Mr. Speaker, I rise today with immense gratitude and a profound sense of responsibility. Representing this riding is an honour, and I do not take it lightly.
I want to sincerely thank the people of Similkameen—South Okanagan—West Kootenay for placing their trust in me and electing me to represent them in the House. I want to thank my campaign managers, Chris and Cheryl, who pushed us all to success. I want to thank the hundreds of volunteers who spent countless hours door knocking, making calls, putting signs in and doing other jobs that all members in the House know about. They spent so much time to elect me, a Conservative candidate and the first woman MP ever in this riding.
Most of all, I want to thank my family for their amazing support. I thank Adam and my wonderful children, Zoe and Zakary. They are my rock. I could not do it without them. I am here because of them.
We have an immense riding, and it is my mission to carry forward the voices of our communities into the House. From Castlegar to Princeton, from Osoyoos to Rossland, from Oliver to Grand Forks and from Penticton to Rock Creek, our riding is located in the heart of British Columbia's interior and is one of the most breathtaking places in Canada and, indeed, the world. It is home to hundreds of internationally recognized wineries, world-class ski resorts and some of Canada's warmest lakes, lined with pristine sandy beaches. This region is truly a national treasure.
Tourists come from across the country and around the world. They are drawn here to our region to float down the Similkameen River or the Penticton channel, to kayak in Christina Lake or to hike through pristine trails in the Kootenays. I invite all Canadians to come and experience this extraordinary part of our country for themselves.
Our economy is as diverse as our landscape. It is built on the strength of tourism, agriculture, mining, ranching, manufacturing, forestry and the emerging tech sector. Our communities are proud, hard-working and increasingly attractive as a retirement destination.
However, despite the beauty and promise of our region, we are facing challenges that cannot be ignored. I chose to seek federal office because these challenges have outpaced the resources and capacity of local governments, where much of this burden is falling, and because we need real, effective leadership in Ottawa. I served as a city councillor in the City of Penticton for nearly a decade. In that time, I witnessed alarming changes. Despite being a small city of 37,000, we are grappling with issues often seen in Canada's largest urban centres.
For one thing, as we have already heard, housing affordability has become a crisis. Home prices and rental rates continue to climb far beyond the means of average workers. Local governments are doing everything within their power to provide affordable housing. Of course they need to lower their development cost charges, but the reality is clear: The Liberal housing policy of the past decade has failed to keep pace with demand and to support our smaller rural communities.
This housing crisis has been accompanied by a deeply troubling rise in homelessness, of which I saw nothing mentioned in the Speech from the Throne. Tent encampments are now a regular sight, and because of the rural nature of our riding, multiple RVs, trailers and campers are tucked away on forestry roads and on Crown land. These people are the hidden poor. They are living are in precarious situations, particularly during the harsh winter months. Our capacity to provide safe, stable housing for those in need is being overwhelmed.
At the same time, the increase in substance use and addiction has transformed our public spaces. Parks, playgrounds and beaches, once places of relaxation and community, are increasingly marked by erratic and unsafe behaviour.
Unfortunately, Penticton now has one of the highest crime rates per capita in all of British Columbia. Prolific offenders and drug dealers continually cycle through the justice system with little consequence, putting vulnerable residents at risk and eroding public safety. A more effective and accountable judicial approach is urgently needed.
In fact, the only prison in the entire riding is only 20% full, even though our crime rate is so high. In response to the crime, Penticton has had to increase its bylaw enforcement staff from five officers in 2015 to over 25 in 2025. The fire department devotes 90% of its calls to overdose and life-saving-related incidents. The financial strain on all our communities throughout our riding is unsustainable.
The Liberal government's decision to make British Columbia a pilot project for drug decriminalization has had devastating consequences. This policy has not been accompanied by the investment in treatment and recovery services that is so desperately needed. My question to the Minister of Health is this: Why would the government single out one province to experiment with, and why would it continue with an experiment that is truly failing?
Conservatives called for desperately needed investment in treatment and recovery services to address this public health crisis, but we were ignored. We cannot decriminalize drugs without first ensuring that there are adequate supports in place. There are currently no detox beds available anywhere in our riding. When someone makes the courageous decision to seek help, they are met with a wait time of up to two years. If they do get assigned to a detox bed, it is in a distant community far from their support networks.
We are losing sons, daughters, brothers and sisters, lives that could be saved if the right services were in place. We must act now. The government must invest in treatment, recovery and prevention in small and rural communities. We must restore safety, dignity and hope for all Canadians. I saw none of this investment in the Speech from the Throne.
To put off the budget until the fall is completely irresponsible. How many people will die from overdose before the fall? I invite the Minister of Housing and Infrastructure and the Minister of Health to come to our rural riding. I would give them a tour of the homeless encampments and the RVs on the forestry roads and Crown lands, and they could speak with those addicts who live in our riding and are unable to get any of the help they need.
This is why I ran for Parliament. I live in what I believe is the most beautiful place in the world in the best country in the world, but beauty alone cannot shield us from the consequences of bad policy. I am here to fight for meaningful change and for federal policies that respond to the real needs of our communities. I will continue to advocate for the people of Similkameen—South Okanagan—West Kootenay and for a safer, healthier and more equitable Canada.