Shannon Stubbs, Member of Parliament for Lakeland and Conservative Shadow Minister for Energy and Natural Resources, continued to fight for the people and priorities of Lakeland in Parliament in the final 2 weeks of the Parliamentary session. She held the Liberals accountable for the high cost of living that Canadians continue to face, and the anti-development policies that hold Canadian energy development back, including the Prime Minister’s failure to make the legislative and regulatory changes necessary for a private sector proponent to build a Pacific pipeline, despite his promise to Canadians to make our country an energy superpower and build at unprecedented speeds, more than a year ago.

On June 16th, Stubbs asked the Prime Minister in Question Period on the affordability crisis that Canadians continue to face after 11 years of Liberal taxes, inflationary spending, and anti-development laws:

“The Prime Minister claims that affordability is the best it’s been in decades, but he should say that to the faces of the 1.5 million jobless Canadians, the 60% of people who are anxious about their finances and the 15,000 people who now use GoFundMe to pay for basics. Liberal taxes and inflationary spending hike the cost of living. Anti-development laws drive out jobs, innovation and $1 trillion in investment, like in the last five quarters. So: Canada is the only G20 country in a recession. When will the self-identified European PM reverse his costly recession policies so that Canadians here at home can afford to thrive, not just survive?”

Stubbs also rose after the Prime Minister spent nearly $1 million on in-flight catering in a single year on international flights, while Canadians struggle to afford the essentials: 

“The fact is that more Canadians than ever before need food banks and have to choose between eating, heating and driving. In a year, the PM spent almost $1 million on inflight cushy caviar catering for him and his cronies. That is enough to feed a family of four for 55 years. On one trip, he spent 175,000 tax dollars, which is 92% more than most people make in a year, if they have jobs at all. While he makes families spend over 120% of their income on rent and food alone, when will the PM cut inflationary spending and his luxury, high-flying lifestyle so that Canadians can afford to live and young Canadians can hope for their futures?”

On the need for certainty, clarity and for major project construction in Canada for national and geopolitical security, affordability, and Canadian sovereignty and self-reliance, Stubbs moved a motion in Natural Resources committee that called on the Liberals to live up to their promise and report to the House of Commons that a Pacific pipeline for Canadian energy exports to Asia is in the national interest: 

“The Prime Minister was elected on a promise to Canadians to pursue the construction of a pipeline to the Pacific of Canada’s most valuable exports of oil and gas … The issue I think we must be seized with is to join in the pressure to call aggressively for the full-scale legislative and regulatory reform that this country needs in order for our businesses to be able to compete primarily with the United States …  On behalf of all Canadians, I would say we agree that Canada is in a crisis and this has been a crisis that was preventable. The reason that Canada is in a vulnerable and isolated position playing catch-up now is because of the anti-development laws and policies that have been inflicted domestically. We will all work in partnership, as we have committed with the federal government, to ensure… that pipeline to the Pacific can get built. Conservatives support the construction of pipelines in all directions for Canada, for the benefit of all Canadians, without carbon taxes and without billions in corporate welfare that isn’t needed.”

Rather than support the motion, Liberal MPs immediately voted to adjourn debate right at the end of the Parliamentary session. In response, Stubbs spoke to the gap between Liberal promises and the lack of Liberal action:

“This is just another example of Liberals saying one thing and doing another. For months, Mark Carney and his Liberals have promised Canadians that they want to make Canada an energy superpower and to build at speeds not seen in generations. But more than a year after promising a Pacific pipeline, the truth is there’s still no route, no proponent, no federal Indigenous consultation started, no start date, and no construction at all … A pipeline to the Pacific would add over $31 billion to Canada’s economy every year and would support an average of 112,000 new jobs, a big deal given the same number of Canadians have lost their jobs just since this year began under Mark Carney … Conservatives will continue to support the accelerated construction of pipelines in all directions for the benefit of all Canadians, to increase Canadian production, Canadian exports, and Canadian and opportunities for strength here at home and for unbreakable leverage abroad..”

In Natural Resources committee on June 16th, Stubbs spoke to data from the Parliamentary Budget Officer that shows the Liberal Fuel Standard adds 13 cents per litre for gas and 16 cents per litre for diesel by 2030. In response, Margareta Dovgal, Managing Director of Resource Works, confirmed that Liberal policies continue to drive up costs for Canadians:

“A variety of policies, including the Clean Fuel Standard, are hidden costs on not just production of resources, but also on Canadian consumers and affordability … This government has said they want Canada to be an energy superpower. We’re still falling quite short of that.”

On the recent news that Alberta leads Canada in economic growth, while the rest of Canada stalls, Stubbs celebrated Alberta’s hard-fought achievements despite years of Liberal barriers to development: 

“Despite every roadblock, ban, punitive mandate, punishing tax, and the entire anti-development agenda that the federal Liberals have thrown down in Alberta’s path, Albertans continue to drive growth, create jobs, lead innovation, and generate opportunities for all Canadians … Meanwhile, nationally, under Mark Carney, Canada now stands alone as the only G20 country in a recession … Albertans stay adventurous, entrepreneurial and innovative – and produce the energy, the food, and the critical resources that fuel and power Canada’s economy. The truth is that by far and away, the province that can make the most impact to help Canada get out of the recession Carney caused, if he would now remove his anti-development agenda and get out of the way – is Alberta.”

Stubbs will continue to fight to lower costs for Canadians through reductions in inflationary spending, the removal of high Liberal taxes, the repeal and reform of anti-development Liberal laws, red tape, and bans that drive out investment, to turbo charge private sector construction of major projects, including pipelines in all directions, for strength here at home and unbreakable leverage abroad.