Statement on Affordability Crisis

We are at a crossroad.

In times of economic uncertainty, governments have extremely critical decisions to make; should we turn to the public purse to combat fiscal downturns, and if so, to what extent?

This was a decision the Harper government had to make at the onset of the 2008 economic crisis, and its one this current government had to make at the start of the global COVID-19 pandemic.

While the general approach to these two global downturns was the same, the response & implementation was not.

Today, we have a lack of financial responsibility. The facts speak for themselves. Inflation is out of control and interest rates continue to rise, meaning your dollar is not going as far as it was before.

For families and businesses that were already struggling to make ends meet, for the farmers that have trouble fueling up the tractors and combines that feed us, for seniors that can’t afford the necessities of life, and for the irresponsible debt that we are imposing on the next generation, this decrease in purchasing power spells disaster.

There is nothing to be gained by assigning blame to any one party or group. Canadians need solutions. The simple fact of the matter is addressing the current economic situation is too important. We are far, far past that. Canadians can’t afford complacency and laxity in Ottawa. It is time we as Parliamentarians got out of the business of politics, and into the business of governance.

The people of Hastings-Lennox and Addington and across this great country need viable solutions not empty rhetoric from our government. While listening to you, I will fulfil my responsibility to bring your voices, concerns and ideas to Ottawa