Mr. Speaker, this has been a tough year for most Canadians. We have had SARS, West Nile virus, mad cow disease, wildfires in B.C., and in my home province of Alberta we had another year of drought and locusts, not to mention how hard it has been and continues to be for our ill-equipped troops stationed in Afghanistan.
Yet, as if by magic, the government has come up with extra money for the Governor General and her cronies to traipse across the northern hemisphere. This trip is unnecessary and insensitive to the needs of hard working Canadians. The elites will tell us that it is critical to spread Canadian culture. I think they are wrong.
Ron and Linda, Mel and Myrna, and Debbie and Darren are a few of my constituents who have not had a vacation in years. I would like the Governor General to explain the merits of this trip to these tired folks and every other Canadian who is working two jobs to make ends meet and cannot afford a day off. Or maybe she would rather explain to the parents who cannot afford a warm snowsuit for their child this winter or to the beef farmer who is forced to slaughter his entire herd and declare bankruptcy.
Get your priorities straight. Exporting Canadian culture is not more important than taking care of Canadians in need.