The 45th Parliament So Far

Canadians once again find themselves with a minority Liberal government and the Conservatives as the Official Opposition. While this isn't the outcome Conservatives hoped for, some notable changes have occurred. The NDP's collapse led them to lose official party status, and Canadians have a new Prime Minister. Additionally, voters elected 24 new Conservative Members of Parliament. Still, Canada finds itself with an all too familiar House of Commons composition.

So far, King Charles paid a visit to Canada to deliver the Throne Speech, which the House spent a few days replying to. The main takeaway from the Throne Speech, delivered by His Majesty on behalf of the Liberal government, is that no plan for Canada exists. Mark Carney has refused to table a budget for debate while simultaneously introducing close to half-a-trillion dollars of spending.

The government has introduced multiple bills, including C-2, C-3, C-4, and C-5. While Conservatives generally support some of these bills such as C-2 (Strong Borders Act), C-4 (Making Life More Affordable for Canadians Act), and C-5 (One Canadian Economy Act), being a step in the right direction in reaching Conservative commitments to Canadians, they often lack enough substance to have any real impact.

Most recently Conservatives put forward a motion calling for the government to present a fiscally responsible budget before the summer recess, to hold the Prime Minister accountable to prices Canadians pay at the grocery. This motion was defeated with the NDP and Liberals once again banding together to protect unchecked, inflationary government spending.

Other than the Procedure and House Affairs Committee (PROC) of which I am now a member of, most committees have yet to resume - and with the House set to rise for the summer on June 20th, they will likely remain dormant until this fall. This means that unless bills receive unanimous consent in the House to pass without going through committees, they won’t move forward until the fall, as most bills need to be debated, studied and at times amended, through their respective committees.

The Conservatives have formed the largest Opposition Party in Canadian history. Regardless of the election outcome, we remain ready, willing, and able to fight for Canadians. Regarding Mark Carney's attempt to spend hundreds of billions of Canadian taxpayer money with no oversight, Conservatives successfully passed an amendment to the throne speech, with the support of all other opposition parties, to demand the government present a spring budget before the House rises for the summer. However, with the amendment being non-binding, the Liberal government has chosen to ignore it.

Conservative supporters can rest assured, however, that our priorities have not changed. We will continue to support Canadians and hold the government accountable by demanding their support in passing Conservative bills. These bills aim to reduce the cost of living, lower spending, and taxes, build more homes, restore economic independence, and bring safety to our streets.

My Local Priorities

Members of Parliament are responsible for doing what is best for the country, but they also represent and fight for their specific constituency. Sometimes, after every decennial census, these constituencies change due to riding redistributions. In my case, I am no longer the Member of Parliament for Langley-Aldergrove, but for Langley Township—Fraser Heights.

As a member of the Conservative Caucus, I share many national priorities with my colleagues. Yet, it's important for me to have priorities specific to the community I represent.

I am pleased to announce my list of local priorities for 2025:

Infrastructure

• I am pleased to see the Highway 1 expansion now scheduled to extend past 264th Street, which I have advocated for at the federal level.
• Upon my election in 2019, I advocated for federal funding for the Skytrain expansion to Langley. I am pleased to see construction well underway. I also support the proposed Bus Rapid Transit systems for Langley, Surrey and other high-density, high-traffic regions in the Lower Mainland. I will continue to advocate for this improvement, including pushing for a dedicated bus route to Gloucester Park.

Housing

• The Province mandates the Township of Langley to build high-density, diversified communities along transit routes. Our Conservative Party supports transit-oriented development, so I will continue to be in contact with the mayors of Langley and Surrey to determine how we can assist.

Culture

• Our communities deserve a place to enjoy performing arts and learn their crafts. I commit to ensuring the delivery of the promised $25 million federal investment to the Performing Arts Centre.

Many challenges and roadblocks lie ahead for these priorities, but I will endeavor to honor the faith my community has placed in me by doing my absolute best to see them implemented.