Helena Konanz
Similkameen—South Okanagan—West Kootenay, British Columbia · Conservative · Canada
“Mr. Speaker, I rise to table a petition brought forward by a passionate group of residents in my community who remain deeply concerned that our laws continue to fail to safeguard the victims of intimate partner violence.”
“Mr. Speaker, we need to hear from the chair of the health committee as to why he cancelled tomorrow's meeting. Hundreds of millions of health care dollars remain unaccounted for in the $300‑million PrescribeIT scandal. Why? It is because Liberal MPs keep turning off the cameras at the health committee.”
“These are the national figures, but I would like to take a moment to focus on how these national trends are causing real tension in communities like mine in Similkameen—South Okanagan—West Kootenay.”
“Promises to build quickly and build big to fortify the Canadian economy, through measures like the major projects act, a bill that I voted for, have not come to pass. Canada has neither designated nor started a single major economic project to fast-track a year after we passed that legislation.”
“The Liberal government has overseen the worst rise in food bank use in a generation, surpassing levels during the 2008 financial crisis and the height of COVID-19, and rural Canada is really suffering.”
“She showed that promises to reduce government spending are not reflected in rising personal costs, which will also increase by billions of dollars over the next several years. She showed that the government's revenue forecasts will fall short because of expected weaker wages and slower salary growth in a worsening economy.”
The complete record
Every one of 431 lines we hold for Helena Konanz, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 9 of 9.
“Mr. Speaker, the housing crisis is only getting worse, and the Liberals' failing programs are not helping. The Liberals' so-called housing accelerator fund is spending more but building less. The Liberals' own numbers show that Kelowna will receive $31.5 million in taxpayer dollars, even though housing starts there are down 33.6%. Will the Liberals abandon their failing housing programs and build homes, not more bureaucracy?”
“Mr. Speaker, I think we all agree, at least on this side of the aisle, that this bill does not go far enough in a lot of its policies. I want to ask the member this. How does Bill C-4 address the multiple tent cities that have been created over the last 10 years in communities across Canada because of Liberal policies?”
“Mr. Speaker, child care is very important in communities throughout Canada, including my own community of Penticton. British Columbia announced a $10-a-day child care program almost a decade ago. Unfortunately, there has been difficulty with the program because of a lack of child care workers. Without child care workers, we cannot have child care, even if it is free. I was wondering if the member would explain how he would fill the new child care centres with child care workers when there is a lack of them throughout the country.”
“Mr. Speaker, I would like to believe that nothing is being hidden or that this is not some nefarious trick, but why would the government not put forward a budget when all the other parties in this House voted unanimously to have a budget tabled before the summer?”
“Yes, Mr. Speaker, it would be very difficult to invest money in any type of business, let alone a bank, if it did not have a budget. However, I want to look back at the young families that we talked to at the doors. How are they going to handle their own budgets when, since the start of 2025, beef is up 33%, pork and chicken are up nearly 6%, oranges are up 26%, apples are up 18%, rice is up 14% and infant formula is up 9%? What am I supposed to tell these families that work hard to keep a budget so they do not end up at a food bank? What am I supposed to tell them about why our own government cannot keep a budget?”
“Mr. Speaker, a budget is important to everyone in this country. Households need to have budgets. Businesses need to have budgets. Local governments are forced to have budgets. A municipality in British Columbia has to work on its budget during the year and table it by the spring. The Community Charter forces local governments to do that. As federal members, we need to be the leaders. I do not think anyone in this House believes that local governments should not table budgets. We need to act as responsible citizens because the same tax dollar is being spent locally and federally.”
“Every Liberal member supported a throne speech that, thanks to a Conservative amendment passed by my Bloc and NDP colleagues, called for a budget to be tabled before this House rises for the summer. We certainly hope that is not yet another promise the Liberals intend to break.”
“To counteract made-in-Canada inflation, Canadians first need to see a full accounting in a federal budget of how the Liberals intend to spend the half a trillion dollars in new spending compared to how much they are bringing in revenue. This new spending already represents the first broken promise of the Liberal government, as it increases spending by 8%, when the Prime Minister promised to cap it at 2%. Without a full accounting of our federal spending in the House, we risk creating more inflation and more price hikes as Canadians shop for groceries. The Prime Minister said he would be held accountable for the prices Canadians pay at the grocery store.”
“Most Canadians do not get promotions if they fail at their job. Apparently, this rule does not apply to Liberal ministers. Five months into 2025, food inflation has skyrocketed well above the normal inflation rate. Beef is up 12% to 33%, pork and chicken breasts are up nearly 6%, oranges are up 26%, apples are up 18%, rice is up 14% and infant formula is up 9%. These are not luxury items. These are basic staples that parents need to feed their children properly or we risk creating unhealthy food habits and severe health challenges for future generations. This will also lead many Canadians into poverty. Liberal ministers will blame American tariffs for these increases, yet food price increases in France, Germany, Italy and the U.K. remain well below ours, and they all remain under the same threat of these tariffs.”
“The minister's office said at the time that “in the coming days and weeks[,] Canadians can expect to see actions such as aggressive discounts across a basket of key food products that represent the most important purchases for most households”. The minister's office also said at the time, “If we don’t see results, we will take additional action to restore the food price stability that Canadians expect.” Well, it has been 20 months since that statement. Let us check the numbers. In 2023, Dalhousie University's Agri-Food Analytics Lab did a food price report and estimated the average family of four spent $15,595 on groceries. That has now risen to $16,834 in 2025. That is an increase of $1,239 a year in cost to Canadians since the Minister of Finance said that he would stabilize grocery prices as industry minister.”
“We are seeing more homeowners and people who got out of poverty that have slid back into it.” Communities across my region and Canadians across the country expect Parliament to address escalating grocery prices with every tool available, including countering inflationary pressures caused by a decade of wasteful spending from the Liberal government. (1655) We have heard much since Parliament began that this will be a new government, but what confidence can we have in the same old ministers to address rising grocery prices when they have failed on exactly that issue for years? In fact, the Minister of Finance was also the Liberal minister of industry who declared he had struck a deal with Canada's five largest grocery chains to take action to stabilize food prices by Thanksgiving. That was Thanksgiving 2023.”
“The loss of income supports...and...one-time affordability measures Significant and rapid population growth without the social infrastructure [in place] A slowdown in economic activity and a rising unemployment rate.... These all cross into the responsibilities of the federal Liberal government. Many of them are disasters that the Liberals spent years denying were ever occurring. It is a list of Liberal failures. However, as the motion today is focused on the issue of food inflation, I will also highlight a report from the Salvation Army food bank in Penticton, my hometown, which says, “Since Covid ended, inflation has been the main driver, increasing visits by 40%....”
“The “Food Banks BC Hunger Report 2024” found that “the rates of food insecurity have almost doubled since 2019.” It also says, “Since 2019, the number of individuals accessing food banks has risen by 32%.” Worse yet, these increases are not single-stop visits, with many British Columbians relying on food bank services several times a month, further proof of deepening dependency just to afford breakfast, lunch and dinner. Thirty-one per cent of all food bank users in British Columbia are children, and 11% are seniors. Many food banks are attempting to serve more clients with fewer resources. The 2024 hunger report is very clear on the causes: The increasing rates of food insecurity in BC can be attributed to the following recent shifts: Sharp rise in inflation Rapid interest rate hikes The lack of available housing supply...”
“While at this point she could still afford inexpensive items like pasta, boxed meals and processed cereals, she knew, as someone who worked in the health profession, that feeding her children this way could have long-term consequences for their health. We are at risk of raising a generation of children who, through no fault of their own, will create a way of life leading toward obesity, diabetes and heart disease. Many families, if not yet having to turn to food banks, are being forced to make unhealthy choices to simply get by. Centre aisle and dollar store grocery shopping is increasing. The cost to our health care system and to our collective Canadian well-being will be profound if we do not act.”
“Mr. Speaker, I rise today on behalf of the residents of Similkameen—South Okanagan—West Kootenay to speak concerning the motion that the member for Calgary East has brought forward. As I have mentioned previously in this chamber, during the election the price of groceries was the number one issue I heard about from families in my region and at the doors. One conversation stood out. A young mom answered the door, joined by her two young children, wondering who was at the door on a Saturday morning. When I asked what was most worrying her, she did not hesitate: The soaring cost of food was her top concern. Later that same day, I happened to run into her at the grocery store. She wanted to explain to me that over the past year, rising prices had pushed fresh fruits, vegetables and meats out of her budget.”
“Mr. Speaker, while knocking on doors this past election, the number one thing I heard about at the doors was the skyrocketing price of groceries. I heard from parents about the cost to feed their kids and to put food on the table if prices kept rising. They asked me where it will stop. We know that food inflation at the grocery store since the start of this year is out of control: beef up 34%, oranges up 26%, apples up 18% and rice up 14%. Now the Liberals are bringing in a half-trillion dollars in inflationary spending, increasing spending by 8% when they promised to cap it at 2%. Will the Liberals table a budget that reduces inflation and cuts taxes so Canadians can afford to feed their families?”
“Mr. Speaker, our thoughts and prayers are with the family of former MP Marc Garneau. In order to make Canada a more self-reliant country that is less dependent on the United States and that stands up for its interests, does the member support the building of a pipeline in Canada?”
“Madam Speaker, I want to congratulate my colleague across the aisle on his first speech in the House. His enthusiasm is very contagious; I appreciate that. What I want to ask him is this: I am wondering whether families he represents, families in his riding, are having trouble putting groceries on the table. Are the children going hungry, or are they not able to go into sports this fall, not able to play hockey, for example? Are people having to choose between sports for their kids and groceries? I am wondering whether the member can explain how, after the last 10 years of Liberal government, food prices are so high and how the Liberal government is going to change anything that it has done consistently for the last 10 years to cause this problem.”
“Mr. Speaker, the new Liberal Prime Minister is keeping the wasteful spending of Justin Trudeau. In fact, the government is increasing spending on building bureaucracy and on well-connected consultants. The Prime Minister promised to cap spending at 2% and instead is increasing it by 8%. This is without even tabling a budget to give the House a full picture of our public finances. How is the Liberal government asking to spend half a trillion dollars without a budget plan?”
“Mr. Speaker, rural communities are being left out and ignored in this situation, and it is becoming a crisis. The Liberal government needs to focus on it. It has gotten worse and worse in this lost decade, and it is something that needs to be focused on immediately. As we speak, people are dying.”
“Mr. Speaker, I totally agree that the government needs to revamp how it looks at supporting people and supporting small and rural communities that need just as much help as the major urban centres with the addiction crisis. I will bring up the situation in British Columbia, where there is a pilot project going on concerning the decriminalization of drugs. No other province in this country is stepping forward to say it wants to do that too, because we know it is a failure. The longer it lasts, the more people will die. There is no need for that. People need resources and help. Drugs should not be distributed in our communities, but if they are, we need to have resources and detox beds to help these people.”
“Mr. Speaker, I was, for over a decade, in local politics. The City of Penticton applied for the accelerator fund, as did multiple cities across the country. A very small percentage of them actually received any money. The government is creating a competition among all the cities in the country for a small amount of money. It is as if they were all jumping after one little bone for snips and snaps, and then the government says it has given them money, so they should be happy. Communities spend money to apply for the grants. The City of Penticton spent quite a bit of money and used many staff in applying, but never received money from the accelerator fund. No, I do not think that is a proper way to build housing in our country.”
“I invite the Minister of Housing and Infrastructure and the Minister of Health to come to our rural riding. I would give them a tour of the homeless encampments and the RVs on the forestry roads and Crown lands, and they could speak with those addicts who live in our riding and are unable to get any of the help they need. This is why I ran for Parliament. I live in what I believe is the most beautiful place in the world in the best country in the world, but beauty alone cannot shield us from the consequences of bad policy. I am here to fight for meaningful change and for federal policies that respond to the real needs of our communities. I will continue to advocate for the people of Similkameen—South Okanagan—West Kootenay and for a safer, healthier and more equitable Canada.”
“We cannot decriminalize drugs without first ensuring that there are adequate supports in place. There are currently no detox beds available anywhere in our riding. When someone makes the courageous decision to seek help, they are met with a wait time of up to two years. If they do get assigned to a detox bed, it is in a distant community far from their support networks. We are losing sons, daughters, brothers and sisters, lives that could be saved if the right services were in place. We must act now. The government must invest in treatment, recovery and prevention in small and rural communities. We must restore safety, dignity and hope for all Canadians. I saw none of this investment in the Speech from the Throne. To put off the budget until the fall is completely irresponsible. How many people will die from overdose before the fall?”
“The fire department devotes 90% of its calls to overdose and life-saving-related incidents. The financial strain on all our communities throughout our riding is unsustainable. The Liberal government's decision to make British Columbia a pilot project for drug decriminalization has had devastating consequences. This policy has not been accompanied by the investment in treatment and recovery services that is so desperately needed. My question to the Minister of Health is this: Why would the government single out one province to experiment with, and why would it continue with an experiment that is truly failing? Conservatives called for desperately needed investment in treatment and recovery services to address this public health crisis, but we were ignored.”
“(1635) At the same time, the increase in substance use and addiction has transformed our public spaces. Parks, playgrounds and beaches, once places of relaxation and community, are increasingly marked by erratic and unsafe behaviour. Unfortunately, Penticton now has one of the highest crime rates per capita in all of British Columbia. Prolific offenders and drug dealers continually cycle through the justice system with little consequence, putting vulnerable residents at risk and eroding public safety. A more effective and accountable judicial approach is urgently needed. In fact, the only prison in the entire riding is only 20% full, even though our crime rate is so high. In response to the crime, Penticton has had to increase its bylaw enforcement staff from five officers in 2015 to over 25 in 2025.”
“Of course they need to lower their development cost charges, but the reality is clear: The Liberal housing policy of the past decade has failed to keep pace with demand and to support our smaller rural communities. This housing crisis has been accompanied by a deeply troubling rise in homelessness, of which I saw nothing mentioned in the Speech from the Throne. Tent encampments are now a regular sight, and because of the rural nature of our riding, multiple RVs, trailers and campers are tucked away on forestry roads and on Crown land. These people are the hidden poor. They are living are in precarious situations, particularly during the harsh winter months. Our capacity to provide safe, stable housing for those in need is being overwhelmed.”
“I chose to seek federal office because these challenges have outpaced the resources and capacity of local governments, where much of this burden is falling, and because we need real, effective leadership in Ottawa. I served as a city councillor in the City of Penticton for nearly a decade. In that time, I witnessed alarming changes. Despite being a small city of 37,000, we are grappling with issues often seen in Canada's largest urban centres. For one thing, as we have already heard, housing affordability has become a crisis. Home prices and rental rates continue to climb far beyond the means of average workers. Local governments are doing everything within their power to provide affordable housing.”
“They are drawn here to our region to float down the Similkameen River or the Penticton channel, to kayak in Christina Lake or to hike through pristine trails in the Kootenays. I invite all Canadians to come and experience this extraordinary part of our country for themselves. Our economy is as diverse as our landscape. It is built on the strength of tourism, agriculture, mining, ranching, manufacturing, forestry and the emerging tech sector. Our communities are proud, hard-working and increasingly attractive as a retirement destination. However, despite the beauty and promise of our region, we are facing challenges that cannot be ignored.”
“I could not do it without them. I am here because of them. We have an immense riding, and it is my mission to carry forward the voices of our communities into the House. From Castlegar to Princeton, from Osoyoos to Rossland, from Oliver to Grand Forks and from Penticton to Rock Creek, our riding is located in the heart of British Columbia's interior and is one of the most breathtaking places in Canada and, indeed, the world. It is home to hundreds of internationally recognized wineries, world-class ski resorts and some of Canada's warmest lakes, lined with pristine sandy beaches. This region is truly a national treasure. Tourists come from across the country and around the world.”
“Mr. Speaker, I rise today with immense gratitude and a profound sense of responsibility. Representing this riding is an honour, and I do not take it lightly. I want to sincerely thank the people of Similkameen—South Okanagan—West Kootenay for placing their trust in me and electing me to represent them in the House. I want to thank my campaign managers, Chris and Cheryl, who pushed us all to success. I want to thank the hundreds of volunteers who spent countless hours door knocking, making calls, putting signs in and doing other jobs that all members in the House know about. They spent so much time to elect me, a Conservative candidate and the first woman MP ever in this riding. Most of all, I want to thank my family for their amazing support. I thank Adam and my wonderful children, Zoe and Zakary. They are my rock.”