Rob Morrison

Mr. Speaker, it is interesting. I stopped at a small gas station in rural B.C., and the diesel price was over three dollars a litre. We are struggling with our logging industry and our farmers. One farmer in Grasmere cannot afford his cattle. There is another farmer in Creston who has the largest asparagus farm in B.C. Diesel prices are tormenting them. How will this motion help them get through the tough times they are going through right now, not a month from now, but as of today?

Mr. Speaker, it really gets complicated. Where I live, which is in the southern part of B.C., the price of diesel per litre is three dollars. Our logging industry is suffering and our transportation costs are huge because we are small. What I really like about the bill being proposed is the fact that it is more complete. It would not just to lower the price of diesel right now, but also follow up with production, which is so important. We need something more than just a quick fix.

Mr. Speaker, Canada has an incredible opportunity to become a global leader in the resources that power modern economies. In Columbia—Kootenay—Southern Rockies, the communities of Elk Valley and Trail are helping make that possible. Elk Valley is home to a highly skilled mining workforce that produces world-class metallurgical coal, while Trail earned an international reputation in excellence in metal processing, refining and innovation. Steel is fundamental to energy infrastructure, transportation networks and national defence. The materials required to produce steel are therefore critical to the economic and industrial security. Met coal, also known as steelmaking coal, is recognized as a critical mineral in the United States, the European Union and India. Canada needs to formally recognize metallurgical coal as a critical mineral as well. As the global demand for critical minerals and steelmaking materials continues to grow, the workers, the families and the businesses of Elk Valley and Trail remain at the forefront of Canada's prosperity. I thank them for their hard work and invaluable contribution to our country.

Madam Speaker, I want to thank the hon. member, whom I have worked with. I appreciate victim services, after being in the RCMP for 35 years. I am thankful for what she has done. My question goes back to the issue of mandatory minimum penalties for individuals who commit crimes. Do you think there is enough accountability in our Supreme Court justices? Can we hold them to account so they will actually put people in jail who need to go there for those minimum penalties? I think we are a little bit weak on that. I just wonder if the hon. member, whom I loved working with, could answer that question, please.

Madam Speaker, coming from a rural area, when I go to the grocery store, people are telling me how expensive everything is, and it is a two-hour trip for me to go to a grocery store. Food prices are so high. Of course, fuel prices are high. I have had no one tell me they have never had it so good. I am wondering if the member can expand on that. Has he heard that? I cannot get out of a grocery store for two hours, because it is so expensive and people are blaming me for the food prices.