Scot Davidson
New Tecumseth—Gwillimbury, Ontario · Conservative · Canada
“Mr. Speaker, we know the Liberals are used to stepping over panhandlers who are shaking their coffee cups on the street, and now they can just scroll past them online. More than 15,000 fundraisers have been launched by Canadians on GoFundMe since January to cover rent, groceries and utilities.”
“Mr. Speaker, if all of these Liberal policies were working, our people would not be reduced to begging on the Internet just to get by. These programs do nothing for the millions of Canadians who are working full-time and still cannot afford groceries or rent because of the Liberals' made-in-Canada recession.”
“Mr. Speaker, is that member picking up what I am laying down? That strategy will not feed a single Canadian who cannot afford groceries today because of Liberal policies that have put us in a recession. Maybe the Prime Minister would know this if he was not so eager to flee the country and the people his policies are hurting the most.”
“Mr. Speaker, there we go again. While one in five Canadians goes hungry, the Prime Minister is somewhere over the Atlantic tucking into another three‑course meal on the taxpayers' dime.”
“Mr. Speaker, under this Liberal Prime Minister , Canada is the only G20 country to fall into recession. This so-called financial wizard created a K-shaped economy where the wealthy, the bankers and the bondholders climb higher, while working Canadians fall further behind.”
“Mr. Speaker, the cost of living is so high that living is being put on hold. This is the real Liberal recession, where people cannot afford to enjoy life, make memories or chase dreams. They are spending their whole time just barely getting by. Those are the consequences of 11 years of Liberals and their failed economic policy.”
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“Mr. Speaker, while the Prime Minister jets around the world shaking hands with dictators and diplomats, Canadians are lining up at food banks in record numbers. He says he wants to be judged by the price of food in grocery stores, but he is too busy seeking approval at the UN to notice how much worse food insecurity is now for Canadians. Food prices have risen 50% faster in Canada than in the United States since March. How many more families must go hungry before the Prime Minister admits he has failed?”
“Madam Speaker, I was in trouble at school all the time. I was sent to the office so many times, and I knew where the office was. It was unbelievable. I listened to the member for Carleton earlier, and he said “the Major Projects Office” 14 times. The Major Projects Office that the supposed new government has under way, that the Liberals are going to move at lightning speed on, is unprecedented. However, I just Googled it, and I will ask my colleague a simple question: Could he give me the address, telephone number and email address for the Major Projects Office, and how many employees it has in the budget? I Googled it, and there is no address and there is no telephone number. Could he help us out?”
“Mr. Speaker, I have never heard so much fluff, and I really do not even know where to start. To the member, first of all, if he could comment, my riding did not receive the rural top-up under the carbon tax that the government defended for 10 years. He talks about the retrofit program: “Federal government pulls plug on home retrofit loan program”. Thirdly, he talks about the transition. The northern part of my riding is on propane. We have been pleading for 10 years for a natural gas line. We cannot even get a natural gas line. We have old, phase one hydro infrastructure. This is what frustrates the people in my riding. When the government sends money overseas, they are on the outside looking in, saying, “What about us?””
“Mr. Speaker, the minister should go to a food bank and tell Canadians lining up there just how good they have it. While he pats himself on the back, food bank workers on the front lines are calling the situation horrific. One in four households is struggling to afford food. Parents are skipping meals so their kids can eat. While families go hungry, Liberal spending keeps driving grocery prices even higher. Will the Liberal government keep spending until every single table in this country is empty?”
“Mr. Speaker, the Liberals' talk is as empty as Canadians' cupboards. It took 40 years before Toronto's largest food bank saw one million annual visits. However, under the Liberal government, demand has exploded. It had two million, then three million and now four million visits from hungry Canadians. The Prime Minister says to judge him on food prices, and Canadians are judging him as they stand in the longest food bank lines this country has ever seen. How many more people will be forced to go there when he doubles the deficit?”
“Mr. Speaker, if Liberal excuses could fill a shopping cart, no one in this country would go hungry, but families cannot eat the word salad these ministers keep dishing out. Today, 25% of households cannot afford food. Many are having to skip meals for days. This hardship is the direct result of the Liberal government's reckless spending. Every dollar the Liberals add to the deficit feeds inflation, but it does not feed hungry families. Will the Prime Minister finally admit his broken promises and reckless spending are hurting Canadians?”
“Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister said Canadians should judge him by the cost at the grocery store. Well, they have, and his record has aged like an expired yogourt on a hot day in July. Food prices are up another 3.5% because his out-of-control spending keeps driving up inflation. This spending does not just show up on the government books. It shows up on the grocery bill of every Canadian family. Will the Liberals admit that the doubling of the deficit will only make food inflation worse?”
“People in my riding would have to wait 10 years just to be able to afford a used vehicle, even with the government incentive, as he puts it, which is really the taxpayer, the people of Canada, paying for the subsidy for the people. I wonder if he can comment on affordability in my riding and on the true nature of the F-150 north of Thunder Bay.”
“Let us just call it the soup and salad bowl of Canada, Madam Speaker. We are still waiting for our rural top-up from the member for Kingston and the Islands , who thinks if he says it loud enough it must be true in this place. There was a lot to unpack in the member's speech. I have driven a Ford F-150 Lightning and can tell the House that, under load, in cold conditions up in Thunder Bay, that thing is about as handy as a front pocket on a pair of underwear. I turn to the hon. member's comment that he has owned four electric vehicles in the last 10 years. It is about affordability in my riding. Purchasing four new vehicles in 10 years?”
“Mr. Speaker, I like the way my colleague speaks in reality. The reality is, we know the government has forgotten about rural Canadians. The member talks about power. The Liberals have trouble doing math. In my riding, I have a lot of people still on 60-amp service; in old cottage country, it is 100-amp service. The government put out heat pumps. The reality is that we have people who cannot even get a heat pump going, let alone an electric charger that takes 30 amps. They have got an oven taking 30 amps, a dryer, 20 amps. I wonder if the member could comment a little further on our power problems.”
“Mr. Speaker, Liberals are just like atoms: They make up everything. More Canadians than ever are watching the dream of home ownership slip further out of reach, but the housing minister is not focused on solving the housing crisis because he is profiting from it. The average home in Canada now costs $680,000; it is $1.2 million in Vancouver. Rents and mortgages have doubled, and housing starts are down, so why is the minister more interested in protecting his real estate empire than ensuring Canadians can afford a home?”
“Mr. Speaker, the Liberal housing minister says he does not want house prices to go down. While everyday Canadians are priced out of a home, he says he is focused on protecting people's assets. Well, now we know why. From his Vancouver penthouse, the minister is sitting atop a personal real estate empire worth over $10 million, including luxury properties in Tofino, Squamish and English Bay. Why is it that the only thing getting built under the housing minister is his personal fortune?”
“Mr. Speaker, that answer would not take the scum off rice pudding. The report from the Auditor General was clear: No work was done. The only thing delivered was a cheque to Liberal insiders. Despite an RCMP investigation and $64 million wasted, the cabinet ministers responsible were not fired. They were promoted to new titles, bigger offices, all courtesy of the Prime Minister ; talk about failing upwards. Why is it that under the Liberal government, failure is rewarded and Canadian taxpayers get stuck with the bill?”
“Mr. Speaker, the Liberal government ignored procurement rules, accountability and basic common sense to funnel sweetheart contracts to their friends at GC Strategies, the ones who were behind ArriveCAN. It handed out an eyewatering $64 million in taxpayer money to Liberal insiders, with no evidence that any work was actually completed. Will the Liberals take responsibility, show respect to Canadian taxpayers and get the money back?”
“Mr. Chair, the minister spoke so much tonight about housing but answered no questions. Hopefully he can give Canadians an answer to this: On what date, what exact date, will the average Canadian who is priced out of a home right now be able to afford one? Just—”
“Mr. Chair, this is what frustrates Canadians. We ask a question and expect an answer, and I know that the minister can answer the question, so we are going to try again. There are two clocks in here. What time is it?”
“Mr. Speaker, again, it is about binoculars. I cannot see the CN Tower from here. I cannot see the CN Tower from my riding. The government divided Canadians, rolled back the CMA data and classified my riding as not being rural but part of Toronto. Again, we cannot see the CN Tower. We were denied the rural top-up we were entitled to. Now, people who mistakenly got the rural top-up have the CRA coming after them. Could the hon. member circle the square that people in downtown Ottawa and in downtown Toronto received the rural top-up, as per my OPQ question, but the people of York—Simcoe did not?”
“The government divided Canadians based on geography. My people are entitled to the rural top-up, and I will fight for every nickel they are still entitled to. Could the member comment on that, please?”
“Madam Speaker, we are still waiting. We are waiting for action from the government in my riding. The Liberals did their heat pump announcement out east, with the carbon tax, and then decided to divide Canadians, rolling the CMAs and the census data back to benefit Liberal ridings. The member talks about indigenous Canadians. In York central, we have the Chippewas of Georgina Island, in the middle of Lake Simcoe, which was classified as Toronto, and they do not receive the rural top-up on the carbon tax. The government admitted there is a problem with it, in budget 2024 and the fall economic statement, to make people whole. Now I have people in my riding who have CRA coming after them. They thought they were rural. They did everything by the book and filed with tax software called UFile that selected rural.”
“Mr. Speaker, there is something special about life in a Canadian small town, especially in New Tecumseth—Gwillimbury. These are places shaped by open fields, quiet roads and a strong sense of community. People look out for one another, show up for local events and take pride in the place they call home. That spirit is what Canada is all about. On July 1, we will kick things off with my annual Canada Day barbecue from 11:30 to 1:30. Join us at Riverdale Park in Alliston. We will have free burgers, ice cream and live music as we celebrate Confederation together. The fun will not stop there. August brings Carrot Fest in Bradford, part of the 100th anniversary of Holland Marsh, and Potato Festival in Alliston. It is not just about the vegetables; these festivals dedicated to hometown staples celebrate who we are.”
“Mr. Speaker, it was the Prime Minister who said that Canadians will hold them accountable based on their experience at the grocery store. The experience is a nightmare, and Canadians are getting fed up. Under the Liberal government, food prices have skyrocketed, but instead of offering a real budget plan, the Liberals are plowing ahead with a half trillion dollars in new spending. Hard-working Canadians are having to foot the bill for the government's runaway deficits every time they shop for groceries. How is this acceptable?”
“Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has admitted that he does not do his own grocery shopping. He does not even know how much a family of four spends on groceries. He either does not know or does not care that Canadian families are struggling to put food on the table because of the Liberal government's failure to tackle inflation. Under the Liberals, the most expensive vehicle to operate in Canada is now the shopping cart. Will the Liberals put forward a budget plan that would lower inflation, so that Canadians can feed their families?”
“Mr. Speaker, my colleague just alluded to the carbon tax. I have spoken many times about the rural top-up that residents in my riding were denied. The fact of the matter is that there is now a very concerning issue that has come up. I now have the CRA coming after constituents who have mistakenly received the rural top-up that they actually thought they were entitled to. We had government-approved software, UFile, that selected people for the rural top-up based on the postal code, because the zero in the postal code meant they were rural. These people did not even select it. We now have 613 numbers coming in at these people. I just wonder if the member can talk about the effects of the carbon tax still lingering for us.”
“Mr. Speaker, it has been 10 years that I have been listening to Canadians. The minister should listen to Canadians who cannot find a job. There are fewer new entrepreneurs than ever. Productivity and growth are down. Forget the scissors and the pruners. We need a chainsaw to cut through all this red tape. It is time to clear a path for Canadians to be successful and to hire. Why do the Liberals keep choking Canadian workers and businesses with their red tape?”
“Mr. Speaker, unemployment is up 7%. Youth unemployment is at 14%. Canadians cannot find work, and the burden of government red tape is making things even worse. Small businesses spend 32 working days every year wrapped up in excessive regulations. It is no wonder they cannot afford to hire or innovate. Will the Liberals finally cut the red tape strangling our economy so businesses can hire and Canadians can find jobs?”
“Mr. Speaker, my hon. colleague cares about the environment. We are going to work on plastics again, and I want to thank him for that. My comment is on the Liberal housing decelerator fund. Is it decelerator or accelerator? I cannot remember. This is the problem: It does not build houses. We have municipalities that lack infrastructure and have crumbling infrastructure.”
“Mr. Speaker, what a great day it was to see the King. I walked to the Senate; I did not take the bus, and to see the crowd, to see the Canadian flags, I thought he inspired Canadians. This truly is the true north strong and free. It will never be the 51st state. I would invite the King back. I would love to see him again.”
“Mr. Speaker, what we are going to do as His Majesty's loyal opposition is make the government the best it can be. As my colleague said, we heard this time and time again at the doors: People are flat broke, and the government continues to spend. If we think of a family now with a leased car, mortgage payments, insurance, cellphone bills and grocery bills, they just cannot do it. We have to make the supposed new Liberal government understand this. It cannot just be a rebranding exercise. Canadians are depending on us to help them.”
“Mr. Speaker, I support all tax cuts, but quite frankly, this tax cut is just not enough. I alluded in my speech to the rural top-up. This is money that my constituents have spent and paid. They are owed this money, and the government has failed to do anything about it. Now my constituents are getting letters from the CRA demanding this money back. We have Order Paper questions to the government on it. People in Toronto Centre, in downtown Toronto, were paid the rural top-up, yet we denied the Chippewas of Georgina Island, in the middle of Lake Simcoe, the rural top-up for the carbon tax.”
“We will keep fighting for all Canadians. Conservatives will be putting forward reasonable proposals in the coming days to ensure that the formula for a good life in Canada works for all Canadians once more.”
“How can they, when the throne speech and the earliest actions of the supposedly “new” Liberal government all point to the continuation of failures we have become accustomed to? As a member of His Majesty's loyal opposition, I look forward to doing my job in this place in holding the government accountable to Canadians. In providing opposition to the government, we ensure that Canadians are well represented and, in doing so, we are making sure that the government can be the best it can be, often despite itself. As Parliament gets under way, remember that no one has a monopoly on a good idea. Enthusiasm is free, and it is good to see the Liberals finally realizing that. After all, it has been the Conservatives leading the charge to axe the carbon tax, remove the GST from new homes and lower income taxes for working Canadians.”
“His son is inspired to follow in his father's footsteps, but, sadly, he told me that he has been doing long-haul trucking seven days a week, 10 hours a day, and he just cannot climb out of his parents' basement. He just cannot get ahead. Canada has become a country where hard work no longer pays, and where the most fundamental of dreams, like starting a business, owning a home or raising a family, are no longer attainable for too many people. The formula we used to have, that a job plus hard work would lead to a good paycheque, to save and put toward the future, is no longer working. I understand why Canadians feel like the hope and change they voted for are just not coming.”
“The throne speech made this even more evident, as the Liberals boasted of the creation of another government agency, “build Canada homes”. That is just what Canadians who cannot afford a home need: more bureaucracy, more red tape, more delays and more barriers to getting homes built. I really think that Liberal members need to remember to touch the grass. When I was out knocking on doors in the election, I heard from a 27-year-old man living in Bradford who told me that he was voting Conservative because he needs hope. This first-generation Canadian was the son of parents who immigrated to Canada in the early 1990s. His father drove tractor-trailers for over 30 years and actually became an owner-operator and bought a small home.”
“It is aspirational and lacks any details and clarity needed at this critical time for our nation. There is no costing. What is the deficit? What about government spending? How much will all the promises in the speech cost? We do not have the answers to this, at a time when Canadians sorely need these answers. We can also see, with the Liberals' approach to housing, a crisis they seem content to just make worse. We have a new Liberal housing minister , who said he has no intent to lower the prices of homes in a market that has become the most unaffordable in the G7. This is the real message the Liberals are sending to young people priced out of owning a home and all the dreams and opportunities that come along with it: Nothing will change, and it will not get any better.”
“This is another example of the Liberal government repeating many of the same mistakes and failures we saw over the past decade, a decade that led to so much decline and hopelessness across Canada. It is also more of the rural-urban divide we have seen time and again. Therefore, we can see why so many Canadians are skeptical about the supposed new direction of the Prime Minister and his party. (1115) After all, the government refused to release a budget during the spring session and provided no comprehensive plan for how it intends on addressing the cost of living crisis facing Canadians right now. The main estimates released yesterday make this even worse, with more spending than Trudeau and a massive increase in consultants, bureaucracy and the overall cost of government. A throne speech is not a plan.”
“These Canadians live far from urban centres, in areas where the carbon tax disproportionately affected their everyday lives, yet the Liberals chose to classify them as part of the Toronto census metropolitan area, better known as Toronto. As a result, they were denied the rural top-up they deserved. I raised this dozens of times in the last Parliament. The Liberal government finally acknowledged this unfairness, in budget 2024 and again in the fall economic statement, but nothing was done. No actions were taken. At the same time, the current Liberal government is boasting about cancelling the carbon tax. It has begun to aggressively call back money from rural Canadians who were already struggling to get by. This is not change.”
“At this critical time, our country needs a bold vision for the future, but without a serious course correction, calling this a “new” Liberal government is no different than rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic : same disaster, just a different view. We have already seen what this new direction looks like under the current Prime Minister with the Liberal government's approach to the rural top-up on the carbon tax. In recent weeks, Canadians from rural and remote communities in ridings like mine, New Tecumseth—Gwillimbury, have received angry letters from the Canada Revenue Agency, better known as the CRA—never answer those 613 numbers—demanding they repay thousands of dollars in carbon tax rebates that they were led to believe they were entitled to.”
“We have heard from the Prime Minister and his new Liberal government, who have tried to emphasize that there would be change. The Speech from the Throne promised new alliances, a new economy, a new era of economic growth, a new housing industry, new fiscal discipline and so on. Polished words and the suggestion that the current government is at all new ring hollow for Canadians struggling with the realities of day-to-day life. For them, life is even harder. They do not have any hope that change will come. Their grocery bills keep climbing, unemployment lines keep growing and communities continue to fracture under the weight of poverty, rising crime and a deepening sense of hopelessness. If everyday life keeps getting worse for Canadians, it is fair to question whether the so-called new direction is any direction at all.”
“Mr. Speaker, it is great to see you in the chair. Keep your stick on the ice. I should have had a footnote for that comment. It is an honour to rise today as the member of Parliament for New Tecumseth—Gwillimbury and to be given the opportunity to stand up for the communities of Bradford West Gwillimbury, the soup and salad bowl of Canada; East Gwillimbury, home to the Sharon Temple and the birthplace of responsible government; and Alliston, Beeton, Tottenham, home to the Beeton Fall Fair, Honda of Canada manufacturing and the best potatoes this side of P.E.I. This is the beginning of a new Parliament, and with it heightened expectations from Canadians, who voted for hope and change and the belief that things will get better for families, seniors, workers and young people in this great country.”