Madam Speaker, that is probably the greatest news I have heard all week. That was very well done by my colleague from Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound; I thank him so much. It puts a big smile on my face.
I also want to acknowledge my colleague, the member for Barrie—Innisfil, who just gave a very compassionate and passionate speech and did an excellent job. He stole a bunch of my thunder, so I guess I will be somewhat sticking to the reason we are really here today.
I am honoured to represent the people of Essex and to address the House today. I will discuss the ruling of the Speaker regarding the production of documents ordered by the House on the scandal involving Sustainable Development Technology Canada. The Liberal government refuses to comply with an order from the House to produce unredacted documents regarding the $400-million green slush fund scandal. This is truly a disheartening example of governance.
Again, I want to highlight the government's mishandling of the Sustainable Development Technology Canada fund, which is often called the green slush fund. The program was created in 2001 to support innovation and sustainable technologies, and it ran smoothly under both Liberal and Conservative governments until the current Prime Minister took office.
It is unacceptable that the Liberals refused to hand over all the documents related to the Prime Minister's green slush fund to the RCMP within the required 14 days. I, along with my colleagues, am frustrated by the lack of transparency, which only fuels distrust and frustration among Canadians.
The Prime Minister-appointed board began approving funding for companies where executives had clear conflicts of interest with SDTC members who were already receiving money from the board and were still appointed to it despite knowledge of the conflicts. This is truly unbelievable. Governance standards at the fund quickly collapsed under the leadership of the new chair, Annette Verschuren. Following whistle-blower allegations of financial mismanagement, the Auditor General and the Ethics Commissioner each launched separate investigations.
The government's sheer lack of attention to detail is staggering, leading to avoidable errors and costly oversights at every turn. The negligence not only wastes taxpayers' dollars but also undermines the public's trust in its ability to govern effectively.
After nine years of the NDP-Liberals, the situation is so bad that there are now 1,400 homeless encampments in Ontario alone. In my riding of Essex, I am constantly hearing about the struggles my constituents face regarding the cost of living. Last month, CBC reported on how homelessness is increasing in the Windsor—Essex area. According to Jeanie Diamond-Francis, manager of community services for County of Essex, the need for affordable housing in that county is “consistently” growing. The latest number of people experiencing homelessness in the region is over 900, and that is only capturing people who are experiencing such homelessness.
While many Canadians are struggling with rising housing and food costs, it is deeply disappointing that we are still talking about the Liberal government's $400-million slush fund scandal. The Liberals do not care about everyday Canadians; they care only about making their insider friends richer.
However, it is not just my constituents who are struggling; Canadians across the country are struggling more than ever. Food Banks Canada's 2024 poverty report card shows that almost 50% of Canadians feel financially worse off compared to last year, while 25% of Canadians are experiencing food insecurity. On top of this, Food Banks Canada reported that the cost of living has become so high that there has been a 50% increase in food bank visits since 2021. As a direct consequence of the Liberal government's inflationary spending and taxes, millions of Canadians are struggling to keep their head above water.
New research from the Salvation Army shows that nearly one-third of Canadians continue to feel pessimistic about the future of their personal finances, while 25% of Canadians continue to be extremely concerned about having enough income to cover their basic needs. The Salvation Army also reported that nearly 75% of Canadians face challenges managing limited financial resources, which has contributed to a wave of Canadians who, for financial reasons, continue to deprioritize seeking medical health. For this reason, Food Banks Canada downgraded the Liberal government's grade of B in 2023 to a D minus in 2024.
Whether it is the stress of an uncertain economy, increased living expenses or inflation, Canadians are in urgent need of assistance. Nevertheless, the Prime Minister appears more disconnected from the realities that ordinary Canadians face.
The Auditor General has made it clear that both the former and current Liberal industry ministers are responsible for this debacle as they failed to properly oversee contracts awarded to Liberal insiders. This lack of oversight has severely undermined public trust, particularly at a time when transparency and accountability are more important than ever.
A scandal involving the misappropriation and transfer of $400 million in public funds to political insiders has engulfed the Liberal government. The Liberals are focused on defending their own interests, while working Canadians bear the expense, rather than tackling these pressing challenges.
It is understandable that Canadians are beginning to recognize the NDP-Liberal administration for what it is: a government that rewards its allies while making life more difficult for families. Costs, taxes and corruption have all increased throughout the past nine years. In addition to mismanaging public funds and giving preference to their political supporters, the Liberals have burdened Canadians with policies like the carbon tax.
Canadians have to deal with the fact that they are paying more and receiving less. For example, after nine years of the NDP-Liberal government, the Canadian dream is lost. The dream of owning a home is slipping away from countless Canadians.
As I said earlier, I hear from my constituents every day about how they are grappling with the harsh reality of affording basic necessities. The Prime Minister promised to lower the price of housing, rents and mortgages, which have since then doubled. Middle-class Canadians are forced to live in tent encampments in nearly every city across Canada. Before the Liberal government in 2015, it took 25 years to pay off a mortgage. Now it takes 25 years just to save up for a down payment. Things have gotten so bad that some families have been forced into 90-year mortgages that they will never pay off.
A woman in my riding reached out to me in desperation this year. She had one very touching story. She is a mother who gets up, works, prepares dinner and then goes to bed, just to do the same thing all over again. She said there are a lot of bills, and she is having a hard time making ends meet. Despite her best efforts to shield her kids from the stress, she is forced to tell them that she cannot even keep the lights on because of the $2,000 monthly rent. She lives within her means, works hard and pays her taxes, yet the government that promised to support her is making things more difficult for her. She is not alone in feeling this way, and she is drowning. Many people in my riding and across Canada are having the same difficulties, and they are worthy of better.
The NDP-Liberal government's preference for rewarding its political allies over tackling the problems that ordinary Canadians face is becoming more and more obvious. Costs have increased, taxes have increased and corruption has spread unchecked over the last nine years.
The Liberals have not only mismanaged public funds, but also increased the cost of life for Canadians by enacting measures like the carbon tax. Canadians are getting less in exchange or paying more for everything including groceries, gas and heating. This is the unpleasant truth that many families, both in Essex and nationwide, must deal with.
A government that prioritizes the demands of its constituents before those of its wealthy friends is long overdue. The growing cost of living is a major issue for all Canadians, but things are just going to get worse. For already struggling families, the Prime Minister's proposal to double the carbon tax by 2030 will only make matters worse. Despite our repeated calls for a carbon tax election on this side of the House, we continue to be bogged down in document cover-ups rather than tackling the underlying problems. The idea that Canadians receive larger carbon refunds than they pay in taxes is one of the most common myths we encounter, and the carbon tax raises the cost of everything, particularly food.
In my riding of Essex, I have been deeply involved in the community for many years, even serving as a municipal councillor before coming here. Local government works because it operates with transparency by default. Every council meeting and committee session is open to the public, except in rare, exceptional cases. Everything else is accessible and transparent. Local governments would not survive long if they were as closed up as the Liberals have been with their green slush fund.
Trust in every political system, whether municipal, provincial or federal, is based on accountability and transparency. The people should not have to put up with being kept in the dark, particularly when taxpayer funds are being mismanaged. How harmful a lack of transparency can be is demonstrated by the Liberals' failure to be transparent about the $400-million slush fund scandal, which funnelled money to political insiders. In local politics, we are aware that leaders are promptly held responsible when the public loses faith in them. At the federal level, the same ought to hold true.
As I mentioned in my speech just over a week ago, the heart of the issue is the Auditor General's finding that Liberal appointees allocated $400 million in taxpayers' money to their own companies, resulting in 186 documented conflicts of interest. Transparency is desperately needed, and this is more than simply a scandal. It is a breach of the confidence that Canadians have in their government. This money could have gone back into the pockets of hard-working Canadians or toward beneficial programs that help our communities. This money could have been used to support neighbourhood projects, support the growth of small enterprises or lessen the financial strain on families dealing with growing expenses. It is a lost chance that may have had significant impact on the lives of regular people.
Again, we are talking about $400 million in taxpayer funds that may have been wasted or stolen while everyday Canadians struggle to afford food, heating and housing. This situation is unbearable, especially when so many are suffering due to the government's lack of accountability.
When discussing the Liberal green slush fund, in which $400 million from taxpayers has been spent, Conservatives focus on issues that actually affect Canadians. Rather than using taxpayers' dollars to enrich friends, my private member's bill, Bill C-241, focuses on hard-working Canadians, specifically tradespeople, and how they are struggling to make ends meet. The purpose of Bill C-241 is to amend Canada's Income Tax Act to permit eligible apprentices and tradespeople who travel to a job site 120 kilometres from their primary residence to claim a tax deduction for their temporary relocation and travel expenses.
Despite being the backbone of our economy, these men and women are expected to work all over the region, giving up valuable family time to ensure that their kids have access to necessities like food and medicine. What do they receive in exchange? They receive a meagre $4,000 tax deduction, which is insufficient to pay for living expenses and transportation when living far away from home. In comparison to the millions the government is wasting on questionable, unaccountable projects, it is an insult. This goes beyond oversight. It is about acknowledging the needs of Canadians who are putting in a lot of effort to grow our nation, while the Liberals are squandering funds on vanity projects that do not actually advance the common good.
Bill C-241 is more than simply a fair travelling tradesperson's bill. It is about justice for the workers who drive our economy, and I am honoured to support them, particularly in light of the green slush fund incident and other instances where our tax dollars are being misspent. My Conservative colleagues and I are aware of the true issues, and I am determined to see that they are addressed.
The NDP-Liberals must put an end to their cover-up and hand over the evidence to the police. Only then can Parliament get back to its critical work of serving the interests of Canadians. Their continued obstruction is unacceptable. The division between those in government and regular Canadians who must deal with the fallout from such carelessness is only widened by this incident.
If the Liberal government would only produce the records it has been required to release, Parliament could return to addressing the problems that are most important to Canadians, such as family and affordability. It is really that easy. The government could resume its task of addressing the growing cost of living that families in Essex and throughout the nation face if it put an end to this cover-up and turned over the proof to the authorities. Rather, the Liberals keep blocking progress, putting their personal interests ahead of the pressing needs of Canadians.
Helping Canadians make ends meet is what really matters. Therefore, it is time to end the secrecy. Why will NDP-Liberals not stop hiding behind the green slush fund and release the required documentation so Canadians can have the openness and accountability they deserve?
We hear from dozens of people every day, regular Canadians, who are having a hard time making ends meet. Whether they are workers in Canada dealing with the rapidly rising cost of living or families in the Essex neighbourhood, they are battling insane food costs, expensive housing and a government that appears to be losing touch with reality.
The Liberals, however, are still committed to supporting their political friends and allocating public funds to special interests and insiders, while abandoning regular Canadians to fend for themselves. It is now painfully obvious the government would rather enrich its own elite and the wealthy than deal with the problems hard-working Canadians face.
The people of Essex and in communities across this country deserve better than a government that only looks out for itself. For over a month, the Liberals have offered shifting excuses for not complying with the House's clear demand for documents, despite knowing the House has full authority to require the release.
Only our sensible Conservative colleagues will put an end to the turmoil and corruption, figure out what happened to the $400 million and provide some justice and clarity to the people of our nation. As we return to the privilege motion before us, it is not just about the production of documents. More importantly, it is about the message the government is sending to the entire country that corruption is acceptable and the mismanagement of public funds would be tolerated.
Lastly, I want to note this is not a partisan issue. Weeks ago, the Speaker ruled on a question of privilege raised by the House leader of the official opposition. His ruling confirmed what Conservatives have said all along, that the government violated the extensive powers of the House by failing to surrender crucial records related to SDTC.
In his ruling, the Speaker referenced page 985 of the House of Commons Procedure and Practice, third edition, affirming, “No statute or practice diminishes the fullness of that power rooted in House privileges unless there is an explicit legal provision to that effect”. This clearly establishes that the House has the inherent authority to compel the production of the documents vital to our oversight functions. We must ensure the House retains the authority to demand accountability from the government.
Ultimately, the Speaker of the House, the highest authority in Parliament, ruled that the government, specifically the Prime Minister, was required to hand over the documents to Parliament. Even though the Speaker is a member of the Liberal Party, he upheld Parliament's authority. What action did the Prime Minister take? He acted as though he were above the law and Parliament. He disregarded the order and simply produced censored documents rather than following it.
As I close, I just want to echo the comments of so many of my colleagues today and thank every single veteran who has served and continues to serve. They have given me the opportunity to serve our great country of Canada. Without them, quite frankly, I would not be here and I would not have the opportunity to leave the world a better place than we found it.