Alex Ruff
Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound, Ontario · Conservative · Canada
“Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the family-run Tyson Downs Association for donating a new AED SaveStation at Harrison Park in Owen Sound. Tyson Downs was an exceptional 18-year-old athlete and lacrosse player who passed away suddenly in 2023 as the result of cardiac arrest.”
“Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the member for getting to the crux of the challenges with bail reform and the fact that, when this bill went through the House, it was supported completely. The issue around sureties was discussed and an amendment was unanimously agreed to by all parties in this chamber before it went to the Senate.”
“Mr. Speaker, the NSICOP Act mandates that it must be reviewed before October 6, 2022. Unlike in his response on January 29, could the House leader please provide the date the government intends to initiate the long-overdue review of the act?”
“Mr. Speaker, I am presenting a petition on behalf of the constituents of Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound. They are calling upon the Liberal government to stop its cuts to Canada Post rural delivery.”
“Mr. Speaker, I want to build on the two questions my hon. colleague was already asked, because in my opinion, when people are breaking the law or they are avoiding taxes, it is all about transparency and accountability. In particular, I want to ask him what he thinks the end result will be.”
“Mr. Speaker, as the member knows, I spent 25 and a half years in uniform serving our great nation. I want to get back to the answer to my previous question.”
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“Madam Speaker, I am here tonight to follow up on a question that I asked the Minister of Justice back in June: ...violent crime has risen 32% since the Liberals formed government in 2015. This is a fact across all of Canada, including in my riding where I am reading local headlines, titled “Arrested again” for “participation in a criminal organization”, “Failure to comply with a probation order”, “Eleven counts of knowledge of possession of a firearm while prohibited”, “Two counts of disobeying a court order” and “Two counts of breach of a weapons prohibition”. ...When will they repeal their soft-on-crime policies? I am sorry. That was a question I asked the government in 2022. Let me get to the right question.”
“Mr. Speaker, I was a bit dismayed that the member for Winnipeg North did not talk about the mayor of Winnipeg's comments in the last couple of days, in which he talked about “an urgent need for federal bail and sentencing reform” and said that “the bail and sentencing system is not working.” The mayor of Winnipeg talked about a repeat offender who has committed 24 violent crimes over the last 11 years and has violated his bail and probation conditions 12 times. My first question for the member is, how many strikes does he think this violent repeat offender in Winnipeg should get before he is in jail? The second question is this: He talks about the mythical bail reform bill that is going to come out this fall; is “this fall” before December 12?”
“Mr. Speaker, my question for my hon. colleague actually builds on the question from the member for Winnipeg North , who keeps bringing up this promised bail reform. I just want to set the record straight, so my learned colleague, who is relatively new to the House, understands that these are the same promises we have been hearing here for years from the Liberal government. This is something we have been calling for. I would just give the member an opportunity to expand on what he is hearing in his local riding from law enforcement, because I am hearing, day in and day out, from my law enforcement officers about their frustrations in re-arresting the same violent repeat offenders.”
“Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the hon. Leader of the Opposition for raising the case of Emerson Sprung, somebody from my own riding who was murdered by an individual out on bail. I have been hearing for years now from the local law enforcement in my riding about the need for this bail reform and the fact that we have these repeat violent offenders. I know the Leader of the Opposition has been around the country over the last few years talking to police associations and police chiefs. Could the Leader of the Opposition please expand on what he is hearing from the police, the people who are out day after day keeping our Canadian citizens safe, yet facing these criminals and rearresting every single one of them?”
“Mr. Speaker, I have a fairly tough question for my hon. colleague. After a decade of the Liberal government, and should Bill C-5 pass, does the member actually believe that a national energy corridor will get built so that we can replace the $2 billion a year of Saudi oil that is coming into eastern Canada with Canadian oil?”
“Mr. Speaker, this old cabinet minister has not answered the question. Premiers, police organizations and victims are pleading for tougher penalties for repeat violent offenders. Just last week, West Grey police rearrested a repeat violent offender for failing to comply with a release order and who was found in possession of fentanyl and prohibited weapons. The Prime Minister ran on a platform that included establishing a reverse onus for severe crimes and increasing penalties. Can the minister provide specific timelines as to when the government will implement these changes and reverse its soft-on-crime policies?”
“Mr. Speaker, crime has been rising in my riding since the Liberals formed government, and justice is too often delayed for victims. According to the latest Owen Sound Police Service's annual report, violent crimes are up 14.6%. My communities are worried. To make matters worse, more than 10% of the cases are now exceeding the Jordan limit, delaying justice further. When will the Liberal government reverse its soft-on-crime legislation and adopt a common-sense plan to keep violent offenders behind bars and ensure victims and their families get the justice they deserve?”
“Mr. Speaker, I am rising today on behalf of constituents in my riding who are petitioning the government about a common-sense idea. While the cellphone number known as *16 is used to contact the Canadian Coast Guard in the event of water-related emergencies, it is currently voluntary and only available in some regions of Canada. Therefore, the petitioners are calling upon the Government of Canada to expand the *16 number by making it accessible Canada-wide by compelling all telecommunications companies to recognize *16 as a way to contact the Canadian Coast Guard in the event of water-related emergencies.”
“Madam Speaker, I fully agree with my colleague's point. This is what I tried to highlight. For rural Canadians, it is just not an option. He specifically targeted farmers and those driving pickup trucks. I have been driving a pickup truck since 1997. I am never going to own a vehicle other than a pickup truck as my primary vehicle, because it is essential for living on a small farm and getting around to do what I need to do. Would I like to buy an electric vehicle or have another option, or maybe even a hybrid? I looked at it, but even though I do well, I cannot afford to buy even a used hybrid right now if I found one on the market. Again, I am somebody who is doing okay. There are so many Canadians whose vehicles turn into being the second-largest cost for them.”
“Madam Speaker, as I said countless times in my speech and in my previous response, I have nothing against Canadians who want the choice and can afford to buy an electric vehicle. I will not disagree that over the lifetime of the vehicle it can potentially save people money. I do not disagree with the argument of the potential climate benefits that EVs have over a gas-powered vehicle. My point is that we cannot force Canadians to go down this path. We can incentivize. Where are the incentives? Where is the plan? Where is the infrastructure needed to make this happen? If the government lays this all out, if it is upfront and transparent and lets the market get there, then we will eventually get there and technology will drive us there, but we are not there yet.”
“Madam Speaker, I am not going to disagree with the member that over its lifetime, for somebody who is able to buy the vehicle in the first place, it could save money. He is missing the whole point in my speech. The government is forcing people to make this decision, people who do not have the option to buy it in the first place. In ridings like my own, Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound, even if people buy the vehicle, the infrastructure does not exist to charge it at their house or drive it around the riding without running out of a charge or constantly keeping themselves limited in where they can go. It is not realistic. We need to build the infrastructure and come up with a plan, and the market will drive people's choices in the future.”
“There is no plan for infrastructure, whether it be transmission lines, charging stations, home upgrades or road upgrades. It will negatively impact Canadians' jobs and make life more expensive. I am not opposed to Canadians who want to buy or drive an EV. However, this EV mandate disproportionately impacts rural Canadians and seniors, and it takes away their choices of freedom. This mandate needs to end now.”
“If I get stuck out there in the snow during a snowstorm, the one thing I carry around is a spare gas can so that I am not going to run out of gas and I can keep myself warm. However, people driving an EV do not have that option. What about the impact that this mandate will have on the Canadian economy? Will these EVs even be available? Ford Canada CEO Bev Goodman said on June 10, “The targets on full battery-electric vehicles need to be aligned with what customers want, and customers have spoken.... Ultimately, it will have a negative impact, if these mandates stuck, on the industry.... It will have downward pressure on vehicle sales, it will have upward pressure on pricing, and those are real concerns for consumers and the industry as a whole.” In conclusion, this Liberal EV mandate makes no sense. It is unrealistic.”
“We are dealing with a situation where we can no longer afford to go with this mandate; we need to revisit it. Earlier, I mentioned the urban-rural divide. Not surprisingly, the majority of urban Canadians, statistics indicate somewhere between 52% and 69%, actually would not mind an EV. All the power to them, let them buy an electric vehicle, but as I have outlined, for those of us in rural Canada this is not an option and the interest is not there. Let us talk about the reliability of electric vehicles. CAA found that EVs lose up to 40% of their battery life in cold weather, and this was a test that was done in the -7°C to -15°C range, which is actually pretty balmy for those who live in western Canada or even rural Ontario. I just went through one of the worst winters that we have had in decades, for the sheer amount of snowfall.”
“The next question is addressing this. We need affordable, reliable and available EVs that Canadians actually want. Do Canadians want them? Let us look at a recent survey, published in the last couple of months or weeks, asking consumers about their purchasing intentions. There were 45% of Canadians who said that they quite possibly would consider buying an EV. However, this is a 13% decrease compared to when this question was asked in 2022. The bottom line is that the situation has changed. I spent 25 years in the military. When we do what is called “battle procedure”, getting ready to deploy into battle or an operation, we go through this whole tactical process. What is the last thing we do? We ask ourselves, has the situation changed? Guess what, we are in an affordability crisis. We are dealing with tariffs.”
“On road infrastructure, our current roads are ill-equipped to handle the increased weight of electric vehicles. If, by 2035, we see Canadians only able to purchase new electric vehicles, provincial and municipal budgets will be eaten up by the cost of road repairs alone. Provincial governments, as was brought up earlier in the debate, mainly dedicate the revenue generated from gas taxes to building and fixing the roads, which would no longer be available. These are just highlights on the challenges of infrastructure alone. On the cost, Trevor Melanson, from Clean Energy Canada, said this about the biggest barrier preventing Canadians from going to EVs: “the biggest barrier, by far, is sticker price.” The minimum price is $15,000 over a brand new gas-powered vehicle. I would argue that this is if we are looking at high-end gas vehicles.”
“I am just one example, and fortunately I am privileged enough to be able to eventually change and fix that, but that is not the case for the average constituent in my riding of Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound. As well, the largest appetite for EVs comes in our more urban areas, but those people living in apartments or condos do not even have access to or control of the necessary charging infrastructure needed in their homes. Approximately 34% of households in Canada live in apartments. This is a huge issue. (1255) On charging infrastructure, right now there are approximately 34,000 charging stations across Canada. Again, Natural Resources Canada's reports forecast that 680,000 public charging ports are needed to meet this Liberal mandate. Where is the plan? Where is the investment? Who is going to pay for all this infrastructure?”
“That is very much aligned with a conversation I had a couple years ago with Electricity Canada and all the major stakeholders involved there. The sheer amount of money that needs to be put in to upgrade these lines is immense. Where is the federal support for that? Where is the provincial support? Where is the private industry support? It is not even close to what is needed to meet the mandate the Liberals are proposing. Next, let us look at housing infrastructure for many rural Canadians and senior Canadians, even in my own riding. I live in a 150-year-old farmhouse. I am going to rip it down and build a new one, but in the meantime, I am using glass fuses. The power line that runs from the road to my house could not handle an electric vehicle even if I wanted to replace it all.”
“With a broad brush, what is actually needed to implement this Liberal policy of banning gas vehicles and having nothing but EVs on the road en masse? I am really going to focus on the infrastructure challenge. We need transmission and distribution lines. We need housing infrastructure. We need charging infrastructure. We need road infrastructure. Finally, we need affordable and reliable EVs. Specifically, let us look at the transmission and distribution lines. According to the government's own department, Natural Resources Canada, the: estimate of grid upgrades required to meet EV demand—including generation, transmission and distribution—ranges from $26 billion to 294 billion (mid-range: $94 billion) over the 2025 to 2040 period, reflecting the significant uncertainty around the magnitude of costs, as well as regional variations.”
“We are here to talk about a Conservative opposition day motion addressing the Liberal government's ban of the sale of gas-powered vehicles that will force Canadians to buy electrical vehicles, and this motion is calling upon them to immediately end this ban, but this debate is really about freedom, choice and common sense. I got involved in politics, and one of the key overriding factors was the increasing rural-urban divide that I was seeing across Canada. I was tired of seeing decisions coming out of Ottawa from the Liberal government that forced policies and legislation on rural Canadians that may work for some of our urban centres, but not the rest of the country. This ban is just one such example. Let us assume this Liberal ban continues.”
“The students and teacher were on their way home to Walkerton District Community School after competing in a high school softball tournament just east of London. Although Walkerton is in the riding of Huron—Bruce, two of the four teenage girls, Rowan McLeod and Kaydance Ford, were part of the Tara Twins minor softball team in my hometown, and all the victims have family in Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound. On behalf of all the constituents of Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound and all Canadians, I send my deepest condolences to all the families, friends and communities impacted by this terrible tragedy. May they rest in peace. What are we here to do today?”
“Madam Speaker, considering this is my first speech of any length during this Parliament, I just want to thank all the constituents of Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound for giving me the privilege and honour of being re-elected for the third time to represent them. None of us get here without the incredible hard work of volunteers, supporters and family members, so I just want to thank all of them. Another thing that I want to do before I get into the crux of my speech is pay tribute to the victims of a tragic vehicle accident. Just a few short weeks ago, on May 23, four high school students, Olivia Rourke, Rowan McLeod, Kaydance Ford and Danica Baker, all aged 16 to 17, along with their teacher, Matt Eckert, 33 years old, died in a tragic vehicle crash.”
“Mr. Speaker, I would like my hon. colleague to expand a bit on the hypocrisy of this programming motion, considering the former minister of internal trade in the Liberal government, who is still in cabinet, just said on February 5 that within 30 days, interprovincial trade barriers would be eliminated. Mr. Poilievre tabled a blue seal proposal over two years ago, and now we are in a huge rush to put this bill through. The House could have been reconvened in February, and we could have dealt with this months ago.”
“Mr. Speaker, I want to congratulate the member on her re-election. She mentioned in her speech the lack of infrastructure in the north, in Nunavut, for our military. I would like her to share her opinion on the economic benefits, not just to the military but to the community in the north, when the federal government invests in military infrastructure.”
“Despite the government announcing billions of dollars of more deficit spending, organizations are being told, “Sorry, wait it out.” If housing is such a priority, I am wondering if the member is hearing the same concerns about affordable housing projects in his community.”
“Mr. Speaker, first, I would like to congratulate my colleague on his being elected to this august chamber. Second, I would like to thank him for his family's service in the Canadian Armed Forces, particularly his brother, who is still serving. My question is about housing. I am just wondering if the member has heard from any of the affordable housing organizations in his riding. I just got emails from a community living project that was getting funding from CMHC. It is now being told, despite Parliament having been prorogued and then dissolved so we can have a new Parliament, that apparently all the money has been spent already.”
“Mr. Speaker, I am rising today to present a petition initiated by the parents of a young man who was unfortunately killed by a drunk driver. The petitioners are calling upon the Government of Canada to amend the Jordan rule to address critical gaps that risk undermining the principles of justice and fairness for victims of crime. The petitioners strongly ask that serious crimes, particularly those involving death, be excluded from the constraints of the Jordan rule. These are the most severe violations of human rights injustices in cases involving a loss of life, and they must not be compromised by arbitrary time limits. Furthermore, in particular, the petitioners ask for an amendment in cases where the accused is not being deprived of liberty by being in custody.”
“They invited Bert to join them when they returned to Canada, and he did. That is where he met his future wife, Maurine. At the age of 63, Bert retired to Owen Sound to be close to family. He had two children, David and Rick, and has two grandchildren, Candice and Cory. One saying Bert always says is “Old soldiers never die, they just fade away”, and he still says that he would do it all again. I wish a happy 100th birthday to Bert. Pro patria .”
“Mr. Speaker, 100 years ago today, Albert Christian was born in Waterloo, Ontario. At age 17, he was in the local barbershop and overheard two older guys talking about heading to London, where they were going to enlist in the Canadian Army. Bert asked if he could tag along, which he did. Bert passed all the tests, exams and interviews and was enlisted, despite having lied about his age. He served in France, Belgium, Holland and Germany with the Essex Scottish Regiment. It was in Germany that he fought on the front lines in the Hochwald Forest against the Nazis. Bert had three brothers who served in the war as well. All four brothers returned home from the war alive and well. He met another four brothers in Europe, who were from Manitoulin Island and who also returned home safe and sound.”