Parliament is back to work after sitting for only one week in December following the election and, in many ways, it seems as though nothing has changed. The newly elected minority government introduced a throne speech and didn’t mention Alberta, pipelines or agriculture once in the entire speech. It appears this government will acquiesce to two of the opposition parties (NDP and Bloc Quebecois) and continue to spend freely to remain in power.
The Finance Minister provided Canadians with an economic update one day after Parliament adjourned for the Christmas break and the news was not good. The federal deficit will balloon to $26 billion this year, an increase of $7 billion from what was projected in the budget introduced only six months ago. These forecasts do not take into account any of the demands from two opposition parties (NDP and Bloc Quebecois) such as pharmacare or any of the promises the minority government party made during the election.
Our Conservative opposition will continue to hold the government to account but much of the focus into the summer will be centered on the race to replace leader Andrew Scheer. The leader announced in mid-December that he would be resigning as soon as a successor has been chosen. This was the right decision and avoids internal bickering leading to an April convention where delegates would have been asked to vote whether Mr. Scheer remained leader.
During this leadership race, however, Alberta Conservative MPs will continue to work with the provincial government to ensure Canadians, outside the province, understand the importance of our energy industry to the economic strength of the entire country. MPs worked with Premier Kenney and many members of his cabinet and senior officials during the two-day mission to Ottawa in early December. Albertans can anticipate more of these efforts in the months to come.
As the official opposition we will continue to work on your behalf to ensure the needs of Albertans and residents of Calgary Signal Hill are heard by the Government. If you have specific questions or feedback, we would like to hear from you as we want to bring your voice to the government on these and other issues by calling 403 292-6666 or by email to [email protected].
