Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, it is a great honour to share with the House that on December 23, 1926, the Peachland Royal Canadian Legion Branch 69 was presented with its charter. I am proud to note that this original charter, issued by the British Empire Service League, still hangs on the wall of that legion to this very day. The Peachland Legion was established in the aftermath of the First World War by returnin…
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Mr. Speaker, it is always a great honour to rise in the chamber and to speak on behalf of my constituents, the good people of Okanagan Lake West—South Kelowna. Crime is one of the most serious concerns facing my riding today, with Kelowna also represented by a Liberal member, sadly becoming ground zero for the consequences of failed Liberal bail policies. Before I speak directly to the jail not ba…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, that member spent almost his full career in law enforcement. He knows how critically important it is for law and order to be expressed with clear rules and clear enforcement. As I have said, we have existing rules around violence and incitement. What we need is less talk from politicians and more backing of our police forces so they can make those charges, present the evidence and hav…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, it is certainly an honour to rise and speak on behalf of the good people of Okanagan Lake West—South Kelowna. I am also pleased to inform the House that I will be sharing my time with the hon. member for Calgary Midnapore. I have been fortunate to have spent enough time in this place to have sat on both sides of the House, which I consider a great honour. Over my time in this place, I…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, it is a serious issue and a serious question, one that I will answer. First of all, I believe that ultimately the changes promoted by the Bloc and the government that remove the good-faith clause when it comes to religious worship will inevitably be challenged in a court under the charter. I believe it will go from lower to higher courts, all the way to the Supreme Court. The challeng…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate what the member has to say, and I am sure my mom probably sent him friendship cookies to get him to say things like that publicly. I cannot see many other Liberal members saying that about me. The respect is mutual. What I would simply say is that I have fundamental differences on Bill C-9. For example, the current law has it so that the Attorney General of Canada must gi…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister says Canada should strive to be our own best customer. Well, Conservatives could not agree more, and that is why we want a one Canadian economy where a craft brewer in the Maritimes, a distiller in Ontario or a vintner in the Okanagan can sell to any adult Canadian anywhere in this country. However, the Prime Minister's Canada Day deadline of last year to fix this h…
Read full speech →Government Orders
He got the friendship cookies.
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, producers in my riding find it easier to ship a bottle of wine to London, England, than to London, Ontario. Trade walls are blocking the growth of producers across this great country. The Prime Minister tells Canadians that we need to focus on the things we can control. Parliament has control over Canada Post and interprovincial shipping. I invite the Liberals to steal this idea. They…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
moved for leave to introduce Bill C-262, An Act to amend the Canada Post Corporation Act. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to introduce a bill, seconded by the member of Parliament for Similkameen—South Okanagan—West Kootenay, that brings long overdue modernization and national consistency to how Canadians can buy and ship Canadian wine, beer and spirits across provincial borders. As the Prime Minister o…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, what was said about Alto's authority is absolutely false. It is anything but absolute. The government holds all the cards. It decides if there should be consultation. There is nothing in here that actually requires the government to do what we originally asked of the minister, to have an accelerated CTA process whereby communities could be heard and an independent tribunal could come …
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I think we can all ask the question of what we would do with $1 million, but I need to take a moment to think about $90 billion in one project, in one particular area. We could fix up the Trans-Canada Highway. We could establish northern Arctic ports. We could establish much more productive ports that would actually carry out some of the things the government says it is all about, inc…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure to rise on behalf of the good people of Okanagan Lake West—South Kelowna, in the beautiful interior of British Columbia. Bill C-15 is an omnibus piece of legislation, and the Liberals, in their various forms of government, like in the Trudeau era and now followed by the new Prime Minister, have staked out that the omnibus is a perfectly legitimate piece of legislation…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, as I said, it is absolutely important and imperative for Parliament to decide whether the best way to proceed is with Alto and whether Alto is the best regulatory body. It is a company, not a tribunal. Using an independent body such as the Canadian Transportation Agency would give a great deal of certainty to the communities affected and to property owners who are very concerned at th…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, Cassidy deVeer and Krista Paine from the Central Okanagan Canadian Home Builder's Association expressed many of the same concerns to me when they visited about the national building code and increased costs. I give the member that point. In the bill, it talks about developing land and constructing housing in Canada. That is better than what the Canada Infrastructure Bank has done with…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, after 10 years of Liberal government, food inflation is double what it was when the Prime Minister took office and double that of the United States. Food bank use has more than doubled, and now bankruptcies are up, the highest they have been since the financial crisis, clocking in at a shocking 10.6% in British Columbia. Will the government admit that its taxes and deficits are drivin…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. The Secretary of State for Sport referenced the “temporary” member for Battle River—Crowfoot. It is in the Standing Orders that we are supposed to use either the title of the leader of the official opposition or the name of the riding. To add any adverbs or adjectives undermines the decorum in this place, and as someone who is part of the government, he sho…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister often says that we should focus on what we can control. Well, I agree. His government controls the industrial carbon tax and the fuel standard regulations that have driven our food inflation to double that of the U.S. A family of four now pays $17,600 a year, while two million Canadians line up at food banks, so which is it? Is the government driving up fuel costs t…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister often speaks about the levers they can pull. He keeps slamming one called permanent grocery price hikes. His fuel tax fixation adds seven cents today and will rocket to 17¢ a litre, an outright hunger hike hitting every part of our food supply chain. When will the Liberal government finally show some common sense and pull the lever that pauses this food cost explosi…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister told Canadians he would be judged by the prices at the grocery store. In British Columbia, food bank use is entrenched, with about one-quarter of families food-insecure. A family of four will pay about $1,000 more for food next year. We know this out-of-touch Prime Minister does not do his own shopping, but Canadians still have to pay at the till. Will he admit to B…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, the only thing I know about the justice committee right now is that when we are in transport committee and, for example, we are suddenly told that the justice committee has ended abruptly, we get those resources and we specifically say we would like to continue the filibuster to let that member of Parliament have his say and maybe perhaps finally finish. Unfortunately, even with all t…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, it certainly is a pleasure to rise to speak on behalf of the good citizens of Okanagan Lake West—South Kelowna. Unfortunately, it is to do something that is not in my nature, which is to be negative, but it has to be done. The government and its members have treated Parliament badly. One only has to take a look at the debate tonight. There are Liberal members here, but they are not in…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, I would simply be mindful that no member was mentioned; I was talking about the House in general. I think all of us would consider that a strong presence by all parties would always be a welcome thing in a democracy. At committee, I have found the government and its members to be unaccountable, undemocratic and obstructionist. I will be talking about each one today. Unaccountable is w…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, the member's intervention really does cause me to think of the reason I am here. As I said in my speech, we are here to be powerful voices for our constituents. I was here during the majority years when I first was elected in 2011. Sometimes I probably gave the government of the day a little too much latitude and not enough to the priorities of members in this space. This member right…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, the Liberal chair's behaviour shows contempt for this institution. He refused to call three meetings. On Tuesday, he even suspended the meeting for technical reasons and then never came back. That is obstruction and abuse of power. We were talking about the safety of our roads and the safety of Canadians. This is an urgent and serious issue. The Liberal chair needs to decide whether h…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, the Liberal chair's conduct shows contempt for this institution. He has refused to convene meetings three times, and even suspended one for technical reasons before leaving, never to return. Worse, a Liberal MP has been filibustering for the past month, not only resisting hearing from victims, but deliberately delaying recommendations that could save lives. Every day those recommendat…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, it has to do with the previous point the member for Winnipeg North raised. I would like you to look back at the tapes. When the leader of the official opposition started reading from a budget book, you said it was being used as a prop. I think you, Mr. Speaker, need to analyze the use of official resources. Whether it be this fine fourth edition of the House of Commons Procedure and P…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, it is always a pleasure to join the debate in this place on behalf of the good people of Okanagan Lake West—South Kelowna. This particular debate is noteworthy, and I will explain why. After 10 years of Liberal budgets under Justin Trudeau, this is the first budget under what the Prime Minister and his cabinet like to call the new Liberal government. Really, who could blame them? We a…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, with both the Liberal Party and the Bloc saying Stephen Harper this and Stephen Harper that, I think they have lost the plot. We just had an election in which the Prime Minister looked Canadians in the eye hundreds of times, even voters in this gentleman's province of Quebec. The Prime Minister promised the people of the beautiful province of Quebec and across the country that he woul…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, my fellow colleague from British Columbia is an excellent addition to this place. I remember criticizing Bill Morneau when he was the minister of finance and they crossed the threshold of $1 trillion in debt. Fast-forward to several ministers since then, and we are now approaching well over $2 trillion. Is the member concerned about the fact that the Prime Minister said he would spend…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, that is an excellent question. I believe that this year, we are at about $52 billion a year just to cover the debt management program. I remember raising the same questions and concerns with Bill Morneau when he was the minister of finance, when we had just over $1 trillion in debt. Now we are over $2 trillion in just a short period of time, less than 10 years later. We are right to b…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I know that member gets really hot under the collar when people remind him that he has supported every Liberal budget since 2015. When Bill Morneau was the finance minister, I criticized him for allowing our debt to rise over $1 trillion. This member said nothing then. We went past $2 trillion, and we are now working our way to $2.5 trillion under the current government, but he is sti…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, on a pipeline to the Pacific, the Prime Minister finds himself in a dilemma of his own making. He, his ministers and his MPs say one thing in British Columbia and another in Alberta, and now he is perched squarely on the fence. Under subsection 92(10) of the Constitution, the decision is his government's alone, so will he side with the national interest to build a new pipeline, or wil…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, I note the arrogance of that answer. He has not spoken to my constituents like I have on this issue. Right now, the only thing that is crossing provincial borders is this Prime Minister's indecision. A pizza shop is more productive than the Prime Minister because at least it knows what business it is in and knows it needs to deliver in a competitive marketplace. Subsection 92(10) is c…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Chair, after 10 years of Liberal failure to secure a softwood lumber deal, the member says tonight that the Liberals have made significant wins. However, tariffs have tripled to 45%, costing Canadian producers over $10 billion. There are closed mills in communities like Houston, Vanderhoof, Port Alberni, Chemainus, Merritt and Grand Forks. Will the member admit that Liberals look as though the…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Chair, I just want to say that the member for Cowichan—Malahat—Langford told me that Chemainus is curtailed, not closed, so I wish to clarify the record. However, I would like the member to clarify the record. She talked about significant wins. Has she spoken to anyone who works in softwood lumber, or is this a speech that has been given to her so she can mouth the words? For people in areas l…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Chair, as the opposition critic for transportation, I was quite intrigued to actually hear a Liberal talk about transportation. However, this is a take-note debate on softwood lumber, and that had only maybe a touchpoint on it. I would suggest that if the member is really serious about seeing improvements to the Trans-Canada Highway, then it is provincial, and unless it is on indigenous reserv…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, I am from B.C., and David Eby has taken us off a fiscal cliff simply because the province said the exact same things and was downgraded. Now Canadians are paying nearly 50% more on their credit cards than in 2015, while the Prime Minister maxes out the taxpayers' credit card. The Parliamentary Budget Office says the government broke its own debt-to-GDP promise, and Fitch is warning of…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, the Parliamentary Budget Officer says that the Prime Minister abandoned his own fiscal anchor, the one he claimed was key to preserving Canada's AAA credit rating and keeping borrowing costs low. Fitch warns, “federal finances run a high risk of further deterioration.” Is the Prime Minister breaking his own fiscal promises because he is incompetent or because he just does not care abo…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, Keith Thom lived his life with purpose. He left a lasting legacy in Peachland and for all of us who knew him. Known to many as Papa Thom, he could light up a room, whether it was through music or a smile. As a dedicated municipal councillor and deputy mayor, Keith embodied kindness and service. He raised thousands for food banks during the pandemic and honoured our veterans, including…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, this is called the House of Commons for a reason. It was created to serve the common people, not jet-setting elites, yet the Prime Minister did not get the memo. How else do we explain a leader who spends more time in the air than in this chamber? He even puts Justin Trudeau to shame. In 2022, the then prime minister flew just over 127,000 kilometres in 10 months, or roughly three tim…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, this is called the House of Commons for a reason. It was created to serve the common people, not jet-setting elites, yet the Prime Minister did not get the memo. How else do we explain a leader who spends more time in the air than in this chamber? He even puts Justin Trudeau to shame. In 2022, Prime Minister Trudeau flew over 127,000 kilometres in 10 months, or roughly three times aro…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, Bill C-14 would still allow judges to release offenders and would still direct courts to apply the least onerous conditions if release is granted. It is the same loophole the member mentioned that let Bailey McCourt's killer walk free in Kelowna just hours after he was convicted of choking her. Why would the Liberals preserve a culture of automatic release when public safety should be…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, after 10 years of the Liberals, insiders have never had it so good. Canadians, including 700,000 children, made 2.2 million food bank visits last year. Seniors are living in cars because rent has doubled. Meanwhile, the government gave $1 billion to buy boats from Beijing, offshoring Canadian steel and shipbuilding jobs, while executives at the Canada Infrastructure Bank pocketed fat …
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, I did not expect the minister to ask me to walk down the aisle with him. Canadians made 2.2 million food bank visits last year, and seniors are sleeping in cars because rent has doubled. However, the Liberal government sent a billion taxpayer dollars to buy boats from Beijing and handed out eye-popping bonuses at the Canada Infrastructure Bank. Why is the Prime Minister using taxpayer…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, the controversial $1-billion loan to BC Ferries continues to take on water thanks to a CHEK News exclusive that shreds the bogus talking point that these ferries could not be built in Canada. We know that BC Ferries was presented a report that showed that Canadian shipyards could build these new vessels, creating thousands of jobs, billions in economic growth and pride in Canada's cra…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, they are cutting cheques to China. The Liberals can pretend that this was all BC Ferries' sole decision, but it was the government that created the Canada Infrastructure Bank, filled it with billions of taxpayer dollars and allowed the loan to go forward with no questions asked. Conservatives believe the loan should be cancelled, because if Canadian shipyards, Canadian steelworkers an…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, Canada is breaking records with the fastest-shrinking economy in the G7 and the second-highest unemployment. If failure was an Olympic sport, the government would own the podium. The Prime Minister came to West Kelowna, held a press conference and promised to negotiate a win on softwood lumber. He even said Canada would “write our own story”. Well, his story so far is that tariffs hav…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I want to thank the member for Kamloops—Thompson—Nicola for such a serious speech. I know he is a serious MP and will be working on these issues at the public safety committee on behalf of his constituents. Speaking of his constituents, I had the pleasure of representing many of them in the Nicola Valley, and I wanted to take this opportunity to ask the member how they are doing, an…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Madam Speaker, I rise today to table a petition urging the government to criminalize coercive abuse through the reintroduction of former Bill C-332. The bill, which has already undergone rigorous legal and procedural review, offers a clear and focused approach to addressing intimate partner violence by specifically targeting coercive control. Families have lived with the devastating impacts of coe…
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