Madam Speaker, I want to thank my colleagues for their remarks and contributions to this debate. The very fact that we can debate here in this House on this matter is so important for Canadians. It is something that our veterans fought for. The right for civil debate is something that we must always cherish and hold with reverence equivalent to the sacrifice required to attain it. As we all wear our poppies this November, I want to thank the men and women who have have served in our military and continue to serve our country in such a capacity.
The last time I was here in this House speaking to this issue, I was able to draw on much of my teaching experience to highlight just how important this motion is. This motion, which we all know by now, is concerning the government's refusal to provide all files, documents, briefing notes, memoranda, emails or any other correspondence engaged among government officials regarding SDTC or the NDP-Liberal government's green slush fund.
While I do not want to belabour the point of discussing how the government could learn lessons from high school students in finally coming clean to Canadians on yet another scandal, today I want to try to appeal to the government's better angels by asking them to make a decision. Today, I am asking the government, on behalf of the many parents and young, bright students of the future that I represent, to set a good example and once again come clean to Canadians on this scandal.
As the Prime Minister may remember, children look up to us adults for influence and inspiration and as role models. While it sometimes remains to be seen that this is the case, we are all indeed adults in this House. With the added responsibilities of being parliamentarians and elected representatives of our people, our nation, the bar only gets higher.
In search of role models, children look for those who lead by example and once again, the government has a choice to make. It can come clean with Canadians on this corruption-stricken slush fund and the lack of stewardship over taxpayers' dollars, or it can continue to allow our House to be frozen and in dysfunction in service of the Liberals' questionable political goals. They have a choice to place the sake of Canadians over themselves.
I am not ignorant to the reality that political parties of all stripes will attempt to paint their opponents in an unflattering manner. However, in this case, among many others, putting political interests over Canadians has become an absolute reality in what remains of the NDP-Liberal government. I intend to make this point here in this House today.
It is clear to Canadians, now more than ever, that the government has adopted a doctrine of, “Do as I say, not as I do.” In 2015, the Liberal Party put out this message in campaigning efforts. It stated, “Canadians deserve an open, transparent government that will focus on their real priorities—economic growth that works for everyone.” They also said, “Only Liberals have a plan for real change that will restore trust in our democracy, and ensure an open and transparent government.”
After nine years of the government, trust in our democracy and the transparency of government has never been lower. Recent numbers show that at least six in 10 Canadians are not satisfied with the accountability and transparency of the Canadian government's spending practices. While polls are not gospel, I must ask those opposite, is this not the slightest bit concerning?
This theme extends beyond just the realm of this green slush fund. While NDP-Liberals pull out all of the stops to virtue-signal on how great their climate plan has been and how great it has been for Canadians, they have failed to hit a single emissions reduction target. According to the Auditor General, they are unlikely to hit their 2030 targets either.
There is something to be said for sticking to what one says one will do. It is a matter of integrity and, frankly, pride. However, I am routinely surprised by the lack of shame for its many shortfalls demonstrated by the government.
Of course, this all comes as the ever-present carbon tax continues to hurt Canadians at the pumps and at the grocery stores. As I described earlier, it is “do as I say, not as I do”. It creates a clear double standard in which the government can do no wrong, but Liberals continue to attack industries in my home province of Alberta for easy political points with their ever-diminishing voter base.
The government's recently announced emissions cap for the oil and gas sector is a blatant attempt to strangle an industry that is, frankly, critical to Canada's economic prosperity and growth. The irony is that they continue to fail to hit their own emission targets while expecting provinces and industries within said provinces to now follow a new arbitrary production cap. How is that not a double standard?
Recent data from Stats Canada shows that energy-rich Alberta contributed 38.2% to the overall natural resources GDP in 2022. Let it be known from coast to coast that Albertans take incredible pride in how we do energy. We excel in planning and executing reclamation processes to return the land we use back to how it looked and how it was used before development upon the land took place. The notion that Albertans are anti-environment is simply untrue and reeks of anti-Alberta prejudice. The ability to harness Canada's natural resources is truly a Canadian superpower; by extension, this makes Alberta an all-star. The energy sector is a massive contributor to employment in central Alberta, and applying a de facto emissions cap would be devastating to those employed in my riding.
I am a fourth-generation farmer. I work hard to represent fellow farmers here in the House. On top of that, the people of Red Deer—Mountain View have placed their trust in me as their elected representative to advocate for them and be their voice in Ottawa. Not only do I cherish this trust, but I will also fight for their interests as long as I have the honour of representing them in the House of Commons.
On that note, I want to shift my focus back to the government. I will turn my attention specifically to the hon. member opposite who sits as Canada's Minister of Environment. I do this because this individual announced the de facto production cap on our oil and gas sector, and while he has stated reasons of his own, I wish to highlight an alternative explanation, not only for this cap but also for the government's reluctance to disclose documents that would expose the corruption that has taken place.
If we were to open up the books and look at the environment minister's working history, we would see that he was a strategic adviser for more than 10 years at a Canadian fund dedicated to the development of clean technologies. One might say that sounds awfully familiar, given the matter that has seized the House for about a month now. What was SDTC? It was also a Canadian fund dedicated to the development of clean technologies, except that it was run by the federal government. While that is the case, it goes even deeper than that.
For those unfamiliar with the matter, one of the directors of this very fund found their way onto the board of SDTC. On top of that, this green slush fund has had a history of giving money to companies in the portfolio of the fund our environment minister used to work at.
The saying often goes that people in government should always strive to avoid even the appearance of a conflict of interest. This is a means to ensure that faith and trust in our institutions remain strong. Therefore, it is bizarre that any person armed with a handy little tool called Google is able to find out that there are so many layers to the corruption we are attempting to uncover.
As members of Parliament, we represent our constituents; not only that, but we also represent ourselves. That is true. It is a fact of human nature. As I outlined before, I have no qualms telling people about where I come from, about the honest work I do on our beautiful farm in Red Deer County or about the interest I represent on behalf of those in my riding.
It seems such forthcomingness is not a characteristic shared by some of those who sit opposite from me and my colleagues. That is, of course, what we are discussing here today, and it leaves many questions unanswered. What other interests does the government hold that it continues to conveniently cover up for its own political gain? Once again, it is do as I say, not as I do.
This narrative has become tiring for everyone in Canada. That much is absolutely clear. Conservatives have been steadfast in our efforts to prosecute the government for its many shortcomings and dishonesties to Canadians; Canadians themselves are fed up and have had enough with the NDP-Liberal government. Both say that something needs to change.
When scholars look back at this tumultuous period within the Liberal caucus and the many uncertainties that have come with it, I worry that their takeaways will be less than charitable. Whatever happened to setting a good example for our children and teaching them the importance of accountability for one's actions? Whatever happened to showing one's homework when presenting proposals to chief executives? As a reminder, here in the House, the chief executives over all of us are the Canadian taxpayers who sent us here. Our responsibility is to them, to the people who pay for us to sit here in the House, but some twiddle their thumbs and pretend there is not a massive cover-up taking place here.
A carbon tax election is around the corner, but for now, the government is still hanging on. This is despite the fact that many Canadians across the political spectrum are telling the Prime Minister he is not worth the cost, the crime or the corruption.
I will now move away from indicting the government's actions because I wish to appeal to the better angels here today. As many of my peers in the teaching profession and in the scholarly realm will often say, history is the best teacher. When we look back on history, there is an abundance of literature and cases showing that the truth always comes out in the end.
The truth prevails, no matter how powerful the efforts are to suppress it. The reality is that we see this in recent history, even in the past couple of decades. The truth, whether the government likes it or not, is going to come out sooner or later. As always, if someone has nothing to hide, why bother? On the flip side, if someone does have something to hide, they would be better off coming clean sooner rather than getting burned twofold when the truth comes to light without their hand in it.
History is the best teacher, and as with all governments, sometime in the near future, the current government will become just that: history. When it does, as with all governments that come and go, it will be subject to the 20/20 vision that is hindsight and held to the level of scrutiny that it can grant. This is what we call legacy. Legacy is what we leave for the history books and the impact we leave on people once we have left them. What legacy does the Prime Minister want to be known for? What legacy do his colleagues wish for their government? Does the government wish for its legacy to be that it is better to hide mistakes and wrongdoings if it should suit its purposes?
As parliamentarians, we are not the masters but the servants. As I said before, our masters are the Canadian people, and our purposes should fall second to the needs of the Canadian people. They need a transparent and accountable government. Was that not the promise the Liberals gave those who voted for them in 2015? Is this going to be yet another broken promise by the government?
Now, more than ever, with trust in our institutions at an all-time low, we cannot afford this sort of tomfoolery. We need to ensure that Canadians can trust us to get things done and that our federal government does not fall into obscurity in the eyes of the Canadian public. It is not too late to right the ship in this instance and come clean to the people of Canada. Today, I hope this message resonates with my colleagues across the floor.
Another question I have for the government regarding its potential legacy is this: Do the government members wish to leave behind the lesson that taking on a sacred duty to their country as an elected representative is something that can be shrugged at and abused? A recurring theme in the government has been that of conflict of interest, time and time again.
Parliamentarians are entrusted with the sacred duty to represent the voices of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands. These voices should always supersede those of powerful corporations and investment funds. Common-sense Conservatives have been strongly against the presence of corporate lobbyists in our political process. We will always advocate that the best way for Canadians to influence their parliamentarians is to speak to them directly. The tables have turned. It is the people's time to be heard.
I have one last question: Does the government wish to teach future generations that it is okay to freeze the nation's legislature for more than a month, to shrink from accountability over hundreds of millions of taxpayers' dollars?
I hope every member opposite is able to ask these questions in private, as they look in the mirror after work today. After all, we are at work, and taxpayers have sent us here to advocate for their best interests. How withholding these documents serves Canadian taxpayers is beyond me.
As would the people I represent in Red Deer—Mountain View, I would appreciate a more genuine response than a simple non-answer. It is time for us, as the adults in the room, to take stock of where we are as a democracy and ensure that we are moving forward in a way that best reflects the views and values of the people of Canada. This is a chance for us to show Canadians we can still get things done in this country for the good of all citizens. It was not always like this in Canada, and it will not be like this forever.
The winds of change are setting upon Canada, ready to transform our country once more, as all democracies observe. We are in a transformative time when many things are uncertain. While there still remains much that we are unsure of, such as what the future holds, one thing remains clear: Canadians deserve better.
