Madam Speaker, I am thankful for the opportunity to stand in these hallowed halls of this great House to deliver my inaugural speech.
The people of Miramichi—Grand Lake truly motivated me to fight on their behalf. I thank them for placing their trust in me. My efforts here will always be on their behalf. They will get the best, the Miramichi very best, of what is in my head, in my soul and my heart, and this heart is embedded with the success of our region and its people, our province and country, and the Canadian dream for every single one of them.
I thank my family, both immediate and extended, for supporting me in this endeavour. I thank Shannon, River, Roman, Leia, Meadow Rose and Sky for putting up with me all these years and for their support, once again. There are sacrifices that each of them undertook that allowed me to embark on this journey.
My friends are the best. Regardless of which political stripe they come from, they have always supported me every step of the way, with passion and enthusiasm. It gives me confidence, humility, comfort and still, great pride. My team of dedicated individuals have had my back for many years, some for 12 years now. I realize thanking them will never quite be enough, but the truth is that their kindness, volunteerism and unparalleled efforts to support me and the Conservative Party of Canada do not go unnoticed, and they do not go underappreciated.
I am beyond grateful and with a full heart even mentioning it. Many nights I lay awake thinking how I could ever thank many of them, knowing still that their ambition was not to receive but simply to help me sit in this green chair for the people of Miramichi—Grand Lake. They, too, shall always get my honesty, my integrity, my energy and my deep will to be better for the people of Miramichi—Grand Lake.
I began my political journey as a municipal councillor in 2008 in my hometown of Blackville, where my family and I continue to make our home. After that, I spent 11 years in the provincial legislature of New Brunswick. This is now the third chapter of my life in politics, as a member of Parliament. Regardless of the roles I have held, the principles have been the same for me: to stand up for those I believe in, give a voice to those in need and to defend our way of life.
Analysts and pundits often speak of economic issues in abstract terms. Whether the topic is inflation, or recession, or housing costs or even the cost of groceries, the commentary is often generic, but we as elected representatives see these effects daily in our interactions within our own communities. Canada is in a very precarious position at this moment.
As costs continue to rise, the quality of life for Canadians becomes threatened more and more. They are under enormous strain right now. Year over year, housing inflation in New Brunswick alone is 30%, and that is from a Globe and Mail article this week. Canadians are having to make the choice between heating their home or buying their groceries, yet, in Canada, we are rich with natural resources and a motivated hard-working labour force. As the leader of our party noted this week, "other countries are launching ambitious plans to unleash innovation, lower taxes and slash red tape to get their economies surging and we see nothing from [the government].”
Small businesses are looking to the Liberals to bring forth a plan to address critical supply chain issues they are facing in advance of the holiday shopping season. Unfortunately, the Liberal Speech from the Throne is a complete failure for these small businesses. Instead of presenting an economic plan for small businesses, they have been simply left behind, and they have been the backbone of each and every one of our constituencies.
The Prime Minister's approach means more deficits leading to higher taxes. At a time when Canadians are barely making ends meet, they are getting higher taxes and inflation. This is a classic tax-and-spend Liberal government, and the business community in Miramichi -Grand Lake is feeling the impacts of it daily. As predicted, small businesses are an afterthought for the government. There is but little mention of them in the Speech from the Throne.
The dangerous Liberal climate agenda is destroying the very economy that has supplied Canada with decades of opportunity and wealth. As a result, it is putting hundreds to thousands of jobs at risk, and it is cutting into the revenue from the natural resources that have put food on our tables for decades. It has driven up inflation, making Canada a much more unaffordable place to live, and thus making it harder to attract new citizens. All Canadians believe in protecting the environment for today and the future, but we are a world leader in the development of our natural resource industries, and we have gotten away from taking pride in that. We have developed our industries in a safe and responsible manner, and it has driven our country for decades.
It is a well-known fact that hundreds to thousands of my constituents are rotational workers. These individuals travel in and out of western Canada and other provinces to work in natural resource industries such as oil, gas and mining. Anything truly economical in Miramichi—Grand Lake that would have yielded direct and indirect jobs, wealth and opportunity was sidelined, cancelled, dragged out in bureaucracy or simply not supported. The evidence to support this claim is vast, and the Liberal government along with its New Brunswick Liberal MPs are now put on notice. Every detail of that will be on the floor of the House and every single one of them will answer to it. Miramichi—Grand Lake is going to be heard. That is without question.
Another role of the federal government is the cultivation of national unity. Every region of the country feels that its identity is understood and appreciated, thereby allowing us to come together as Canadians. Former prime minister Brian Mulroney once said, “You accumulate political capital to spend it on noble causes for Canada. If you’re afraid to spend your capital, you shouldn’t be there.” I agree with him. It should be acceptable then, and in fact encouraged, to celebrate Canada. We have so much for which to be thankful. We are a beacon to the world of democracy and freedoms. Armed forces that fight for that freedom are worth celebrating. We have a Prime Minister who condemns every bit of it.
From 2018 to 2020, I served as New Brunswick's minister of aboriginal affairs and, frankly, it was one of the greatest experiences of my career. To witness the determination of first nations people, often in the face of adversity, was tremendous. Every single day was an opportunity to learn.
What kind of message was sent to the indigenous peoples when National Day for Truth and Reconciliation was not important enough for the Prime Minister to attend? What kind of message was sent to all Canadians when Canada Day was cancelled? Essentially, neither national holiday held any importance for the Prime Minister or the Liberal government, further adding to the hypocrisy of the push to convince everyone in the nation of their vast Liberal humanitarian efforts. It is shameful, and it is shameful for everyone in the country. We are a country of values, stemming from our the origins through decades of generations, and we will always feel the compassion of those wrongs that exist in our history. If the government wants to truly help the indigenous peoples, then lift their boil orders with sufficient drinking water, install proper sewer systems, help lift nations up on their path to self-governance, self-determination and build economies for first nations and indigenous peoples as willing partners in our country.
Canada Day is more than Confederation, the decisions made and the merits of those decisions as reviewed all these years later. It is a defining moment in our collective history, and of that much I am certain. Better yet, it is a celebration of Canadian values and the people who defend those values. Cancelling Canada Day is a rejection and an insult to our Canadian values. The Prime Minister of Canada has no recourse for history, none whatsoever, but even still, history cannot be cancelled because it already happened. As Canadians, we must learn from it. We must aim to be better together.
Truth and Reconciliation Day was needed, and I venture to say it was greatly overdue. However, to not accept the personal invitation to attend the commemoration on that day, only to use it as a personal holiday is a major failure. There is no greater shame a nation can bring upon itself than to disrespect its own flag, the people who fought for it and the country that loves it. Canada's Conservatives are ready to—