With 2016 drawing to a close it is a fitting time to look back at some of the highlights from the past year. We have seen a very stark contrast in how the new Liberal government will operate as opposed to the way the Conservatives did.
With 2016 drawing to a close it is a fitting time to look back at some of the highlights from the past year.
We have seen a very stark contrast in how the new Liberal government will operate as opposed to the way the Conservatives did. They have quickly fallen back on their instinct of borrow, tax and spend.
After campaigning to keep spending deficits to a maximum of $10 billion, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has completely flipped the script.
Their "modest deficits" will now add over $100 billion in debt to be paid for by future generations of Canadians, and pay for it by putting forward a wide range of new taxes, including increasing CPP contributions for employees and employers, and announcing a new carbon tax that will increase the already devastating provincial rate by 67 per cent.
As the official Opposition, the Conservative caucus has set our focus to be the voice of the taxpayer, to continue to be the only party to oppose the Liberal agenda of uncontrolled spending and deficits that have already led to higher taxes.
With that in mind my colleagues and I have launched the Alberta Jobs Task Force to hear directly from Albertans about what needs to be done to get people back to work in this province.
I have heard very strongly that in Alberta we do not want to have to rely on social benefits, which will have to be paid for by our children and grandchildren. We just want the government to get out of our way so we can create jobs.
On the the personal side, I have been named as the vice-chair for the Industry, Science and Technology Committee in Ottawa.
We have recently completed a study on the manufacturing sector and will be moving on to a study on broadband in Canada, which is of particular interest to people in our region.
I was honoured to take part in several international forums dealing with the global economy and security over the past few months that have taken me to Vancouver, Tbilisi (Georgia), Munich and Brussels.
I thank all of the residents of the Red Deer-Mountain View riding for your support over the past year and encourage everyone to continue bringing any questions or concerns with regard to the federal government to my attention in 2017.
So from my family to yours, I wish everyone a prosperous new year.
- Earl Dreeshen is the MP for the federal riding of Red Deer-Mountain View.
