Dave Epp
Chatham-Kent—Leamington, Ontario · Conservative · Canada
“Madam Speaker, I, along with a number of my colleagues, came to this place in 2019 and have gone through three elections. The member opposite just said the Liberals were elected and, yes, they were elected, in a minority Parliament. I have experienced nothing but seven years of minority Parliament until, of course, a few weeks ago.”
“We are celebrating that in the Vineland region, where my great-grandmother is buried. That same Gerhard Neufeld who was decorated by the czar was shot dead in his bed, five days before they came to Canada. My great-grandmother left, bringing five children, and I and my mother are here because of that history.”
“Mr. Speaker, it is always an honour and a privilege to bring the voices of Chatham-Kent—Leamington to the chamber. I come today representing, especially, both the people of Ukrainian ethnicity and those of Ukrainian heritage. There is actually a difference, and I am going to come back to that in a moment.”
“Rather than serving in the army, he served in what was called the Forsteidienst , the forestry service, so he was stationed on the banks of the Black Sea at the czar's summer resort, Yalta.”
“They came to the steps of Ukraine at the invitation of Catherine the Great to farm, to break those steppes of Ukraine, and they turned that into part of the breadbasket of Europe. That heritage is in my blood today. They were told, actually, that the territory at the time was empty.”
“As many members know, I am from a Mennonite background, and there are a number of Mennonites here in the chamber who have the honour of representing their constituencies. This year marks 100 years since all four of my grandparents came to Canada from, at the time, the steppes of Russia, which is now part of Ukraine.”
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“Mr. Speaker, through questioning Liberal ministers last week, we know they had no clue why $64 million was paid to GC Strategies for work not done. The Auditor General found the following: security requirements were not enforced, contract monitoring policies were ignored, procurement policies were not followed and deliverables were not confirmed before payment. The Liberal ministers responsible for this fraud were promoted upwards. Why? After cheap talk of the government saying it is not the old government, when will the new government vote in favour of getting Canadians their money back?”
“Mr. Chair, the answer is we cannot find it in the main estimates. We can find, however, on one line, the International Joint Commission because it flows through the Global Affairs budget. Does the minister agree, supported by independent legal opinion, that flowing funds from the Canadian treasury through the Department of Fisheries and Oceans to the fishery commission and then having the Department of Fisheries and Oceans contract with the fishery commission represents a structural conflict of interest?”
“Mr. Chair, the Liberals say they want to supercharge our economy, yet they are responsible for continued trade irritants with the Americans. Is the minister aware of the existence for 70 years of the binationally governed and binationally funded Great Lakes Fishery Commission?”
“Mr. Chair, public debt-servicing charges are forecast to increase from this year's $46.7 billion to $49.2 billion, then up to $55 billion by 2029. Are these projections based on a stable interest rate?”
“My constituents know both families and businesses have to manage their budgets, and they expect their government to do the same. They want to know how the government will pay for all of its massive spending promises and how that will affect their bottom line. Will the Liberals commit to transparency, and will they deliver a spring budget?”
“Mr. Speaker, as this is my first substantive opportunity to rise in this Parliament, I want to thank the residents of Chatham-Kent—Leamington for the honour once again. By population, it is now the second-largest riding in Canada, and summer in Chatham-Kent—Leamington is a special experience. Whether camping and boating on Lake St. Clair in Mitchell's Bay or frequenting the beaches and birdwatching in Point Pelee National Park or many other locations, Canada's south is truly inspiring. However, one thing I heard at the doors during the election was that the beauty of my riding cannot mask the fact that parents are struggling to feed their families. They know that pretty beaches or pretty speeches cannot feed their kids.”
“Mr. Speaker, with the extended prorogation period and then an election campaign, I found myself missing some things about this place, and other things not so much. Earlier in the day, there was a 20-minute intervention by my friend, the member for Winnipeg North . I did listen to his intervention, and I gathered from those 20 minutes that the Liberal Party supported the consumer-facing carbon tax when it was popular, and then when the consumer-facing carbon tax was not popular, it dropped its support. Would the member, being a new member to this chamber, agree that this was the primary driver for the Liberal Party to drop its support for the consumer-facing carbon tax?”
“There are promises of border enhancement and security. From where do we get the faith for that? We brought an opposition motion last fall for enhanced scanners and enhanced personnel, as was referenced in a Bloc Québécois speech. From where should Canadians get the comfort that these promises are actually serious and going to be carried out?”
“Madam Speaker, it is good to see you in the chair. As this is my first time rising in this chamber, I thank the constituents of Chatham-Kent—Leamington for allowing me this opportunity. As someone of Mennonite faith and heritage, I want to thank the member across the way for his references to the New Hamburg sale, the community and the community spirit. In fact, if someone in my community wanted a ride, I would be more than happy to give them a ride, but I, my immediate family and my extended family have joined the legions of Canadians who have experienced auto theft. In fact, we have had three vehicles stolen in the last eight months from our immediate family. My charitable spirit, I will admit, does not go quite that far. The member referenced bold action in his speech. It has been 10 years of the Liberal government.”