Mike Lake

[Finance, November 7th, 2025]

Mr. Speaker, ratings are always great until the day they are not. Here is a quick review of the early nineties from Reuters.

In February 1994, it said, “The...Liberal government brings down what it considers to be a tough budget.... It nonetheless still has spending rising slightly, and immediate public and market reaction is it did not go nearly far enough.”

In January 1995, it said, “A biting editorial in the Wall Street Journal headlined ‘Bankrupt Canada’ calls Canada ‘an honorary member of the Third World.’” The next month, the Liberal government was forced to make the most vicious cuts to health care and social programs in Canadian history.

Who over there is willing to take a stand to avoid a repeat?

[Finance, November 7th, 2025]

Mr. Speaker, speaking of experts, according to Fitch Ratings just yesterday, “Canada's...proposed budget, announced in Parliament on Nov. 4, underscores the erosion of the federal government's finances...[and] persistent fiscal expansion and a rising debt burden have weakened its credit profile and could increase rating pressure over the medium term.”

This has happened before, with crushing impacts on Canadians. In the nineties, after similar rating pressure, the Liberal government of the day was forced to cut 32% from federal health and social transfers over just two years.

Does anyone over there understand the gravity of this situation?

[Polio Eradication, November 5th, 2025]

Mr. Speaker, for decades in Canada, Conservative and Liberal governments alike have been steadfast leaders in the global fight to end polio. Partners include Global Citizen, Results and the Canadian Partnership for Women and Children's Health, but the undisputed leader in this mission is Rotary International, where there is no bigger champion than Canada's own Jennifer Jones, who became its first woman international president just a few years ago.

Rotary's vision statement says, “Together, we see a world where people unite and take action to create lasting change—across the globe, in our communities, and in ourselves.” Canadian Rotarians and Rotaractors live this out every single day.

Whether building playgrounds and spray parks in their local communities or eradicating polio worldwide, these friends and neighbours stand shoulder to shoulder, roll up their sleeves and just do the work.

Today, we are closer than ever to ending polio once and for all. Working together, we will win. Along the way, every one of us will be individually better for having taken part in the fight.

[The Economy, November 3rd, 2025]

Mr. Speaker, in 2015, The New York Times reported that Canada had the richest middle class in the world. Just a decade later, our country is in an economic tailspin. What happened in 2015 was that the Liberal government took power, and many of its current ministers, including the finance minister, were elected. Here is where we are today: During an epic housing crisis, 99% of CMHC executives got bonuses, averaging $43,000.

How is that okay? How is it that Canada, under their watch, went from the richest middle class in the world to a country where many middle-class Canadians cannot afford housing?

[The Economy, November 3rd, 2025]

Mr. Speaker, let us remember that Santa Claus is not spending taxpayer dollars.

Every single dollar the Liberal government brags about spending comes from the pockets of hard-working Canadians, in the form of higher taxes and inflation. While Canadians line up at food banks in record numbers, their own money is being used by the Liberal government to hand out hundreds of millions of dollars in executive bonuses.

Here is a case in point: Last year, 100% of Via Rail executives got bonuses, averaging $110,000. This is incomprehensible and irresponsible.

Instead of trying to provoke a costly election with another costly Liberal budget, why not have an affordable budget for an affordable life, for all Canadians?

[Special Olympics Canada, October 21st, 2025]

Mr. Speaker, I rise to honour one of the most incredible organizations in the history of sport. While others will no doubt pay tribute to our beloved Blue Jays this afternoon, I am here to celebrate the many Special Olympics athletes joining us in Ottawa today.

For six decades, the Special Olympics has changed the lives of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities worldwide, including the over 40,000 Canadian athletes who participate today. One of those athletes is my own son Jaden, who radiates pure joy whenever he has a bowling ball in his hands. Another athlete is Damion, a multi-sport Special Olympian and athlete ambassador I met this morning. Damion is carrying the torch in a way that would make the legendary Joey Moss proud.

I also want to salute the incomparable Mary Davis, CEO of Special Olympics International, soon retiring after 47 years of tireless leadership in the organization.

As Special Olympics Canada prepares for the 2026 Canada Summer Games in Medicine Hat, I know colleagues from all sides of this House will join me in recognizing its invaluable contribution to our country.

[Champions of Mental Health Awards, October 6th, 2025]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Canadian Alliance on Mental Illness and Mental Health, or CAMIMH, and to highlight the importance of Mental Illness Awareness Week, which is taking place October 5 to October 11.

CAMIMH has spent the last 25 years ensuring mental health and substance use health remain national priorities, advocating for awareness, reducing stigma and demanding life-changing care.

Later this evening in Ottawa, CAMIMH will announce the 2025 Champions of Mental Health Awards, celebrating seven remarkable individuals and organizations making a lasting difference in communities across our country through their efforts.

I want to extend my warmest congratulations to this year's honourees for their leadership and commitment to advancing mental health and substance use health. Each of these recipients is proof that change is possible when compassion is matched with concrete action.

Together, let us continue striving for a Canada that understands and supports mental health and substance use health with the same urgency as physical health, a Canada that meets our awesome potential for everyone.

[Questions Passed as Orders for Return, September 15th, 2025]

With regard to hotels and accommodations paid for by the government for asylum seekers, since January 1, 2022 and broken down by month: (a) what are the names and locations of the hotels and other accommodations which the government has paid to accommodate asylum seekers; and (b) what are the details of each hotel or accommodation in (a), including, for each, (i) the owner, (ii) the monthly amount paid by the government for accommodation, (iii) how many asylum seekers were accommodated?

[Oil and Gas Industry, June 19th, 2025]

Mr. Speaker, I will note that the Liberal members seem incapable of using the words “pipeline” or “oil” in the House of Commons.

Let me keep this simple: It is a fact that the emissions reporting requirement on Saudi oil being sold in Canada is less stringent than for Canadian oil being sold in Canada. Who in the Liberal government wants to stand now to defend this incomprehensible policy?

[Oil and Gas Industry, June 19th, 2025]

Mr. Speaker, this week, Canada hosted the G7, and one of the people on the Prime Minister's invitation list was the crown prince of Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia currently has a sweetheart deal with Canada, shipping over two billion dollars' worth of Saudi oil a year to our Canadian east coast.

Alberta oil, shipped to the same place, would face extremely onerous reporting requirements on upstream and downstream emissions, yet no such requirements exist for Saudi oil. Why?