Mr. Speaker, it was great to be able to spend time in my riding over the constituency break. I hosted four round table meetings and a Christmas open house. I visited businesses and met with constituents one on one.
The number one concern of my constituents remains the economy. Alberta is facing very high unemployment. We have lost jobs in the energy sector but also in other sectors.
It was an honour to welcome my friend, the MP for Edmonton Riverbend, to my riding for a joint round table on how to create jobs in Alberta. He and the member for Calgary Nose Hill are chairing the Alberta jobs task force, a Conservative initiative to generate constructive ideas to help the government respond. This was our best attended round table yet.
January saw the introduction of a provincial carbon tax in Alberta. My riding in January is a cold place, and people rightly saw the injustice of a tax on home heating fuel and a tax on families who need to use a car because they cannot walk their kids to the grocery store.
Be assured that now back in Ottawa, I will do everything I can to get the government to finally listen to the people of our community.