With the 2019 election around the corner, things have really started to heat up on Parliament Hill. The House of Commons has now adjourned for the summer, but we certainly had an eventful spring. Since I know not everyone has time to follow every twist and turn in Canadian politics, I thought I would recap a few of the big issues we debated over the last few months.
Trade has become a huge challenge for Canada. Trade wars are not good for anyone. We hope to see leadership from the government on this issue to prevent it from getting any worse. We need a resolution.
We dealt with the Liberals’ new firearms legislation, which targets law abiding gun owners while doing nothing to combat gang violence, illegal handguns, or rural crime. We debated the government’s 2018 budget, which includes a federal carbon tax that the Liberals still refuse to disclose the cost of. We saw the government spend $4.5 billion to buy the Kinder Morgan Pipeline, but we still don’t know how they are going to get the new Trans Mountain Project built. And we held the Prime Minister to account for his disastrous trip to India, which I think was an embarrassment for all of us.
The Liberals passed their marijuana legalization Bill, so municipalities and police forces across the country will soon face the burden of trying to enforce it. We also saw the Liberals introduce an ideological attestation for Canada Summer Jobs applications, which is an unacceptable policy that must be reversed. Lastly, the government’s inaction on the grain backlog caused farmers across our riding unnecessary headaches.
Despite this Liberal government’s ethical lapses and failed policies, we have managed to get some positive things done this session. The House voted to pass my Alberta MP colleague Shannon Stubbs’ motion on rural crime, which was the result of a lot of work and consultation by our Alberta caucus rural crime task force. We hope this motion will finally prompt some federal action on rural crime.
On the Canadian Heritage committee, which I am a member of, we studied cultural hubs in Canada. Rosebud Theatre’s Board Chair Jack Hayden came to tell the committee about the importance of rural venues. I was happy to see rural hubs so well represented.
We will continue to challenge the Liberals on these issues over the summer months. But with the session coming to a close, I’m excited to take part in numerous community initiatives and events across our riding over the next several months, including many fantastic Canada Day celebrations. If you see me around this summer, don’t hesitate to stop and chat! I’m always happy to hear from you.
