Mr. Speaker, I will be splitting my time today with the member for Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes.
I would like to start my remarks today by commending people of the Kelowna—Lake Country community. Their resiliency in the face of this pandemic has been truly remarkable. I would also like to thank my team in our constituency office and in Ottawa, who work as one cohesive group as we triage daily issues, for their hard work in ensuring that our constituents have been responded to quickly and given information or assistance as needed during a very challenging time with daily announcements and also with Service Canada office closures.
It is also important to recognize the many essential workers who have gone above and beyond over the last six months, ensuring food is on our table, mail is in our mailboxes, medicines are in our cabinets, and transportation is available through transit and taxi; and, of course, our law enforcement, medical workers and first responders, who are always on the front line every day in our community and in communities across the country.
Our hearts also go out to those who have lost loved ones during this time.
This pandemic has created uncertainty for so many. Individuals, families, not-for-profits and businesses are having to make tough decisions and, at times, heartbreaking ones. During the course of this pandemic, I heard from countless constituents and business owners in my riding that the programs the government was implementing simply were not working for them. Families have been separated and many still have limited access to each other. People have passed away, either from COVID-19 or other ailments, including in my family, and it has been tough for everyone in different ways.
The last time Parliament sat with its full functions and usual powers was on Friday, March 13, 2020. I took a picture on that day, which I posted on my social media last week, of the calendar right here after we voted to adjourn in response to the spread of COVID-19. I had a feeling it was going to be an important date in our Canadian history and was compelled to capture it as we were filtering out of the House of Commons. Little did I know at the time how significant it would actually be and what the next many months would bring us, or that the next time we would be back at regular sittings with all functions and powers of Parliament would not be until six months later, on September 23.
Some committees, but not all, sat virtually since March. Important committees such as natural resources, justice and human rights, and national defence have not sat once since March, and many other meetings sat infrequently.
It is unbelievable that the government had the international trade committee sit only once since March. I have been honoured with this as my new shadow cabinet ministerial portfolio. There have been important issues we should have been discussing, causing great concern to Canadian businesses. China still has agricultural products embargoed. Canada's trade agreement with the European Union, CETA, will no longer apply to the United Kingdom as of December 31. We received shipments of defective PPE from China. The U.S. put tariffs on aluminum. There were to be four committee meetings to discuss the trade dispute with Australia over excise taxes, which Canadian wineries and cideries will have to start paying on domestically grown product. This will mean, for example, a new $30,000 a year tax bill to small farm-gate wineries.
It is said that someone's true character shows during times of extreme, stressful situations; we saw the true character of the Liberals come out during this time. They just could not help themselves. Their desire for ultimate control, dislike of governance and the parliamentary process, and helping their elitist friends will be their legacy during this pandemic.
Just a few examples include trying to pass legislation giving the finance minister ultimate power to tax, spend and borrow for almost two years, without debate or parliamentary process; not allowing all committees to be sitting virtually and regularly to discuss important issues to Canadians; an order in council in the middle of the pandemic on gun legislation that had no input from stakeholders at a committee so that all voices and facts could be heard.
We saw another example of the dislike for parliamentary oversight in a process here a couple of nights ago where some of us were in this place until after 3 a.m. Instead of properly bringing forth a bill weeks ago, a bill worth over $50 billion in taxpayer spending, for a wholesome analysis and debate and for study at committee to hear from everyday Canadians and stakeholders who would have brought their voices forth with ideas and suggestions, the Liberals allowed for only four and a half hours of debate and forced a confidence vote.
The Liberals have given sole-source contracts with no public request for proposals. There was extensive lobbying with a non-registered lobbyist, of course I am referring to WE Charity; and they were planning on giving an almost-billion-dollar government program to active Liberal campaigners and supporters, again WE Charity, who showed clearly they did not have the financial or operational capacity to fulfill the program.
I was here in Ottawa on August 12, one of only four times we were scheduled to sit this summer, and I had the opportunity to question the former finance minister. Little did I know at the time that I would be the last member of Parliament to question him prior to his resignation during all the conflict and ethics investigations over the WE Charity scandal.
We are here today debating a new throne speech, because on August 18, the Prime Minister announced the prorogation of Parliament, triggering the second throne speech in under a year. He stated that he did so because we need a plan to help families, businesses and individuals and to relaunch the economy. This cancelled all sittings and scheduled committee meetings. This was a real shame, because I sit on the industry committee and we were slated to hear from businesses and industry associations regarding their challenges and recommendations as we work together to recover. I had submitted several names from my riding of Kelowna—Lake Country to bring their voices and ideas forth.
Where is the big economic recovery plan?
Where is this big relaunch plan that we were expecting in the throne speech? We have been anticipating it for five weeks.
Much of the throne speech looks like it was cut and pasted from the last throne speech, which was 10 months ago. When we add that to statements made by the government over the last few months, there was nothing really new that we have not heard before.
We have a Prime Minister who prefers to give speeches from podiums rather than to govern. This was shown a few days ago. When the Governor General had barely finished reading the throne speech, the Prime Minister went on national television to address the nation, basically paraphrasing what the Governor General had just read but in a partisan, election way. It was hardly a unifying and inspirational speech one would expect from the leader of a country.
Unity and sovereignty are not mentioned in the throne speech. These are core values of our country and have been put in jeopardy by the government. The only time unity is mentioned in the throne speech is when it is part of another word, like “immunity”.
There is a large backlog in the processing of disability benefits for veterans. I received an email late last night from a veteran in my community who had been waiting for years for back payments for benefits. He was shortchanged because of an accounting error. The Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs has not met once since March, and we have learned that Legions across the country are in jeopardy of closing. They have been networking with their veterans. The service of veterans was only mentioned briefly, in a roundabout way, in the throne speech, with no acknowledgement of key issues to veterans.
The government is vague in the throne speech when it talks about things it is not passionate about, yet it is very specific on others. One example is further restricting responsible gun owners.
First responders are dealing with overdoses continually, every day, and the government said that it will “continue to address the opioid epidemic tearing through communities”. What does this mean? There are no actions or policy ideas.
Planting two billion trees was in the last throne speech, and planting two billion trees is in this throne speech. What a lost opportunity this summer. People who were looking for work could have been outdoors planting trees. There were volunteer opportunities.
Businesses, particular small businesses, were mentioned, but there was nothing new or hopeful to grasp on to. There was no inspirational relaunching of the economy. There was only a listing of existing programs.
Our important manufacturing, natural resource and energy sectors are mentioned briefly, but only in relation to climate change. They should be strong economic engines of our recovery. Businesses in all of these sectors are on hold, and not because of COVID-19 but because of uncertainty, thanks to the policies and ideologies of this government.
The throne speech talks about creating one million jobs. Two million jobs were lost and one million have been recouped, but a lot of people are still out of work. If new jobs are to be created, we should be talking about the high-paying jobs that have been lost over the last couple of years.
The official opposition has made many recommendations to the government, which it has implemented as part of its program. I will continue to stand up for what is important to my constituents in Kelowna—Lake Country.
