Rachael Thomas
Lethbridge, Alberta · Conservative · Canada
“Mr. Speaker, today, the Prime Minister arrives at the G7 summit as the one and only leader who has led his country into a recession. This is what that looks like: Two in five Canadians struggle to be able to afford to feed themselves; full-time workers are living in RVs or a Tim Hortons; and food bank use has hit an all-time high.”
“Mr. Speaker, I think what that member meant to highlight was the fact that under the Liberal government, child poverty rates have increased year after year after year for the last three. This dramatically impacts the people of my riding in Lethbridge, Alberta. It means that seniors in this country are living at Tim Hortons.”
“Mr. Speaker, it is my great pleasure to rise in the House today to extend congratulations to the town of Picture Butte on its 100th anniversary. For a century, Picture Butte has been shaped by the values that define rural Canada: hard work, family and community spirit.”
“Mr. Speaker, because the hon. member has chosen to spend the majority of his speech on process, I will ask him a process question. The current government, the Liberals, they are the ones who sponsored this bill; the hon. member did, from that side of the House.”
“To everyone who has built, served and strengthened this community over the past century, I wish to extend my sincere gratitude. Their legacy is one of vision, determination and generosity. As the member of Parliament for Lethbridge, I congratulate them on 100 years.”
“Mr. Speaker, with respect, the small craft harbours do not conquer the food poverty that children across this country are experiencing, especially those in my riding of Lethbridge. With all due respect, I would ask the folks across the way what they will do for Canadians, because they are struggling. They are struggling.”
The complete record
Every one of 210 lines we hold for Rachael Thomas, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 3 of 5.
“Mr. Speaker, the devil is always in the details, is it not? Doctors will come if they are respected. They are respected when regulations are put in place that respect them. If we want to draw investment into the country, there are two big things that keep it out: taxation and regulation. The government did not need to put Canadians into debt in order to bring investment into our country. In fact, I do not actually believe its program will work. What the government needed to do was actually cut red tape and cut back on taxes. Investment will flow when those two things happen.”
“Even though it passed in June 2023, it is actually still not in effect because it is such a terrible bill that they do not know what to do with it. The CRTC is confused. Court cases are happening because it is so badly blundered. I celebrate that personally because at the end of the day, it is Canadians who benefit. Bill C-11 should be scrapped altogether. The protection of Canadians' freedoms should be in place. Budget 2025 shows Canadians exactly what the government truly is. They are the same old Liberals with the same old habits of overspending, overreaching and underdelivering. It is a horrendous budget that would do an incredible disservice to Canadians, and I will be proudly voting no.”
“Speaking of fight, we are pleased to see that in this budget implementation act, the government adds a clause to the Broadcasting Act to protect privacy. That is a good job. Sadly, however, Bill C-11 is a horrendous bill, so I must take this opportunity to talk about it. It is the worst censorship legislation this country has ever seen. It likens us to places like North Korea, China and Turkey, places we would never want to become, because it controls what people can see, say and post online. It puts the government in control of how people use the Internet. Fortunately, the Liberals have wracked themselves up in this legislation so horrendously that they have taken over two years to figure out how to implement it.”
“There is something the government could have made an investment in but instead turned a cold shoulder to. Victims' services received cutbacks. The RCMP received cutbacks. Laws have become weaker. Criminals are being favoured. Why does the government so fundamentally believe that anyone but the victim should be stood up for? We will continue the good fight. Many justice bills have been put forward from this side of the House calling for greater severity when it comes to heinous crimes and advocating for victims. My own private member's bill is one of them. It called for justice for sexual assault crimes and stood up for victims, making sure they receive what is theirs. We will continue that good fight.”
“Criminals are being let out on the streets after serving only a fraction of their time, and sometimes their time for heinous crimes such as assault is spent in their living room, not even behind bars, thanks to the Liberal government's lackadaisical laws. Conservatives would end these policies. We would end catch-and-release. We would restore jail time for criminals. Across the country, for crying out loud, we would put victims ahead of people who commit crimes. In my riding, we are not exempt. I have sat down with parents who have lost children to crime. I have sat down with children who have lost parents to crime. This is real in this country, and it is having a devastating effect. Children's advocacy centres are doing incredible work, but they are insufficiently funded.”
“On that note, Canadians are not just looking for hope when it comes to affordability; they are also desperate for hope when it comes to their safety and their well-being. Again, the government is found lacking. Violent crime is up, extortion is up, sexual assaults are up and gun crime is up. Crimes against children are out of this world, with a rate that is unprecedented. Repeat offenders are cycling in and out of jail. The member opposite scoffs as if it is not true, but he knows it is. An hon. member: Who scoffed? Rachael Thomas: Mr. Speaker, if only he would listen to a few of his constituents. This is because of broken laws from the government.”
“Many people ask what we would do differently as Conservatives. Let me begin with the fundamentals. Fundamentally, we believe in people. We believe they are the creators, innovators and problem solvers who will take this nation forward. We believe they are capable, resilient and ready to build a stronger country, if the government would simply get out of the way and allow them to succeed. (1650) A Conservative government would chart a different course, one that brings home powerful paycheques by cutting waste, lowering taxes and restoring fiscal responsibility. We would reduce the debt load that is burdening Canadians. We would reward municipalities that build homes. We would enforce housing targets and we would lower construction costs. In short, we would restore hope because we believe in the Canadian people.”
“They want their hard-earned money left in their pockets so they have choice, so they have dignity and so they can advance themselves and their families. That is what the government fails to see. In my area, small businesses are the lifeblood of the community, but they are suffocating under inflation, taxation and over-regulation by the government. After years of overspending and mismanagement, the Liberal government has created an affordability crisis that Canadians from coast to coast are experiencing. When government takes on debt, and I mean 80 billion dollars' worth of debt, as in the budget, it is simply passed on to Canadians through increased taxation and increased inflation. It is Canadians who ultimately bear that. It is one of the most unkind things that the government could have possibly done to Canadians. It is cruel.”
“With regard to rent and mortgages, this is what the Minister of Jobs and Families had to say: Those having a hard time putting a roof over their head should not worry; there is a national dental care program. If these suggestions sound ludicrous, it is because they are. They are absolutely ludicrous, because the problem for someone who is having a hard time putting a roof over their head is not going to the dentist and getting a teeth cleaning. The problem for a family that cannot afford to buy baby formula is not signing their infant up for a school feeding program. In what world does a sophisticated government offer such solutions? I guess it is in Canada. I would remove the word “sophisticated”, however. Canadians do not want another handout. They do not want another program. They want more freedom. They want more opportunity.”
“It really was a chance, the government's opportunity, to put trust in the Canadian people to launch them forward and help them succeed by simply facilitating an environment of economic prosperity rather than laying out program after program, which makes Canadians small and the government big. It is insulting, and Canadians are tired of it. I will give an example. In question period, we have been asking about affordability. Recently, the Secretary of State for Children and Youth said that if a senior is struggling to afford food or a parent is struggling to pay for baby formula, the Liberals have an answer for them: the school food program. We can just sign those seniors up and get those babies in the school food program.”
“They want to contribute. They want to provide for their families and to see our communities thrive. They do not want and they do not need yet another government handout. The hon. member just gave an entire speech for 10 minutes outlining program after program. There is nothing empowering about that. Canadians want to be effective on their own. They need a government that trusts them. They need a government that removes barriers and unleashes their potential. In other words, they need a government that facilitates opportunity and empowers them to do great things. That is what Canadians want. Unfortunately, that is not what this budget delivered. Instead, budget 2025 was all but that.”
“Mr. Speaker, Canada is a nation built on ordinary people doing extraordinary things. It was the prairie farmers who turned barren land into the world's greatest breadbasket. It was the workers who carved a national railway through mountains so grand that they seemed immovable. It was the veterans who fought tyranny overseas and then returned home to build communities here in this nation, and it was, as it continues to be, the inventors, builders, entrepreneurs and newcomers who used their skills, their hands and their knowledge to build Canada and make us a nation that is admired around the world. At every turning point in our history, it was the determination, creativity and grit of the people that spurred us forward, and today, despite the heavy burdens on them, Canadians remain our greatest source of hope. They want to build.”
“Mr. Speaker, I guess the answer is yes. Liberals believe babies should just enrol in the school food program that they offer. It is ludicrous that the Liberals are referring hungry babies to a school food program. It is outrageous that, in a country like Canada, parents are having to make a decision between paying their bills and being able to afford the basic necessities of life for a baby. This is literally life and death, and these Liberals stand over there and shrug their shoulders. When will the Prime Minister stop his inflationary spending and make life affordable for Canadians again?”
“Mr. Speaker, it is clear that families across the country are struggling to afford even the most basic necessities. Under the Liberal government, many Canadians have been stripped of the basic dignity of being able to provide for themselves. Since 2017, for example, the price of baby formula has gone up by 84%, leaving parents so desperate that it is now the number one item taken from grocery store shelves. Yesterday, the Secretary of State for Children and Youth suggested that hungry infants should enrol in the Liberal school food program, so I am just curious, do Liberals understand that babies do not go to school?”
“After photo ops and deals for Brookfield, the only souvenir that the Prime Minister brings home for Canadians is the bill, and he expects families to foot it. That is wrong.”
“Mr. Speaker, Canadians thought Justin Trudeau was the jet-setting prime minister, but it turns out the current Prime Minister actually puts him to shame. He professes to put Canada first, but he loves to leave our country any opportunity he gets. In fact, in the last few short months, he has managed to rack up 28 trips, equivalent to four trips around the globe. As he enjoys his luxury travel from continent to continent, Canadians are left in the lurch, wondering if he will ever bring home a deal for them. In fact, the tangibles show the exact opposite. His trip to Washington equalled more tariffs. His trip to China equalled more tariffs. His trip to India equalled more tariffs. The more air miles he racks up, the worse things get. This, of course, is as Canadian families are already struggling just to pay their bills.”
“Mr. Speaker, grocery prices in this country have risen 40% faster than in the United States of America. That goes to prove that it has a whole lot to do with the government and its socialist policies. Statistics Canada shows that beef is up 17%, chicken is up 6%, apples are up 4% and baby formula is up 6%. Baby formula is the most stolen item in a grocery store because parents are desperate due to the government's mismanagement. Folks are suffering. I hosted a town hall last week. Their faces and their stories came forward. These are more than stats, folks. What will the government do about it?”
“Mr. Speaker, this is from a minister who is completely out of touch with Canadians, who are struggling day in and day out to afford the very basic necessities of life. Meanwhile, the members across the way are heckling me while Canadians struggle and are going to food banks in droves. That is because of the government's mismanagement, and it can do something about it. One of the things the Liberals could do about it would be to scrap the fuel tax, which would bring down the cost of groceries. Why is the government hell-bent on keeping the fuel tax and making sure that Canadians cannot afford basic necessities?”
“Mr. Speaker, the Liberals keep saying that Canadians want this legislation. It is true that Canadians certainly want change. They want to make sure their communities are safe. They want to make sure people can walk in the evening without fear. They want to make sure businesses can operate without being shot up. Certainly, Canadians want that. They want to know the safety and security, the well-being of their communities, is protected. However, this bill, Bill C-14 , does not go far enough. I wonder if the hon. member, my colleague, would care to comment further on that.”
“Mr. Speaker, a number of critics have spoken out with regard to the bill, saying that it goes a certain distance but certainly not far enough to protect Canadians. A big part of that is the fact that Bill C-5 and Bill C-75 are still intact and very much need to be scrapped. I wonder if the hon. member would care to comment on that.”
“Mr. Speaker, two men pleaded guilty to having hundreds of images of innocent children. The children were sexually abused, they were exploited and they were tortured. The Supreme Court made a decision that a one-year jail sentence was too harsh. Conservatives vehemently disagree with this decision. The Liberals have an opportunity to use the notwithstanding clause and take a stand for innocent children. Why is the government concerned with protecting the rights of pedophiles instead of standing up for those children?”
“Madam Speaker, I will highlight again that I feel Bill C-14 should have gone much further. It is one thing to have buy-in on a bill, but those same people who are buying into the bill and supporting the bill would have advocated for it to go much further. Bill C-5 , a Liberal bill, weakened deterrence and denunciation by repealing numerous mandatory minimum sentences and repermitting conditional sentences such as house arrest for crimes like sexual assault. That is disgusting. With Bill C-75 , the Liberals forced judges to release offenders at the earliest possible time with the least onerous conditions. This is why we have individuals out on our streets able to commit murder within hours of being arrested. That is disgusting.”
“Madam Speaker, with regard to organized crime in this country, we have seen it skyrocket. A great deal of attention needs to be given to that to assess what is going on and how we can better combat that. I would invite the hon. member to bring forward a proposal to the House for us to consider in terms of creating greater laws around that. Ultimately, our goal would be to see greater protection of the public and to ensure their safety.”
“As a result, we are going to continue to see crime skyrocket in this country and more people become victims. That is sad.”
“Madam Speaker, I wish I could say I am surprised to hear these comments from the hon. member; unfortunately, he makes these comments quite often. In this instance, he is saying cases like Christina's, Savannah's and Bailey's cases are politics. In fact, they are lives. They are women who had children, who lived in their communities, who gave back to their communities and who had a vibrant future ahead of them. Unfortunately, their lives were taken. Their lives were taken by a violent offender, an ex-partner in two of those cases. The hon. member wants to call it “politics” when I stand in this place, share their stories and advocate on behalf of them and their families. I find that shameful. The government could have gone a lot further with Bill C-14 . Unfortunately, it did not.”
“Conservatives welcome the Liberals' sudden recognition that bail reform is needed, but Canadians deserve so much more. They must have much more because their lives matter, their safety matters and our communities matter. Canadians deserve better. They deserve safety; they deserve accountability, and they deserve laws that protect the innocent, not the violent. Therefore, Conservatives will continue to fight for these changes to strengthen sentencing, to reform bail and to put victims first. Ultimately, people like Savannah, Bailey and Christina deserve nothing less. For crying out loud, I hope, for the sake of their families, that we would want to do better.”
“Another one of Christina's killers, who was charged with first-degree murder, requested bail and received it. She now lives peacefully in her home while she awaits trial. Meanwhile, Christina's family, her two young boys and her parents, grieve the loss of this mom. It did not need to be that way. Conservatives have pushed for a long time for changes to our bail system. Recently, my colleague, the member for Oxford , introduced Bill C-242 , the jail not bail act, which would ensure that individuals charged with serious or violent offences could not easily return to the community while they are waiting for trial. It prioritizes public safety. It puts the victim and the family first. Sadly, the Liberals voted against the bill.”
“If the Liberals truly wished to address this, they would adopt the principles of that bill, and it would serve Canadians incredibly well. The third bill that I would like to draw attention to has to do with bail. I recently heard from a grieving mother in my riding. She reached out to me from Lethbridge. Her daughter Christina Webber was brutally murdered on December 26 of last year, the day after Christmas. Three individuals were charged in this first-degree murder. One of Christina's killers had been serving an intermittent sentence, meaning that he served time in prison on the weekends, but then he was allowed out during the week, supposedly to work, although he did not have a job. It was during the time he was out of prison that he committed this murder.”
“It fails to address the practice of giving discount sentences for the most heinous crimes. Therefore, it is lacking. A second proposal that my Conservative colleagues have brought forward that I believe the government should consider has to do with intimate partner violence. We know that, across Canada, women are being failed by a system unable to protect them from their known abusers. In both Savannah's and Bailey's cases, as outlined, their abusers were their ex-partners, something that is all too familiar. About a quarter of all victims of violent crime are victimized by an intimate partner. My colleague, the member for Kamloops—Thompson—Nicola , introduced Bill C-225 , a bill designed to strengthen the legal response to intimate partner violence.”
“Again, the penalties for his crimes were combined into one, thereby robbing justice from many of those victims. These patients were supposed to be able to see their family doctor and feel safe and cared for; instead, they were exploited. They were taken advantage of. Instead of their being able to walk a life of freedom, they will bear these scars for a lifetime while the man, the culprit, the perpetrator, will go free very soon. Each offence is a distinct harm; each victim is a whole person, and each act must carry its own consequence. My private member's bill, Bill C-246 , would require consecutive sentences for those who commit sexual assault rather than their being able to serve the sentences concurrently. The Liberals' Bill C-14 fails to address this practice.”
“(1255) I will take my time to outline just three of those common-sense proposals. One proposal is to end sentence discounts. For a decade, the Liberals have favoured criminals over victims, with light sentencing in the form of concurrent sentences. Sexual assault charges should never be served concurrently, but this is the current practice in Canada. Predators get a two-, three- or four-for-one deal when they commit a crime. It is disgusting. It allows offenders to serve a single sentence for multiple crimes, often reducing their time behind bars significantly. In Toronto, a family doctor was convicted of nine charges of sexual assault and four counts of sexual exploitation involving three of his patients. He was handed a concurrent sentence of only three and a half years.”
“The decisions of legislators have real consequences, and these soft-on-crime laws have now resulted in devastation after devastation. After a decade of negligence, the Liberals are finally realizing, it seems, that crime does take place when lax laws are present, but Bill C-14 unfortunately does not go to the extent that it needs to. It is like putting a a band-aid on a gaping wound. I would like to discuss a few Conservative proposals that would help bring about a right justice system. If the Liberals really do seek to address crime with real solutions, my Conservative colleagues and I have put forward a number of bills, over a dozen. They are common-sense proposals to end catch-and-release bail, restore accountability in sentencing and put the rights of victims and communities ahead of the rights of repeat violent offenders.”
“Both Savannah's and Bailey's stories lay bare the devastating truth: Our justice system all too often sides with the perpetrator and not with the victim. To say that our justice system is broken would be an understatement. How did we get here? For 10 years, the Liberals have proudly stood behind two soft-on-crime policies: Bill C-75 and Bill C-5 . With Bill C-5, the Liberals weakened deterrence and denunciation by repealing numerous mandatory minimum sentences and re-permitting conditional sentences like house arrest for serious offences, extending all the way up to sexual assault. Under Bill C-75, the Liberals forced judges to release offenders “at the earliest reasonable opportunity and on the least onerous conditions”.”
“This past summer, another woman, Bailey McCourt, was also failed by our justice system and its weak laws. The proud mother of two young girls was bludgeoned to death with a hammer. Her ex was the culprit. That same afternoon, just hours before her life was taken, James had been convicted of four counts of assault by choking and of uttering threats in a domestic violence case. Despite this, however, he was allowed walk. He went and immediately killed Bailey. Sadly, now two little girls are growing up without a mom, and a family is left with a big hole in their heart. Bailey had lost her faith in the judicial system and in the court's ability to protect her. Her uncle even commented on this, saying that she was “frustrated, scared and felt [altogether] unsupported”.”
“A court document stated that he “did discharge a firearm while being reckless as to the life or safety of Savannah Rose Kulla Davies”. He even evaded police for a month before finally being arrested by the Waterloo police. A short time later, however, he was out on bail. Sadly, while he was out on bail, he was free to continue his pattern of violence, and this time it ended in the death of Savannah. Savannah knew that Anthony was dangerous. She had once told her mom, “If I stay with him, he’s going to end up killing me.” As a result, she had left, but unfortunately the justice system failed to protect her. Despite his record and Savannah's repeated pleas, she was failed by the people who were supposed to ensure her safety. Warnings were ignored, and ultimately death was her end. Far too often, this is the case.”
“Madam Speaker, last Tuesday I was finishing up a meeting in my office when the all-too-familiar ring of an Amber Alert went through on my phone. I picked my phone up and promptly looked at it, only to find out that a one-year-old baby girl had been abducted. Members can imagine how this grasped my heart, and I continued to follow the story through its progression. The next day, I learned the details. I learned that the mother of that child, Savannah Kulla-Davies, had been shot and killed by her ex-partner, Anthony. It was later revealed that Anthony had a record of violence and threats against Savannah, the young woman and mom whose life was taken. The man had faced firearm-related charges in 2023 for an attack against Savannah.”
“It is unthinkable, so I am proud to address this issue with my private member's bill, Bill C-246, the ending sentence reductions for sexual predators act. This act would ensure that every crime is punished in full and every victim receives the justice they deserve, because this place should always stand with victims.”
“Mr. Speaker, discounts belong in grocery stores, not in courtrooms. Under the Liberals' soft-on-crime policies, sexual offenders often get discount sentences, where they serve one term for multiple crimes. This practice minimizes the gravity of their actions and denies victims the full measure of justice they deserve. For example, in Toronto, a family doctor was convicted of nine counts of sexual assault and four counts of sexual exploitation involving three different patients over time. Despite these grave crimes, he received concurrent sentencing, which equated to three and a half years. His patients were supposed to feel safe and cared for, but instead, they were violated and betrayed. While they will carry the trauma for life, their abuser will soon walk free.”
“Mr. Speaker, the member just told me that I should go back to my riding and tell Susie, a senior in my riding who has worked hard her entire life to make ends meet and now cannot pay for rent and groceries and is therefore skipping meals, that she should enrol in grade school so she can take advantage of the government's bureaucratic school program. That is what the member just told me. Is he for real? If this is the definition of success, I would hate to see the definition of failure.”
“Mr. Speaker, here is what we know. Every dollar that the Prime Minister spends drives up inflation, which increases the cost of living for Canadians. He said he would be judged by the prices at the grocery store. The report card is in, and it is a big F, a failure. Susie in my riding is a senior who is finding it difficult to be able to afford both rent and groceries. She has worked hard her entire life to make a go of it and has been rather successful. Now she is in a position where she is actually having to choose to skip meals to be able to pay her rent. That is not right. We live in Canada. It is one of the richest countries in the world. Why is it that, under the government, people like Suzie are struggling so much?”
“Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to tell this member exactly what those in Lethbridge think about their plan. The members in my riding hate this Liberal plan with regard to day care because it has taken away quality, spaces and put them in a place of desperation. They have fewer dollars in their bank account than they have ever had before, and now they do not have proper access to day care for their kids.”
“Mr. Speaker, there are these catchphrases that are used by the Liberals, such as how we are going to go into debt so that Canadians do not have to. That debt gets put on the backs of Canadians. It is our children and our grandchildren who are going to pay that debt. What kind of sloppy statement is that? The government is going to go into debt so that Canadians do not have to? Where the heck is the government going to get that money from? There is no money for government without taxpayers. That is exactly where that money is going to come from.”
“Mr. Speaker, I think the hon. member points to a greater problem at play here, which is a government that is very much out seeking votes. At that point in time, it was conveniently during an election that this money was reimbursed. Of course, as he mentioned, it went to folks who did not even pay into the pot of money to begin with. Why did the Liberal government make that decision? Why did it give this extra $4 billion to these folks who had never even paid into the carbon tax to begin with? I have no other explanation than to suggest that perhaps the Liberals were simply seeking votes. It is wrong. It is a misuse of Canadian dollars.”
“Mr. Speaker, we will recall that in 2015, Justin Trudeau was the prime minister. He came in and said that just a little red ink would help Canadians. We then fast-forward to 10 years later. There is still a Liberal government in place, and Canadians are worse off than they have ever been in terms of being able to afford the necessities of life. Food bank lines are longer than they have ever been before. It is because the government decided that its policy would be to take on debt after debt by going into deficit spending. It is wrong.”
“Instead, let us start building a Canada where every person, regardless of income or circumstance, has the opportunity to thrive. It is time to put those people, Canadians, first. It is time to rein in spending and be responsible.”
“After nearly a decade of Liberal promises, Canadians are worse off than ever before. They need a government that respects their money, that lives within its means and that restores common sense to our economic decisions. Conservatives are calling on the current Liberal government to stop its wasteful spending, which fuels inflation; to bring investment back to our country rather than sending it south of the border; and to make life affordable for hard-working Canadians again. I urge every member in the House to listen to the stories in their communities, to hear the pain and the anxiety behind the statistics and to recognize that the Liberal government's decisions are failing Canadians. Let us stop repeating Justin Trudeau's and the current Prime Minister 's policies, and let us stop mortgaging our children's future.”
“That is what we can expect in the November 4 budget from the government: more spending to put out the fire that its inflationary spending has already caused. It is ludicrous. The truth is simple. Government does not create wealth; it takes it from those who do, which means it is incumbent upon governments to be wise stewards. Every dollar government spends is taken from a taxpayer. It is taken from Joy, Susie and the hard-working couple I referenced earlier. I want to be clear: The motion we are discussing today is not just about numbers; it is about people. It is about Joy, it is about Susie, and it is about that couple in my riding. Canadians are strong. They are resilient and hopeful, but they are losing faith in the current government, in the leaders of the day. Who can blame them?”
“Instead, they have grown debt; they have grown dependence, and they have grown despair. That is what is on the current government's record. Since 2015, business investment in Canada has fallen off a cliff by about half a trillion dollars. It has gone south of the border. Companies do not want to invest here because they see a government that is hostile to them, a government that actually wants those jobs to go south, as the Prime Minister has promised. He wants to send not just half a trillion dollars but a trillion dollars; that is his latest promise. The Liberals have been trying to convince Canadians that more spending is the solution to every problem that their spending has already created. If we would just take a second to consider that, it is like pouring gasoline on a fire to put it out. That is what the government is offering.”
“This insight reminded me of what is really at stake here. Behind policy debates and behind the economic charts and forecasts are millions of Canadians who are afraid. They are afraid they will lose their jobs, afraid they will be without a home and afraid they will never get ahead or be able to step into that opportunity that they so long for. These are the people I visit with each and every day when I am in my constituency. These are the people who share their stories with me, and they just want a fair shot at life. They need Canada to be as it once was, a place where opportunity is great and where the chance to get ahead is normal. The Liberals told Canadians that their deficits would grow the economy from the heart out. How is that working? It is not.”
“It becomes their responsibility because of the government's irresponsibility. (1555) Just the other day, I overheard my office manager in the constituency talking to my intern. She was explaining to my intern that when people call or come into the office, sometimes they sound upset or maybe even a bit angry; sometimes, that can be a bit uncomfortable. However, my office manager put it into perspective. She offered an explanation and said that when they come in, they are not trying to be mean and they are not trying to be rude; they are desperate because of fear. They are afraid because they cannot afford rent. They are afraid because they cannot afford food. They are afraid because they cannot pay their bills, and they are desperate for help. They are afraid of what the future holds, because they do not see hope in it.”