Mel Arnold
Kamloops—Shuswap—Central Rockies, British Columbia · Conservative · Canada
“Mr. Speaker, I thank the member opposite for his speech and actually admitting in his words that we are in “a bit of a challenging time for our country.” His terminology for this may be a little bit off when we have seniors having to live in their vehicles because they cannot afford rent.”
“Mr. Speaker, I rise today to present two more petitions. These two are on the Liberals' failing firearms confiscation program. With nearly a $1-billion price tag, barely a third of that program is going to actually compensate firearms owners, while the rest will go into bureaucracy.”
“Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the passing of long-time city councillor, regional district director and former chair Kevin Flynn. Kevin's leadership earned him the deep respect of the community he served so passionately, yet for all his dedication to public service, Kevin's greatest joy was his family.”
“Bill C-25 would create a wide open loophole through which foreign money could still be used by third parties for partisan activity, partisan advertising and election surveying.”
“Mr. Speaker, after 11 summers in the House, it is interesting to see what happens, typically, every year in June, under this government. The Liberals cannot manage their agenda throughout the entire year, so they fall so far behind.”
“In these times of global uncertainty, Canadians need our vigilance and actions more than at any other time. As I begin speaking to this bill, Bill C-25 , the strong and free elections act, I would like to thank all of the Elections Canada workers, from the electoral district returning officers to the poll workers, the volunteers and the e…”
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“For citizens, Canadian citizenship bestows the fundamental rights of our Charter of Rights and Freedoms and the Canadian Bill of Rights that preceded it. The Government of Canada carries significant responsibilities for its citizens. Whether or not the government of the day is fulfilling its responsibilities is an essential and big question. However, we are here now to examine Bill C-3 , not the ongoing failures of the government. That said, the value of citizenship may be directly devalued by governments that fail to deliver sound policy and actions that uphold the fundamental rights of citizens and deliver core functions of the federal government. These are not small responsibilities; to the contrary, they are profound, which is why any legislation dealing with Canadian citizenship must strike the precise balance.”
“It is good to be back in the chamber after a summer of meetings and conversations with the good people of Kamloops—Shuswap—Central Rockies. There were many conversations about the issues that are important to the people at home, and I look forward to voicing their concerns here. Constituents shared their concerns with me, concerns about the increasing cost of living, housing shortages, rising joblessness and crime on our streets. These conversations and discussions are valuable to me as an elected representative, and I hope my colleagues on both sides of the aisle share my sentiment, because we as legislators have a duty to address these issues and make good laws for all Canadians. Today we are debating government Bill C-3 , which seeks to amend the Citizenship Act. It goes without saying that Canadian citizenship is valuable.”
“Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to rise in the House as the member entrusted to represent the good people of Kamloops—Shuswap—Central Rockies in beautiful British Columbia. It is important for all members to bear in mind that we, as members of the House, have a duty because our fellow Canadians, the constituents we represent, trusted us to be their voice in this place. Canadians look to us, to Parliament, to deliver good work and solutions. There is no shortage of crises facing Canadians today. We must be seized with our collective duty to deliver timely and efficient legislation to move our nation away from the crises we face. Let us never forget why we are here in this place; we are here to represent the good people who elected us.”
“The Liberals have only removed the consumer carbon tax and have not said a word about removing the industrial carbon tax, which consumers end up paying in the long run—”
“Mr. Speaker, that answer speaks to the arrogance of the government that just continues from one Parliament to another, with the same members on that side of the House and the same people in the ministers' chairs. It just does not change. The parliamentary secretary talked about reducing the GST for first-time homebuyers, but it is only on new homes. It is going to be less than 5% of the market, if people can afford a down payment. It is now taking 25 years for young people to save a down payment when it only used to take 25 years to pay for a home. That is what the Liberal government has cost Canadians over the last 10 years. The parliamentary secretary also spoke about removing the carbon tax.”
“They want to know how their taxpayer dollars are going to be spent because they are the ones footing the bill. They work hard for their paycheques, only to have them taken away by a government that refuses to account for how taxpayer money is being spent. Why will the Prime Minister not come clean and admit that he does not really have a plan, other than spending other people's money so he and his rich friends can get richer on the backs of hard-working Canadians?”
“It is our money, my money and the money of every taxpayer in Canada. The government owes that to Canadians, but it will not do it, because it is the same group of ministers who are just fine with the corruption as long as it benefits them and their rich friends. The Prime Minister hired back the same old crowd of ministers who helped Justin Trudeau blow through budgets that did not balance themselves. Now he refuses to even present a budget to explain how he plans to spend half a trillion in taxpayer dollars. When I asked on June 9 if the Liberal government would table a budget and reverse its inflationary policies so Canadians can afford to put food on the table, I was asking on behalf of the good people of Kamloops—Shuswap—Central Rockies, who deserve an honest and respectful answer.”
“When I look at what is happening in the 45th Parliament, I can only see how much it resembles the last Parliament, one frozen by Liberal corruption and the refusal to answer to the will of the majority of the House, with a government that allowed hundreds of millions of dollars to go out the door to its Liberal friends with no accountability. The similarities continued this week as the majority of the House passed a Conservative motion demanding that the Liberals get back the $64 million they handed to GC Strategies, the ArriveCAN scam people, for doing nothing. Not one Liberal voted for accountability as 165 Liberals voted against getting Canadians their money back from the ArriveCAN scam. The Liberals have been directed by the House to, within 100 days, get the taxpayers' money back.”
“Mr. Speaker, as I stated on June 9 in this chamber, Canadians from Field, B.C. in the Rockies to the ranch lands of Kamloops tell me that family budgets are being destroyed by Liberal inflationary spending. The Prime Minister said that he wants to be held accountable for what Canadians pay at the grocery store. It is more than what people are paying at the grocery store that he will be held accountable for. It is how many people are lining up at food banks because they cannot afford to go to a grocery store. How many cannot afford a home because it just does not fit in their budget? Grocery prices driven up by the Liberals' inflationary spending, along with doubled housing costs, make it impossible for families and small businesses to meet their budgets, budgets they must meet or face bankruptcy.”
“Mr. Speaker, it appears the Liberals not only do not want to answer questions, but do not even want to take questions that we have asked and they have failed to answer, like questions on consensus. What does consensus mean moving forward with these major projects? We have seen that Premier Eby in B.C. has said there will be no pipelines through B.C. Who has veto power and what is consensus? That is what I would like to ask the minister.”
“Mr. Speaker, I rise today to present a petition on behalf of Canadians and the residents of Kamloops—Shuswap—Central Rockies. The petitioners state that religious charities play a significant role in the charitable sector and the life of our country. More than 30,000 charities fall under the advancement of religion category, which is roughly 42% of the charitable sector. The petition calls on the Government of Canada to reject the finance committee recommendations that would remove the advancement of religion as a charitable purpose.”
“Mr. Speaker, you are doing a great job up there in the new role, recognizing all the names. There were so many changes in the last election, such as my riding's name change. I really appreciate the knowledge. I would like to ask my colleague whether he has ever experienced any level of government or large organization, be it nonprofit or for-profit, that has ever gone this length of time without presenting a budget that could be evaluated by anybody who might be opposed.”
“Does the member think it would be appropriate that a government that regulates not-for-profit organizations should be held to the same standard and present a budget at an appropriate time?”
“Mr. Speaker, the member mentioned a few times the desperation and the hunger being experienced. My daughter lives in Calgary and belongs to social media groups like Moms and Tots, where moms are trying to find someone who can give them infant formula or provide diapers to get them through the week until their next cheque comes in. That is how bad the situation has gotten under the Liberal government. People cannot afford to raise kids anymore. We have a government that will not present a budget to show how it is going to do that. Non-profit organizations have to provide a budget, a balanced budget; otherwise, they do not last long. I come from a non-profit background.”
“Mr. Speaker, Canadians from Field, B.C., in the Rockies to the ranchlands of Kamloops tell me that family budgets are being destroyed by Liberal inflationary spending. The Prime Minister wants to be held to account by what Canadians pay at the grocery store. Today, we are debating our Conservative motion, calling for a budget as soon as possible. Will the Liberal government table a budget and reverse its inflationary spending so that Canadians can afford to put food on the table?”
“Mr. Speaker, I want to thank our shadow minister for finance, the member for Calgary East, from the Marlborough area, where I have family as well. I have been to his riding and seen the great volunteer work that is done to provide food for people who cannot afford to live under the systems and governance of the Liberal Party. Could the member expound a little further on the need for food banks and volunteer groups to support people just so they can put food on the table for their children?”
“Madam Speaker, I congratulate the member on coming back here. During her speech, the member mentioned that the Canadian Coast Guard is going to be tasked with more border security. We know the previous Liberal government dilly-dallied on purchasing and obtaining icebreakers with Arctic capabilities; it has taken years to do that. The Liberals could not even get body armour to staff in Nova Scotia to deal with illegal lobster and elver fisheries out there. It has been reported that they had to recruit enforcement officers all the way from British Columbia to go across the country to Nova Scotia to help with enforcement. Does the member think the government is even close to being capable of enacting some of the things this bill proposes to do?”
“However, it is the people of this majestic riding that make it truly spectacular: the agriculturalists and artisans, the mountaineers and miners, the railroaders and retirees, all of the people of the Kamloops—Shuswap—Central Rockies who hold this seat in the House. I pledge to do my best to ensure they are well represented.”
“Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to rise as the representative for Kamloops—Shuswap—Central Rockies, a new riding for the 45th Parliament. I first wish to thank the voters, the volunteers and their families who placed their trust in me. Kamloops—Shuswap—Central Rockies is a diverse riding, stretching from the great continental divide at the B.C.-Alberta border, through the Shuswap Highland to the ranching grasslands of Kamloops. It includes Craigellachie, where the last spike of the Canadian Pacific Railway was driven to unite Canada. It is home to three national parks and spans the headwater tributaries of the massive Columbia and Fraser rivers.”