Madam Speaker, as this is my first time rising to speak in the 45th Parliament, I want to begin by expressing my deep gratitude to the constituents of the newly redistributed riding of Battlefords—Lloydminster—Meadow Lake. I thank them for placing their trust in me to be their voice in this chamber.

It is truly an honour and a privilege to stand in this place, and I do so with a sense of deep responsibility, one that I do not take lightly. Of course, none of this would have been possible without the support of my family, volunteers and the many dedicated individuals who believe in our vision for a stronger Canada. I want to take a moment to thank them for standing with me. I want to especially thank my husband Adam and my children, Annabelle, William, Victoria and Eloise, for their unconditional love and their unconditional support. I also want to express my steadfast commitment to fighting for the change and hope needed to address the immediate challenges facing our country and to strengthen it for the next generation.

During the recent election, as I spoke with constituents, I heard the same concerns time and time again. The rising cost of living is making it harder for families to make ends meet, and many no longer feel safe in their own communities. While the issue of protecting our sovereignty was at the forefront of political discourse, the overwhelming concern I heard from constituents was about protecting the livelihoods and values that define our communities.

For a decade, the Liberal government has attacked the industries that form the backbone of our economy. The government has also threatened the values and way of life in Saskatchewan. My constituents want to know how we can chart a path forward that ensures our province has every opportunity to succeed. To unite our country and create an environment where every Canadian, regardless of where they live, can work hard and succeed requires a plan. Unfortunately, the only thing that the Liberal government's throne speech makes clear is that it does not have a plan.

While there are some lofty ideas in this speech, there are no details on how the Liberals will accomplish these goals and no specifics to give Canadians the confidence they need in the government's direction. A budget would provide that direction, but right out of the gate, the finance minister announced that the government would not be presenting a budget this year. Rightly, that declaration was met with immense blowback and criticism, not just from Conservatives, but from Canadians, political pundits and people from all sides of the political spectrum. After all that backlash, the government has backtracked just a little, promising a fall budget. However, a fall budget is simply not good enough. Serious leadership requires a plan and a plan that should be presented this spring.

The Prime Minister himself repeatedly said throughout the election that a “plan beats no plan”, yet here we are left wondering where that supposed plan is today. The throne speech offers nothing but vague rhetoric and lofty promises. It talks about wanting to bring down housing costs, which is a very important priority for many Canadians, especially young Canadians who have lost the dream of home ownership. However, instead of presenting a plan to cut the red tape that is driving up the cost of homes, the Liberal throne speech proposes a brand new bureaucracy. We need solutions that make housing more affordable, not more layers of red tape.

This lack of direction might stem from the very fact that the Prime Minister appointed a housing minister who has already publicly stated that, no, housing prices do not need to come down. How can Canadians trust the government to address the housing crisis when even its own minister does not believe in bringing prices down?

The Prime Minister also says that he wants to get big projects built, but his own ministers do not seem to agree. He has appointed many former Trudeau ministers who have actively worked to put up barriers and red tape, making it impossible to get big nation-building projects off the ground.

The lack of sincerity in wanting to get projects built is further evidenced by the Prime Minister's refusal to repeal the very laws that are stopping these projects, laws like Bill C-69, Bill C-48, the energy cap and the industrial carbon tax. These policies are suffocating our economy and job creation.

In fact, there is no direct mention of Canada's oil and gas sector in the throne speech, one of Canada's most important industries and the lifeblood of entire provinces. There is no mention of how we can get our energy to new markets and there is certainly no mention of how Canadian energy can displace our dependency on foreign oil from countries with lower environmental and human rights standards. There is no mention of how Canadian energy can help reduce our global energy dependence on those same countries.

This glaring omission in the throne speech speaks volumes about the government's priorities. It is not the bold leadership needed when our sovereignty and our economy are under attack. When outside forces are threatening our industries, we need a federal government that strengthens and protects them, not one that weakens and continues to undermine them.

Despite the talk of spending restraint, the throne speech offers no real numbers, no specific targets and certainly no credibility, especially after a decade of inflationary waste and economic decline. The tabling of the main estimates last week paints a distinctly different picture from the promise of spending restraint that was made in the throne speech. The Liberal government has tabled $486 billion in spending, and yet again, it has done this without the presentation of a budget. This is the first time in decades that this has been done, outside of the pandemic. This is not the change that Canadians wanted. This is a troubling continuation of the pattern we saw under Justin Trudeau: escalating spending with no clear plan on how the money will be spent efficiently or effectively.

The proposal would increase government spending by 8%, with much of that increase funnelled into bureaucracy, consultants and contractors, none of which will directly benefit Canadians who are struggling to make ends meet. The bureaucracy is set to grow by 6%, which is more than double the combined rate of inflation and population growth. What is worse is that spending on consultants is set to increase by 37%, reaching an astonishing $26 billion annually. This means that the average Canadian family will now be paying an extra $1,400 a year just to fund these consultants. In just this short time, the Prime Minister is proving to be even more expensive than Justin Trudeau, whom he advised.

At a time when Canadians are already faced with the highest inflation in decades, this reckless spending will only make life harder for everyday Canadians. The Liberals must stop burdening Canadians with debt and start implementing policies that make life more affordable. With no budget in sight and no clarity in the throne speech on how the government intends to tackle the challenges facing Canadians, it is clear that the repackaged Liberal government is not showing the leadership our country so desperately needs.

While the throne speech fails to offer the leadership Canadians need, Conservatives remain committed to holding the government to account and bringing about changes that will make this country more affordable, safer and self-reliant. We must work together to deliver the hope that Canadians are so desperate for. The Conservatives are committed to fighting for those priorities so that together, we can build a stronger Canada where all Canadians can get ahead and contribute to the success of our great country.

Rosemarie Falk

$489,664.00