Routine Proceedings
Madam Speaker, before I begin, I wish to inform the House that I will be sharing my time with the member for Shefford. I also want to thank my colleague from the Bloc Québécois for moving the concurrence motion today. I believe this issue is truly important to Canadians. I am always happy to speak out against government waste. I am very fortunate to have had the position of shadow minister for the…
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Madam Speaker, the government does not care. It does not care about Canadians. It does not care that there are 2.2 million Canadians going to the food bank. It is willing to waste $80 billion of your money just this year alone. It is willing to allow 100,000 people in a single month, your dad, your brother, your son, to go without a job. If it really cared, it would try to do better, and it does n…
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Mr. Speaker, I am honoured by the opportunity to recognize Easter Seals for the incredible work it does. Since 1922, it has been a tireless advocate for the disability community, helping to create a more inclusive and accessible society. Last year alone, the organization sent more than 6,000 people of all ages to camp and worked with more than 150,000 individuals across Canada. Raising awareness a…
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Madam Speaker, I think we agree. That is why we are having this debate today. It is because we agree that there are serious problems. The government is incapable of avoiding waste and lacks the ability to do things right. As my colleague said, we could look for examples of good projects and improve the way things are done, but right now, that is not an option under this government. Like my colleag…
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Madam Speaker, what I support is a government that chooses to do better. That was the trademark of the Liberals' previous prime minister. In the previous iteration of the government, which continues to this day, that was the mantra, that it could do better. Does doing better mean 2.2 million Canadians going to the food bank? Does doing better mean an $80-billion deficit? Does doing better mean 100…
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Mr. Speaker, the Auditor General dropped another scathing report on the modernization of the pay system. This pay system is now costing taxpayers over $4.2 billion, but the government fails to learn from the Phoenix fiasco, which is costing millions of dollars more for taxpayers every single year. The government has had an entire decade. When will it fix the system and stop wasting taxpayers' mone…
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Mr. Chair, can the President of the Treasury Board confirm that the bill is presented in its usual form?
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Chair, can the President of the Treasury Board confirm that the supply bill is in its usual form?
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Well, Mr. Speaker, public servants are actually scared to retire, because they do not trust the pay system, and it is no wonder. There are over 230,000 transactions that are backlogged, and many of those are more than a year old. The government has had 10 years, and now it wants to fast-track the old system to the new system. When will they fix the system and give public servants confidence in bot…
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Mr. Speaker, I do not appreciate being called delusional by the individual across the way. I actually think this is a form of gaslighting. I had the good fortune to meet with a member who fights for the Cuban diaspora yesterday. This is really how all democracies start to fail, by a government questioning people when they know their truth and they know what they stand for. This is what the governm…
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Mr. Speaker, it is always important to ask questions, but the most important principle is that we are here to protect people of different religions. As I said, it is good to protect people who want to go to certain places to practise their religion. However, I think the problem is that, even thought they have the right to practise their religion, they must also have the right to express their reli…
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Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Vernon—Lake Country—Monashee very much for his integrity and his principle, because I am sure everyone has seen his strong sentiments online about how he would never consider abandoning his principles or his values, which of course is something members of the government do on a pretty consistent basis. I feel that even in asking me this question, he has given pa…
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Mr. Speaker, it is always a pleasure to speak in this incredible House on behalf of the good people of Calgary Midnapore. I cannot believe that this spring it is nine years that I have been in this chamber. I want to thank you so much for your support, Mr. Speaker, as I began this journey so long ago. I have to say that it has been several years of wonder being here every day and not being able to…
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Mr. Speaker, the government told Canadians its new benefit software program would cost $1.75 billion and that it would not be launched without conditions of success being met. Estimates have the actual cost at almost three times as much, $6.6 billion, and reports confirm that the government's own service standards are not being met. In fact, last month there was a backlog of 85,000 new benefit app…
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Mr. Speaker, the minister should do her research. She should be well aware that the Auditor General confirmed in 2023 and 2025 that program costs had increased significantly and would continue to rise. A review by the Treasury Board in 2022 came to the same conclusions, and her own department had to push back the OAS migration three times. In fact, three years ago, her bureaucrats admitted that th…
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Mr. Speaker, every winter, tens of thousands of Canadians travel to Mexico to escape from the cold and make lifelong memories with their loved ones. Yesterday, in Jalisco state, including in and around Guadalajara and Puerto Vallarta, the normal beach-filled activities of Canadians travelling in Mexico turned to fear and anxiety as violence erupted throughout the region. The House is holding all C…
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Madam Speaker, whether it is the Epstein files or Santa Claus, the names on the lists are never released. Society has come to the moral place where those who have done wrong are protected: tax cheaters, offenders living among us or parliamentarians who have worked negatively with foreign governments. Everything is withheld behind the false veil of privacy. Why is it that the government wants to tr…
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Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister is doing everything possible to ignore the reality that Canadians are facing in their daily lives. Food inflation in Canada is twice as high as it is in the United States, and the temporary measures that the Liberals are offering will not result in a single grocery price reduction. They had an opportunity to collaborate yesterday and pass our motion, which would hav…
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Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister is travelling around the world and making big speeches, but what is he really achieving for Canadians? Food inflation is twice as high as when the Prime Minister took office, and Canada now leads the G7 in food inflation. The Prime Minister promised to be judged by the prices at the grocery store. Yesterday, Conservatives tried to help by presenting a real solution …
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Mr. Speaker, 20 years ago, the Right Hon. Stephen Harper was elected as Canada's 22nd prime minister. This week, as his official portrait is unveiled and as Conservatives gather to celebrate the many achievements of his government, I am proud to rise and remember the legacy he left, one of fiscal know-how, strength and unity. Prime Minister Harper successfully led our country through the 2008 econ…
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Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister continues to talk out of both sides of his mouth. He has mastered his predecessor's art of saying one thing in one province and another thing in another. Albertans want the truth. In a pathetic display of misrepresentation, his own Calgary MP could not even defend the leading sector and source of livelihoods for Calgarians. Will the Prime Minister stand in the House…
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Mr. Chair, can the President of the Treasury Board confirm that the bill is presented in its usual form?
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Mr. Speaker, today is a monumental day for Canada's energy sector and for my province of Alberta. We will see if the Liberals stand behind the Prime Minister's promise to build a pipeline for Canada, or if he will do as his predecessor did and submit to his “keep it in the ground” caucus. Families in my riding are worried that the Prime Minister is paying lip service once again and that these are …
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Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to table, in both official languages, the dissenting opinion on behalf of the members of the Conservative Party. Conservative members on the Standing Committee on Public Accounts agree with the Auditor General's finding that a serious digital divide continues to exist in Canada. This divide is prevalent despite years of promises on universal connectivity from successive L…
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Madam Speaker, I am hearing from the other side that the hon. member for Regina—Qu'Appelle is American. The Prime Minister himself actually has three passports: United Kingdom, Ireland and Canada. It is very interesting that they would bring this up. If we are going to talk about that, the Prime Minister has three passports. As I said, his loyalty is not to Canada, and the government cannot seem t…
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Madam Speaker, it is always a pleasure to rise in the House to speak on behalf of the incredible citizens of Calgary Midnapore, who I am so incredibly proud to represent. Motion No. 14 is, of course, regarding Canada's international development assistance. As I am a former diplomat for Canada, this is of special interest to me. I have had the opportunity to serve abroad and to be just a small part…
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Mr. Speaker, last week, the PBO released his response to the Prime Minister's costly budget, and it painted a grim fiscal picture. His report states, “With Budget 2025 the Government abandoned the previous fiscal anchor to reduce the federal debt-to-GDP ratio over the medium term.” He pointed out that in the 2024 fall economic statement “the Government reiterated its commitment to reducing the fed…
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Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister's costly credit card budget loads reckless spending today on tomorrow's taxpayers, something an economist should know. After—
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Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister's loyalties are to Brookfield. The Prime Minister's costly credit card budget loads reckless spending today onto tomorrow's taxpayers, something an economist should know. After 10 years of the Liberals, Canadians are being forced to put nearly 50% more of their personal expenses on credit cards, a result of Liberal financial failures. Fitch Ratings has warned that b…
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question. I think that there are always many examples of waste in the budget, whether it is this budget or previous ones. We should be ashamed of waste, whether it comes from the Liberal Party or any other party. I can say that I am really proud to come from Alberta, a province that has greatly contributed to this country. For me, the real shame is that wa…
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Mr. Speaker, I think that the most important thing for us, Conservative and Bloc Québécois members, is that we truly believe that the government wants to control the media. At least, that is top of mind for the Conservatives. I am from Alberta. My colleague is from Quebec. Those are two provinces with a strong sense of independence. Media control, whether we are from Quebec or Alberta, is somethin…
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Mr. Speaker, I was very proud to speak this week at the Future of Energy Global Summit. Of course, the member for Lakeland would have been a much better speaker. She has so much knowledge and experience. I want to take a moment and wish my seatmate the very best. She is a fierce advocate for her constituents and our shared Conservative values. She is in our thoughts and prayers. The panel I was on…
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Mr. Speaker, I am always pleased to act as the spokesperson for the people of Calgary Midnapore. Before I begin, I would like to ask for unanimous consent to split my time with the member for Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan.
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Mr. Speaker, former prime minister Stephen Harper is world-renowned for having navigated Canada through the 2008 financial crisis. It is a shame that the member does not recognize this. I would like to correct the record about what the member said. I said that former prime minister Stephen Harper was the greatest prime minister for now; that is until the member for Battle River—Crowfoot becomes ou…
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Mr. Speaker, in 2006, the Harper government saw the need for an independent parliamentary fiscal watchdog, and boy was it right. In his budget brief last week, the PBO reminded the Prime Minister of the Liberals' own words just last November that reducing the federal debt-to-GDP ratio over the medium term is “key not only for fiscal sustainability, but also to preserve Canada's AAA credit rating”.…
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Mr. Speaker, the numbers do not lie. Canadians have made a smashing 2.2 million food bank visits, and over 700,000 are children. Canadians are living in their cars. They are struggling. They cannot afford food and they cannot afford homes. These are facts. Why will the Liberals not admit that their programs are not working and that they will choose their friends and insiders over Canadians every s…
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Mr. Speaker, after 10 years of the Liberal government, elites and insiders have never had it so good. Meanwhile, the Prime Minister's message to young Canadians is to continue to sacrifice. While Canadians are lining up at food banks, billions of their tax dollars keep going to consultants, $25 billion in fact, consultants who do not stick to budgets or, according to the Auditor General, do not ev…
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Mr. Speaker, the only thing that is revolting is those answers. The Prime Minister promised Canadians that he would stop outrageous spending on high-priced consultants. Only six months in, and this promise is broken. He has already increased spending on consultants by 37%. That is $6 billion. Whether it is arrive scam, McKinsey & Company or now the CRA call centre, the Liberals will always find a …
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Mr. Speaker, I doubt it. While Canadians line up at food banks, Liberal consultants line their pockets. Yesterday, the president of Shared Services Canada admitted he learned a very hard lesson on the contract for CRA call centres, which quadrupled to $190 million under the Liberals' watch. It is the same hard lesson the Liberals learned when GC Strategies blew the roof off the ArriveCAN contract.…
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Mr. Speaker, on Thursday, Calgary police reported that a man was stabbed in broad daylight in Fish Creek Provincial Park, a park in my riding that should be an oasis of peace and nature for community and families. Last August, a seven-year-old girl was sexually assaulted in that same park. This is unacceptable. Just a decade ago, it would have been unthinkable that brazen daylight stabbings or sex…
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Mr. Speaker, three things are certain in life. They are death, taxes and that we will wait on hold when we call the CRA, according to today's Auditor General report. CRA's own service standards were only met 18% of the time, with wait times doubling over the last year. Only 17% of agents could accurately provide basic tax information. Complaints have increased by 145% in the last three years, so c…
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Mr. Speaker, instead of focusing on other people's jobs, that member should start doing his. Almost 10 years ago to the day, the Liberals signed a $50-million contract for the CRA call system. It has now almost quadrupled to $190 million, and operational costs at the CRA have increased by 70% under the Liberals. While taxpayers wait on hold, Liberal insiders and contractors cash in. Does the gover…
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Mr. Speaker, the member should be ashamed on behalf of all the constituents who have lost jobs in his riding. The Liberals are building bureaucracies, not pipelines. TC Energy has invested $8 billion in the United States. Enbridge is building two pipelines there. Its CEO blames Canada's “keep it in the ground” policies. He is right. Our deficit has doubled, we have the fastest-shrinking G7 economy…
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Mr. Speaker, the Liberals continue to break their promises. The Prime Minister claimed that he would make Canada an energy superpower, but refuses to put even one pipeline on his project list. He also told us he would create jobs, but Canada has lost 86,000 jobs since he took over. That includes 1,000 people let go in the oil sector in Calgary this last week. Does the Prime Minister realize that h…
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Mr. Speaker, the Liberals assured us in 2015 that running massive deficits was an investment. A decade later, we all know that it was just a bait and switch. The reality is that despite consistent efforts to falsely stimulate the economy, investment in Canada has collapsed. There have been 10 years of Liberal broken promises. Debt up equals investment down. We know that the budget will have a mass…
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Mr. Speaker, this week, Imperial Oil announced it will lay off 20% of its workforce and relocate its headquarters out of Calgary. The stampede city gets the shaft again. The Prime Minister has the power to eliminate Bill C-48 and Bill C-69, the emissions cap and the industrial carbon tax, but he does not care about the average Canadian. He does not have to tell his family he does not know how they…
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Mr. Speaker, another Liberal bait and switch is that the Prime Minister promised to cap spending, yet he is on track to double Trudeau's deficits. He promised to make Canada the strongest-growing economy in the G7, yet we have the worst economic performance in the group. He promised to create jobs, but in reality, 86,000 Canadians have lost their job since the Prime Minister took office. When will…
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Madam Speaker, it is always a pleasure for me to rise to speak in the House on behalf of the people of Calgary Midnapore. The motion we have before us today is, "That the House call on the Prime Minister to immediately repeal the oil and gas emissions cap, which in effect is a production cap.” We are standing here today talking about the emissions cap, but what we are really talking about is not j…
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Mr. Speaker, the member is talking a lot about the new Prime Minister. He seems to want to forget the record of the last 10 years. In fact, the member did not even want to run under the previous prime minister. That is how much he wanted to forget the record of the last 10 years. He was a part of a government that did everything it possibly could to stop the progress and prosperity of the nation. …
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Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister told Canadians that he was the man with the plan, yet six months later, his budget is nowhere to be seen, and experts now project that his deficit will be double what Trudeau already created. The Prime Minister is proving one thing: Liberals, no matter how they brand themselves, cannot be trusted to handle our finances. Canadians expect and deserve a government that…
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