Andrew Lawton
Elgin—St. Thomas—London South, Ontario · Conservative · Canada
“They will claim full coverage, as we see across southwestern Ontario in particular, when everyone who lives there knows that is just a joke. I thank my colleague across the aisle from Compton—Stanstead for introducing this very important discussion. I have actually spent some time in her riding in the past, and I know it is very rural.”
“I want to see us identify ways to ensure accuracy in telecom coverage maps in rural Canada, but I also want to see us fix and expand those areas where we know the coverage is not there.”
“Mr. Speaker, it is a great privilege, as always, to rise and speak on behalf of the people of Elgin—St. Thomas—London South. It is a particular privilege to speak to a bill such as this one, which speaks directly to one of the most persistent concerns I hear from people in the rural communities in my riding, scattered across Elgin County…”
“We still have the same problem, which is that we have people looking to a new technology, but that not solving the problem, which is applicable to not just the farmers in my riding, but all the people who live in these rural communities who want to work in these communities, want to study in these communities and, as my colleague for Aval…”
“As technology evolves, we see farmers incorporating more and more technology into their work that requires cellular connectivity, especially if they are out in the field, far from the Wi-Fi routers they may have in their homes or, increasingly, in their barns.”
“Mr. Speaker, I have two petitions to present today. It is with great pride and pleasure that I present a petition on behalf of representatives of the Elgin County Drowning Prevention Coalition, including Briar McCaw, Linda King and Nathan MacIntyre of the RIP Current Information Project.”
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Every one of 676 lines we hold for Andrew Lawton, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 14 of 14.
“Mr. Speaker, on December 12, the member tweeted that the carbon tax had a minimal effect on the cost of living and inflation. However, on April 1, when he got his fresh talking points from the Prime Minister , he said that axing the carbon tax made life more affordable. The Prime Minister is not here to tell him what to say. What does the member really think about the carbon tax?”
“Mr. Speaker, I am floored. The minister just had four uninterrupted minutes to answer a very simple question about where the government stands on development of the oil and gas sector in Canada and the construction of pipelines. In those four minutes, not once did the minister even say the word “pipeline”. She did not utter the word. It proves the point I made in my initial question, which is that the government does not view pipelines as having any part in its plan for the economy moving forward. I have a very simple question: When the minister talks about projects she would like to see Canada move forward on, do they include pipelines, yes or no?”
“The only thing standing in the way of embracing them is the “keep it in the ground”, anti-energy, innovation-killing attitude the Liberal government has embodied. This is where we are right now. The Liberals like to talk about the fact that, in their words, they are not anti-pipeline; they just want there to be a consensus. How can there be a consensus when they do not even have a consensus in their front bench, as evidenced by a speaker in cabinet who just a couple of weeks ago said that he did not know and that we did not need any pipelines? That was the former environment minister, who is now the Minister of Canadian Identity . We have laid out the facts clearly, so I will ask the government this: Once and for all, will it repeal its anti-energy policies and commit to pipeline development in Canada?”
“Does it support a future that invests in Canadian energy or does it support the environmental radicals who want to keep our resources in the ground? The reason I bring this up is that the facts are abundantly clear. Between 2015 and 2025, the Liberal government killed 16 major energy projects. This resulted in a $176-billion hit to the economy. When I talk about the competitive advantage of investing in resources, we need not look further than our neighbour to the south, the United States. In the last 10 years or so, between 2010 and 2021, the United States grew its natural gas exports by 485%. What happened in Canada in that same time period? That is a good question. They actually went down by 18%. This is Canada, which has access to an incredible wealth of resources.”
“The writer who wrote her response to my question must have been the same writer who wrote the government's throne speech because it did not address oil and gas in the least. This is not just a western Canada issue. When we do not support Canada's energy sector, we are actually harming the country as a whole. We are making ourselves more dependent on the United States. We are making ourselves less competitive. We are compromising our sovereignty and independence and even our security. It is curious that the government is scared of the word “pipeline” and will not utter it in many of the responses we hear in this chamber and in much of the other communication we get from the government. My question for the government is incredibly simple. It comes down to the path it wants to chart forward.”
“Mr. Speaker, last week, I asked the Prime Minister and the government a very simple question about Canada's energy sector. I even did the homework for the government. I pointed out how the industrial carbon tax is making Canada less competitive and less affordable. I pointed out how the oil and gas production cap is keeping our resources in the ground and scaring away investors. I pointed out how Bill C-69 is making it essentially impossible to build pipelines in the country. I asked the industry minister whether the government would commit to Canada's energy sector, as the Prime Minister occasionally says depending on what room he is in, and repeal these anti-energy laws. She responded without mentioning the words “oil”, “gas” or “resources”.”
“Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate my hon. colleague on his re-election. As members of the House may be aware, in the previous Parliament, he served as the shadow minister for ethics, which with the previous government was, I believe, three and a half full-time jobs. He was kept so busy with the litany of scandals and ethics lapses from Justin Trudeau and many of his cabinet ministers, and now there is a supposedly new government and a Prime Minister who will not even disclose potential conflicts of interest. I am wondering whether the hon. member is willing to take on what could be a repeat of the last Parliament in terms of the volume of ethics breaches for which he will have to hold the government accountable.”
“Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate my hon. colleague, the member for Richmond Centre—Marpole , on his election. I was very familiar with his work as a city councillor, which I reported on in my former career as a journalist. I want to thank him for his advocacy on putting forward what was a very unpopular position with the Liberals but a very popular position among ordinary Canadians. The Liberals have said that the answer to the drug crisis is to give people more drugs, to give free drugs. I am wondering whether the member could speak to the experiences in his own community and about what that has done to people who are actually struggling with addiction and to the communities around them.”
“The Prime Minister will claim these are “investments” that will make Canadians better off, but the only ones getting richer are government consultants, who will get a record-breaking $26.1 billion this year. That is 36% more than even what Trudeau gave them. That is $1,400 from every Canadian household going to federal government consultants. Brookfield shareholders would never have stood for this, so why should Canadians?”
“Mr. Speaker, it turns out that the Prime Minister was telling the truth when he said he was different from Justin Trudeau; he is actually worse. This week, the Prime Minister introduced his first spending bill, called the main estimates, for the coming year. It is a half-a-trillion-dollar spending bill with no budget. He promised to cap spending increases to 2% but then, one hour later, stuck Canadians with an 8% spending hike, nearly three times larger than inflation and population growth combined. Single moms, seniors and small business owners have to budget before they spend. Why is it that the Prime Minister does not? This is all from the guy who said he was the man with the plan and would be a strong fiscal manager.”
“Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate the member on her back-to-back re-elections. She mentioned the lack of a plan from the Prime Minister , and I am wondering whether she has stories from her two campaigns of how Canadians view their own budget and the decisions they have to make in their own household, and whether any of those resemble what we are getting from the government. I thought she might have some insights from her conversations with voters.”
“I think this speaks to the broader point, which is that, despite the plan of having a plan, and the proclamation that it was going to get things in order, this is not a government that is following through on that, from its very first communication in this Parliament.”
“Mr. Speaker, I congratulate my hon. colleague on his re-election. One of the things we put forward during the campaign, as part of the measures we need to take to get our books back in order as a country, was taking aim at the consultants who are getting rich off the taxpayer's back. I have been through a household budget in my own home, and if I ever saw a line item for $2,400 for McKinsey or other consultants, that would be the first thing to go. I do not know why the government is applying a different standard to every Canadian's books than those Canadians would be providing themselves.”
“Mr. Speaker, while I would love to be sitting here as a government member of Parliament, I cannot address the member's question in terms of what the government will do, but I can say, and it is a very important point, that the breakdown in federalism in Canada, especially for the last several years, has been a consequence of the Liberal government, in which I do not believe there has been anything but continuity, to get to where we are today. What the government has done to provinces has actually created points of friction that do not need to be there. I can say that when the Conservatives move over to that side of the aisle, which I hope for the sake of Canada will happen quite soon, we will absolutely respect provincial jurisdiction. More importantly, we will stand up for measures that support what Canada and Canadians deserve.”
“Mr. Speaker, I am actually proud to say I agree with the member that building a strong economy is incredibly important. Where I differ from the member is on whether the Liberal Party, with all the carnage it has unleashed on Canada, is capable of doing that or is committed to doing it.”
“That is what I will do as a member of Parliament. I do not like the fair-weather patriots, those with their new-found celebration of Canadianism, with their flags still creased and wrapped in plastic, practically, as they seek to lecture Canadians on what it means to be an elbows-up Canadian. I will always wave and have always waved the Canadian flag proudly, and I will not stand by while those who were denigrating people for doing that years ago claim to have the moral high ground on what it means to be a Canadian now. This is a chamber that gives those who sit in it a tremendous honour to be part of the direction this country is going to take. I do not enter into that lightly. I am honoured to be here. I am grateful to my constituents and pledge to serve them and all Canadians.”
“Unlike the Prime Minister , who picks whichever passport is most convenient in a given moment, I actually love Canada. Canada is the only country I have ever called home. It is the only country that I have any desire to be a citizen of. It is an honour and a privilege to be a Canadian. I have always been proud of my country. I have always stood for my country. Unlike Liberals, who wrap themselves in the flag when it is politically convenient, I am not a fair-weather patriot. We will always, on this side of the aisle, stand up for Canada, be proud in our Canadian identity and be proud of our country. This means being proud of the institutions of this place, being proud of our history, being proud of the people who built this country and standing for those who seek to celebrate and preserve Canada. That is what brings me here.”
“The Liberals have told parents how to raise their children. They profess to support press freedom while banning independent journalists from even reporting on them, something that is a fundamental charter right in this country. The Liberals have threatened the charitable status of houses of worship and have at the same time turned a blind eye to rampant vandalism and the arson of churches. For some, turning a blind eye was not enough. They actively or tacitly condoned such actions. This is a party that has imposed Laurentian elite policies on communities that never asked for them and that I can tell members, having gone through this election, do not want them. I am here to tell the Liberals that their assaults on freedom will not stand. I am putting them on notice right now. I am here because I love my country.”
“(1130) These are the stories that stay with me. These are the stories that are etched on my heart as I enter this chamber. These are the stories that motivate the work I seek to do here as a member of Parliament. However, these struggles and these stories did not disappear on election day. These people are still out there. Their struggles are still out there and they deserve action. That is exactly why it is incumbent on us in this House to provide and deliver. I got into politics to serve these people. I got into politics to serve these constituents. I also got into politics to make Canada a freer place. In the last decade, the Liberals have put freedom in their crosshairs in more ways than I could list in the time I have here. The Liberals have tried, in their paternalistic fashion, to censor what Canadians see and say online.”
“There was a business owner in Aylmer in the machining sector who felt the combination of taxes, regulations, red tape and, yes, the carbon tax made it so unaffordable to do business in his own community that he would be better off to just shut down and retire or move to another country, like the United States. That was before the threat of tariffs. We were already on a weakened economic footing because of the last 10 years of the Liberal government. I met one couple in London that did everything right. They worked, saved what they could and supported their children, but now their landlord is selling the house they rent. They were convinced, with the prices of rent and the unaffordability of a home, that they were going to be homeless. This is not what should happen in a country that has as much to offer as Canada.”
“I asked her, “Why not now?” and she said, “I just cannot.” Now, a good politician probably would have taken the vote and walked away, but as a journalist I asked one further question: “Why?” She said that her sons are 28 and 30 years old and live with her, and that unless things change, they are never going to be able to move out. That one conversation I had is so similar to countless more of people whose families could not develop and thrive the way that most Canadians dream, the way that people in my riding dream, because of Liberal government policy, which has made home ownership a fantasy rather than a dream and an aspiration.”
“It was their struggles that motivated me to jump into politics. As a journalist and broadcaster, I could not spend an election with the stakes so high on the sidelines. I had to have a hand in the solutions. Like most in this chamber, I spent the campaign knocking on doors. I spoke to thousands upon thousands of people in my riding, and I want to share a few of the stories that stood out and that I carry with me today. One was about a retired teacher from St. Thomas, a woman who said she had voted Liberal every single election in her entire life.”
“The county of Elgin and the riding of Elgin—St. Thomas—London South are a success story, and it is my honour to represent them in this chamber as their member of Parliament. The community is incredibly vibrant. From Rodney to Straffordville, from Port Glasgow to Port Burwell and from Eagle and Iona Station to my beloved Lawton's Corners, my riding is made up of incredible communities filled with incredible people. I get to represent them, everyone, regardless of how they voted, the farmers, the artists, the entrepreneurs, people who have just made Canada their home for the first time and people who helped settle this country and settled the community generations ago. It is people in these rural and smaller communities in particular who have felt most neglected by the last 10 years of the Liberal government.”
“Thomas—London South, I am very aware as I enter this chamber that this seat does not belong to me. It belongs to the people of my riding. I vow and pledge to be a faithful custodian of this seat, however long I have the honour of sitting in it, and to serve and represent my constituents. One thing I love about my riding is how much of the wide array of Canada is embodied in it. We have rural communities and small towns. We have the fast-growing city of St. Thomas. We have the incredibly vibrant community of London. My riding is home to beachside villages and fisheries. We have small businesses and manufacturing powerhouses. We have 1,400-plus farms, ranging from small family farms that feed the communities around them to large agricultural enterprises whose harvests end up on plates around the world.”
“Mr. Speaker, it is a tremendous honour to be here to make my first speech in this Parliament, my first speech ever as a member of Parliament. Getting here was, as for all members of Parliament, a challenge. We navigated a very tough campaign. I have to give particular thanks to the people I would not be here without. One of them is in the House today, my wife Jennifer, without whom I would not be the man I am today. I am so tremendously grateful that she has been by my side for this journey. I also want to thank my parents, Jim and Trish, who instilled in me the values of hard work, with the encouragement and motivation to be anything I could be. That is a path that has brought me to where I am today in front of you, Mr. Speaker. I thank all of them. To the people of Elgin—St.”
“Mr. Speaker, the Liberals claim that they want to make Canada an energy superpower, but they forget that it is their record over the last decade that has decimated our energy sector and kept our resources in the ground. The Liberals' oil and gas production cap will kill tens of thousands of jobs and cost our economy $20 billion. Their industrial carbon tax will cost Canadian businesses and consumers and make Canada less affordable and less competitive. Their legislation, Bill C-69 , is blocking energy infrastructure and making us more dependent on the United States. The solution is easy. Will the Prime Minister repeal the Liberals' costly anti-energy laws?”