Liberal Government Votes Down Measures to Help Canadians
Plus the Afghanistan report, Environment Minister's $100,000 luxury trip, and more
Conservative motion to help Canadian households voted down by Liberal government
Costs of essential goods are spiraling out of control, as inflation hit a 31-year high of 6.8% in April, food prices are up nearly 10%, and gas prices hit record highs across the country. Families are becoming increasingly stressed about financial matters. According to the Bank of Canada, almost one in five households are now considered “highly indebted”, whereas only one in fourteen households were considered the same in 1999. To address these issues of affordability, Conservatives introduced a motion in Parliament this week calling on the government to address the skyrocketing cost-of-living that Canadians are facing, end federal COVID-19 restrictions to support the jobs connected to tourism, offer relief to farmers by lifting tariffs, and address housing unaffordability. Unfortunately, the NDP-Liberal coalition voted down these common-sense measures.
Yea: 111 ✅
Nay: 198 ❌
Afghanistan report tabled in Parliament
Last November, the Special Committee on Afghanistan was established by Parliament to review the Canadian government’s performance after the collapse of the Afghan government in Kabul. The committee’s purpose was to study the federal government’s response to the fall of Kabul to the Taliban on August 15 2021 and to hear from witnesses who offered varying perspectives on the events leading up to the withdrawal date. This week, the special committee tabled their report on the government’s evacuation and withdrawal from Afghanistan and confirmed that the federal government had been slow to act. Aid groups and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) were calling upon the federal Cabinet to begin an evacuation as early as June 1, 2021. These pleas went unanswered. On July 8, the Canadian military believed the collapse of Afghanistan was imminent and a week later petitioned to Cabinet to begin an evacuation. They were ignored. The Liberal government also ignored other calls for urgent action, including questions in the House of Commons during the Spring of 2021, a call to action statement issued by Conservatives on July 6, 2021, and a formal letter demanding action sent on July 22, 2021, by then Leader of the Official Opposition Erin O’Toole to the Prime Minister. Weeks and months were wasted as the federal government delayed the evacuation of these allied Afghans until the very last moment. The lack of response and coordination resulted in our key NATO allies like the United States and the United Kingdom evacuating 122,000 and 15,000 respectively in the immediate period following the Taliban’s takeover, while Canada could only evacuate 3,700 individuals. Canada had a moral duty to help our allies and we failed. The special committee, upon presenting the report in Parliament, has requested the federal government to respond to the report and offer any clarifications. It is a stain on the honour of Canada that the federal government failed so profoundly and it continues to hurt our reputation internationally when we make declaratory statements of support. Every allied and friendly nation must wonder whether we are as true as our word.
Environment minister spends over $100,000 on UN trip
Last week, Blacklock’s Reporter released a report that environment minister Steven Guilbeault and five staff billed $101,712 to Canadian taxpayers to attend the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference, commonly referred to as COP26, in Glasgow, Scotland. Expenses included $12,653 worth of meals, another $37,171 for airfare and $49,265 for hotels, all for just six people. Minister Guilbeault, on his return from Glasgow, invoked disaster imagery to illustrate climate change. “When the roof is leaking over our heads we must repair it and then we can think about what to have for dinner.” Clearly, he and his staff did not think about what they were having for dinner as they expensed an average of $180 per day on meals to the taxpayer while attending the conference and despite there being many working meals. At a time when Canadians are struggling with skyrocketing cost-of-living and grocery prices $1000 more expensive than the same time last year, the Minister and his entourage should show some humility and stop with this extravagance. As elected officials, we are responsible for carefully stewarding the resources placed in our trust by taxpayers. You can find the disclosure of my own expenses below.
Canadian airports want an end to mandates
The Canadian Airports Council, an organization representing over 100 airports in Canada, put out a statement calling upon the federal government to remove vaccination requirements for air passengers and aviation employees. Responsible for 90% of domestic passenger traffic, the council noted that with the removal of restrictions on the provincial level, there is now a “different standard” for aviation employees and transportation than for other Canadians. Many countries around the world have removed vaccine mandates and other COVID policies for travel, it is time for Canada to do the same. Conservatives have put forth three separate votes to end federal vaccine mandates and pandemic restrictions, all of which had been voted down by the Liberal government. When will they begin to listen?
Finance Minister’s deficit projections not believable according to PBO expert
In testimony before the Senate’s national finance committee, the Parliamentary Budget Officer (PBO) said that finance minister Chrystia Freeland’s long-term deficit reduction plan is not believable. He noted the “tremendous spending pressures” the federal government is faced with due to its campaign promises and other pledges. In Budget 2022, Minister Freeland suggested the federal deficit would fall from an exorbitant $113.8 billion to $8.4 billion by 2027, a decline of 93%. To achieve such a deficit reduction would require greater fiscal restraint that was shown during the global financial crisis along with a significant level of growth, both policy measures and outcomes the Liberals have failed to achieve. If the finance minister is truly committed to reducing Canada’s deficits in the long run; they need to get serious about reducing new program announcements, reigning in spending on current programs, and introducing pro-growth economic policies like freeing up Canada’s biggest exporter, the oil and gas sector, so that it can once against fully create jobs and wealth to share across our economy.