Mr. Speaker, I am proud to rise this evening to discuss my question of December 9 regarding the Prime Minister's use of taxpayers' dollars for two nannies to care for his three children. Before I begin, I would like to thank my wonderful colleagues for sitting with me tonight, and for all their support and encouragement.
At the outset, I do understand the Prime Minister's needs for child care and I do not want to negate that fact. However, throughout the 2015 election, he campaigned against the universal child care benefits and said that he would donate any monies received through the universal child care benefit to charity.
He stated numerous times, both in this chamber and during the recent election, that the child care benefit should not go to rich families like his. Then immediately after the election, without consultation with Canadians or Parliament, he backpedalled, and decided instead that a rich family like his should indeed have child care paid for by Canadians.
I understand that the Prime Minister has a special budget to pay for these types of household expenses, and I do respect that. However, throughout 2015, he constantly carried on about the universal child care benefit and how wealthy families should not receive it, and then moments after the purse strings were handed over to him, he doled out the money for nannies.
In fact, many Canadians contacted me after my question to support these concerns. One comment in particular specifically asked that I never stop fighting this outrageous spending with no regard for Canadians who could not afford to pay for this spending.
As a member of the official opposition, I will continue to hold the government to account for the spending and misspending of taxpayer dollars. I will continue to work on behalf of my constituents and all Canadians to ensure the government is held accountable.
As members of Parliament, we must not waste taxpayers' money. Just because a benefit is available to an MP or in this case to the Prime Minister does not mean we should take advantage of tax dollars and spend Canadian taxpayers' hard-earned money.
Even when running my own household, I know that a few extra dollars here and there should not just be spent for the sake of spending. It should be money spent well, not just spent, as we see in this situation.
The Prime Minister's lack of accountability is more apparent each and every day. Whether it was his campaign promise that deficits would be no more than $10 billion per year for three years, which we now hear may be over $30 billion for next fiscal year alone; or that he would balance the budget by 2019; or that the debt-to-GDP ratio would go down every year; or that the promised refugee resettlement plan that has now ballooned to 50,000, the Prime Minister is clearly unable to keep his promises.
How can Canadians trust the government and the Prime Minister to manage the country when the Liberals have proven that they will say and promise one thing and then do the complete opposite?
As elected officials, we must respect taxpayer dollars. Promising and campaigning on one thing then doing another is not respecting taxpayers or their dollars.
As my colleague, the member for Battle River—Crowfoot asked earlier this week in the House, why is the Liberal plan to spend, spend, spend?