Madam Speaker, first I would like to thank the hon. member for Kenora for agreeing to split his time with me. After 91 years of Liberal representation in that riding, we are very excited to have a such a great member in the House of Commons. Thanks are due to the people of Kenora for sending him here. We are very fortunate and feel very lucky to have him as a member of our caucus, and I know the people of Kenora will be very fortunate to have him as their representative.
I could not stand here in the House without thanking my constituents in Wild Rose, from the hundreds of volunteers who worked hard on my campaign to the thousands of people who marked an “X” beside my name on the ballot. I am truly honoured and humbled by the trust and confidence they have placed in me to be their representative. To receive the largest majority in the history of our great riding was a true honour.
In the fall of 2007, when I was running for the Conservative Party's nomination, the pastor of my church back home in Airdrie, Sandy Isfeld, happened to be here in Ottawa. He stood here on Parliament Hill and prayed for me, my family and my campaign. He told me afterwards that the moment he said “Amen”, the bell in the Peace Tower rang. Every time I see the Peace Tower, it will be a reminder to me that I would not be here without the support and prayers of so many people back home in my constituency of Wild Rose.
I pledge to the constituents of Wild Rose that I will honour that support by working faithfully to represent them and their interests here in this place.
I am sure anyone in the House would tell us that the people who make the biggest sacrifice to allow us to be here and to serve our constituents in this way are our families. I can truly say that my wife Tara and my son Quinn, and all the rest of my family back home, are the most supportive family anyone could wish for. I love them and I thank them.
I also want to thank someone who is no longer with us: my grandfather, Mel Richards. He helped to shape the person I am today. He taught me a lot about life, about making hard decisions, about doing what is right, and about always standing up for what I believe in. He was also the person who first introduced me to my predecessor, Myron Thompson, back in 1992, when Myron was first seeking election. Myron told me recently that when I got involved with his campaign in 1993, my grandfather told him that when he retired, I would be the person who would take his place. I do not know how serious my grandfather actually was about that statement at the time, but I can say to my grandpa, wherever he is today, “Here I am, Grandpa”.
Wild Rose is one of the most diverse ridings in Canada. We have some of the best farmland in the entire country, so agriculture is an important part of our economy. Our economy is also heavily driven by oil and gas, tourism, and forestry. We have a number of towns and cities in our riding. They are among the fastest-growing municipalities in our entire country. They include places like Cochrane and my home town of Airdrie.
There are affordable housing issues in places like Canmore and elsewhere. Of course, I am extremely fortunate that my riding is home to what I believe is the most beautiful area in the entire country, Banff National Park, and also includes many of our winter sports facilities and Winter Olympics athletes. We are very proud of that.
The people of Wild Rose expect a government that does more than just talk about what needs to be done. They expect a government that will take action, and this Conservative government will deliver.
Of course the biggest issue we face right now in Canada is the economy. We are in a time of global economic instability, and ensuring that Canada is well positioned to endure and to come out of these tough times stronger than ever before is without a doubt the main priority of the government.
However, please allow me to spend the next few minutes talking about some of the other important measures contained in the throne speech, measures that I know the people of Wild Rose will be very excited about.
As I knocked on doors and visited people throughout Wild Rose in the last election, the issue raised most frequently was crime and the need to get tough on crime. The safety and security of Canadians is our utmost priority. Our government will take tough action against crime so that justice is served quickly and Canadians can feel safe in their homes and communities. Serious offences will meet with serious penalties.
The people of Wild Rose expect a government that does more than talk about getting tough on crime. They expect a government that gets things done, and our Conservative government will deliver.
People in Wild Rose have long called for the abolishment of the long guns registry. Under this Conservative government, gun laws will be focused on ending smuggling and on implementing stronger penalties for gun crimes, not on criminalizing law-abiding firearms owners. We will get rid of the wasteful and ineffective long guns registry. The people of Wild Rose expect a government that does more than just talk about abolishing the gun registry. They expect a government that gets things done, and this Conservative government will deliver.
The issue that first grabbed my attention 20 years ago at the age of 14, the issue that got me involved in politics, was the need for Senate reform. We will continue with our agenda of Senate reform by reintroducing legislation for the election of senators with terms limited to eight years. The people of Wild Rose expect a government that does more than talk about Senate reform. They expect a government that gets things done, and this Conservative government will deliver.
When we talk about the tough economic times we are facing right now, we have to remember those who grow our food, our farmers. Weather conditions, BSE and other factors have forced them to endure tough times for a number of years already. Our government is strongly committed to providing marketing freedom for farmers, ensuring that the wishes of western Canadian farmers are respected and giving them the freedom to market their grain either on the open market or through the Canadian Wheat Board. The people of Wild Rose expect a government that does more than just talk about marketing freedom for farmers. They expect a government that gets things done.