening in Canada.

Mr. Speaker, three years ago the finance minister promised to stabilize food prices, but since then the price of lettuce is up 39%, coffee is up 33%, beef is up 27%, baby formula is up 13%, and even canned vegetables are up 12%. Canada now leads all G7 countries in food inflation and has over two million food bank visits each month. Food inflation is twice as high as when the Prime Minister took office. The industrial carbon tax and the Liberal fuel standard tax are driving up costs on farm equipment, fertilizers, food processing and transport, and the bill is passed down to Canadians at the grocery store. Since they have no real plan to lower food costs, will the Liberals vote for our motion to introduce a food affordability plan that eliminates the industrial carbon tax and the fuel standard tax?

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister told Canadians to judge him by the prices at the grocery store. Eight months have passed, and now “Canada's Food Price Report” says that Canadian families should expect to pay an extra $1,000 for groceries in 2026. In total, grocery bills have doubled under the Liberals to $340 per week. When will the Liberals cut their inflationary spending, their industrial carbon tax and their new fuel tax so Canadians can afford to eat?

Mr. Speaker, the Liberal government is the most expensive in Canadian history. Every dollar the Prime Minister spends comes out of the pockets of Canadians, driving up the cost of everything. The Prime Minister told Canadians to judge him by the prices they see at our grocery stores. Now, the industrial carbon tax has caused food prices in Canada to rise nearly 40% faster than in the U.S. Why is the Prime Minister increasing the industrial carbon tax and making food more expensive?

Mr. Speaker, as always, it is an honour to rise in the House on behalf of the people of Calgary McKnight. I want to speak specifically to this bill today because the safety of Canadians is something I am very passionate about, as I am sure many of my colleagues, members of the House, are as well. I believe that along with the cost of living crisis, the increasing crime level across Canada is the most important issue needing to be tackled by the current Parliament. This rising wave of crime is not just something I have observed; recent reports by Stats Canada tell the same story. Since the Liberals were elected in 2015, violent crime is up 55%, gun crime is up 130%, sexual assaults are up 76%, homicides are up 29% and extortion is up 330%. In Calgary, roughly 75 repeat offenders are responsible for a large chunk of the crime calls all around the city. A Calgary police superintendent said that the same 75 criminals commit hundreds of disturbances, from assault with a weapon to store robbery and illegal drug use. We have heard stories like this from all across the country. In Vancouver, the same 40 offenders have been linked to over 6,000 negative police contacts. Calgary police inspectors say that these criminals just cycle through the system and continue to recommit offences upon release. In my riding in northeast Calgary, there were five attacks on transit workers over the course of this summer. In one incident, a bus driver was pepper-sprayed and then beaten so badly that they were sent to the hospital in critical condition. In another case, a bus driver was stabbed and beaten, and, again, was taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries. This summer in Kelowna, a woman was murdered by her ex-husband just three hours after his assault conviction. He was supposed to have been released for a 10-week period while waiting on delivery of a psychiatric report, but only four kilometres away from the courthouse and only three hours later, he attacked his ex-wife and another woman with a hammer, ultimately killing his ex-wife. Just last month, a mother of four was gunned down by her ex-boyfriend outside a Brampton strip mall while he was out on bail. Another man who was out on bail committed a mass stabbing in Manitoba this September and even killed his 18-year-old sister. The stories go on and on. I commend the effort and bravery of our police and other first responders in fighting the rise in crime, but I am disappointed by the Liberal government's agenda to limit the ability of our justice system to keep dangerous offenders behind bars. The rise in crime has come in large part due to Liberal Bill C-75 and Bill C-5. Passed in 2019, Bill C-75 forced judges to release offenders at the earliest possible opportunity and under the least onerous conditions. To make matters worse, in 2022, Bill C-5 further weakened deterrence by repealing numerous mandatory minimum sentences for serious offences like sexual assault. It also repealed mandatory jail time for serious gun crimes like extortion with a firearm. Extortion has turned into one of the fastest-growing crimes in Canada. Police across the country have reported waves of threats against small business owners in communities like Brampton, Surrey, Vancouver and Calgary. Families in their homes are regularly shot at, firebombed and threatened. Just last week while I was in my riding, four separate constituents approached my office for help after receiving extortion calls. South Asian communities have faced the brunt of extortion cases in Canada, and authorities in B.C. even had to establish a special task force dedicated to these incidents. Extortion has gotten so bad that over half of Canadians no longer feel safe in their homes. That is why, last year, my Conservative colleague, the member for Edmonton Gateway, introduced Bill C-381, the protection against extortion act. The bill would have delivered stricter mandatory minimums for extortion and treated arson as an aggravating factor. Shamefully, the Liberals watered it down and left Canadians stranded without the protection they desperately need. More recently my colleague, the member for Oxford, introduced Bill C-242, the jail not bail act. Bill C-242 would prioritize public safety and the rights of survivors rather than the freedom of criminals. It would introduce tougher bail rules for major crimes like gun offences, sexual assault, robbery, kidnapping and human trafficking, and it would require judges to take an offender's full criminal record into account. Most importantly, Bill C-242 would stop the revolving door of bail by blocking repeat violent offenders from being released over and over again. Now it seems that the Liberals are finally starting to listen to mayors, premiers and police associations from coast to coast calling for an end to the failed catch-and-release bail experiment. After Conservatives campaigned for four years to scrap Liberal bail, the Liberals have finally accepted the reality that the rights of survivors are more important than those of criminals. Bill C-14 would expand reverse onus bail rules for certain violent and weapons-related offences and would ask judges to more intently consider community safety and an offender's history, but it would still keep the existing principles of restraint and the foundation of the bail system. Considering the state of fear that Canadians currently live in and the fact that Canada's violent crime severity index has gone up by 41% in the last 10 years, I do not believe that Bill C-14 as it currently stands would go far enough to address the issues of bail reform or to restore the trust in our justice system to keep the public safe. A Conservative plan for bail would prioritize public safety over the principle of restraint. We would restore mandatory minimums for firearms, sexual assault, kidnapping, human trafficking, robbery, extortion with a firearm, arson and other serious violent crimes. We would exclude people who have committed robbery, gun violence and trafficking, as well as property offenders, from being eligible for conditional sentencing. We would also mandate the consideration of criminal history instead of just encouraging judges to keep it in mind. I believe that unless these changes are made, serious and dangerous offenders will continue to be released onto our streets to pose a threat to our communities.

Mr. Speaker, Conservatives have been calling for bail reform for years now, and we have proposed numerous bills to keep repeat violent offenders behind bars. If the Liberals were really serious about keeping Canadians safe, they would support the Conservative jail not bail act. The Liberals are now trying to cover up a problem they have created. If they were really serious about fighting crime, they would support our jail not bail act. I hope we can work together to deliver a positive result for Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, it is always an honour to rise in the House on behalf of the people of Calgary McKnight. I want to make it clear that today I am rising to speak to the bill because of my constituents. I have received countless emails in my inbox about the concerns they have about Bill C-12 and Bill C-2. Many of my constituents shared their concerns about provisions in these bills that would needlessly violate individual freedoms and Canadians' rights to privacy, and I want to address that. Bill C-2 seeks to give the Liberal government broad surveillance powers. It would permit warrantless access to Canadians' mail and to their personal data from service providers. Alarmingly, these overarching measures were proposed by the Liberals without prior consultation with the Privacy Commissioner. In some ways, Bill C-2 reminds me of Bill C-11 from a couple of years ago, which would have given powers to government bureaucrats to censor what Canadians can say or see on the Internet. It also reminds me of the Online News Act from 2023, which banned news from social media platforms and put local new groups at a disadvantage. What we see, once again, with Bill C-2 is a government that believes it knows better than Canadians, a government that continues to seek control of the information Canadians can access online and to diminish their personal freedoms. Over 300 civil society groups expressed their concerns about Bill C-2, and Conservatives are proud to stand with them to fight against the legislation. After backing down from Bill C-2, the Liberals have now introduced Bill C-12. Conservatives are examining the bill thoroughly to ensure that the Liberals do not try to sneak in measures that would breach law-abiding Canadians' privacy rights, as they tried to do in Bill C-2. Before I dive deeper into Bill C-12, I want to highlight two important topics of concern to the people of Calgary McKnight: the rising wave of crime in our country and the drug epidemic, which has claimed over 50,000 lives since 2016. Since 2015, crime in my hometown of Calgary has gone up by 58%. Firearm offences have gone up by 371%, and extortion has gone up by 353%. As I mentioned previously, the countrywide opioid epidemic has claimed tens of thousands of lives and represents a 200% annual increase since the government began its radical liberalisation of hard drugs. I heard one of my colleagues mention previously that the number of lives lost to drug overdoses in the last 10 year is higher than the number of Canadians who tragically lost their lives in the Second World War. Conservatives have been calling on the government for years to get serious about crime and to secure our borders. We have urged it to strengthen bail laws, crack down on the flow of dangerous drugs and stop illegal firearms from pouring into our communities. It is deeply disappointing that the Liberals acted on border security only after being told to do so by another country's president. It should not take pressure from a foreign leader for the Liberals to finally do what Canadians have been pleading for all along. Even in the Liberals' second attempt, Bill C-12 still fails to address several critical issues. It does not include meaningful bail reform but allows the catch-and-release of individuals trafficking fentanyl and firearms. It would not introduce mandatory prison sentences for fentanyl traffickers who are fuelling the deadly opioid crisis. It would not implement new mandatory prison terms for gang members who use illegal firearms to commit violent crimes. Despite the Liberals' tough rhetoric, it still seems that their priority is going after the guns of law-abiding hunters and intercepting the mail of ordinary Canadians. Canadians deserve a justice system that protects victims and communities, not repeat violent offenders, but after a decade of the Liberal government's soft-on-crime approach, we now live in a country where violent criminals are released within hours of arrest, thanks to the Liberals' Bill C-5 and Bill C-75. The Liberals repealed mandatory prison sentences for some of the most serious offences, like extortion with a firearm, weapons trafficking and importing illegal guns. These are not small mistakes; these are deliberate policy choices that have emboldened criminals and eroded my constituents' confidence in the justice system. Conservatives believe in real consequences for repeat violent criminals and in sentencing that prioritizes the safety of Canadians over the comfort of offenders. The product of the government's soft-on-crime legislation extends far beyond the courtroom. The fentanyl crisis reaches our streets, homes, hospitals and even children's playgrounds. The Liberal government's reckless policies have fuelled a nationwide drug crisis that has overwhelmed communities and left our brave first responders and health workers to clean up the mess. Meanwhile, the Liberal health minister refuses to rule out approving more drug injection sites next to schools and day cares, despite admitting that they are hot spots for fentanyl usage. Some of the provisions in Bill C-12 appear to be well intentioned. On paper, the legislation seeks to strengthen border security, crack down on gun smuggling and target organized crime networks and trafficking across our country. These are causes that all Canadians can support and that Conservatives have long been calling for. The measures to inspect more cross-border cargo to tighten tracking of money laundering and to intercept the flow of fentanyl and hard drugs are steps in the right direction. If implemented correctly, these measures could help protect our communities from the violence and drug addiction that have taken root under the Liberal government's watch. I look forward to the bill's being thoroughly scrutinized to ensure that it can deliver positive results without trampling on Canadians' rights.

Mr. Speaker, under the previous Conservative government, the CBSA budget was increased by 45%, and staffing levels rose by 26%, strengthening Canada's front line of defence. We invested in the tools, personnel and technology needed to keep Canadians safe and to stop illegal smuggling. We will never apologize for our strong Conservative record with respect to securing Canada's borders. Conservatives stand should to shoulder with the men and women in law enforcement who protect our borders and our communities every day. We will always support the people in uniform who risk their safety to keep Canadians safe. I call on the Liberals to finally deliver on their promise to hire 1,000 new RCMP and CBSA officers instead of leaving our front lines understaffed and overworked.

Mr. Speaker, during the last election, the Prime Minister promised Canadians that he would get a deal with the United States, but since he was elected, tens of thousands of Canadians have lost their jobs and $54 billion in investment has fled the country. Last week, Stellantis announced its plans to move its Brampton plant to Illinois after the finance minister signed a deal giving them 10 billion taxpayer dollars. Canadian auto workers want to know what job guarantees were in these contracts.

Mr. Speaker, in April, the Prime Minister promised bail reform to keep repeat violent criminals off our streets, but half a year later, he has broken his promise and kept soft-on-crime Liberal catch-and-release laws in place. It is because of Liberal bail that gun crime across Canada is up 130%, hate crime is up 258%, homicide is up nearly 30% and extortion is up 357%. Today, Conservatives are proposing a fast-track solution to pass our jail not bail bill right away to keep Canadians safe. Will the Liberals scrap Liberal bail or get out of the way so that Conservatives can do it?

With regard to measures taken by the government and the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission to implement the Online Streaming Act (formerly Bill C-11): (a) what are the total expenditures to date related to the implementation of any measures contained in the Act, in total and broken down by related measures and by type of expenditure; (b) how many employees or full-time equivalents have been assigned to work on items related to measures contained in the Act; (c) how many new employees had to be hired in order to implement or maintain measures contained in the Act; (d) what are the government's projections as to how much it will cost each year to maintain the systems or items mandated by the Act; (e) how much has been collected in revenue from streaming services to date as a result of the Act; and (f) of the money collected, how much has been distributed to date, broken down by type of recipient?

Mr. Speaker, crime and drug use are getting worse in Canada. Law enforcement agencies in Ontario recently seized 1,000 pounds of cocaine and nearly half a million lethal doses of fentanyl. In my riding of Calgary McKnight, families cannot sleep at night because they worry about their homes being invaded and their cars being stolen. Meanwhile, the Liberal public safety minister does not even know his own government policies on firearms or drugs, and he is fine with releasing repeat violent criminals out into our streets. Canadians need real solutions to crime, to addiction and to the broken Liberal bail system. Our Conservative plan would ensure that repeat violent offenders are kept behind bars and that those battling addiction are given the proper care they need.

Mr. Speaker, just yesterday, the Auditor General confirmed that the Liberal government cannot be trusted to deliver on housing. It promised to convert empty federal offices into 4,000 units of affordable housing but has managed to complete only about 300 units so far. That is a total failure. It turns out that almost half the units are being built in areas that do not even need them. Now, after seven years and $300 million spent, the former housing minister got promotions, while housing has become even more unaffordable. Canadians need fewer broken promises and more homes built. The Conservative housing plan would quickly sell federal properties close to transit stations and jobs, in order to get affordable homes built faster for Canadians in communities that need them.

Mr. Speaker, after 10 years of Liberal government, violent crime is up 50%, gun crime is up 116%, gang homicides are up 78%, auto theft is up 46% and extortion is up 357%. The Liberal government insists on putting repeat violent offenders back into our communities, unleashing crime, chaos and disorder. Will the Prime Minister stop the crime and lock up the criminals by repealing Trudeau's Bill C-5 and Bill C-75?

Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to rise for the first time in the House of Commons. I would first like to express my appreciation for the people of Calgary McKnight for placing their trust in me. It is a great responsibility to be their voice, and I am both humbled and motivated by their support. I also need to thank my family, friends and relatives. Every individual who volunteered on my campaign and spread the Conservative message by knocking on doors, making phone calls and putting up signs inspired me with their commitment, which served as a reminder of the impact we can make when we come together in service of our communities. I thank my neighbouring MPs from Calgary East and Calgary Skyview for their guidance and support throughout this process. Finally, I want to thank the returning members of the House for welcoming me and all newly elected MPs with kindness and grace. I am eager to work alongside colleagues from all parties to deliver results for Canadians. Just like this chamber, Calgary McKnight is made up of people from diverse backgrounds and cultures. It is a riding filled with hard-working individuals who take pride in their roots and in the journeys that brought them to Canada. People from every corner of the world are proud to call northeast Calgary home. They have started businesses, raised families and built vibrant communities. It is a place where neighbours support one another, where different traditions are celebrated side by side and where the Canadian dream is lived out every day in various languages, religions, cultures and acts of community service. Their stories of sacrifice, determination and hope for a brighter future are what I carry with me into the chamber. Like many of my constituents, I also immigrated to northeast Calgary to live out the Canadian promise. Back then, if we worked hard and played by the rules, we could afford food and an affordable home on a safe street. Unfortunately, after 10 years of the Liberal government, that promise feels increasingly out of reach. People in Calgary McKnight are simply tired: tired of seeing their savings eroded by inflation, tired of watching their children struggle to get ahead and tired of seeing crime destabilize the safe and welcoming communities they once knew. I ran to be a member of Parliament because I saw the issues that my neighbours in Calgary McKnight face on a daily basis. I have seen the rising cost of living make it harder and harder for members of my community to keep up. Families are being forced to choose between affording groceries or filling up their car with gas, between heating their homes through the cold winter months or enrolling their children in sports or extracurricular activities. I see seniors stretching every last dollar of their retirement savings: The price of basic necessities continues to rise while their purchasing power declines due to the Liberal government's inflationary spending. The youth in my community are no longer striving to get ahead financially or save for a down payment on a home. They are simply trying to keep their heads above water. New data from the Financial Resilience Institute shows that anxiety about money is now reported more than loneliness. The rise of youth unemployment to 14% has left young people hopeless and depressed. Despite their education, skills and willingness to work, many young Canadians are unable to find meaningful employment and are forced to skip meals or move back in with mom and dad. This is not the future they were promised, and it is not the future that we should accept in the House. A recent RBC survey found that over a quarter of Canadians have gone into debt, not to upgrade their education or buy a car but simply to cover basic living needs. Fifty-five per cent of Canadians describe themselves as being financially paralyzed. Overall unemployment is also on the rise in Canada and in my community. We have all heard stories of highly skilled and educated people unable to find work because their qualifications, earned abroad, are not recognized here. This is not only unfair; it is a missed opportunity for our public services. I will advocate for policies like the blue seal program, which would give professionals a pathway to demonstrate their expertise and apply their skills in Canada. Through this program, tens of thousands of health care professionals already living in Canada could find employment and ease the strain on our overwhelmed health care system. Northeast Calgary has a proud spirit of enterprise. For generations, the desire to start a business has served as the foundation of a strong Canadian middle class. Unfortunately, the past 10 years of Liberal taxation, bureaucracy and red tape have punished those who seek to innovate and build. Small business owners in Calgary McKnight have been facing increasing regulatory burdens and higher taxes that make it more difficult to sustain and grow their enterprises. I will continue the fight for policies like cutting red tape by 25% and eliminating capital gains taxes on reinvestment, because small business owners in Calgary deserve to be rewarded for their hard work and personal investment in our communities. My constituents are also deeply concerned about the rising wave of crime that has swept across our country. Just last month, a transit driver in my riding had to fight for his life after being brutally assaulted while driving a bus. Throughout my campaign, I met numerous constituents who had been victims of crime, people whose homes and vehicles had been vandalized or broken into, families still shaken by recent attacks and small business owners distraught after multiple armed robberies. Many shared that these incidents have become more frequent in recent years. While Canadians are living in increasing fear, the Liberal government's soft-on-crime policies continue to enable repeat offenders to return to our streets and threaten the safety, livelihood and dignity of law-abiding citizens. This is unacceptable. We need to work together in the House to deliver practical solutions to combat violence and restore public safety across our great land. Canadians deserve a real plan from their government. Last week's throne speech and the Liberals' decision to not present a budget unfortunately do not provide one. With summer break coming up after six months of prorogation, many are left wondering what to expect from a government that is already starting to look a lot like its predecessor. Conservatives will continue to put forward common-sense solutions to make Canada safer and more affordable, self-reliant and united. It is time to cut taxes and red tape and to restore the dreams of home ownership and entrepreneurship. We must rein in government spending to bring down inflation and restore the value of our dollar. We need to make our communities safer by ensuring that repeat violent offenders are kept behind bars. As our leader has previously stated, a good government should deliver effective essential services and then get out of the way so that Canadians have the freedom to work, build and pursue their dreams. It is my mission to restore that Canadian promise for the people of Calgary McKnight and for all Canadians who simply want a fair shot at a good life. I thank the people of Calgary McKnight once again. I will serve them with integrity, passion and an open heart.

Mr. Speaker, the Liberal record over 10 years has proven that paying more taxes will not make life more affordable or improve the climate. The Conservative plan is about responsible regulations and cutting red tape by 25% while maintaining clear rules that protect Canadians and the environment. We want to free up time and capital so small business owners can hire, expand and drive local economies forward. Moreover, Conservatives have a plan to invest in the energy sector. We can invest in technologies for green energy that are good for the environment. There is some demand in Europe for Canadian energy. We can explore our markets in Europe so we can export our energy there. We need to spend in the energy sector.

Mr. Speaker, families in my riding are forced to buy security systems and cameras for their home because they are afraid of their cars being stolen or their home being broken into. Intimate partner violence is on the rise, and so is human trafficking. We need to do more to put our communities first. Parents should feel safe letting their kids walk to school. Seniors should be able to take the bus without fear. Small business owners should not have to worry about being robbed. We need to empower our first responders and keep repeat violent offenders off our streets so our communities can once again feel safe.