Mr. Speaker, I rise today humbled and grateful at the mandate given to me by the electors in the greatest riding in Canada, Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes.
My constituents know that my door is always open to them. I thank them for their trust in me and promise that I will represent them in Ottawa and fight for what is important to them each and every day: standing up for our farmers, reducing the burdens on small businesses, advocating for infrastructure money, fighting the backdoor gun registry and the ineffective carbon tax.
My election comes out of sad events: the passing of my mentor and friend, Gord Brown. He worked hard for his constituents and he was a great Canadian. I will continue that legacy of hard work.
One final note is to acknowledge and thank my wonderful family, my wife Amanda and my children Luke, Ama, Michaela and James.