Madam Speaker, recently Conservatives in my riding of Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke overwhelmingly endorsed me to represent our party in the next federal election. It looks like the Prime Minister's party will be looking for a new candidate after he recently said the following on social media.
“Three years ago, I decided to seek the Liberal nomination for the candidacy in Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke. My only political goal was to play a role in assuring that no other brave Canadian soldier would be penalized at home due to their service. I was inspired by [the Prime Minister's] promises to fix things. I was inspired by the presence of other veterans lining up to win nominations for the Liberals. I legitimately felt hopeful for the first time in a long time. I believed them. Now I realize that I was wrong.
“The Prime Minister recently stated that Canadian veterans want more than Canada can give. I stood on a stage behind [the Prime Minister] in August of 2015 when he made a promise to veterans, a promise which was obviously, in retrospect, a political bargaining chip. I have first-hand experience as a service member, stakeholder, and party member with respect to the way our military is regarded—