Ottawa needs to put Canadians first
By Lethbridge Herald on October 1, 2022.
FROM THE HILL
Rachael Thomas – Conservative MP for Lethbridge
If the Canadian people are not the focus of this federal government, then it is fair to the ask the question, who is?
The last several months have left Canadians absolutely dumbfounded at this government’s lack of care, compassion and wisdom.
As food prices continue to rise because of inflation, and energy costs continue to skyrocket, the Trudeau government is choosing to increase the cost of living for Canadians by raising taxes and driving up inflation by spending money it doesn’t have.
Many constituents have met with me in person or written into my office to share the plight of their dire situations. These are stories from real people, and they must not be ignored.
I am talking about a senior on a fixed income living in a mobile home community struggling to get by. Her fridge was empty, and she could not afford to fill it. She would normally turn to her son or neighbours, but they were facing the same challenges due to inflation and the high price of fuel.
Or the woman who came into my office and shared with me that, due to the high cost of living, she and her husband lost their home and were living in an RV in her parents’ backyard. She was injured at work and her medical benefits were not enough for them to get by. This couple was losing everything bit by bit and it was causing severe mental health issues.
These stories are heartbreaking, but unfortunately, they are not rare.
A recent report by the Dalhousie University’s Agri-Food Analytics Lab, revealed that almost a quarter of Canadians are buying fewer groceries because of high food costs. Meanwhile, the number of people accessing food banks in our community is growing rapidly and the number of children in poverty is increasing. In a country that produces food for the world, this should not be the case.
Canada has been blessed with abundance. Our riding of Lethbridge is full of bounty. We export our products around the world. It is truly something to be proud of, but instead we have a government that is choosing to punish our farmers instead of celebrating them. It’s shameful.
Food prices are through the roof. We should be incentivizing greater food production, not implementing policies that will decrease crop yield and increase the price of food for Canadians across the country.
Another area of abundance in Canada is energy. We have the third largest oil reserve in the world, and we are the fifth largest producer of natural gas. Just like food, the world needs more energy.
Canada has the potential to be the solution to many of the world’s problems. We could be stepping up and taking our place as a leader on the world stage by meeting the growing demand for food and energy. We could displace the reliance on dictators for energy and bring food stability to nations that cannot produce it for themselves.
During German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s visit to Canada in August, he expressed his desperation to find new sources for liquefied natural gas (LNG) in light of Russia’s curtailing exports to punish supporters of Ukraine.
Prime Minister Trudeau’s response to this request was that there has “never been a strong business case” for shipping natural gas directly from Canada to Europe because we lack the pipelines and LNG conversion plants to transport our resources. So, instead of working toward a mutually beneficial solution, he just sat back and said, “no.”
The fact of the matter is, there is an incredible business case for increasing production and transportation capabilities, but we happen to be dealing with a Liberal government that has a climate action agenda, which trumps economic prosperity, safeguarding humanity, and common sense. Canada truly is a country that is blessed, not just with the resources to generate prosperity, but the innovative, creative, and hardworking people to turn raw materials into useful and beneficial products necessary for living life.
I am confident that if we can get government out of the way and provide freedom for Canadians to reach their greatest potential, our nation will not only thrive, but be a leader among other nations.
The solution to the many problems plaguing our country is less government and more Canada.
19-18
“Once upon a time, a group of libertarians got together and hatched the Free Town Project, a plan to take over an American town and completely eliminate its government. In 2004, they set their sights on Grafton, NH, a barely populated settlement with one paved road.
When they descended on Grafton, public funding for pretty much everything shrank: the fire department, the library, the schoolhouse. State and federal laws became meek suggestions, scarcely heard in the town’s thick wilderness.
The anything-goes atmosphere soon caught the attention of Grafton’s neighbors: the bears. Freedom-loving citizens ignored hunting laws and regulations on food disposal. They built a tent city in an effort to get off the grid. The bears smelled food and opportunity.
A Libertarian Walks Into a Bear is the sometimes funny, sometimes terrifying tale of what happens when a government disappears into the woods. Complete with gunplay, adventure, and backstabbing politicians, this is the ultimate story of a quintessential American experiment — to live free or die, perhaps from a bear.”
https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/a-libertarian-walks-into-a/9781541788510-item.html
Thank you once again Mrs. Thomas for your commentary.
“The last several months have left Canadians absolutely dumbfounded at this government’s lack of care, compassion and wisdom.” (Rachael Thomas MP)
Oh Canada; the True North Strong and Free!
Oh Canada; Where oh Where Can You Be?
Oh Canada; How my Heart Aches and Longs for Thee
Oh Canada; Once so Proud, Noble and Strong
Oh Canada; Where did you go?
Oh Canada; I need to know
Oh Canada; You can’t ,……. You can’t be gone
Oh Canada; Please, oh Please,…… come back to me.
Oh brother.
In response to your Dirge to a Disappearing Canada, Mr. Elford, are you aware that these sentiments are among the many promulgated by fascists throughout history? This longing for a golden age of what used to be is a ruse. You might find Umberto Eco’s list to be of interest, more so because he grew up in Italy under Mussolini’s fascist regime. Sadly, in the recent election, Italians have voted for a neo-fascist party to be the next government. In regard to the Canadian political scene, of course, I am certain we would both agree that there is much improvement to be made. But, this would apply to both the government side AND the opposition side. Therefore, I ask you, how can libertarianism, fascism or neo-liberalism ever address and resolve the mounting issues we face?
https://www.openculture.com/2016/11/umberto-eco-makes-a-list-of-the-14-common-features-of-fascism.html
https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2022/09/giorgia-meloni-italy-election-fascism-mussolini/671515/
https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/neoliberalism/
Take a look at what is happening right in your back yard big fella. This was a poem Sir, a poem.
A poem about the current state of affairs in Canada. I am sorry, you have found the poem so threatening, however somewhat flattered you paid attention. To react in such a way to a to a poem about a disappearing Canada suggests; you may understand what is said.
To suggest it is fascist is ludicrous and a waste of time. To suggest “This longing for a golden age of what used to be is a ruse.” is not only a cop-out; it is cowardly and disingenuous.
Silence is the friend of the state to the dictator, to the fascist. History has proven this again and again. A review of the history of the 1930 Germany may be helpful in this matter.
On Sunday, Georgia Meloni became the first female leader of Italy after her Center Right Party dominated national elections. The new leader of Italy is a conservative woman who loves God, her family, and her country. Just like when the new PC leader Mr. Pollivere was elected, in Canada the MSM in both countries had meltdowns. Both are considered fascists, simply because they are leaders of Conversative parties, and among other things; reject “wokeism” and the global elite agenda. Because of their ideology; the liberal machine is terrified and doing their best to “tar and feather” them.
Liberals appear to love insulting and /or calling those who disagree with them names. As evidence by the repetitious historical behavior and statements of the “leader” of the liberal party.
Welcome back to the mental hysteria of the “Salem Witch Trials” and or McCarthyism.
Georgia Meloni shared her thoughts in early 2020 at an event in Rome.
Please consider the article below. Please consider it as a possible “interesting article” formulate your own ideas and then let it go. It’s an article……..just an article ….. nothing more.
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2022/09/italy-new-leader-giorgia-melonis-speech-new-world-order-attack-national-identity-attack-religious-identity-attack-gender-identity-attack-family-identity/#:~:text=MUST%20SEE%E2%80%A6%20New%20Italian%20Leader%20Giorgia%20Meloni%E2%80%99s%20Speech%20Against%20New%20World%20Order%3A%20%E2%80%9CThey%20attack%20national%20identity%2C%20they%20attack%20religious%20identity%2C%20they%20attack%20gender%20identity%2C%20they%20attack%20family%20identity%E2%80%9D
You ask a good and fair question: “how can libertarianism, fascism or neo-liberalism ever address and resolve the mounting issues we face?
I admit I am not smart enough to have all the answers. I strongly, believe there is something seriously wrong with the government of Canada currently.
I will simply state; perhaps these are the wrong esoteric questions to be asking at this time. Perhaps; at this time we should be considering; simpler, more basic immediate questions and issues of concern.
Issues such as lowering, or putting a mortarium on any and all future tax increases; including payroll taxes, such as EI, CPP and any other taxes ie GST and carbon tax etc and making life for our citizens as simple and good as possible.
Perhaps we should be asking; “tell me again how the carbon tax is going to do diddly squat against Climate Change. “Tell me again, how effective the Carbon Tax has been against Climate Change? Tell me again how do I get more back in Carbon tax rebates than I paid?
When are you going to recognize the serious damage you have created to the Canadian economy through your policy? When are you going to implement real effective fiscal policy to deal with this damage and assist the citizenry trying to deal with outrageous taxes, and inflation you have caused through your poor monetary and buget practices like 51 other countries have already done so throughout the planet?
When are you going to apologize to the Canadian people. You have done such a great job at apologizing to almost everyone else. How about the Canadian people who are suffering right before your eyes.
The definition of insanity is doing the same thing repetitively; over and over again and expecting a different result.
I ask again who are the crazy ones, and who are the criminals?
I suspect you may be aware of the Trudeaumustgo Twitter account which has gone viral in domestic and international social accounts. I would respectfully suggest; that may be, the long-term solution to the question you ask.
Actually, Mr. Elford, I’m not a “big fella” at all. Rather diminutive if the truth be known. But, does “size” really matter? nudge nudge wink wink.
Moreover, I did acknowledge your poem (I called it a dirge because this is how I read it). I did not find your poem to be threatening at all. Actually, I found your poem substantiated everything that Umberto Eco outlined vis a vis fascism.
“Some ideas are so stupid that only intellectuals believe them.” ~ George Orwell
“The further a society drifts from truth the more it will hate those who speak it.” ~ George Orwell”
“Free speech is my right to say what you don’t want to hear.” ~ George Orwell
“A society becomes totalitarian when its structure becomes flagrantly artificial: that is, when its ruling class has lost its function but succeeds in clinging to power by force or fraud.” ~ George Orwell
“All tyrannies rule through fraud and force, but once the fraud is exposed they must rely exclusively on force.” ~ George Orwell
“Real power is achieved when the ruling class controls the material essentials of life, granting and withholding them from the masses as if they were privileges.” ~ George Orwell
“So much of left-wing thought is a kind of playing with fire by people who don’t even know that fire is hot.” ~ George Orwell
“Political language… is designed to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable, and to give an appearance of solidity to pure wind.” ~ George Orwell
“The real division is not between conservatives and revolutionaries but between authoritarians and libertarians.” ~ George Orwell
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Libertarianism#:~:text=Libertarianism,the%20free%20encyclopedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Authoritarianism#:~:text=Authoritarianism,the%20free%20encyclopedia
“Don’t let it happen. It depends on you” George Orwell
You may be interested to learn, Mr. Elford, that George Orwell was a self-described democratic socialist.
It’s probably why it became such an important book worldwide and millions continue to pay attention to his message and warning currently.
“Don’t let it happen. It depends on you”
https://youtu.be/vEMlvpMY7yw
I’m can just see Les wearing a sideways baseball cap and a down-filled jacket, grabbing his crotch, dropping beats. yolo!
Does the cap have a propeller attached to the top?
“Some ideas are so stupid that only intellectuals believe them.” ~ George Orwell
“The further a society drifts from truth the more it will hate those who speak it.” ~ George Orwell”
“Free speech is my right to say what you don’t want to hear.” ~ George Orwell
“A society becomes totalitarian when its structure becomes flagrantly artificial: that is, when its ruling class has lost its function but succeeds in clinging to power by force or fraud.” ~ George Orwell
“All tyrannies rule through fraud and force, but once the fraud is exposed they must rely exclusively on force.” ~ George Orwell
“Real power is achieved when the ruling class controls the material essentials of life, granting and withholding them from the masses as if they were privileges.” ~ George Orwell
“So much of left-wing thought is a kind of playing with fire by people who don’t even know that fire is hot.” ~ George Orwell
“Political language… is designed to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable, and to give an appearance of solidity to pure wind.” ~ George Orwell
“The real division is not between conservatives and revolutionaries but between authoritarians and libertarians.” ~ George Orwell
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Libertarianism#:~:text=Libertarianism,the%20free%20encyclopedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Authoritarianism#:~:text=Authoritarianism,the%20free%20encyclopedia
“Don’t let it happen. It depends on you” George Orwell
Thank you for your comments. You have just reinforced my point. I suspect; you don’t realize that though.
“Some ideas are so stupid that only intellectuals believe them.” ~ George Orwell
“The further a society drifts from truth the more it will hate those who speak it.” ~ George Orwell”
“Free speech is my right to say what you don’t want to hear.” ~ George Orwell
“A society becomes totalitarian when its structure becomes flagrantly artificial: that is, when its ruling class has lost its function but succeeds in clinging to power by force or fraud.” ~ George Orwell
“All tyrannies rule through fraud and force, but once the fraud is exposed they must rely exclusively on force.” ~ George Orwell
“Real power is achieved when the ruling class controls the material essentials of life, granting and withholding them from the masses as if they were privileges.” ~ George Orwell
“So much of left-wing thought is a kind of playing with fire by people who don’t even know that fire is hot.” ~ George Orwell
“Political language… is designed to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable, and to give an appearance of solidity to pure wind.” ~ George Orwell
“The real division is not between conservatives and revolutionaries but between authoritarians and libertarians.” ~ George Orwell
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Libertarianism#:~:text=Libertarianism,the%20free%20encyclopedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Authoritarianism#:~:text=Authoritarianism,the%20free%20encyclopedia
“Don’t let it happen. It depends on you” George Orwell
Thank you for your comments. You have just reinforced my point. I suspect; you don’t realize that though.
Thank you for your comments. You have just reinforced my point. I suspect; you don’t realize that though.
NO, no..you THINK your point has been reinforced. You must realize that. You should probably talk to a mental health professional.
“The further a society drifts from truth the more it will hate those who speak it.” ~ George Orwell”
“Free speech is my right to say what you don’t want to hear.” ~ George Orwell
“A society becomes totalitarian when its structure becomes flagrantly artificial: that is, when its ruling class has lost its function but succeeds in clinging to power by force or fraud.” ~ George Orwell
“All tyrannies rule through fraud and force, but once the fraud is exposed they must rely exclusively on force.” ~ George Orwell
“Real power is achieved when the ruling class controls the material essentials of life, granting and withholding them from the masses as if they were privileges.” ~ George Orwell
“So much of left-wing thought is a kind of playing with fire by people who don’t even know that fire is hot.” ~ George Orwell
“Political language… is designed to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable, and to give an appearance of solidity to pure wind.” ~ George Orwell
“The real division is not between conservatives and revolutionaries but between authoritarians and libertarians.” ~ George Orwell
Mrs. Thomas; I apologize for doing this once again;
https://youtu.be/SFTMQp7FI10
https://youtu.be/EcDmbe0vPw8
https://youtu.be/xk1rAjlacQ8