Reflecting on the Parliamentary session

By Lethbridge Herald on July 1, 2023.

RACHAEL THOMAS
Conservative MP for Lethbridge

As the clock struck 12:12 am ET on Thursday, June 22nd, Parliament adjourned till September, concluding a year filled with fervent debates and passionate advocacy on behalf of the Canadian people. 

As His Majesty’s Loyal Opposition, my Conservative colleagues and I fought hard on Parliament Hill for the interest of everyday Canadians, and there was much to fight for! You see, the House of Commons was never meant to be about an elite few making decisions for their benefit or the benefit of their friends. Rather, the House of Commons was and is meant to be composed of common people making decisions on behalf of other common people. 

It is Canadians who are the problem solvers, the solution makers, and the wealth creators, not the government. It is the Canadian people who are the visionaries, the inventors, and the moral ballast of society, not a governing few in Ottawa. 

“We the People” is a powerful phrase because it appropriately depicts where the strength of a nation lies: with the people. When the people have the freedom to live up to their potential, the whole of society benefits.

Conversely, when a government sees itself has holding all the power and imposes its will onto the people, picking winners and losers based on ideology, society regresses. 

By listening to Canadians first, my colleagues and I did our best to be the voice of common sense and good government. 

Conservatives advocated for affordability in a cost-of-living crisis.

More and more Canadians are struggling to feed themselves, pay their rent, and put fuel in their cars. 

Many are struggling to make ends meet and unfortunately, the Liberal-NDP coalition has failed to offer practical solutions. The 2023 Budget was incredibly out of touch with the needs of Canadians. 

Taking these concerns to heart, Conservatives advocated for lower taxes and less spending. 

We fought for an economic plan that would make life affordable and create jobs and generate wealth. 

We stood for solutions to fix Canada’s housing crisis by firing the gatekeepers, removing red tape, and ensuring municipalities allow more affordable homes to be built.

We called for the Prime Minister to answer for his second carbon tax that will hike the cost of groceries and gas for all Canadians starting on July 1st.

We supported our world-class farmers by removing the Trudeau carbon tax from farm fuels.

Conservatives fought for the freedom of what you can see and say online.

In this digital age, we have been vocal defenders of freedom of speech and the right to access and express ideas on the internet. Bills C-11 and C-18 posed a threat to these fundamental liberties, and we stood firmly against their passage, championing the concerns raised by everyday Canadians who rely on the internet for school, shopping, work, entertainment, dating, and so much more.

 We pledge to repeal C-11 and fix Bill C-18 when we form government. 

Conservatives proposed a common-sense approach to crime and addiction.

In support of responsible gun owners, we pressured Mr. Trudeau to reverse course on Bill C-21, which cynically targeted hunters and Indigenous Canadians, rather than criminals.

Taking a victim-centred approach, Conservatives brought forward legislation to ensure all court-ordered dangerous offenders and mass murderers, like Paul Bernardo, would permanently be assigned a maximum-security classification.

With compassion for those who suffer from addiction, my colleagues and I sought to reverse the Liberal-NDP deadly policies of “safe supply” and redirect all funds from failed taxpayer-funded hard drug programs to treatment and recovery programs.

Conservatives worked to shine a light on foreign interference in our Democracy.

When the free media and several brave whistleblowers drew attention to the threats facing our democracy at the hands of the communist dictatorship in Beijing, my colleagues and I worked to investigate what was going on and hold the Prime Minister accountable for failing to be honest with Canadians.  

When the Liberals resorted to forming a special committee with secret hearings, secret evidence, and secret conclusions– all controlled by Prime Minister Trudeau—my Conservative colleagues and I led the charge to demand a transparent and public inquiry into foreign interference. 

We must understand Beijing’s interference as a direct attack on our sovereignty as a nation.

 As such, we fought to shine a light on what transpired and who is responsible. We have tirelessly advocated to have a fully independent and public inquiry. Canadians deserve this much at least.

The year was marked by the tireless work of holding the government to account on behalf of the people of Lethbridge and common-sense Canadians from coast to coast.  

While I enjoy the work you entrust me to do in Ottawa, I am extremely happy to be home and I look forward to connecting with many of you at events, festivals, parades, BBQs, pancake breakfasts, and so much more!