Mr. Speaker, it is always a pleasure to rise and speak to the throne speech.
I will be splitting my time with the member for South Surrey—White Rock.
I want to address a point that was just raised across the way in regard to the budget. We have had a number of Conservatives raise the issue of why there is no federal budget. I would ask them to reflect back to when Stephen Harper became the prime minister of Canada. When he became prime minister, it was in the month of February. Months went by before he actually presented a budget. I believe he took office in February and, in May, he presented the budget.
Canadians, in a very wise fashion, made a decision to elect a prime minister who understands the importance of the economy and the budget. Canadians are not surprised that it takes time. The election occurred on April 28. To get an appreciation of the billions and billions of dollars that are being spent and come up with an actual budget takes a bit of time. With a new government, we can anticipate a budget, and the Prime Minister has taken a very keen interest in this.
After all, the Prime Minister has been very clear what the priority of the Government of Canada is. We saw that in one of the very first actions he took. We all know what he did. He gave a tax break to millions of Canadians, and it is a significant tax break. Hundreds of millions of dollars are going back into the disposable incomes of all Canadians. His first action taken was to provide a tax break to Canadians, thereby addressing one of the major concerns that was coming out of the federal election, that being affordability.
The other concern, which I have had the opportunity to raise on the floor before, is in regard to the whole issue of Canadian sovereignty and the opportunities for us to ensure we are creating the types of jobs that are critically important and preserving the jobs that are already here. There are legitimate concerns in regard to a number of industries throughout our country.
Let us take a look at what, during the election, I heard constantly at the doors: the issues of Trump, trade, tariffs and taxes. Those were the issues that were being discussed at the doors. They were contrasting Pierre Poilievre, the Conservatives and the far right to the Prime Minister and what he had to offer. We can take a look at their bios.
I mentioned something the other day. Many would argue I am somewhat of a career politician. So is Pierre Poilievre. However, Canadians wanted someone who has a greater depth of understanding of the economy. The Prime Minister was the governor of the Bank of Canada. He was chosen by Stephen Harper, the then prime minister. He was the governor of the Bank of England. He understands how an economy works, second to no other. He made a commitment to build the Canadian economy and to make Canada the strongest of the G7 countries on a per capita basis. That is the reason he is meeting with the premiers today. He recognizes that, in order to build one Canadian economy, we need to see premiers come onside.
From my perspective, this is interesting. I have a sister who lives in Ontario. I have a brother who lives in Saskatchewan. I have two sisters who live in Alberta. I have a brother who lives in British Columbia. When I talk to them collectively, they understand why it is so important that we operate as one economy. As a government, it would be nice to see this and the types of actions that have been very encouraging.
I was never really a big fan of Doug Ford, but I am really quite inspired by a number of things that he is doing in terms of working with the Premier of Manitoba, Wab Kinew, and in terms of Saskatchewan. I understand he is reaching out to Atlantic Canada also. We are seeing a much higher sense of co-operation coming from the provinces in dealing with the trade barriers. It is estimated that we could see a savings of $200 billion if we can get the provinces and the federal government working together. That is what Canadians want.
It does not matter what region. Whether they are from Atlantic Canada, Quebec, Ontario, the Prairies, the west coast or up north, they want to see political parties working together. They want to see the different levels of government working together to deliver for Canadians. That is what we should all be pushing for.
I am concerned, as it does not seem that the Conservative Party has turned the page. They want to continue on from where they left off back in November and December. If anything, what I have witnessed, based on a few of the speeches that I have heard, is that the Conservatives have moved further to the right. It is crazy, some of the things that we hear coming from across the way.
At the end of the day, there is value. The Conservatives should read the throne speech, and they will see a great deal of value there in terms of advancing the Canadian economy but also recognizing the importance of social programs. Where are the Conservatives on some of those programs? Today I heard one of the Conservatives say, “Well, X, Y and Z is happening in health care.” He was blaming Ottawa, even though it is the provinces that administer health care.
I have good news for that particular member, because never before have we seen this level of federal dollars flowing into health care in our provinces. I would like to see some changes to the Canada Health Act, from a personal perspective, things such as more accountability and financial accountability. Maybe there are some things we can do, but let us recognize the fact that health care, from an administrative point of view, is dealt with through the provinces.
When we take a look at the potential there, we had a Bloc member stand up and be critical because, instead of having the dental program, which is actually helping thousands of people in the province of Quebec and hundreds of thousands throughout the country, the Bloc member said, “Just give us the money.” Ottawa is nothing more than an ATM machine for members of the Bloc. That is not good enough.
We all have responsibilities, and our constituents want us to be working harder, together, as more of a unified force. I believe there are many things we can work on together. First and foremost, over the next period of time, what is it going to take for us to build that one economy? The House of Commons has a role to play, and part of that role is to ensure that we get legislation through the House before we adjourn later this month.
If members want to contribute to a team Canada approach and deliver for Canadians, one of the things we have to do, and it is not an option, is to deliver on some of the legislative initiatives that are going to be proposed. Those legislative initiatives that we are talking about are a reflection of what Canadians have been telling all of us, collectively, at the door. We came out of an election just a month ago. That is what the legislative agenda, in the short term, is all about.
We expect to see support from other members of the House. In a minority situation, it is not an option. We need to have opposition members come onside. If members genuinely believe in a stronger, healthier one economy, for example, there is some legislation there. If members are concerned about the issue of what is happening at our borders, there is going to be legislation there.
These are the types of initiatives that are going to make a difference in the day-to-day lives of Canadians, and the opposition parties have a moral obligation to get behind and support some of this legislation. Maybe they could look at ways in which it could be improved. I am not saying members cannot be the opposition. By all means, they should be an opposition and be constructive in their criticism, but they should also recognize that, as a House of Commons, we need to pass legislation. I look forward to that.