Tracy Gray

[Petitions, June 13th, 2022]

Madam Speaker, I rise today to present a petition on behalf of constituents from Kelowna—Lake Country and the surrounding area.

The Okanagan Rail Trail serves as an important recreational and commuter path for pedestrians and cyclists across the region. Seven kilometres of the trail remain incomplete, which poses a safety risk as users have no option other than to divert onto a busy highway. The completion of the Okanagan Rail Trail would be an important link to provide more healthy activity space for residents and visitors in the Okanagan.

Therefore, the petitioners call upon the Government of Canada to expeditiously complete the federal commitments to the Okanagan Indian Band and Duck Lake Indian Reserve 7 to complete the Okanagan Rail Trail.

[Small Business, June 13th, 2022]

Mr. Speaker, we are in a labour crisis, and small businesses are the most affected. A follow-up submission to the industry committee from the Department of Employment and Social Development states that they were “not aware of any Canadian studies that estimate the overall economic costs of labour shortages”, and estimates from the Statistics Canada job vacancy and wage survey show 826,000 job vacancies in February, which is double the prepandemic trend.

Why is this government doing nothing to analyze how federal vaccine mandate firings are affecting the labour shortage in Canada?

[The Economy, June 10th, 2022]

Mr. Speaker, my constituents have never seen grocery prices so high, thanks to made-in-Canada inflation. One response to my recent grocery survey read, “I'm a 79-year-old widow on pension. My food and rent have gone sky-high.” As well, a recent online Castanet poll found almost 80% of respondents saying that rising prices forced them to cut back on what they buy. The Liberals cannot keep blaming everyone else for food inflation.

Is the government going to do anything to help cut the rising price of food, and if not, why?

[Events in Kelowna—Lake Country, June 10th, 2022]

Mr. Speaker, in Kelowna—Lake Country, June is a busy month filled with recreational activities, heritage, arts, culture and celebrations. It is Italian Heritage Month, Indigenous History Month, Pride Month, and Filipino Heritage Month. The Lake Country Creekside Theatre and the many organizations in Kelowna's cultural district have shows, exhibits and performances for everyone to enjoy. The Kelowna Wine Country half marathon includes a scenic run with a beverage and music festival. There are also many sports and recreation activities, including cheering for our very own Kelowna Falcons.

We then lead into Canada Day and the celebrations that are finally back this year. The Rotary Club of Lake Country starts the day off at Swalwell Park with a pancake breakfast. Folkfest at Prospera Place includes the giant cake cutting, and I will have a tent set up to hand out Canada flag items and kids' colouring sheets.

I wish locals and visitors to our beautiful area well, whether volunteering, watching or participating in activities or celebrations, and I hope to see everyone at one of our many community events this summer.

[Health, June 9th, 2022]

Mr. Speaker, an RV dealer in Kelowna—Lake Country, a boat dealer in B.C., as well as their respective national industry organizations, all tell me that the normal delivery times for an RV, boat or their parts from the U.S. have gone from two weeks to up to four months and they will lose their summer sales season. They all said it is because of the federal border vaccine mandates affecting drivers that continue to hurt their small businesses.

When will the Liberals wake up from their 2020 policies and remove these out-of-date, unscientific, unjustified vaccine mandates that are killing small business?

[Main Estimates, 2022-23, June 7th, 2022]

Madam Speaker, I took particular interest when the member was talking about interprovincial trade barriers, and I appreciate his comments on that. I know we have the Canadian Free Trade Agreement and the government has been working on that. The last time it disclosed its annual report was back in 2021. We have not seen the report that ends March 2022. It has not been disclosed yet on the website.

I wonder if the member can explain, since he is in the government, some of the recent activities the government has been working on to eliminate some of the interprovincial trade barriers.

[Main Estimates, 2022-23, June 7th, 2022]

Madam Speaker, we are talking about the main estimates tonight. I am wondering if the hon. member has any specific thoughts on agriculture with regard to the main estimates.

Looking at the agriculture sector, we know there are a lot of pressing issues right now in Canada having to do with production and the supply chain. I am wondering if the member is hearing any comments from her constituents on agriculture and how they might flow through the main estimates.

[Main Estimates, 2022-23, June 7th, 2022]

Madam Speaker, I want to thank my colleague for her strong ongoing advocacy for victims.

I wonder if she can comment on the government's overarching theme of being soft on crime. We see it in a number of ways, in different legislation that it brings forth and in how it approaches many different issues. I wonder if you can comment on how the government is not really standing up for victims of crime, but really having this soft-on-crime approach.

[Service Canada, June 3rd, 2022]

Madam Speaker, a local senior from Kelowna—Lake Country, who does not have a computer, booked an appointment at the Service Canada passport office in Kelowna. He was turned away because he did not bring in forms he was told were available online only, and staff there could not print them. Our fabulous constituency team was pleased to serve him and printed off the forms he needed at my office.

How can Service Canada offices not have forms or the capability to print off forms at their office? This is a failure of the government. When is the minister going to put the “serve” back into Service Canada?

[The Economy, June 1st, 2022]

Mr. Speaker, it is incredibly sad that the Prime Minister is so out of touch with what people are going through. However, it is not only individuals; it is small businesses as well. The total number of insolvencies in Canada in March 2022 compared with March 2021 was 33.1%. The Liberals' comments that business is back to prepandemic levels and that it is all sunny ways for everyone are false.

When will the Prime Minister just acknowledge that everything is more expensive, that people are struggling, that he blames everything on everyone else and that he really has no solutions?