Mr. Speaker, I thank the residents of Pitt Meadows—Maple Ridge and Mission for re-electing me to a third term in the House of Commons, and previously twice to the B.C. legislature. It is an honour that I take seriously.
This has always been a competitive riding, and while this election was no different, support for our message grew significantly. There were 12,000 more votes locally than in previous elections. I saw a shift, particularly among blue-collar workers and young Canadians struggling with affordability. I spoke with thousands of constituents and asked a simple question: Are things better after 10 years of Liberal rule? Not one person said yes, and that says a lot.
The Liberals won, not by their own sorry record but by copying Conservative policies like scrapping the carbon tax and by capitalizing on Trump. Still, they won, but make no mistake, Conservative MPs like me will keep fighting every day for a safer, stronger, more affordable and more prosperous Canada.