Raquel Dancho
Kildonan—St. Paul, Manitoba · Conservative · Canada
“Mr. Speaker, despite big promises from the Prime Minister to bring generational economic change and move at speeds never before seen, our small businesses, the backbone of the Canadian economy, are struggling under this high-tax, big-deficit-spending Liberal government.”
“Mr. Speaker, “from a position of strength”, she said. According to Statistics Canada, business capital investment has declined for five quarters in a row. Entrepreneurship is at a 25-year low and we are now in a recession. These are the devastating results under the Liberal Prime Minister .”
“(1610) There are a number of other rulings as well in recent years that have us really just questioning the morality we are seeing in this country and, again, the judicial activism. For example, two years ago, in R. v.”
“This really emphasizes the trend in this country of judicial activism and concessions by the Liberal government to that, and would undermine Parliament's role in setting sentencing policy. Ultimately, it would allow courts to impose sentences below mandatory minimums set by the House.”
“I thank my colleague for the question, Mr. Speaker. [ English ] I appreciate it. Again, I outlined in my speech a number of things we like in this bill, a number of things we have put forward and advocated for.”
“Mr. Speaker, it is a bit rich to hear any of that coming from Liberal members. What we are fixated on is rights for women against their abusers. For example, there was my bill from a few years ago that was from the Senate, from Senator Boisvenu. In that bill, there was the opportunity for a peace bond for two years.”
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“We are seeing that half of my generation, the millennials, will never be able to afford a home, despite Canada being the second-largest landmass on earth, with really everything we could possibly need to build houses. We are working harder than ever, yet we will not be able to afford homes. It is quite shocking that this is happening in Canada despite all that we have, all that we are creating and everything at our disposal. Why is this happening? Why does it feel like working people are spinning their tires? Well, there are a lot of reasons for that, but one of them is the economist-friendly word “productivity”. We are having a productivity crisis in this country. When I engage with people in my community, often their eyes will glaze over about productivity. I totally get it.”
“I feel very hopeful about the future, especially when we consider how many natural resources this country has, and how hard-working and how educated our people are. There is so much to be hopeful for. Unfortunately, we are in very turbulent waters, without land in sight. Every single month we have over two million people, in a country as prosperous as Canada, going to food banks because they cannot afford to feed themselves. I have done work locally in Winnipeg, reaching out to the food banks there, and it is shocking what they are seeing. For the first time in their long histories, they are seeing full-time dual-income households having to go to food banks because they cannot afford to feed their families. These are two-parent, two-income households. That has never happened to two-income households to this degree in Canada.”
“Mr. Speaker, Canada is an amazing place that builds incredible things. This is something that I have learned over the last six months I have been the shadow minister for industry and technology in Canada. I have seen, first-hand, Winnipeggers building part of the F-35 fighter jet, the world's best, most powerful fighter jet, right here in Winnipeg. It is incredible what Winnipeggers are building. Then here in Ottawa, I have seen Mission Control, a company that is building a lunar rover. We have people in Ottawa who are building something that is going to traverse the lunar landscape and send information back to Canada. It is incredible what Canadians are building today, what they have built in history and what they will surely build into the future.”
“Mr. Speaker, the Liberals keep insisting that more deficit spending will strengthen our economy, but the data says quite the opposite. Despite doubling the national debt and promising Canadians that it was an investment, after 10 years, Canada ranks well below average among the world's advanced economies in productivity, and business research and development investment. Again, that means lower wages for our workers. Now the budget watchdog is warning that the budget abandons the fiscal anchors we need to protect our long-term sustainability. Why are the Liberals weakening our fiscal anchors when a decade of their reckless spending failed to deliver any results for our Canadian workers?”
“Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister is claiming that his massive new deficit spending is an investment in the economy, but Canadians heard this promise for 10 years under Justin Trudeau, who doubled the national debt. As a result, productivity flatlined, investment collapsed and business competitiveness fell behind that of the U.S., which meant lower wages and fewer opportunities for our workers. Now Canadians are hearing that same failed promise from the Prime Minister, who would add $300 billion of new debt over the next few years. Why is the Prime Minister repeating a decade of failed Liberal spending promises? What are workers going to get out of it? What is he promising them?”
“Mr. Speaker, the experts are telling us that the food packaging tax will add $5.6 billion, and that is just one of them. The Liberals are also forcing the food industry to redesign food labels, of all things, which will add an additional $8 billion to the cost of food. Canadians are not asking the Liberals to redesign food labels; they are asking for more affordable food, so will they scrap this hidden food tax and save Canadians some money?”
“Mr. Speaker, every dollar the Liberals spend, as we know, comes from the pockets of Canadians, which drives up taxes and inflation. Now they are making it worse with their hidden food taxes. For example, the Liberal plastic packaging ban will add $5.6 billion to food prices, because, of course, it forces producers to use more costly packaging that does not preserve food as well. This means a shorter shelf life, more waste and higher food prices. Will the Prime Minister stop trying to engineer a costly election with his costly budget, and instead scrap this $5.6-billion hidden food tax?”
“Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague for her incredible speech outlining how, since the 1970s, successive Liberal governments have worked very hard to dismantle a national identity in Canada and the obvious detriment that has caused in society. My question for my colleague is in regard to what is happening through the courts with respect to those people who are not yet citizens in Canada, but are seeking to become citizens, and who then break the law. We are seeing concerning things that have been happening after 10 years of influence on our court system. We are seeing that, for them to become Canadian citizens, they are making excuses and having lighter sentences for people who are breaking Canadian laws. Can she comment on that?”
“Mr. Speaker, I do not think Liberals understand the state of Canada after 10 years of their government. Ms. Stone lost her home because mortgage rates skyrocketed as a result of rising interest rates caused by their massive Liberal deficits. She works at a grocery store, yet cannot afford the food at the grocery store. In fact, of the over two million Canadians who used food banks in a single month this year, one in five is employed and one-third are children. Is this what the Liberals envisioned after 10 years in power, that millions of Canadians would be struggling to afford food? They owe Canadians an explanation. How is this possible in Canada in 2025?”
“Mr. Speaker, Jaclyn Stone is a mom from Landmark, Manitoba. She is working two jobs, one as a bus driver and one at the grocery store, yet she cannot afford to feed her own family and lost her home because of rising interest rates. She said, “You find yourself going to the grocery store, grabbing what you need [and doing] an audit of your cart to see [what] you can afford.... Sometimes you have to put things back. It's embarrassing”, she said. The only people who should be embarrassed are the Liberals because after 10 years in power, this is how expensive it has become to live in Canada. Their reckless deficit spending has created Canada's inflation problem. When will it end so that Canadians like Jaclyn can afford to live?”
“That is why Canada urgently needs a national silver alert system, like the amber alert system for children, to quickly notify the public when a senior with cognitive impairments goes missing using geo-targeted technology. Today, I am honoured to table petition e-6491, with over 7,300 signatures, launched by the Moberg family. It calls on the federal government to work with provinces and police to create a national silver alert system. The Mobergs have shown tremendous courage. We must act now to protect our most vulnerable and prevent future tragedies.”
“Mr. Speaker, it has been nearly two years since the tragic disappearance of Earl Moberg, a beloved husband, father and grandfather from my community who suffered from dementia. Despite exhaustive search efforts, he has not been found and is presumed deceased. By 2030, nearly one million Canadians will be living with Alzheimer's, with almost 60% going missing at some point. If not found within 12 hours, half will be seriously injured or will lose their lives, highlighting the urgent need for rapid alerts. Mr. Moberg may have been seen after he went missing, but the person who saw him was not aware he was missing and did not alert the authorities.”
“Mr. Speaker, I am very interested to know whether the Minister of Industry knows about these contracts. Perhaps she can answer this simple question: How many Canada-wide jobs did the Liberals guarantee for the $15 billion that they gave Stellantis? How many jobs? Can she tell us?”
“Mr. Speaker, the fact is that Canadians are paying $15 billion for EV battery production. It is a 100% subsidy for those batteries, but there is no public evidence that the Liberals have secured job guarantees for the broader Stellantis footprint here in Canada. There are thousands of auto sector jobs on the line here. Canadians deserve to know. In exchange for 15 billion of their tax dollars, did the Liberals secure a guarantee to protect every single Stellantis job in Canada, yes or no?”
“Mr. Speaker, the Liberals signed a $15-billion deal to subsidize Stellantis to produce electric vehicle batteries in Canada, promising that it would secure Canadian jobs. Now plant production in Brampton is relocating to the U.S. and 3,000 jobs are at risk here in Canada. At the same time, Stellantis has announced $13 billion of investment in the U.S., which will create tens of thousands of American jobs. Under the Liberals, taxpayers are subsidizing a company that is moving billions of investment and jobs out of Canada. How could the Liberals make one of the biggest corporate subsidies in Canadian history without a Canada-wide jobs guarantee?”
“Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has been full of contradictions over this whole tariff ordeal. He blames U.S. tariffs for shrinking the economy and job losses, but he also says Canada is getting a great deal with the U.S. on tariffs. Since the Prime Minister took office, the deficit has doubled, Canada has the fastest-shrinking G7 economy with the second-highest unemployment rate, $54 billion of net investment has left Canada and 86,000 Canadians have lost their jobs. When is the Prime Minister going to start delivering on his rhetoric? When are we going to get results?”
“Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister promised he would negotiate a win with President Trump and have a deal by July 21, but there has been no win and there is no deal. Major U.S. tariffs on Canada have doubled, and the Prime Minister has repeatedly conceded to Americans' demands. Now his office is telling media that all steel and aluminum tariffs may be lifted tomorrow, finally, but what about the auto sector? Thousands of jobs are at risk. GM is cutting. Stellantis has idled its Windsor plant and has made a $10-billion investment in the U.S. Will the Prime Minister 's long-promised, long-overdue deal include an end to U.S. tariffs on Canadian autos, yes or no?”
“Mr. Speaker, however the Liberals want to try to spin their massive deficits, the top financial watchdog in the country says there is only one bottom line, and we will trust the PBO's word over 10 years of Liberal deficits any day. With the plan to split the budget, it is as if the Prime Minister has forgotten that it is all linked to the same bank account, and there is really only one taxpayer. With the deficit set to double, let us just call a spade a spade. Will the Prime Minister admit he is really just cooking the books and hoping Canadians do not notice?”
“Mr. Speaker, the PBO, Canada's top budget watchdog, has painted a dismal picture of the Prime Minister 's economic record, saying, “the labour market sucks, wages are not going up”. It gets worse for the Prime Minister, with his big plan to split the budget into operating and capital. The PBO is not fooled by the smoke and mirrors. He said, “The bottom line of the government will not change. The international public sector standards that everyone uses to measure the deficit and levels of debt will not change.” As it turns out, debt is debt, so can the Prime Minister tell us just how much Liberal debt he is adding to Canada's bottom line?”
“Like the Amber alert system for children, it would rapidly notify the public when a senior with cognitive impairments goes missing in the area. To that effect, I have sponsored petition e-5196, launched by the Moberg family, urging the federal government to work with provinces and police to implement a national silver alert system to save lives by helping locate missing seniors faster. We must act now to protect our most vulnerable and prevent future tragedies.”
“Mr. Speaker, it has been 18 months since the tragic disappearance of Earl Moberg, a beloved husband, father and grandfather from my community. Mr. Moberg suffered from dementia and despite exhaustive search efforts, he has not been found and is presumed deceased. Unfortunately, by 2030, nearly one million people will be living with Alzheimer's in Canada, and nearly 60% will go missing at some point. Tragically, if they are not found within 12 hours, there is a 50% chance they will be injured or deceased from hypothermia, dehydration or drowning. This really underlines the urgency of finding our loved ones as quickly as possible. That is why there is an urgent need for a national silver alert system.”
“What the Liberals have said sounds really great, and they have made very strong promises, but they have had all the information and the opportunity to show leadership on this for a decade. I would like to hear a guarantee that the minister will live up to the Prime Minister 's promise that we will have the harmonized trucking regulations by July 1.”
“Mr. Chair, I appreciate the response, but the problem is that I do have a difficult time having confidence in it. About 10 years ago, in September 2016, the Department of Transport, the department the minister is responsible for, had a partnership with provinces to put together a task force that made quite an extensive report on this very issue, “Supporting the Efficient Movement of Trucks Across Canada”, which made recommendations on the very topics we are discussing today. That was nearly 10 years ago. Of course, the Liberal government has been in power that entire time and has had the report in the department. I am sure the minister's officials are very familiar with it. This causes an issue of confidence.”
“Mr. Chair, of course, though, the minister has a real leadership role here. The trucking industry itself and trucking businesses in my community are asking and expecting, based on the promises made by the Liberals in the last election, the Prime Minister himself and the minister, that there will be serious leadership and results by Canada Day. Those are the promises that were made by the Liberal Prime Minister. One example is daylight shipping restrictions. For safety reasons with certain shipments, they can only be shipped across Canada during the day. The problem is that the definition is not streamlined across the country; each province has a different definition of what constitutes daylight driving hours. What has the minister done to show leadership to streamline and harmonize the definition of daylight shipping hours?”
“A lot of this is as a result of our freight costs. I would ask the minister if she can commit to harmonizing these trucking costs by Canada Day.”
“Mr. Chair, I am honoured to rise in the House to discuss a very important issue today. In the recent election I heard loud and clear from my community, as many MPs did across the country, that interprovincial trade barriers must come down for the sake of our economy and the strength of Canada. I want to congratulate the new minister on her role as the Minister of Transport and Internal Trade . Certainly, she has a lot of work on her hands. For example, many Canadians may not know, but it it is easier to ship to the United States than from province to province. In fact, all these interprovincial trade barriers add 8.3% to the cost of shipping by truck, which really amounts to $1.6 billion annually. Again, we are in a cost of living crisis in this country with the cost of food, goods and building supplies.”
“Mr. Speaker, the victim's experience was substantiated by an independent review conducted by a law firm. Many people have been victims of workplace bullying, and few have the courage to speak out. This brave woman did, and she attempted to contact the Liberal Party, who did not even dignify this with a response. Really, what message does this send to victims, that if one's boss engages in months of psychological warfare, the Prime Minister of Canada may promote them to the highest offices in the land? Truly, this is an unacceptable standard. Does the Prime Minister disagree? Does he believe this is acceptable?”
“Mr. Speaker, we learned some disturbing news today. A Liberal cabinet minister from Manitoba has been found to have a serious history of harassment and unprofessional conduct in the workplace. A former subordinate said they endured humiliation, intimidation and months of psychological warfare by the minister in her previous job. This is obviously completely unacceptable and unworthy of a minister of the Crown. The Prime Minister decides who sits around the cabinet table, so was he unaware of this disturbing history of workplace abuse, or did he know and just not care?”
“Mr. Speaker, I did not hear a dollar amount on revenue from those countertariffs, so we can assume it is effectively zero. If the steel tariffs were not bad enough, the Prime Minister is determined to keep the industrial carbon tax on our steel production, driving up the cost of steel production here at home, which perhaps is really no surprise, given the Prime Minister claimed that Canadians do not even use that much steel, as if we do not use dishwashers, fridges, cars, pots and pans, baby strollers, and housing infrastructure, all of which are made with steel. How can the Prime Minister claim to be elbows up for workers and fighting for affordability while keeping a punishing carbon tax on our Canadian steel producers?”
“Mr. Speaker, to be clear, the Prime Minister promised elbows up against U.S. tariffs. He promised dollar-for-dollar countertariffs. He promised it would generate $20 billion in revenue, but he broke those promises. He secretly dropped countertariffs to effectively zero. He stopped fighting back against President Trump pretty early on, and now Trump is threatening to double tariffs on Canadian steel to 50%, which is a direct attack against our workers, their livelihoods and the Canadian economy. If the Prime Minister really is elbows up, if he really is fighting back, can he tell our steelworkers how many dollars have been collected in countertariff revenue from the U.S.? How many dollars? What is the number?”