Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure to rise and address the first throne speech of a new government here in Canada. I think Canadians spoke, and they spoke well, in identifying the leader best suited to deal with the situation Canada is in today.
Before I get started, I want to provide a comment on the leader of the Bloc's thoughts. In his speech, he made reference to the fact that the throne speech did not incorporate the interests of Quebec. I found that unfortunate. I asked him a question specifically on it, and I just used two items. One was on supply management, because I know supply management means a great deal to the province of Quebec, as it does to my home province of Manitoba. Equally, CBC/Radio-Canada is an important institution. This is a government that, through the throne speech, reinforces those two policy issues.
His response to my question was that it is only writing. Writing does matter. The throne speech does matter, even though I understand that the Bloc was not interested in participating in a very significant way when the throne speech came out. I find it unfortunate. However, for the people of Quebec and the people of all of Canada, there is a great deal within the throne speech that talks about building a stronger, healthier Canada. That is what it is about.
My colleagues and I, for weeks, knocked on doors. Some of my colleagues have been knocking on doors for the last year or a year and a half, getting a true understanding of what the Canadian expectations are. Prior to the election being called, I did not know the Prime Minister. I think I met him maybe five times, at most, prior to the last election. At the end of the day, I believe Canadians got to know the Prime Minister, as I also got a better sense of the Prime Minister during the election, and they did a comparison. They looked at Pierre Poilievre and they looked at other leadership candidates, and what they saw in the Prime Minister was an individual they could actually trust and have confidence in to ensure that Canadian interests would be served first and foremost.
Whether it was Stephen Harper when he appointed the Prime Minister as the Governor of the Bank of Canada, or whether it was in England, where he was appointed to the Bank of England during a very difficult time, Canadians understood that we needed a leader who genuinely understood how to make an economy better, healthier and able to grow. Contrast that to the career politician. I am not one to criticize career politicians, as I am somewhat one myself, but Canadians did look, and I believe they made the right decision.
What we see in today's throne speech is a true reflection of what Canadians have been telling us for a long time now, over the last number of weeks. We have heard it very clearly.