Rona Ambrose

[Taxation, October 19th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, over the last year, the Prime Minister has been getting advice everywhere, from a secretive summit in Davos to a so-called summer camp for billionaires in Sun Valley. Even this week he was rubbing shoulders with Chinese billionaires. But along the way, he forgot to check in with ordinary working Canadians. He betrayed them by raising taxes on something as basic as piano lessons for their kids.

Now I know billionaires do not need tax credits, but middle-class families use them. Will the Prime Minister bring back tax credits for music lessons and sports for kids?

[Taxation, October 18th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, it is becoming increasingly clear that the Prime Minister's priority is not the concerns of ordinary working Canadians. He is completely out of touch with the problems they face, and the answers to those problems are not going to be found in meetings at Meech Lake with overseas billionaires. The answers are to give families a break, to lower their taxes, and to give them the opportunity to save and invest.

When is the Prime Minister going to come down to earth and start dealing with the concerns of ordinary working people?

[Small Business, October 18th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, it is Small Business Week and it is time that the Prime Minister stood up for the almost 70% of Canadians who work in small businesses. Sadly, his priorities are elsewhere. He flies off to Davos, Switzerland, to rub shoulders with celebrities and the world's richest; he jets down to Sun Valley to mingle with American billionaires; and in Small Business Week of all times, he decides to go to Meech Lake to hang out with Chinese billionaires.

Instead of pandering to billionaires and celebrities, will the Prime Minister reverse his tax hike on small businesses?

[Taxation, October 18th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister promised not to raise taxes on the middle class, but he broke that promise with new carbon fuel taxes, rolling back the tax-free savings account, eliminating the tax credit for music lessons and hockey practice, and making student textbooks and trade tools more expensive. He has raised taxes on the middle class and is making it harder for families to save, and most recently, he has made it tougher for Canadians to buy their first home.

When are Canadians finally going to get a break from the Prime Minister?

[Taxation, October 17th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians know that when they borrow money it has to be paid back, but the Prime Minister's plan is to pay it back with higher taxes. The Prime Minister has already hiked taxes on small businesses. He has cancelled the tax credit for regular families for things like music lessons and hockey practice. Coming next is a payroll tax hike and a national carbon fuel tax hike. The Prime Minister is now considering a tax on watching Netflix.

I know that the Prime Minister is a Liberal, but is there a single tax that he does not like?

[Finance, October 17th, 2016]

I appreciate the Prime Minister's sentiments, Mr. Speaker, but back to my question.

The Prime Minister defended his uncontrolled spending by telling us that it will create jobs and grow the economy, but the evidence is clear: it is not. The economy is not growing, and regular families across the country are losing income and they are losing jobs. It is a failed approach. It is not working. Borrowing more and more money is actually not creating jobs.

Will the Prime Minister stop his reckless spending and start focusing on jobs?

[Finance, October 17th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister was elected on a promise to only borrow $10 billion. He broke that promise and instead borrowed three times more, $30 billion. Now we learn that the Prime Minister is borrowing $46.5 billion. First it was $10 billion, then it was $30 billion, now it is almost $50 billion.

When the Prime Minister misses his financial targets that many times in one year, how can Canadians trust him with their money?

[Jim Prentice, October 17th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the tragic passing of the man who was a friend to our entire caucus and a close member of our Conservative family for a very long time, Jim Prentice. I know all of us here have Jim's family in our thoughts. Our hearts go out to his wife, Karen, and his children and grandchildren in the wake of their terrible loss.

Jim served his constituents in Calgary Centre North for over six years with devotion. His genuine blue-collar upbringing clearly served him well as the minister responsible for aboriginal affairs, for industry, and for the environment.

He was a true gentleman politician: kind and possessing a love of public policy and public service. That was true whether he was in opposition or on the government benches in the House or, of course, working for the people of Alberta as the province's 16th premier. So his loss is Alberta's loss, but it is also Canada's loss.

We hope his loved ones find strength in each other even in their grief and that Jim's memory will be a blessing to them in time.

[Employment, September 28th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, job creation is currently invisible and economic growth is sluggish.

On Monday, the Minister of Finance admitted that his tax and spend policies are not working, but instead of reversing course, the Prime Minister is spending even more money.

How can the Liberals be trusted when all this spending did not create any jobs?

[Employment, September 28th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister always takes time in his answers to point out how proud he is of raising taxes, that he is borrowing billions to fund new Liberal spending. So is it working? No. Private sector job growth is nonexistent. More and more people are looking for work. At some point, the Liberals have to accept that their plan is not working. Stop digging before the hole becomes so deep it takes generations to come out.

Will the Prime Minister do the right thing, stop spending, and focus on creating jobs?