Standing up for Foothills families in Ottawa
As Parliament wraps up for the summer and I head home to my family and my constituents in southern Alberta, there is a lot to reflect on from this busy session in the House of Commons. I worked hard to hold this Liberal government and the Liberal-NDP Costly Coalition to account, but this work doesn’t stop during the summer recess.
Throughout the month of June, our Conservative team under the leadership of Pierre Poilievre pushed to hold this Liberal government accountable for its inflationary budget. As a direct result of inflationary spending, a further interest rate hike on June 21 brought Canada’s key interest rate up to 4.75% despite promising interest rates would be low for the foreseeable future. This has left Canadian families, farmers, ranchers and businesses struggling with unimaginable financial burdens and further damaging our economy.
Heading into the summer months when so many Canadian’s have vacations planned and communities relying on tourism this increase in the cost of living could not come at a worse time. This is why my Conservative colleagues and I have worked so hard to push this Liberal government to balance the 2023 budget. The Liberals knew their spending would cause higher inflation and higher interest rates yet they went ahead with their reckless budget anyway. Now Canadian families are paying the consequences of this lack of fiscal restraint.
To add on to this Liberal cost of living crisis, Justin Trudeau raised the carbon tax again on July 1. Amid record 40-year high inflation, all time high food bank usage, and food insecurity rather than offer relief the Liberal government introduced a second carbon tax, the Liberal fuel standard. This will make it even more difficult for families to put food on the table and keep a roof over their heads. Justin Trudeau’s second carbon tax will cost Albertans an extra $1,157 on average per year on top of carbon tax number one, this time with no rebate in sight. Families are struggling and this is the gift Canadians get from their government? Happy birthday Canada, here’s another carbon tax.
We know the carbon tax impacts every aspect of our economy, from the small business owner supporting their community to the family driving their kids to sports, but some of the hardest hit by the carbon tax have been rural communities, farmers and ranchers. The Trudeau Liberals have done nothing to support Canadian farmers despite food insecurity being a top priority globally and right here in Canada. Instead, they have actively worked against our producers, putting them at a disadvantage with their inflationary carbon taxes, implementing fertilizer caps and burdensome regulations and red tape hurting efficiency and profitability, and failing to fight for our producers abroad when dealing with agricultural trade.
Farmers and ranchers are vital to our economy, and Canadian producers are some of the most environmentally friendly, efficient and innovative in the world. We should be championing this industry and all of its great people who keep food on our tables, not punish them with extra costs and needless taxes. The Liberal-NDP Costly Coalition should end both their carbon taxes and support our farmers and ranchers to help bring home more affordable food for Canadian families.
