Connie Cody
Cambridge, Ontario · Conservative · Canada
“It has ignored organizations of all stripes and the tens of thousands, or even hundreds of thousands, of Canadians from communities like mine who took the time to write, call and petition. This is not how we stop hatred. This is how we build resentment. This bill would amend the Criminal Code. It is not a minor administrative matter.”
“In my community of Cambridge, whether it is at events or just in the parking lot of a grocery store, I have had people come up to me to say that I should not let this one pass without a fight. It is no secret that religious freedom across this nation is under threat.”
“I did not have a reassuring answer for her, and that is precisely the problem. When a law aimed at combatting hate creates fear in the hearts of law-abiding, community-minded, faithful Canadians, when it drives them to petition their MP and write letters by hand, something has gone wrong in the drafting, in the process and in the governme…”
“The Muslim imams deserve a full debate. Even the rabbis and civil liberty advocates who raised the alarm bells deserve a full debate. The pastors, teachers and parents who contacted my office deserve a full debate. I want to close by bringing this back to the people who sent me here.”
“I have heard from all of them, people who picked up the phone or sat down to write to me because they genuinely do not know what the bill would mean for their lives. The government itself has mused about this.”
“Madam Speaker, today I rise on a topic of great concern to people in my community and to many Canadians from coast to coast. Perhaps no piece of legislation in this place has drawn as much public interest as Bill C-9 . Combined, our offices have received tens of thousands of emails from concerned citizens opposed to the bill.”
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“Madam Speaker, what we heard earlier today is that emissions would be reduced by 0.08%. The better way to fight climate change is by bringing more business to Canada and dealing with matters within Canada so we have better and more stricter environmental regulations. Also, if we can take more away from China, we will do much better here in Canada.”
“Madam Speaker, there is a lot of hope but no real solutions. What we need to do is focus on listening to the people who are saying they cannot afford to put a roof over their heads and food on their tables. These mandates are going to cost them a lot more in the end. A study in the Canadian Journal of Economics said this plan will eliminate 38,000 auto sector jobs and cost $138.7 billion, assuming the sector never shuts down. We are going to end up losing a lot more jobs. People are going to have less money. We will have to deal with people in our rural areas who require certain vehicles to get to work, to bring their children to school and to pick up their groceries. We need a lot more than hope. We need real solutions, and that is why banning the—”
“We stand with the drivers, the auto workers, the mechanics and every Canadian who keeps this country running and just wants a vehicle that fits their needs and their budget. The mandate is not a road map; it is a dead end, with higher prices, fewer jobs and fewer choices for the people who can least afford it. It is a bit like selling snow shovels in July: completely out of season and nobody asked for it. Canadians want real solutions that keep our economy moving, our shelves stocked and their family on the road. When it comes to running a country, common sense works a lot better than a Liberal-issued mandate.”
“The Liberal government likes to play a constant game of hide-and-seek, hiding real solutions while seeking headlines. It hides behind flashy announcements but fails to deliver the infrastructure and plans Canadians actually need. It is the same Liberal formula: big talk, no delivery, no pipelines, no housing and no budget, just hide-and-seek with Canadians' hopes and wallets. The mandate is not about helping Canadians; it is about telling them what to do. The Liberal government seems to think it can decide what kind of car people can drive, how much they will pay and where they are supposed to charge it, whether the infrastructure exists or not. On this side of the House, we believe in something pretty simple: choice. We trust Canadians, not Ottawa, to decide what works for their life.”
“People understand that the Liberal government is not acting in their best interests or according to common sense. People understand that they cannot afford what the Liberals are selling. Banning new gas-powered cars will make it harder for families to afford a vehicle. As the supply of new gas-powered vehicles dries up, the used car market could become increasingly volatile, with higher prices at first and far fewer affordable options down the road. It seems that the government needs to be reminded that in many parts of this country, including in my riding of Cambridge, and in North Dumfries, cars are a necessity not a luxury. It is not always possible to take transit, as there are still places where transit is inadequate or non-existent.”
“Meanwhile, Canadian families are already struggling; inflation, higher interest rates and rising housing costs mean they have less money to spend. It is no wonder they do not trust the Liberals' EV mandate, and Canadians are not buying it, literally. A recent Ipsos poll found that 55% of Canadians disagree with the mandate to make all new car sales electric or zero-emission by 2035. Everyday Canadians are opposed to the mandate, and so are the experts. Professor Ross McKitrick at the University of Guelph says that the mandate “will have sufficiently large negative consequences”. What might those consequences be? He says that the mandate could “effectively destroy the Canadian auto industry and will cause widespread economic losses elsewhere.” It is incredible.”
“This means building new power plants, upgrading transmission lines and spending billions to modernize the grid. That would require a plan and a budget. Jobs are at risk. Canada's automotive industry employs over 500,000 people in factories, parts manufacturing, dealerships and repair shops. Electric vehicles have fewer parts and require less maintenance, which means fewer jobs for skilled workers and mechanics. Compared to traditional internal combustion vehicles, electric vehicles cost more to buy, which means fewer sales, which means, again, fewer jobs. Without a clear and fair transition plan, thousands of Canadian workers face an uncertain future. Small garages and other businesses that rely on gas vehicles are also at risk.”
“For those people with short commutes, that might be acceptable, but for many others it becomes impractical at its best. (1750) Experts estimate that by 2030, Canada will have to manage over 125,000 tonnes of battery waste. We know that Canada needs a clear and comprehensive plan to recycle electric vehicle batteries, but once again, the Liberal government has failed to put one forward. Worse yet, the mandate will add hidden costs to every Canadian household. Increased demand for electricity to power all the vehicles will drive up energy prices, and Canada's electricity grid is not ready for the surge. The Canadian Climate Institute says that to meet net-zero emissions by 2050, Canada's electricity generation must double or even triple.”
“People who live in apartments, condos or rental buildings often face another challenge: Charging stations are unavailable or are even banned by landlords or building regulations. This creates a serious obstacle. How can the Liberal government expect people to switch to an electric vehicle if they cannot easily charge it where they live? The government also seems to have overlooked another big limitation for the many long-distance commuters. In Cambridge, as in most of the country, we have winter. In places where winter is measured in wind chill and snowbanks, an unreliable battery is not an inconvenience; it is a safety hazard. Ottawa cannot mandate away Canadian weather. In the coldest months, EV driving range can drop by up to 40%.”
“According to Statistics Canada, zero-emission vehicles were less than 9% of new vehicle registrations in 2025. A lack of interest is not the only problem. Charging infrastructure seems to be heavily concentrated in just a few provinces. There are reportedly over 25,500 public charging ports across Canada, but around 85% of those appear to be in only three provinces. Many EV owners report that many of those chargers are often too busy, resulting in long wait times. Worse yet, many are inoperative. There is so much work to be done, but the government has not done the work to maintain our existing charging infrastructure, much less plan for new, reliable infrastructure. About 80% of electric vehicle charging happens overnight at home, making access to home charging essential for EV ownership, but many Canadians do not have that option.”
“Too many times, the Liberal government is disconnected from the practical realities of the people it is supposed to serve. This looks like just another example. Right now, about one in every 10 new vehicles registered in Canada is electric. That means the Liberals expect electric vehicle sales to double within just three years and then continue growing quickly after that. They have no credible plan whatsoever to do it, and certainly no plan to pay for it. We know that vehicle markets are very different across the country. Quebec, Ontario and British Columbia meet or exceed the 20% EV sales goal, but many provinces are below 8%, and now both Quebec and B.C. have suspended their subsidies. Canadians should not have to buy vehicles they do not want.”
“For carmakers, it means millions of dollars in penalties. We all know who will pay for that in the end: Canadian families and consumers will face higher prices, which they cannot afford. In effect, this is a $20,000 tax on every new internal combustion engine vehicle. It is no wonder the automakers are speaking out against it. Ford Canada's CEO has warned that without enough charging stations and without addressing affordability, many Canadians will be left behind and will not be able to switch to electric vehicles. Stellantis Canada also points out that government support needs to be in line with what the industry can realistically deliver. It is one thing to set targets on paper; it is another thing entirely to make those targets achievable on the ground.”
“The Liberal EV mandate pushes people into expensive new cars without making them affordable. The mandate also fails to consider the everyday Canadians who rely on passenger trucks for their livelihoods: tradespeople, landscapers and other small business owners whose work depends on their vehicles. These workers cannot afford to wait hours to recharge while working on the clock. It ignores the realities that many Canadians face every day when it comes to transportation. The government announced that automakers will have just 12 years to phase out combustion engine cars, trucks and SUVs. It will set strict annual targets to increase electric vehicle sales, and any automaker that misses these targets will face fines of $20,000 per vehicle. What does that mean for carmakers and Canadians?”
“Mr. Speaker, I am sharing my time with the member for Central Newfoundland . Canadians are being sold a shiny, Liberal red, electric dream, but under the hood, it is full of empty promises and hidden costs. The Liberal government's plan to ban gas-powered vehicles by 2035 might sound bold and exciting, but when we look closer, it is really a blueprint for confusion, higher prices and broken supply chains. Canadians did not vote for the electric vehicle mandate; it is being dropped on them like a federal hammer. It is not policy; it is a proclamation. It is a one-size-fits-all order from Ottawa that ignores cost, geography and common sense. Canadians should not be forced to buy electric vehicles, especially when the Liberals have not fixed the infrastructure needed to support them.”
“Mr. Speaker, the Liberals are presenting Bill C-5 , their so-called free trade and labour mobility in Canada act, as a serious effort to strengthen the economy, but once again, it is all promise and no plan. They promised homes, with none built. They promised pipelines, with none delivered. They promised a budget, which is still missing. They have now tabled another bill filled with talking points but no mention of pipelines, no plan for infrastructure and no answers on how this will actually move our economy forward. It is the same Liberal formula: big talk, no delivery, no pipelines, no housing, no budget and just headlines. If the government wants to unlock the economy, why are pipelines and major infrastructure missing entirely from this so-called productivity plan? Is this just another press release?”
“Mr. Speaker, the Auditor General reconfirmed what we already know: The Liberals are bad with Canadians' money. With respect to housing, the Liberals promised to build 4,000 units in six years, but the real number is a pathetic 309. The F-35 budget has exploded by $14 billion, and there are no pilots to fly the jets. Worst of all, the Liberals funnelled $64 million to arrive scam contractors, just two guys working from their basement, with no proof they did any real work. They are the same Trudeau ministers, the same failures and the same old Liberals. Why did the Prime Minister promote the very ministers responsible for these scandals into his cabinet?”
“Madam Speaker, for years, the Liberals insisted their carbon tax was working, claiming eight out of 10 Canadians were better off because of the rebate, even as families struggled with soaring food, fuel and heating costs. Now, with no budget and no plan, they have scrapped their own policy, which took more money out of the pockets of Canadians, and have stolen the Conservative plan to axe the tax, pretending it was theirs all along. Just yesterday, a member opposite said that a federal budget has no value. If the Liberal government spent years defending a tax that made life more expensive and now claims a budget has no value, how can Canadians trust it to deliver anything but higher costs, less transparency, less accountability—”
“Mr. Speaker, in Cambridge, food bank visits have surged 32% in just one year. Over 1,000 of those visits were from full-time workers, not because they have failed, but because the Liberal government has failed them. While families are skipping meals, the Liberals still cannot produce a spring budget. The Justin Trudeau government spent $21 billion, and the new Prime Minister is proposing to spend $26 billion. That will take $1,400 per household to pay their high-priced consultants. A colleague on the other side asked about the value of having a budget. It would help to rein in the overspending that would take money out of the pockets of Canadians. That is the value of a spring budget. Why is the Prime Minister draining families' grocery budgets to bankroll Liberal-friendly consultants when those same families cannot afford a meal?”
“Mr. Speaker, last week in Cambridge, police arrested two individuals at the Galt bus terminal and seized 10 grams of suspected fentanyl, enough to cause up to 5,000 deaths. Police are doing their part, but the Liberal government's soft-on-crime policies are letting drug kingpins get away with mass murder. Conservatives are calling for life sentences for those convicted of trafficking more than 40 milligrams of fentanyl. When will the Liberal government treat fentanyl like the deadly weapon it is and make those who profit from it face real consequences?”
“Mr. Speaker, while I hear the government continue to distract itself from its lack of a plan or budget, I am going to stay focused on what the people in my riding sent me here to do, because a government making promises without a plan or a budget is not delivering; it is just issuing press releases. Canadians cannot afford more of the same from the not-new government. In my riding, I heard about affordability, I heard about housing and I heard about crime. I heard directly from people in my community who are deeply concerned about the rise in crime, families who are afraid in their own neighbourhoods and seniors who no longer feel that—”
“Mr. Speaker, while going door to door to the 80,000 homes I went to, I spoke to a lot of people, and their priorities right now are affordability, housing and crime. I have served this community not from a podium but on the ground, helping children with their learning, supporting families through housing and financial challenges, listening to those who felt ignored and standing by our veterans, who deserve far more. I have heard their stories and I have heard their struggles and hopes, and I am here because of them, to be their voice and to serve with the same commitment I have shown in my community. In the House, I will do what I was sent here to do: stand up for the people I represent and work every day to make their lives better.”
“Mr. Speaker, my family came here with nothing and built a life, but young people today are doing everything right and getting nowhere. The promise of Canada was about believing that if we worked hard, something better was possible. That promise built families, built communities and built this country. Today, too many young people are losing faith in it. My job, our job, is to make sure that promise still means something. These are not just my words. They are the voices of the young people in my riding who feel they have no choice but to leave their country, their families and their friends because they cannot afford to stay. They are not asking for much, just the chance to build a life, live somewhere affordable and have a job that pays enough to get them ahead.”
“Every door we knocked on, every conversation we had and every moment we shared mattered, and they shaped the person I am now. Finally, I thank the people of Cambridge and North Dumfries for sharing their stories and for welcoming me into their homes and lives. Every day in this chamber, I carry their struggles and hopes with me, humbled by the trust they have placed in me and fighting to make sure that every person can open their fridge with a smile, just as my grandmother once did.”
“I thank my two incredible daughters, who have been my inspiration from the very beginning. Watching them grow into strong, compassionate women has been the greatest gift of my life. I thank my five beautiful granddaughters; each of them is a bright light in my world. They are the reason I stand here today, fighting for a future where their dreams can take root and flourish right here at home. I thank my brother, who stood with me from the beginning, for his support and all his help. I thank my mom for her selfless love and the sacrifices only a mother makes. Everything I am began with her. I thank the many volunteers, neighbours and friends who gave their time, energy and hearts to this campaign. This journey was not mine alone; it belonged to all of us.”
“I came here to support solutions that will build a Canada that works for everyone, a country where freedom is defended, opportunity is within reach and hope is restored. I want to help build a Canada where the promise of a better life is not just a dream but a promise every Canadian can believe in once again. This country has given my family everything, and now I intend to give back with everything I have. I will serve with honesty; I will lead with integrity, and I will never forget who sent me here. I want to take a moment to say thanks from the bottom of my heart. I thank my husband, Bill, whose love and support have been my constant through every challenge and every victory, for standing by me, for believing in me, even on the days when I doubted myself, and for reminding me why this work matters.”
“There is a growing disconnect between the people and their government. At a time when many have lost faith in our institutions, the government must be reminded that it exists to serve the people, to be accountable, to be responsible and to have a plan. At constituents' doors, I also heard a sense of hope that we can restore what has been lost, rebuild what has been broken and renew the promise of Canada. That same hope, hard work and resilience carried me through many of life's challenges and will guide me every day in the House. Those experiences did not lead me to politics; they led me to people, and people led me here. I came to Ottawa to serve, to listen and to be a strong voice for the people of Cambridge and North Dumfries.”
“It was a time when people did not think twice about their safety. Today, that sense of safety is slipping away. Time and again, I heard people tell me they no longer feel secure, even with their doors locked. They worry about break-ins, thefts and the rise of violent crime on our streets. I spoke to parents who will not let their kids walk to the park alone anymore, to seniors who do not feel safe answering their door at night and to shop owners who have been targeted more than once. (1750) This is not just about statistics or headlines. It is about real people in real neighbourhoods feeling unsafe in the place they call home. It is about the loss of something we all deserve: peace of mind and the freedom to walk down the street or sit by the fountain and enjoy an ice cream without fear.”
“They are doing everything right, yet still feel like they are falling behind. My dad, at the age of 19, came to Canada for freedom and opportunity. The day after he arrived, he started a job as an electrician in the village of Ayr, where he was able to build that life, buy that home, and start a family. These are the very things so many young people today feel are no longer possible: that promise of a country where hard work is rewarded, rights are protected and each generation builds something better for the next. That is the promise I will help restore. That is the promise I will protect. In many conversations, I also heard a growing sense of worry. I grew up in a neighbourhood where we could leave our door unlocked. We would head downtown to Queen's Square, sit by the fountain and enjoy an ice cream on a warm summer afternoon.”
“I also spoke with many young people, some just starting out in their careers and others finishing school, who told me they cannot see a future for themselves here. They want to stay close to family and contribute to the community they grew up in, but they cannot find jobs that pay enough to sustain them. One young man, an engineer, told me he is considering leaving Canada altogether, looking for opportunities abroad, because he no longer sees a future for himself in the country he calls home. He wants to build a life here, but with the rising cost of living and limited opportunities, he is starting to feel as if his dream is out of reach. Despite working hard, he cannot see a path to owning a home or starting a family. He is not alone. I have spoken with many young people in our community who feel the same.”
“She bakes pies and butter tarts for our local meal programs and crochets squares for blankets that help veterans settle into their new home. I remember meeting Susan, a senior living on a fixed income. She told me how, after paying her bills, there is often not enough left to buy the groceries she needs. It made me think of my own grandmother. Our family has an old photo of her standing in front of her fridge. The door was wide open, the shelves were full, and she had a huge smile on her face. For her, that fridge was not just about food; after she immigrated to Canada from a war-torn Eastern Europe, it was a symbol of safety, of having enough and of making sure no one in her family ever went hungry again.”
“Through the years, I have seen our community grow, from the vibrant neighbourhoods of Galt, Preston and Blair, where the Grand River and the Speed River meet, connected by bridges, to the rural areas of North Dumfries: Ayr, Clyde and Branchton. It is a place of history. It is a place of natural beauty with a shared sense of community. It is a place where neighbours support each other and where small businesses want to put down roots and grow. Over the course of the campaign, we knocked on over 80,000 doors across Cambridge and North Dumfries. We listened on front porches, in driveways and at kitchen tables. People opened up and shared their stories, their struggles and their hopes for a better future. Along the way, I met people who have become friends, like Bonnie, whose kindness radiates in everything she does.”
“Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to rise in the chamber on behalf of the people of Cambridge and North Dumfries, and to respond to the Speech from the Throne. As the first woman ever elected to represent this riding in Ottawa since Confederation, I carry that responsibility with deep gratitude and with a commitment to serve with heart and purpose. It is the community where I was born and raised, where I have raised my family and where I have spent my life giving back, whether by focusing on youth and seniors, supporting veterans or standing up for those who have no voice, including the victims of human trafficking.”
“Is this why the Prime Minister did not table a spring budget, to hide his broken promise to rein in his out-of-control spending?”
“Mr. Speaker, today I rise for the first time to represent my Cambridge community. This week, the Liberal Prime Minister introduced his first spending bill. It is worse than Justin Trudeau's. He inherited a bloated Liberal government and promised to spend less, but this first spending bill spends 88% more than Trudeau did in his last year. It is a half-a-trillion-dollar spending spree, with no budget. Single moms, seniors and small businesses must budget before they spend. Why can a supposedly brilliant banker, a man with a plan, not do the same? No, this is not about investments. Consultants alone get a record-breaking $26.1 billion, costing every household in Canada $1,400. He promised to cap spending at 2% in his throne speech. The same afternoon, he introduced a bill boosting overall spending by 8%.”