On Parliament Hill

I am pleased to be back in Parliament this week. Although the 42nd Parliament began in December, we only sat in Parliament for a brief week and a half, before the Christmas break. As of January 25th, it will be our first full session since the fall election.

It is a great honour to continue to serve the people of Provencher in our nation’s capital. This new Parliament offers us an opportunity to work with the government while keeping them accountable.

There are a number of issues that are facing our country today and I will continue to work hard to make sure that the government of Canada focuses on the issues that matter.

Some of these issues include the weakening Canadian economy and the Liberal Government’s reaction to doctor assisted suicide.

As of recent, the Canadian economy began to rapidly deteriorate. There is no way of knowing how bad the situation will get, however I believe that the government of Canada must be ready to deal with whatever comes our way.

I urge the Liberal government to make sound financial decisions. They made many election promises this past fall, however, in light of new economic realities; I recommend that the government take this into account. What started out as a promise to run small deficits could turn into the government running larger than expected short falls. As a father and a grandfather, I want to be able to leave our country in good financial shape for the next generation. I do not want our grandchildren inheriting a debt that we could have otherwise avoided. I know that governments cannot control the economy, but they can influence the economy by how they react and stimulate the various sectors. This is not the time to increase taxes!

In addition to the economy, I also urge the Liberal Government to take seriously the issue of doctor assisted suicide. I have been clear that I oppose assisted suicide, not only is it a slippery slope, I also believe that it’s wrong. The Liberal Government has been given a four month extension to make a decision on which direction they will go and I urge them to do the right thing.

Rest assured that as your Member of Parliament, I will work tirelessly to defend the value of life.