Michael Kram

“Canada's airports are run well by non-profit groups. The government wants to hand them over to foreign, for-profit companies. Canadians already pay very high airfares. I want to know how much more flying will cost because of this plan.”

“Mr. Speaker, for decades, Canada’s airports have been operated by non-profit airport authorities, with local governance and real accountability. Recently, the transport minister announced his intention to hand over control of Canada’s major airports to foreign-owned, for-profit corporations. Even worse, the minister would not say whether this decision would lead to higher costs. Canadians already pay some of the highest airfares in the world. How much more will Canadians have to pay to fly as a result of this latest Liberal boondoggle?”

“Religious groups are worried about this bill because it removes protections for religious speech. I want the government to explain the line between practicing one's religion and committing a crime under this bill.”

“Mr. Speaker, many religious groups have expressed concern about Bill C‑9, in particular about the removal of a long-standing good-faith religious expression defence. Now that the Liberals have decided to dismiss these very legitimate concerns, could the Liberal member clearly explain where the line now falls between the lawful expression of sincerely held religious beliefs and a criminal offence?”

“I want the House to pass this bill to make September Ukrainian Heritage Month. Ukrainian settlers helped build Saskatchewan and the Prairies. But the government also needs to actually help Ukraine fight Russia by building pipelines and selling Canadian oil and gas to Europe.”

“Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to have the opportunity this afternoon to speak in favour of Bill S‑210, which would designate the month of September as Ukrainian heritage month. This bill is particularly relevant to Saskatchewan and the Prairies as a whole because of the long and rich history of Ukrainians and Ukrainian communities that has contributed to the development of that region of the country. The settlement of western Canada was one of the most transformational events in Canadian history. In the late 1800s, the land that would eventually become Saskatchewan had a population of approximately 10,000 people. That number would increase nearly a hundredfold by the 1920s. Homesteaders from all across Europe, including some of my great-grandparents, moved to Saskatchewan because of the promise of free farmland and a better life. Many of these settlers came from Ukraine. In addition to their farming practices, they brought with them their language, their culture and their traditions, many of which can still be seen today across the Prairies. The town of Hafford, Saskatchewan, proudly displays Ukrainian-language street signs as a tribute to the Ukrainians who first homesteaded and settled in that area. What would become the Ukrainian Museum of Canada was established in Saskatoon in 1941 by the Ukrainian Women’s Association of Canada before it expanded into a national network of museums. The town of Vegreville, Alberta, is home to the world’s largest pysanka, or Ukrainian Easter egg, outside of Ukraine. This Ukrainian Easter egg is one of the most popular tourist stops along the Yellowhead Highway, visited by thousands of tourists every year, including my fiancé and me just last summer. Of course, many Ukrainian Canadians, as well as Canadians without Ukrainian heritage, celebrate Vyshyvanka Day every year on the third Thursday in May. The vyshyvanka is the traditional Ukrainian embroidered shirt. I know I enjoyed wearing my vyshyvanka and spending time with members of the Regina chapter of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress when we celebrated this occasion in Regina just last month. With the possible exception of the grain elevators, I would argue that few buildings have defined the prairie landscape more than Ukrainian churches, both Catholic and Orthodox. There are two of these churches in particular that I would like to mention. The first is St. Michael’s Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Regina, which will be celebrating its 100th anniversary next year. I know that I and many members of the community are looking forward to the centennial celebrations. The second is St. Onuphrius Ukrainian Catholic Church. This church was originally built in Smoky Lake County, northeast of Edmonton, between 1915 and 1928. In the 1990s, the building was meticulously disassembled and relocated to the Canadian Museum of History in Gatineau, where it was reassembled in the Canadian history hall, where it stands today for all to see. While the history of Ukrainians in Canada has been mostly positive for over a century, we recently entered some very sad and dark times in February 2022, with Russia’s illegal and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine. We all remember the images on TV of Russian tanks rolling across the border into Ukraine. I remember having many conversations with members of Regina’s Ukrainian community. I would ask them, “Do you have any friends or family members who are close to the fighting?” The answer was invariably yes. Practically everyone had received an email or text message, or had had a phone call, from a friend or family member not far from the fighting, and practically all of them had fled with nothing more than the shirts on their backs. It is certainly a tragedy that they will remember for the rest of their lives, but as Mr. Rogers famously said, whenever there is a catastrophe, always “look for the helpers”, because if we look for the helpers, we will know that there is hope. When the people of Ukraine needed help, the people of Saskatchewan provided that hope. All of a sudden, a century of Ukrainian heritage in Saskatchewan kicked into action. Cousins, aunts and uncles started texting each other to arrange for spare bedrooms and clothing and to make all of the necessary arrangements to welcome their Ukrainian friends and family members who were coming to Saskatchewan to flee the war zone. People who had taken Ukrainian language classes in Saskatchewan schools had a newfound use for their language skills, as newcomers from Ukraine were given work placements on farms, oil rigs and local businesses. Masses and services at Ukrainian Catholic and Orthodox churches were, all of a sudden, standing room only on Sunday morning. Overall, on a per capita basis, Saskatchewan welcomed more Ukrainians than any other province in the months following Russia’s invasion. I have to say that designating Ukrainian heritage month is a fine idea, particularly for the people of Saskatchewan. Therefore, I certainly support Bill S-210. However, it is important to keep in mind that Bill S-210 is only a symbolic gesture. That is not to say that symbols are not important, because in a way, they are, but I wish the Liberal government would take some more tangible, concrete steps to support our friends and allies in Ukraine through their current struggles against the Russian invasion. In particular, the single most beneficial action that Canada could take to help Ukraine would be to sell more Canadian oil and gas to western Europe so those countries could stop buying from Russia. In fact, I said as much in a speech in the House four years ago. When then finance minister Chrystia Freeland made her 2022 budget speech in the House, she received one standing ovation from all members of all parties. It was when she said that the Russian army invading Ukraine needed to be vanquished. I agreed then and I agree now that nothing would be better for the Ukrainian people than to get the Russian army off of Ukrainian soil. The best way to do this would be to displace Russian oil and gas sales to western Europe with Canadian oil and gas exports, thus making it financially impossible for Russia to continue the war. As I said in my speech four years ago, exporting oil and gas to Europe requires pipelines. We need to build pipelines in this country by repealing the Liberals’ anti-energy laws, including Bill C-69, the no more pipelines law, and Bill C-48, the west coast tanker ban, so that we could export Canadian energy and be a force for good in the world instead of enriching dictators such as Vladimir Putin and enabling them to wage war against Ukraine. In the following four years since Chrystia Freeland’s speech in the House of Commons, the inaction from the Liberal government has been disappointing to say the least. The Chancellor of Germany, the Prime Minister of Greece, the President of Poland and the President of the European Union have all asked the Liberal government for more Canadian energy exports to Europe, only to be told, quite famously by Justin Trudeau, that there was no strong business case for LNG exports from Canada to Europe. As a result, Russian troops continue to occupy Ukrainian soil, Russian rockets continue to rain down on Ukrainian cities and Ukrainians continue to suffer. In conclusion, I support Bill S-210 to officially recognize Ukrainian heritage month, and I encourage all members to vote in favour of the bill. I also hope that it serves as a reminder to the Liberal government that there are some very tangible measures that it could be taking to help our friends and allies in Ukraine that would ensure that their culture and heritage remain strong for generations to come. Slava Ukraini.”

“Liberal policies like the carbon tax and pipeline bans cost thousands of oil jobs in Saskatchewan. I want the member to tell the Prime Minister to end these policies so life is affordable again.”

“Mr. Speaker, as usual, the Liberal member from Saskatchewan does not know what he is talking about. I have been here for a lot less than 10 years, and before I was elected, a Liberal MP represented my riding. During that time, the Liberals gave us the carbon tax, the “no more pipelines” bill and the west coast tanker ban, which led to thousands of job losses in the Saskatchewan oil patch. On the rare occasion when this member does attend a cabinet meeting, will he tell the Prime Minister to reverse his costly policies so that Canadians can afford to live again?”

“The Mosaic Festival of Cultures takes place in Regina next week. People can experience food and performances from many different cultures. I want to thank the organizers and volunteers.”

“Mr. Speaker, rising jet fuel prices are making international travel too expensive for many Canadians, but fortunately, next week, people in Regina and southern Saskatchewan can travel the world without ever leaving the queen city. The 55th annual Mosaic Festival of Cultures will be celebrated all across the queen city on June 4, 5 and 6. Pavilions throughout Regina will feature food, drinks and cultural performances from Austria, Bangladesh, Central and South America, China, Greece, Hungary, India, Italy, Persia, Poland, Romania, Scotland, the Philippines and Ukraine, as well as first nations and Métis communities. It is all made possible by the Regina Multicultural Council and its many dedicated volunteers. I thank everyone involved for sharing their culture with the rest of Regina and southern Saskatchewan. I wish everybody a great Mosaic.”

“The defence minister said the Snowbirds were cancelled because the planes are unsafe. But his own department says the planes can fly until 2030. I want him to explain why he said something different from his department.”

“Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the defence minister was covering for cancelling the Snowbirds by telling Canadians the planes were unsafe, but according to CBC reporting, his own defence department says the Snowbirds can continue flying the jets until at least 2030. Who are Canadians to believe, the minister or his own department? Does the minister not have confidence in his own department, or did he mislead this House yesterday?”

“The Prime Minister is bad at selling Canadian oil to the United States. Because he opposes pipelines like Keystone XL, the Americans are buying oil from Russia instead. I want him to let us build pipelines and sell our resources so Canadians can make money.”

“Mr. Speaker, in a recent video, the Prime Minister called Canada’s closeness to the United States a weakness. This anti-American attitude, combined with the Liberals’ decades-long opposition to pipelines, has caused the Americans to look elsewhere to meet their energy needs. Last month, the Americans suspended sanctions on oil imports from Russia. That is right, even Vladimir Putin is better at selling natural resources to the United States than the Prime Minister is. What a shame it is that the Keystone XL pipeline has not been built yet. Western Canadian oil should be flowing through that pipeline right now at $100 per barrel, and the wealth generated should be increasing the standard of living right here in Canada. Instead, the money is going to Russia to pay for its illegal war against Ukraine. Canadians and the world expect better from the Prime Minister. When will he unlock our resources so Canadians can afford to live?”

“Today is Vyshyvanka Day, which celebrates Ukrainian culture. Canada must keep sending military support to Ukraine. Canada should also sell more energy to the world to replace the Russian energy funding this war.”

“Mr. Speaker, every third Thursday in May, we celebrate Vyshyvanka Day. This year marks 20 years of this tradition in Ukraine and 10 years here in Canada. What began as a student initiative at Chernivtsi University has grown into a global celebration of Ukrainian heritage, identity and resilience. This Vyshyvanka Day, more than four years into Russia’s illegal invasion, we are reminded that this symbol has endured centuries of attempts to erase the Ukrainian people, both physically and as a nation. Like every stitch in a vyshyvanka, every act of support matters. Canada must continue to step up by providing the military support Ukraine needs and by dramatically increasing our energy exports to displace the Russian resources that are financing this war. On behalf of Canada’s Conservatives, I reaffirm our unwavering commitment to stand with Ukraine until victory. Happy Vyshyvanka Day and slava Ukraini.”

“I want the Prime Minister to stop overspending so life becomes affordable for Canadians. People are relying on food banks because of the government's high spending.”

“Madam Speaker, it is depressing to have to line up at a food bank when 10 years ago someone used to be able to afford groceries, but Canadians are starting to see that the Liberal promises are just an illusion. To quote an editorial in The Globe and Mail, “In the upside-down land of the Liberals, a spending spree is a spending cut, blowing a windfall of billions of dollars is prudent and failing to prepare for a fiscal storm is, well, just good management.” When will the Prime Minister end his costly credit card budgeting so Canadians can afford to live?”

• Echo ×13

  A repeated line

  “When will the Liberal Prime Minister end his costly budgeting so Canadians can afford to live?”

  Said 13 times by 12 members since April 28.

  Every time it was said →

“The government claims to support pipelines, but it has stopped projects from being built. Saskatchewan needs pipelines to sell its oil and gas, which pays for our schools and hospitals. I want the government to stop delaying and let us build these energy projects.”

“Mr. Speaker, today the Liberals want people to believe that they are in favour of pipelines, but it is all an illusion. Not so long ago, they declared that there was no business case for LNG development. The Liberal Prime Minister still has not gotten rid of the Liberals’ antidevelopment laws. In my home province of Saskatchewan, natural resource development is not an abstract. It makes up 10% to 15% of the provincial government’s budget. It pays for hospitals, schools, roads and social services. As a landlocked province, Saskatchewan cannot prosper from these resources without pipelines. For over a decade, the Liberal government has been all talk and no action on resource development. In the face of global trade threats, when will the Liberal government get serious about resource development? Instead of more recycled speeches and photo ops, we need to get shovels in the ground quickly for oil and gas infrastructure, to build strength at home and unbreakable leverage abroad.”

In response to a question from Scott Anderson

“I hope this bill stops the group running dozens of protest candidates on the ballot. If it does not, we should make candidates pay a deposit to run.”

“Mr. Speaker, I should be clear that I am hopeful the measures included in Bill C-25 are sufficient to curtail the activities of the longest ballot committee. If they are not, then we will be right back here scratching our heads and looking for new ways to curtail its activities. I think that mandatory deposits are the most promising way, given the past activities of the committee.”