Parliament remains prorogued (shut down), with all parliamentary activities in the House of Commons, at Parliamentary Committees, and in the Senate suspended. Instead of focussing on issues that matter to residents in our community and Canadians across the country, the governing Liberals are now focused on choosing a new political party Leader.
This is irresponsible given the many issues facing Canadians, including as of the writing of this, tariff threats which pose and economic crisis.
The United States’ administration stated they want to stop the illegal flow of drugs and other criminal activity at the border. CanadaBԪַ Federal Liberal government even admitted the weak border is a problem.
Over the past nine years, due to the Liberal governmentBԪַ fiscal and economic decisions, Canada grew its national debt to the highest itBԪַ ever been, $176 billion worth of proposed resource projects or investments were cancelled, real GDP per capital declined, productivity declined, and the Canadian economy is in an overall weakened position.
Many local residents are already struggling financially. The input I receive from conversations - whether in our Community Office, at community events, or at peopleBԪַ doorsteps - are all very similar: many personal stories of people struggling to pay their bills and who are concerned about planning for their fu-ture. Despite this, the Liberals are still focused on themselves.
The Liberal capital gains tax increase is set to continue according to the Canada Revenue Agency, even though Parliament is prorogued. Legislation on this tax hike was not debated or voted on in the House of Commons. We’ve heard overwhelmingly from industry leaders and experts how this is driving investment out of Canada, reducing our competitiveness, and affecting retirement plans.
CanadaBԪַ independent and non-partisan Parliamentary Budget Officer (PBO) confirmed in a recent report that federal finance decisions have created higher deficits, downplayed risks, made assumptions lacking transparency, and increased financial risks.
The PBO also released a report regarding the ‘core housing needs’ of Canadians. The report demonstrated that the mortgage debt per person for homeowners rose from $45,488 in 2015 to $65,604 in 2023 and is forecasted to be a shocking $74,424 by 2027. This is a direct result of “rising interest rates and rising average mortgage debt,” as per the report. The PBO also stated that rents are “26% higher today than they would have been” as a result of not enough homes being built and because of the federal government losing control of immigration. In addition, housing inflation is rising faster in Canada than in any other G7 country.
The MNP Consumer Debt Index report gages how Canadians feel about their ability to pay down debt. Half of Canadians now believe they will not be able to cover all their living and family expenses in the next 12 months without going further into debt.
On top of this, many retirees are increasingly needing to dip into their savings. I was talking to a single senior just a few days ago who told me heBԪַ having to subsidize his modest living expenses each month from his savings. He estimated having only about 13 months before running out and didn’t know what he is going to do after that.
All these reasons, and others, have led to Conservatives calling for the reopening of Parliament - if the Liberals won’t call an election - so Canadians can decide on a government who has a clear mandate.
Canada must pass new border controls, agree on trade retaliation, and prepare a plan to rescue CanadaBԪַ ailing economy. We simply cannot afford weak leadership during this unprecedented time for Canada.
There are so many important issues on top of these that we should be focusing on in Ottawa, including increases in taxes, crime, drug overdoses, homelessness, addiction, and our national debt. Parliament and its committees were seized at the end of last year dealing with corruption, conflict of interest issues, and the misappropriation of funds within several federal government programs.
There is much work to do in 2025 – and beyond - to restore the promise of Canada and fix what this Liberal government has broken.
Conservatives do not have confidence in the Liberal team, regardless of which long-time insider may become their leader. CanadaBԪַ Conservatives are ready to meet these challenges and will bring home the Canada we love can all be proud of.
Feel free to reach out to me if you have thoughts to share how to best represent BԪַ Lake-Country in 2025.
Our office has Canada flags and pins and offer Parliamentary Certificates for special occasions or to recognize contributions of residents in our community.
Tracy Gray is member of Parliament
for BԪַ-Lake Country
