“I want the House to pass my motion. It says the Liberals have run the country for 11 years and life in Canada costs too much. Homes, gas, and food are far too expensive, and the Prime Minister must take responsibility for it.”

“moved: That the House officially recognize that: (a) the Liberals have been in power for 11 years; and (b) Canada is in an affordability crisis. He said: Madam Speaker, he just got here. Yesterday, in the House of Commons, I asked the Prime Minister why Canada has the highest number of people who believe they will never be able to buy a home. Of the 22 countries surveyed by Habitat for Humanity, why does Canada have the worst record when it comes to home ownership? The Prime Minister said it is not his fault because he just got here. He has been Prime Minister for 18 months, a year and a half. What is more, he was an economic adviser to the Liberal government for five years. He has been here and has been part of the government for six and a half years, yet he says he just got here. Apparently, young couples who cannot afford to buy a home and whose rent has doubled over the course of the Liberal reign should not be asking the Prime Minister any questions. It is not his fault; he just got here. Single mothers who now have to choose between paying the mortgage and buying groceries need to stop asking the poor Prime Minister questions, because he just got here. According to the president and CEO of Habitat for Humanity Canada: Canada’s housing crisis has become an opportunity crisis. When people are sacrificing food, savings, and peace of mind to afford housing, they can never get ahead. They can’t build the futures they want for themselves and their children. These children need to stop asking the Prime Minister questions. He just got here. It is not his fault. It is going to take many years and plenty of lofty promises, while prices keep going up for everyone. Then there is the price of gas. I have already shown that the housing crisis has nothing to do with the global situation, because homes are built here, on Canadian soil, by Canadian workers, using Canadian materials, so it cannot be a global problem. The problem is here, in Canada, under the Liberal government. The same goes for diesel. Yes, there are wars going on in Iran, Russia and Ukraine, but that does not explain why the price of diesel and gasoline is about 10% to 15% higher here in Canada than in the United States and other countries. As of October 5, diesel costs about 26¢ more per litre than the U.S. average and 23¢ more than the world average. According to Statistics Canada, in August 2026, the price of gasoline was up 23% year over year, while prices for heating oil and other fuels were up 44%. This latter category refers to heating fuel, not an inflation rate for diesel. I will be sharing my time with the member for King—Vaughan. She will demonstrate that food affordability is worse than ever as we head into Thanksgiving. Since the Prime Minister took office last year, since he promised to be judged by the cost of a basket of groceries, we have seen a 10% increase in the cost of groceries and a Thanksgiving meal, but we are not supposed to blame him because he just got here. According to PwC, 69% of Canadians expect to cut back on their Christmas spending. Santa Claus, who happens to be Canadian, will have to spend less because, after a year and a half of this Prime Minister, the groceries he buys for himself and his wife are too expensive. Santa and Mrs. Claus are spending too much on groceries under this Prime Minister, which means fewer gifts for the children. According to the OECD, Canada has had the highest or second-highest food inflation in the G7 for 10 months straight. We cannot blame the rest of the world. We cannot simply scare people by spreading panic over foreign events when food prices here in Canada are far worse than in other countries. A new survey released today by Second Harvest found that about one in three of the food banks or shelters in its network are having to turn away people in need due to limited resources. We were told that food banks that do not have the resources to feed the hungry should stop asking the Prime Minister questions because he just got here. That is not what leadership and taking responsibility is about. A prime minister needs to keep his promises and take action to lower the cost of living. Our mission, as Conservatives, is to help people save money and to leave more money in their pockets for groceries and housing so that they can provide for their children and families. We have a plan to reduce government spending and lower the cost of living so that people can save money. Before we can solve a problem, we have to recognize that it exists. That is why, today, the Conservatives are asking the Prime Minister to acknowledge that Canada is in an affordability crisis that is affecting all Canadians. He can either vote in favour of this motion and thus recognize that we are in an affordability crisis after 18 months under his leadership or he can show that he is completely out of touch with what Canadians are dealing with. We, the Conservatives, will continue to fight to help people save money in Canada. That is our mission. We are going to restore the promise of Canada that anybody who works hard can aspire to a good life. The Prime Minister just got here. That is what he told us yesterday when I asked him why Habitat for Humanity found that more Canadians have given up on home ownership than the people in the 22 countries who were polled by it. In other words, the dream of home ownership is further out of reach in Canada than in any other country of the 22 nations surveyed. I asked him why. He said he knew it was terrible, but he just got here. Habitat for Humanity has said that Canada’s housing crisis has become an opportunity crisis. When people are sacrificing food, savings and peace of mind to afford housing, they can never get ahead. However, we must stop blaming the Prime Minister because he just got here. Housing is 100% a domestic sector that is not affected by tariffs, Trump or any other thing he wants to fearmonger over. I know he wants to talk about division and danger, but 100% of the land, 100% of the workers and 90% of the materials that go into homes are right here in Canada. It is Trump-proof, tariff-proof and a 100% homemade problem. That is why he could not use the foreign excuse he usually uses. Instead, he says that he just got here. It has been 18 months since he became the Prime Minister who was promising affordable homes. Most of his front bench cabinet have been here for 11 years, but they doubled housing costs and say that they just got here. Then there are the gasoline prices. Yes, the world price has gone up, but not as much as it has here in Canada. We are paying 10% a litre more than the U.S. We are paying 26% more per litre than the U.S. when it comes to diesel and 23¢ more than the world average. Only the Prime Minister’s beloved Europe is paying more for diesel than Canada. Stats Canada says that gasoline prices have increased 23% year over year. Much of that increase is being passed on in higher grocery prices, which brings me to Thanksgiving. I wish members a happy Thanksgiving. However, I am afraid that, just like me, they are going to have a very unpleasant trip down the grocery aisle when they look at the prices of serving a beautiful Thanksgiving meal to their family. The cost is up 10% in one year since the member became the Prime Minister, but again, he just got here. It has been a year since he looked Canadians in the eye on his first day on the job and told them to judge him by the prices at the grocery store. The judgment is in and Canadians are cutting back. In fact, one in three food banks is turning people away because it has run out of food. One in four shelters is turning people back out on to the cold streets. Those people who are homeless and hungry and those empty food banks have to stop asking the Prime Minister questions because he just got here after all. The Prime Minister is out of touch. Canadians are out of money. We are in this to save them money. That is why today we are calling on Parliament to recognize officially that Canada is in an affordability crisis. Will the government join us in that recognition or show that it is completely out of touch? It has to recognize a problem to fix a problem, and that fix is to save people money. Let us make Canada the most affordable country anywhere on earth.”

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“We oppose this government because they have made everything more expensive. The Prime Minister makes announcements about grocery prices, but they do not help Canadians buy food. We are fighting to make life affordable.”

“Mr. Speaker, we oppose them, because they have made everything more expensive. That is a very simple answer to a very foolish question. Now, as for the Prime Minister, the member is right. He has been Prime Minister for 500 days. He has, in the words of the member, commented about affordability for 500 days. Has he ever commented. He has had five different grocery price affordability announcements. If Canadians could put announcements on their dinner table or fill their grocery cart with comments, then every stomach would be full in Canada. We need food. We need affordability. That is what we are fighting for.”

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“The Liberal government has made so many rules and taxes that nothing can get built without public money. Energy projects can make money on their own. We do not want government subsidies. We want faster permits, lower taxes, and no public money handed to businesses.”

“Madam Speaker, I find it unfortunate that, after 11 years of Liberal government, after all the anti-development laws and taxes the Liberals have created, it takes tax dollars to build anything. Of course, pipelines and other oil and energy infrastructure are extremely profitable without any help from the government. The problem here in Canada is that there are so many obstacles put in place by the government that the state has to take over control from industry and fund the projects using tax dollars, which is a tragedy. That is the consequence of the Liberals’ anti-development policies. We do not want subsidies. We want a free market with speedy permitting, very low taxes and no corporate welfare for any industry.”

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“Canadians want to rely on their own paycheques, but in Windsor, wages do not cover basic living costs anymore. Hard-working people used to be able to afford a home, feed their families, and live in safe neighbourhoods. I want the Leader of the Opposition to explain what happened to that promise.”

“Madam Speaker, Canadians are a proud people, and they are not looking for another government cheque. Windsorites are asking why their own paycheque will not go far enough. Could the Leader of the Opposition explain what happened to the basic bargain, that if Canadians work hard, pay their taxes and play by the rules, they should be able to afford a home, feed their family, get ahead and live in a safe neighbourhood? What happened to that bargain?”

“The Liberal government has made life too expensive for Canadians. People cannot afford food, heat, or housing. I want members to vote for this motion to admit that Canada is in an affordability crisis so we can fix it.”

“Madam Speaker, 11 years of Liberal government happened to that bargain. It is very simple. The Liberals are costing Canadians more. They are all talk and no results. The Liberal Prime Minister is out of touch and Canadians are out of money. His money is out of the country, in offshore tax havens and in the United States, while Canadians cannot afford to eat, heat or house themselves. However, to fix a crisis, the Liberals have to recognize it exists. To show that they are in touch, they have to vote in this House for this motion that Canada is in an affordability crisis, one that we must act to fix now.”

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“I want the House to pass this motion saying Canada is in an affordability crisis. High prices for rent, groceries, and mortgages are hurting seniors and families. The government spends too much money on consultants and foreign aid. It needs to cut spending and help Canadians first.”

“Madam Speaker, it is always an honour to rise in this House on behalf of the residents of King—Vaughan. Today, we are discussing something Canadians already understand because they are living it every day. Canada is in an affordability crisis. I hear it constantly in my community: Seniors worry about how long their savings will last; families are spending more on groceries and housing; and young people wonder whether owning a home will ever be possible. A senior in my riding of King—Vaughan recently shared her story with me. Maria could no longer afford her home, so she had to move. She now rents a basement apartment from another senior who relies on the rental income to help pay her mortgage and household expenses, but the homeowner is struggling too. Even with Maria paying rent, she worries she may no longer be able to afford the house. If that happens, Maria will have to move again. This is the financial reality facing two seniors in my community. One has already been forced out of her home, while the other is worried about losing hers. After working hard, paying taxes and contributing to this country their whole lives, this should not be what retirement looks like. As shadow minister for seniors, I regularly hear from Canadians living on fixed incomes who are struggling to keep up with the rising costs. We see the consequences at food banks across this country. In King—Vaughan, organizations like the King Township Food Bank and Vaughan Food Bank are doing incredible work supporting those in need. I am grateful for their volunteers, but we should be concerned that so many Canadians now depend on their services. Seniors, working families and Canadians with jobs are turning to food banks because they simply cannot make ends meet. The affordability crisis is also taking a serious toll on younger Canadians. For many, the question is no longer when they will buy their first home, but whether they will ever be able to afford one. Statistics Canada reports that the average asking rent for a two-bedroom apartment in the Toronto area was $2,650 a month in the second quarter of this year. That is more than $31,000 annually before groceries, transportation and other necessities. It is no wonder young adults are staying at home longer and parents are helping their adult children financially. A recent RBC survey found that more than half of Canadian parents with adult children between the ages of 18 and 40 provided financial support over the past year, contributing an average of more than $6,100. These parents are supporting their children while facing rising costs themselves in preparing for retirement. For existing homeowners, another challenge comes when their mortgages are up for renewal. This is something I understand from my previous career. Before entering politics, I spent many years in banking as a branch manager and mortgage specialist. I remember working with families in the 1980s, as mortgages came up for renewal and suddenly their payments became much harder to afford. Let us remember who was the prime minister in 1980. We will all remember that it was Mr. Trudeau. These were people who had jobs, made their payments and worked hard to provide for their families; then renewal time came, and they were left wondering whether they could keep the home they had worked so hard to buy. I remember the stress those conversations caused. Today, I am concerned that history is beginning to repeat itself. Canadians who took up mortgages several years ago are renewing under very different conditions. Even a few hundred dollars more each month can quickly strain a household budget. For some, that means cutting into savings or reducing spending on necessities. For others, it means questioning whether they can afford their home at all. I have seen what that does to families, and I do not want Canada to repeat that experience. This weekend, Canadians will celebrate Thanksgiving. For many families, that means driving to visit parents, grandchildren, aunts, uncles, friends and relatives, but in the Toronto area, gas is now roughly 50¢ a litre more expensive than at this time last year. For families already struggling with rising costs, another tank of gas is one more expense to consider. Some may decide they simply cannot afford the trip. Canadians should not have to think twice on whether they can afford to spend Thanksgiving with their loved ones. The Prime Minister gave Canadians a clear standard by which to judge his government. He said Canadians would judge him by the prices they see at the grocery store. Let us apply that standard. Statistics Canada reported that grocery prices are 29% higher than in August 2021. Food Banks Canada recorded 2.2 million visits in March 2025, almost doubling the number in 2019. Nearly one in five food bank users was employed. By the Prime Minister’s own standard, the record is clear. After 11 years of Liberal government, Canadians are paying more for the basics while the Liberals continue spending heavily on bureaucracy, outside consultants, corporate subsidies and foreign aid. Billions of dollars continue to be committed outside of Canada. I was raised by my wonderful grandparents. They taught me to be compassionate. If someone needed help, we helped them. However, they also taught me that we have to make sure our own house is in order first. Canada is a generous country, and we should be, but there must be a sense of priority. When seniors like Maria are worried about losing their housing, young Canadians cannot afford their first home, and working families rely on food banks, the government must put Canadians first. Conservatives have reviewed federal spending and identified $150 billion in potential savings, including from bureaucracies, consultants, corporate welfare, foreign aid and other expenditures. That represents almost $10,000 per Canadian family. Families must make difficult financial decisions every single day. When household budgets get tight, they examine their spending, determine what is essential and find ways to save. The federal government should be expected to demonstrate that same discipline. Every dollar the Liberal government spends was earned by a hard-working taxpayer. It could be a construction worker, a farmer, a small business owner, a young Canadian saving for a home or a senior who worked for decades to build a retirement. That money deserves to be treated with respect. After 11 years of Liberal government, Canadians should not be working hard and making responsible decisions only to wonder whether they can afford groceries, housing or their next mortgage payment. Young people deserve a realistic path to home ownership. Families should be able to afford the basics. Seniors should be able to retire with dignity and security. The people I represent in King—Vaughan are facing the same pressures as Canadians from coast to coast. The Liberals need to start listening to Conservatives, get spending under control, put Canadians first and focus on making life more affordable here at home. Canadians have done their part. It is time for the government to do its part. That is why I am supporting this motion.”

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  “Canada is officially in an affordability crisis.”

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  Every time it was said →

“The government is not listening to Canadians who cannot afford enough food. The Liberals have not made life affordable. They waste money abroad instead of helping Canadian families.”

“Madam Speaker, I have to admit that my colleague is out of touch. He is not listening to Canadians in this country. He is not listening to Maria. He is not listening to the seniors who cannot afford to eat three meals a day. They are lucky if they can afford one meal a day. Where is the affordability that the Liberals have created? They have not. They continue to spend money foolishly, sending it abroad without thinking about the children and the parents who want to feed their families and not have handouts.”

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“We should cut taxes, including on diesel and for single seniors. We cannot afford to lower taxes because the government is spending too much money.”

“Madam Speaker, I am not sure whether the member was in the House this week, but we were discussing the opportunity to cut the diesel tax. We discussed cutting taxes abroad. We have single seniors who are paying 10 times more in taxes than a couple earning the same amount of money. We expect those taxes to go down, but as long as the Liberal government continues to blow our money, we are never going to be able to afford it.”

“Seniors on fixed incomes cannot get a raise when food and heat cost more. Inflation is wiping out the money they saved. Does the member agree that government overspending is hurting seniors in retirement?”

“Madam Speaker, I want to thank the member for her wonderful speech and for her good work with seniors. Seniors on fixed incomes cannot negotiate a raise when groceries and heating go up. Many seniors spent their lives saving responsibly, only to watch inflation take away those savings. Does the member agree that the government’s deficit spending negatively impacts a senior’s retirement?”

“Seniors cannot afford a secure retirement because of government spending. The Liberals waste taxpayers' money, and hard-working Canadians have to pay that debt back.”

“Madam Speaker, last week I had to sit down with a group of seniors who said to me, “You know, Anna, when we came to this country, we were promised a future. We were promised an opportunity to be able to retire with security and dignity.” That is not happening today, and the reason it is not happening is that seniors are expected to live on a budget. We have to make the difference between spending and understanding how much that budget is going to cost us at the end of the month. Liberals have no idea. They continue to spend hard-working taxpayers’ dollars so foolishly that they do not understand the money has to be paid back. Who has to pay it back? It is the hard-working taxpayer.”

“Canadians are struggling to afford life. I want the House to cut taxes before Thanksgiving.”

“Madam Speaker, I cannot speak for what Elon Musk wants to do, but I can tell the member one thing. The Conservatives on this side of the House are concerned about Canadians. Every single one of us, in every single one of our ridings, hears about the importance of affordability. Our concern right now is to give them a Thanksgiving and cut the taxes. Let us make it happen for everybody.”

“I totally disagree with the member. The Liberals spent ten years supporting policies like the carbon tax, and now they celebrate reversing them. I want him to admit that ten years of the former prime minister hurt Canada's economy.”

“Madam Speaker, I appreciate the speech by my colleague, but obviously I totally disagree. I have to highlight that he put a lot of emphasis on the last 500 days of the Prime Minister. That is fine. We remember when the former prime minister was elected in 2015. Do members remember what the member did 10 years later? He was once supportive of the carbon tax, and now he is proud to say that the new Prime Minister cancelled the carbon tax, the flagship policy of the Liberal government. He has paid respect to that and has said that things are fantastic now that we have Bill C-5 and Bill C-39. It is exactly 180° from what they have done in the last 10 years. Does the member recognize that the 10 years under Trudeau destroyed the Canadian economy?”

“Life in Canada has become too complicated and expensive. Working people pay their taxes but still cannot afford food and housing. I want the government to explain what these Canadians are doing wrong.”

“Madam Speaker, a family should not need a spreadsheet, three government programs and a prayer to make it through a month. Simply living in Canada has become complicated and expensive. If a Canadian works full time, pays taxes and still cannot afford a home, groceries and a future, can my colleague, who has spent 38 years in this House, tell that Canadian exactly what he is doing wrong such that he cannot get ahead?”

“The government's spending made life more expensive, and that is why we voted against it. The Liberals have run high deficits for years and added huge debt to help their friends. I want the member to admit that Canadians cannot afford this.”

“Madam Speaker, the parliamentary secretary provides us so much fuel for questions for him that I am going to run out of time even explaining some of them in point form. He talked about affordability measures, which we opposed simply because those affordability measures added to the unaffordability crisis that we are in right now. He was first elected in 1988, he stated. He has been with the Liberal government for almost 11 years, and we have seen the cost of its ever-increasing deficits. The Liberals’ original prime minister, Trudeau, promised a tiny deficit of I think $15 billion. They have blown through that, year after year after year. Now we have trillions of dollars in debt. The parliamentary secretary talked about building the economy, but we have seen what the Liberals are doing. They are building an economy for Liberal and Brookfield friends. Will he agree and admit that Canada is in an affordability crisis?”

“The member for Joliette and I have both served here for 11 years. He saw everything the Trudeau government did. Most current Liberal members served under Justin Trudeau. I want him to tell the House what he thinks of how the government describes its record during those years.”

“Madam Speaker, I want to thank my colleague from Joliette for another well-researched presentation. His experience as a CEGEP teacher shines through. He may return to teaching one day, but that is for the voters to decide. On that note, next week, the member for Joliette and I will be celebrating the 11th anniversary of our first election to the House of Commons. He witnessed both the Trudeau years and the famous 500 days that the member for Winnipeg North speaks of with such fervour. My question for my colleague from Joliette is this: What are his thoughts on the government’s present characterization of the Trudeau decade, given that three-quarters of those people were around when Mr. Trudeau was, regrettably, Prime Minister of Canada?”

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“Tax money should help taxpayers, not fund profitable businesses. Private companies should pay for their own profitable projects. Government rules slow these projects down too much, and the approval process needs to be much faster.”

“Madam Speaker, my colleague said that he was trying not to lose his temper. I would like him to know that anger is never a good adviser. I can share a few things I have learned in my 18 years in politics. Earlier, my colleague raised a point about what we in the Conservative Party call “corporate welfare”, in other words, government favouritism. Taxpayers’ money must be used for the benefit of taxpayers. When there is clearly a profit to be made, it is up to the private sector to step up. That is what our leader said in response to the very pertinent question from the member for Jonquière—Hébertville—Pays-des-Bleuets. Would he agree that there are so many regulations and so many hoops to jump through that, for this project as for any other, the process ought to be much more efficient?”

“Canadians are struggling to pay for food, gas, and rent. The government is spending too much, taxing too much, and making it too hard to build things. We need to cut spending, lower taxes, and approve big projects faster so people can afford to live.”

“Madam Speaker, I will be splitting my time with the member for Toronto—St. Paul’s. Every day, Canadians across the country wake up, work hard and do their best to provide for their families, yet despite all of their efforts, far too many are finding it harder than ever to make ends meet. Whether it is the cost of groceries, housing, fuel or everyday essentials, families and seniors are feeling the pressure in every corner of the country. I am hearing from constituents daily about the cost of living crisis. One constituent, Tracy, wrote to me recently, saying, “the cost of living has become extremely concerning. The costs of daily necessities leave so little to save, that the once realistic milestone of owning a home feels increasingly out of reach for young working Canadians.” She went on to say, “this is not the Canada I remember growing up in, and it is heartbreaking to watch the country I have always called home struggle in this way.” Members have heard Conservatives say similar sentiments before, and this is exactly why: We go out and listen to our constituents and echo the things they tell us. There was a time in the country when the Canadian dream felt within reach for everyone who worked hard, when opportunity and the ability to build oneself a better life were not privileges for the few but realities available to all. Today, after a decade of Liberal spending, taxation, and over-regulation, many Canadians are finding that dream harder and harder to achieve. Another constituent, Cory, told me that he has a good job but his wages have not been rising fast enough to keep up with inflation, and he has had to make major cuts in his budget just to stay afloat. His grocery budget for the week keeps getting squeezed, as the cart is not as full as it used to be. He told me that items he once bought without a second thought have become occasional luxuries. Fresh meat, healthy snacks for his children and other everyday staples are now carefully weighed against the cost of everything else. He finds himself comparing prices, waiting for sales and putting items back on the shelf simply because the math no longer works. He told me that the stress is mounting for him, and he is not sure what to do. According to the government’s own data, financial challenges are the number one leading source of stress, more than work, personal health and relationships, with nearly half of Canadians surveyed saying they have lost sleep because of financial worries. That statistic should concern every member of the House. When Canadians are lying awake at night wondering how they will pay the next month’s rent, afford groceries or cover an unexpected expense, the consequences extend far beyond the bank account. Financial stress affects mental health, family relationships, workplace productivity and, of course, the overall quality of life. When nearly half of Canadians are losing sleep over money, we are no longer talking about isolated hardships. We are talking about an affordability crisis that is affecting the well-being, security and peace of mind of families and individuals across the country. I know that there are countless others in my riding and across the country with stories just like Tracy’s and Cory’s, because they have told me face to face. They do not want government handouts. They want the government to stop making life harder and more expensive and to let them live the Canadian dream that they were once promised. They work hard. They save where they can. They make smart financial decisions just to find themselves unable to get ahead and are even falling behind through no fault of their own. Young Canadians are delaying major life milestones because home ownership seems unattainable, a dream that can no longer be reached. Parents are struggling to keep up with rising household costs. Seniors living on fixed incomes are being forced to stretch every dollar further just to afford the absolute bare necessities of life. People are not asking for some sort of special treatment. They are just asking for the fair shot that they rightfully deserve. They want a government that understands their challenges, respects the value of their hard-earned money and creates the conditions for economic growth and opportunity. We know that we can turn it around, because before the Liberal government, Canada had the wealthiest middle class in the world by median disposable income. However, the lost Liberal decade of poor fiscal responsibility and antidevelopment policies have sent businesses packing, stifled our resources and suppressed our wages. The Prime Minister likes to make lots of speeches and fancy announcements that sound like progress, but the Liberal playbook remains the same: tax, regulate, control, redistribute, borrow and spend and spend. The Liberals spend money they do not have out of the pockets of Canadians with not enough to give, saddling future generations of taxpayers with the burden of paying the interest on the debt that they are accruing today. My daughter Morgan turns one tomorrow. I do not know if I have the heart to tell her, but she, like every other Canadian, is saddled with over $30,000 in federal debt that she is responsible for, thanks to the reckless spending of the Liberal government. The only reason I might have the heart to tell her is because she is not going to yet understand, but every Canadian that can should be outraged. After 11 years, the results of these policies are plain to see. Canadians are paying more and getting less. They pay more for groceries, more for housing, more for energy, more for transportation, more in taxes and more for virtually every essential part of daily life. When governments run up deficits, driving up borrowing and putting obstacles in the way of investment and development, the consequences do not remain confined to this House. In fact, they are very rarely felt by those ultimately responsible. They are felt at kitchen tables across this country. They are felt by families. They are felt by the business owners struggling to keep the lights on, pay staff and not lay people off because they are friends and neighbours. Canadians understand the simple truth. Governments cannot spend their way to prosperity. Wealth must first be created by workers, entrepreneurs, innovators, farmers, tradespeople and resource producers, not by more bureaucracy and more bailouts. Canada should be the most prosperous country in the world. We are blessed with abundant natural resources, a highly educated workforce, strong institutions and some of the most innovative people anywhere on this planet, yet instead of unleashing our potential, Liberal policies have stood in the way of it. The solution is not more government spending. The solution is economic growth. The solution is creating an environment where businesses can invest and profit, workers can thrive with increasingly good and better wages, and families can keep more of what they earn. Unleash our entrepreneurs and workers and let us watch the wealth that can be created for this country. That means pursuing responsible fiscal policy and bringing government spending under control. It means lowering the tax burden on hard-working Canadians and job creators. It means removing barriers that prevent housing from being built and ensuring that homes can be constructed faster and more affordably. It means streamlining approvals for major projects, attracting investment back to Canada and allowing our resource sector to responsibly develop the natural wealth that has long been a source of prosperity for communities right across this country. We should be building things once again in this country. We should be building homes. We should be building energy infrastructure. We should be building mines, factories, ports, roads and projects that create good, high-paying jobs and generate economic activity. Every stalled project, every delayed approval and every business that leaves Canada represents lost opportunity for Canadian workers and families. We should also recognize that affordability and productivity go hand in hand. A country cannot sustainably improve living standards if it is not creating wealth. We cannot distribute prosperity that does not first exist. The path to higher wages, stronger communities and better public services begins with a stronger economy. Above all, we should be restoring the principle that if somebody works hard, plays by the rules, contributes to their community and gives back, they should be able to build a good life for themselves and their families. Canada’s best days do not have to be behind us. We can build a country where home ownership is attainable again, where hard work is rewarded, where investment is welcomed and where future generations can look forward to a better quality of life than the generation before them once again. That is the promise of Canada. It is the promise that Tracy, Cory and so many people across my riding and across this country feel is slipping away. I firmly believe that it is not too late to right our course and get back to the strong middle class that we once had. The work starts here. It starts with us. Let the people who want to build this country up get to work and get government out of the way. It starts by recognizing that we are, in fact, thanks to the Liberal government’s reckless spending and awful policies, in an affordability crisis right now. It is time for this place to do better for the Canadians we represent.”

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  Said 3 times by 3 members since April 30.

  Every time it was said →

“The government makes big announcements about home energy programs, but these programs do not actually fix up homes or deliver what was promised. Life is too expensive for families right now. The government needs to stop spending money it does not have and get out of the way so people can pay their bills.”

“Madam Speaker, I must admit I am a big fan of my colleague from across the way. I appreciate working with him on the environment committee. He mentioned yet another big, grand announcement the government has made and that somehow we are supposed to believe it is going to lead to some sort of outcome sometime in the future. However, the reality is that the affordability crisis is striking at the hearts of family homes right now. Interestingly, from that committee testimony we learned some interesting facts about those home energy retrofits that the government is spending hundreds of millions of dollars on. In fact, they are not leading to homes being retrofit. Also, the outcomes of those retrofits are a lot less than it had promised. To ensure Canadians have the money to pay their bills, government needs to get out of the way and not spend more money it does not have.”

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“Diesel prices are up 84% from last year, which hurts farmers. I want the member to explain how these high fuel costs are affecting the people he represents.”

“Madam Speaker, I understand that my colleague’s roots are in the farm fields of Portage—Lisgar, just as mine are from those in Chatham-Kent—Leamington. We both share professional experience in ag organizations prior to our parliamentary life here. Where we diverge, however, is that his daughter is younger than both of my granddaughters, but that is not for debate today. On Tuesday, we debated our opposition day motion on diesel pricing in the House. I talked to my brother who had been harvesting tomatoes and soybeans yesterday, as well as today. His diesel costs are up 84%. With my colleague’s knowledge of how our food chain value works, could he share how 84% higher diesel prices from a year ago are impacting the lives of his constituents every day?”

“High diesel prices, expensive fertilizer, and low grain prices are hurting family farms. Running a combine can cost $250 an hour in fuel alone. The government should have supported our motion to lower diesel costs for farmers and truckers.”

“Madam Speaker, I thank the member for the kind words. It is a huge challenge, because people do not understand farming at scale. If we are running a combine right now, and have a particularly late harvest in parts of Manitoba and Saskatchewan, we are running at $250 an hour in diesel running all day with multiple combines. That is our profit at the end of the year going up in smoke. This is not something that can be eaten, particularly by grain producers. The price is the price and it is stubbornly low. Inputs for fertilizer and every other input throughout the value chain in creating that crop has been very high in the lead-up to that harvest. This is a real dagger in the profitability of our family farms. We must remember we are a family farming nation. Of all the farms in Canada, 97% are family farms. It turns out that anybody who lives in a rural area knows that when our farmers have a good year our communities have a good year because of the donations and purchases made across our community. That is evident when our farmers are having a good year, and that is why it is so vital. It is a shame the government did not support our important motion on diesel yesterday to try to lower costs not just for farmers, but for all of the truckers who are transporting that food and every other processed good to grocery store shelves for Canadians across this country.”

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