Many people in Haliburton County continue to struggle with the rising cost of living. Tell me something tangible you/your party will do to help put more money in their pocket?
Our party understands that the past 10 years of the current Liberal government have been a disaster on the pocketbooks of the average family and working Canadian, especially in Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes. The stories I hear at the doors of so many people not being able to afford groceries, rent, and other necessities are heart-breaking. We must act quickly to provide relief and kickstart our economy. Conservatives are proposing a plan where workers will keep more of their paycheques by cutting income taxes by 15 per cent so the average worker can keep an extra $900 each year, while dual-income families will keep $1,800 more. We will also make each dollar go further by axing the federal sales tax on new homes worth up to $1.3 million.
With the U.S. proving to be an unreliable trade partner, what plans does your party have to diversify Canada’s economy, and what partnerships will you be targeting?
Canada will never become the 51st State and Canada can no longer rely on the United States to act in fair negotiations for free trade under the current president. Our party has been advocating for interprovincial free trade within our borders for over a decade, and we have the plan to make our economy self-sufficient, while trading our goods with allies overseas. Conservatives will bring premiers together to agree on removing as many trade barriers as possible, we will create an energy corridor that enables us to quickly build infrastructure for pipelines, LNG plants, and small modular reactors, and we will create a “Blue Seal” standard so that doctors and nurses can quickly be certified and work anywhere in the country through a streamlined process.
What’s the most significant item in your party’s platform and how do you feel it will impact people in Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes?
As sad as it is to say, addiction and homelessness have spiked across our riding over the past 10 years, and residents in our communities have been expressing the need for a change in policy to solve these issues. The solution to these problems requires compassion. That’s why Conservatives are proposing a plan that will fund 50,000 Canadians in treatment centres with a proven record of success of sending patients home, drug-free. We will require existing federal recovery sites to focus on connecting users with treatment and meet stricter regulatory standards through a results-based system. To fund this policy, our government will stop federal funding for opioids and sue the opioid manufacturers, along with their consulting companies, who created this crisis in the first place.
You’re seeking a fourth term having spent 10 years representing the riding in Ottawa. In your opinion, what’s your biggest accomplishment as a politician?
My office has a series of little victories each and every day because of the amazing team I have who work so hard and passionately for the people in our riding. Each year, we handle thousands of everyday issues that constituents need solving, whether it’s involving the CRA, passports, OAS, or for any inquiry someone may have at a given moment, my team is always there to hear what you have to say. Carrying on from my Conservative predecessor, Barry Devolin, I have proudly kept the “Capital Experience” going, an annual opportunity for two students from the seven high schools in our riding to travel to Ottawa and learn about various career options our capital city has to offer after post-secondary. I will continue this tradition that creates opportunities for our youth.
If elected, Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre has said he’ll make history and become the first prime minister to use the notwithstanding clause to override the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms to impose consecutive life sentences on multiple murders. What are your thoughts on that?
We must advocate for the rights of victims of these heinous crimes. Sadly, the Supreme Court has made decisions that result in the sentences of some of Canada’s most notorious killers being reduced, giving them a chance to walk free early. We see examples in cases involving Alexandre Bissonette, Justin Bourque, among many others. I stand with Pierre Poilievre, and I firmly support our Conservative plan to use our constitutional powers under the Charter of Rights, and Freedoms to bring justice back to our criminal justice system and end discounted sentencing for murderers. We will introduce life sentencing for criminals convicted of five or more counts of human trafficking, importing/exporting 10 or more illegal firearms, and fentanyl trafficking.
