Over the last month, I have been all over our riding knocking on doors of homes and businesses. I’ve also been meeting with municipal officials in towns and villages all over Bow River. I have had a great time speaking with so many of you and getting your feedback. A huge thanks to everyone who has taken the time to chat!
A lot of you have expressed your opposition to the carbon tax. I’m happy to report that it looks like we are winning the fight to stop it. After years of widespread resistance to their carbon tax plan, the Liberals are starting to back down. The government has indicated that it will be “softening” the carbon tax on some large companies due to competitiveness concerns. The Liberals finally figured out it would make Canada less competitive – what a surprise.
However, they still plan to impose the carbon tax on small businesses and families in full force! Just softening the carbon tax’s impact on large companies is not enough. Make no mistake: it is still a tax on everything. It will still make Canada an unattractive place to invest compared to the United States. The first act of a new Conservative government will be to eliminate this tax completely.
I’m also still hearing a lot of concerns about the upcoming legalization of marijuana in October. The Liberals irresponsibly enforced the October deadline despite calls from cities and police forces across the country to delay it. Municipalities are coping with land use guidelines, zoning issues, and enforcement. I know they are working extremely hard to ensure the legalization process goes as smoothly as possible.
Almost everyone has also mentioned what has become one of the biggest political issues of the year: illegal border crossers. The crisis at our border is spiraling out of control. This Liberal government is completely unwilling to take any concrete action to address the situation. They have no plan, and asylum seekers are still free to cross the border. It’s costing an enormous amount of money, which only diverts much-need resources aware from our legal immigration system.
Conservatives continue to pressure the Liberals to cancel their job-killing carbon tax and address the situation at the border. The government will have a lot to answer for when the House of Commons returns in the fall.
I can be reached in Ottawa at martin.shields@parl.gc.ca. My Brooks office can be reached at 403-793-6775 or martin.shields.c1@parl.gc.ca, and my Strathmore office at 403-361-2980 or martin.shields.c1B@parl.gc.ca. Please don’t hesitate to contact me about any federal issue.
