Mark Strahl

Mr. Speaker, after more than a decade of reckless Liberal spending, borrowing and economic mismanagement, more and more Canadians are suffering. Under the Liberal Prime Minister, Canada is the only G20 country in a recession, and the devastating results can no longer be ignored. Today the United Way report has painted a grim picture of the impact on Canadians: Sixty per cent now feel anxiety about their personal finances, 38% struggle with food insecurity, 40% are losing sleep over how they will stretch their paycheque to pay their bills, and 34% know someone close to them who is experiencing poverty, which is up five percentage points. Global factors did not cause this. Liberal inflationary spending, red tape and antidevelopment laws did. With millions of people going hungry, stressed about their finances and fearful for their future, it is high time the Liberal government reversed its disastrous economic policies so we can finally begin to restore hope for Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister is off to New York for what even the CBC calls a straight-up networking trip. Perhaps he will meet with his friends at Brookfield Asset Management there. Like so many other investors, they fled Bay Street for Wall Street, with Main Street in Canada paying the price. Over the last Liberal decade, more than $1 trillion in investment has left Canada. That means lost jobs and lost wages for Canadian workers. The Prime Minister himself holds 91% of his personal investments in the United States. Is he in New York for Canadians, or is he just there to check up on his own portfolio?

Mr. Speaker, speaking of $20 billion, that is how much money has left Canada in the last four quarters under this Prime Minister. After more than a decade of Liberal taxes, red tape and uncertainty, investors, including the Prime Minister, continue to take their money elsewhere. Despite Liberal re-announcements, major projects remain trapped in years of delays while Canadian workers lose those jobs. When will the Prime Minister take real action to cut red tape and repeal these anti-development laws that are continuing to bring about an investment exodus?

Mr. Speaker, British Columbians bought their homes, paid their mortgages and played by the rules, but due to the Cowichan decision, they now face uncertainty as to whether their private property will be protected going forward. Instead of arguing in favour of those rights in the Cowichan case, this Liberal government told federal lawyers not to defend those rights through litigation directive number 14, a directive that is still active to this day. How can British Columbians believe that this Liberal Prime Minister will stand up for their private property rights when his government guidelines are telling his lawyers to stand down?

Mr. Speaker, the same old Liberals have continued their decade of credit card budgets. Not only has this costly Liberal Prime Minister embraced the same borrow-and-spend policies of Justin Trudeau, he has doubled down, doubling the deficit. These failed policies have left Canadians with the worst housing costs, worst economic growth and worst inflation in the G7. The costs to Canadians are enormous. Interest charges on the national debt this year will reach $60 billion and in five years will be $90 billion. That works out to $3,400 in interest costs for every Canadian family this year. That money goes to bankers and bondholders instead of doctors and nurses. Interest payments on our debt are now the fastest-growing item in the Liberal budget. The Liberals are mortgaging the future, selfishly racking up the credit card and leaving the bill for our kids and grandkids. Enough is enough. It is time to restore fiscal responsibility and put an end to these reckless Liberal credit card budgets.

Mr. Speaker, these same old costly Liberals have continued their decade of credit card budgeting: more costs, more debt, more taxes, more of the same. In fact, the costly Liberal Prime Minister is now doubling the Trudeau deficit. He is literally doubling down on the failures of the past, failures that have delivered the worst housing, worst food inflation and worst economic growth in the G7. When will the Liberal Prime Minister end his costly credit card budgeting so Canadians can afford to put food on the table and keep a roof over their head?

Mr. Speaker, I understand why that minister would not want to talk about the past, given his horrendous record on housing in the city of Vancouver. It is the same old story with these same old Liberals. Even Liberal-friendly columnists like Andrew Coyne have finally taken notice, saying, “Canada's New Government is no more interested in arresting our economic decline than Canada's Old Government”. Canadians are maxed out. They cannot afford the same reckless Liberal policies of the last decade. Why have the Liberals doubled Justin Trudeau's deficit, doubled down on costly credit card budgeting and forced Canadians to pay more for gas, groceries and housing?

Mr. Speaker, after a decade of Liberal governments, Canadians are at a breaking point. Here are the sobering statistics. Nearly a third of Canadians say they do not earn enough to cover their bills. Nearly four out of 10 are worried about losing their job. Three out of five say they are working harder, but not getting ahead. Just yesterday, the Liberal government voted against affordability for Canadians yet again. Why will the Liberals not provide Canadians with real relief by adopting our Conservative plan to cut all federal taxes on gas and food?

Mr. Speaker, while Conservatives offer real relief, the Liberals are offering pennies at the pump. Their plan cuts only a third of the taxes they collect on fuel for a third of the year. These tiny tax cuts will be burned up immediately as gas stations are switching over to more expensive summer fuel blends. Liberal taxes are so out of control that one out of five young Canadians say they will need to go into debt just to pay their tax bill. Why will the Liberals not provide Canadians with real relief instead of half measures and adopt our Conservative plan to cut all taxes on fuel for the rest of the year?

Mr. Speaker, I am here to present two petitions on behalf of my constituents. The first is from constituents who are calling on the government to lead an international investigation into the Iranian regime's brutal crackdown on activists. Thousands have been killed. Tens of thousands have been arbitrarily arrested. The regime has used torture and sexual violence as a tool of repression. The petitioners are calling for the use of Magnitsky sanctions against Iranian officials and the use of all diplomatic channels to demand the immediate release of Narges Mohammadi and the staying of all pending execution orders for political prisoners.

Mr. Speaker, the second petition is on behalf of British Columbians who are deeply concerned about proposed changes to the salmon allocation policy that would decimate regular recreational fishing opportunities for coho and chinook in British Columbia. Changing this common property principle risks turning a shared public resource into an exclusive privilege, reducing access for many Canadians and undermining confidence in fisheries management. These B.C. residents are calling on the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans to leave the current salmon allocation policy alone and uphold the cultural rights and traditions of all British Columbians.

Mr. Speaker, while the Liberals do not control what happens abroad, they do control their policies here at home. Instead of working to bring costs down, the Liberal Prime Minister is not only going ahead with his industrial carbon tax, but has introduced a fuel standard tax, which adds 7¢ a litre to the already high cost of gas and will eventually rise to 17¢ per litre. It is more of the same Liberal taxes from the same Liberal government. When will the Liberal government give Canadians a break and get rid of these Liberal gas taxes that are making life more expensive for Canadian families?

Mr. Speaker, Canadians are paying more because of Liberal policies here at home. All G7 countries are dealing with similar external factors, but it is only the Liberal government that has caused us to have the worst food inflation and the only shrinking economy in the G7. The price of gas is 20% higher here than it is in the U.S., and Liberal fuel and carbon taxes are making it even worse. When will the Liberal government stop passing the buck, take responsibility for its policies and finally cut Liberal taxes to make life more affordable for Canadians?

Mr. Speaker, Canadians are struggling to make ends meet. Record food bank usage, personal bankruptcy rates and an increasing number of Canadians borrowing money to buy food are proof of that. While there are some things that are outside of our control, there are things that the government does control, like its new fuel tax, which is already raising the price of gas by seven cents a litre and is set to climb up to 17¢ a litre, raising the cost of everything that Canadians buy. When will the Liberals finally take responsibility for their reckless policies and stop making life more expensive for Canadians?

Mr. Speaker, every country in the G7 is facing external pressures, but this government stands alone in having created the worst food price inflation and the only shrinking economy in the G7. Instead of making life more affordable, the Liberals are making it worse with their higher fuel and carbon taxes, which are raising the costs for farmers, fishers and truckers, driving up the cost of everything for cash-strapped Canadians. Why do the Liberals not finally focus on what they can control and get rid of these harmful policies that are punishing Canadians?

Mr. Speaker, these Liberals keep telling Canadians that they have never had it so good. Not only has food inflation doubled since the Prime Minister took office; it is now twice as high in Canada as it is in the United States. It is driving over two million people a month to food banks. I guess they should just “move on” from that. Now we learn that more and more Canadians have been forced into bankruptcy and bankruptcy proposals. In my province of British Columbia, they are up over 10% in the last year alone. When will the government stop pushing people to the brink and cut the taxes and red tape that are pushing Canadians into bankruptcy?

Mr. Speaker, the Liberal plan is not working. Over two million Canadians a month are using the food bank. The cost of groceries has skyrocketed to over $340 a week for a family of four. The small minority of Canadians who get that recycled rebate he was talking about will only get $10 a week, which is not going to keep their creditors at bay. Now bankruptcies and bankruptcy proposals are at their highest levels since the global financial crisis, so when will the Liberals finally cut taxes and red tape and stop pushing record numbers of Canadians into bankruptcy?

Mr. Speaker, the finance minister promised three years ago that he had a plan to lower food prices. How is that working out? Since then, the cost of groceries has skyrocketed, with the price of lettuce up 40%, coffee up over 30% and the price of beef up over 25%. The recycled plan for a temporary rebate will not reduce the cost of a single item of food. Their plan has failed, so why do the Liberals not support our food affordability plan to axe the industrial carbon tax, cut the fuel standards tax and boost competition in grocery stores to lower food prices for all Canadians?

Mr. Speaker, most Canadians will get no benefit from this recycled plan. A small number will get about $10 a week, but that will not make a dent in the over $340 a week a family of four has to spend to buy groceries. The finance minister promised he would bring down grocery prices three years ago. He failed then, and he is failing again. The Liberals' plan is not working, so why do they not vote for our food affordability plan to cut the industrial carbon tax, axe the fuel standards tax and finally lower grocery prices for all Canadians?

Mr. Speaker, for 40 years Chilliwack's Alano Club has provided a safe, clean and sober place to meet seven days a week for people in recovery from addiction. This consistent availability ensures that help and support are always accessible for vulnerable people in need. It has become a vital resource for groups like Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous and Al-Anon. Chilliwack's Alano Club is more than just a building; it is a place for community and fellowship where members and visitors can enjoy a reduced-price breakfast or lunch. Friends and families can gather for coffee or to play board games. Christmas parties, holiday dinners and weddings are held there too, all in an environment free from drugs and alcohol. Alano is a hub dedicated to healing and recovery, recognizing the importance of social activities for people on their journey to live a clean and sober lifestyle. On behalf of all the people who have been helped by Chilliwack's Alano Club, I thank it for the difference it is making in people's lives. I congratulate Chilliwack's Alano Club on 40 years of serving our community.