Kelowna-Lake Country MP questions if there's a Team Canada approach with parliament prorogued

MP condemns tariffs

The ever-changing tariff threats from U.S. President Donald Trump and his administration are unjustified and represent a serious economic threat to every Canadian.

My Conservative colleagues and I strongly condemn Trump’s latest threats targeting Canadian steel and aluminum workers and manufacturers. The imposition of U.S. tariffs are an unprovoked attack on our economy and people. They will weaken both our countries’ economies making Canadians and Americans worse off.

We need a plan and strong leadership to see that plan through. It has become apparent now, more than ever, we need to meet this issue head on and respond with strength and decisiveness within parliament in Ottawa.

The summary of the announced Canada First Conservative plan includes retaliating dollar-for-dollar to U.S. tariffs, helping affected workers and businesses with tariff revenue, bringing in a tax cut on work, investment, energy and homebuilding, canceling the anti-energy law C-69 and greenlighting resource projects, removing interprovincial trade barriers and rebuilding our military and taking back control of our borders.

In addition, specifically on steel and aluminum, we must combat illegal dumping and unfair trade practices by China. We must also stop the imposition of a new “shadow” (Prime Minister Mark Carney’s own word) carbon tax on industries, such as steel and aluminum that he stated he wants to impose.

On top of that, Canada’s non-partisan Parliamentary Budget Officer just released a new report revealing the Liberal government’s polices of capping Canadian energy will cut GDP by $20.5 billion annually and eliminate 54,000 full-time jobs by 2032. That is at a time when Canada should be doing the opposite by expanding energy production and securing global markets.

These are policies and issues that should be brought forth in Ottawa for debate and votes now but, as a reminder, the government prorogued parliament, with all activities in the House of Commons, at parliamentary committees and in the Senate suspended.

Since December, parliamentarians from all parties have been stripped of their ability to respond to these tariff threats in parliament and bring the voices of our communities to Ottawa. I can’t express enough how that is affecting work that should be done.

Liberal supporters talk about a “Team Canada” approach but that is hard to accept with parliament shut down since December.

As a parliamentarian, I am unable to question relevant ministers or government officials in committees about pressing topics I hear from residents in my community, such as the upcoming Canada Disability Benefit, removing interprovincial trade barriers, the excessive processing times for farmers to get their seasonal workers, crime in the community due to the “revolving door” bail system or the federal bureaucracy increasing homebuilding costs.

The fact is Canada is entering this U.S. tariff situation already economically weakened. Over the past nine years of the current government, we’ve seen hundreds of billions of dollars of investment put on hold or leave Canada, hundreds of thousands of good-paying resource sector jobs lost, tax increases, the national debt double, housing costs double, productivity decline (meaning the quality of life declines) and a consistently low Canadian dollar (already making items purchased from the U.S. more expensive).

Once we are back in Ottawa, I’ll be looking to fight for (Kelowna-Lake Country) residents and for a Canada that is stronger and more self-reliant. That means re-building the economy and becoming less dependent on the U.S., as well as rejecting the high-tax and anti-resource agenda that has pushed good jobs out of Canada and limited resource production, stopped the expansion of LNG infrastructure and has prevented getting resources to overseas markets.

I’ll also be looking to support legislation to reduce crime and help those suffering from addiction.

It has been an honour to serve the residents of Kelowna-Lake Country since 2019. I will continue to reach out to people and organizations in the community in order to stand up in Ottawa for the community. I look forward to your feedback.

Feel free to reach out to me if you have thoughts to share regarding American tariffs and Canada’s response.

My office has Canada flags and pins and offer parliamentary certificates for special occasions or to recognize contributions of residents in the community.

Please reach out to 250-470-5075 or [email protected] if you need assistance with any federal programs.

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.

Affordability concerns remain top issue says MP

Cost of living concerns

As Canada continues to face many issues, one remains especially pressing among many Kelowna-Lake Country residents I speak to—they are struggling to afford basic necessities.

The cost of living crisis facing Canadians has not eased and this is before any potential tariffs, which would lead to even more uncertainty. The cost of living crisis has developed largely due to continual tax increases and inflationary spending by the Liberal government.

A wide range of metrics have shown how bad costs have gotten over the last nine years. Since 2015, home ownership, rent, and mortgage costs have all doubled. A 2024 Statistics Canada study found nearly half of Canadians are very concerned about housing affordability because of rising costs. Tent encampments continue to grow in our region and across Canada, as far too many experience homelessness - including chronic homelessness.

Child poverty has increased by the largest amount on record. Food banks had an unprecedented two million visits from Canadians in a single month, as the price of food has increased by 35% since 2015. The price of gasoline, another important essential, has soared by nearly 50% since 2015.

January’s MNP Consumer Debt Index update (which gauges how Canadians feel about their ability to pay down debt) shows more bad news: Fifty per cent of Canadians are now $200 or less away from not being able to pay their bills, 41% are worried someone in their household could lose their job and 50% are worried about their ability to repay their debts.

The Canadian dollar has consistently remained low since 2015. For many industries, that means the costs of anything purchased from the U.S. are higher, even before tariffs. I recently spoke to a property manager who said between carbon taxes and cost increases on building maintenance items, decisions may have to be made to reduce or delay needed maintenance.

The government’s focus to shut down resource sectors, its inability to negotiate a softwood lumber agreement with the U.S., its high taxes, and red tape policies have driven hundreds of billions of dollars of investment out of Canada, weakening our economy. The threats to jobs are real as Canada undergoes the worst economic growth out of all the G7 countries. Inflation also crept up this last month.

Government measures to combat the affordability crisis have been woefully ineffective, as they do not address the causes of unaffordability. An example is the recent two-month GST holiday on items like candy, chips and restaurant orders. The Canadian Federation of Independent Business stated it “didn’t actually translate into tangible benefits for their businesses,” a sentiment shared by the B.C. Restaurant and Food Services Association.

The payment processing company, Moneris reported that during the first month of the GST holiday (December 2024 - January 2025) overall spending in Canada declined by 4% year-over-year.

Canada’s Food Price Report 2025 predicted the average family of four will pay $800 more for groceries this year compared to last. Again, all of this is before any potential tariffs.

These affordability issues are happening as the Liberal Party of Canada has shut down Parliament and is undergoing a race to replace its leader. Despite the many affordability challenges facing Canadians, the Liberals seem to be running under the assumption that if their party figurehead changes, Canadians will forget the effects of the policies Liberals supported, passed, and defended for nine years. You can’t erase the Liberal record on the economy and the cost of living crisis.

The continuation of inflationary spending – to be paid for by higher taxes and more deficit spending - is being pursued in some form by all Liberal leadership candidates. This is the last thing Canadians need in the face of an ongoing affordability crisis.

We need to stop tax increases and inflationary spending. Conservatives will fix the budget, cut bureaucracy, red tape, consultants, corporate welfare and other wasted money, axe the carbon tax for everyone for good and pass a tax cut on work, investment, savings, homebuilding and producing goods in Canada. We will bring home affordability for all Canadians.

Feel free to reach out to me if you have thoughts to share regarding affordability and the cost of living crisis. Our office has Canada flags and pins and offer Parliamentary Certificates for special occasions or to recognize contributions of residents in our community.

Please reach out to 250-470-5075 or [email protected] if you need assistance with any federal programs.

Tracy Gray is the Conservative MP for Kelowna-Lake Country.

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.

Canada must eliminate interprovincial trade barriers

Interprovincial trade

Ongoing tariff threats from the United States continue to create instability and uncertainty for Canada, including recent threats to Canadian steel and aluminum.

That has made one thing evidently clear—Canada needs to prioritize its economic self-sufficiency. One key way is to strengthen interprovincial trade (internal trade across provinces and the federal government) by eliminating barriers making that difficult.

Currently, trade barriers between provinces are often more costly than trade barriers between Canada and other nations. For example, in 2023, international trade was worth 66% of Canada’s GDP, while interprovincial trade was only worth 36%. It shouldn’t be easier to trade outside of Canada than within Canada – especially given how resource-rich our country is. This federal government’s anti-pipeline and and-resource development laws and policies and contradictory bureaucratic and legislative barriers all harm Canada’s capacity for internal trade.

Economist Trevor Tombe estimated that eliminating all interprovincial trade barriers would boost Canada’s economy by as much as 7.9% generating an economic boost of $200 billion per year, or $5,100 per person.

In my former roles as the official Opposition shadow minister for Interprovincial Trade, and shadow minister for Export Promotion and International Trade, those barriers were issues I became familiar with and routinely raised with the Minister of Trade.

Interprovincial trade barriers were also cited as a major issue by several expert witnesses who came before the Trade Committee.

Unfortunately, my concerns and those of other Conservatives, as well as concerns raised by key industry representatives, were not addressed or prioritized by the Liberal government. In fact in 2017, the government announced with fanfare what it called a historic agreement for internal trade in Canada. The agreement, however, had over 130 pages of exemptions, an unbelievable level of red tape.

At a time of international trade uncertainty, the glaring results of internal trade not being prioritized by the government over the past nine years has come into full view, with it only now stating it wants to prioritize internal trade. It’s too little too late.

Free trade in Canada will likely not be enough to displace the U.S. market, but Conservatives have a plan to start bringing home more business and make Canada more self reliant and less dependent on forces and countries out of our control by removing interprovincial trade barriers.

The four-point plan includes:

First, within 30 days of forming government, the Conservatives would bring together the premiers to agree on removing as many exemptions as possible.

Second, Conservatives would prioritize an agreement on a standard set of trucking rules to increase the flow of goods in Canada. Thiat standardization is estimated could boost GDP by $1.6 billion.

Third, we would create a Blue Seal professional licensing standard, recognized in each province, so doctors, nurses and engineers could work in all provinces and territories. That would also allow Canadians trained abroad who return to Canada to quickly get certified following Canadian standards.

Last, provinces would be offered a “free trade bonus” to get a deal done. Every trade barrier removed by provinces will generate more GDP, and more revenue – in fact, Scotiabank has predicted removing those barriers would generate an extra $15 billion in annual revenue. Conservatives plan to give that increased revenue back to provinces that remove trade barriers so they can spend it on schools, hospitals, and whatever else Premiers choose.

My Conservative colleagues and I know it isn’t enough to just have a plan, we need to be able to make it happen. Unfortunately, the House of Commons remains prorogued (shut down) by the government, prioritizing its own internal political party politics instead of important legislative work. That means there is also no ability to hold the government to account, question the government, or represent constituents’ voices in Ottawa by MPs. As such, Conservatives are putting Canada first by continuing to call for the reopening of Parliament so MPs can urgently address the threats posed by tariffs and other important issues, including acting on removing interprovincial trade barriers.

Feel free to reach out to me if you have thoughts to share regarding interprovincial trade and/or economic self-sufficiency.

My office also has Canada flags and pins and offers Parliamentary certificates for special occasions or to recognize contributions of residents in our community. Please reach out to 250-470-5075 or t[email protected] if you need assistance with any federal programs.

Tracy Gray is the Conservative MP for Kelowna-Lake Country.

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.

A challenging and uncertain start to 2025 says MP

Parliamentry work to do

Parliament remains prorogued (shut down), with all parliamentary activities in the House of Commons, parliamentary committees and the Senate suspended. Instead of focussing on issues that matter to residents in my community and Canadians across the country, the governing Liberals are now focused on choosing a new political party leader.

This is irresponsible given the many issues facing Canadians, including, as of the writing of this, tariff threats which pose an economic crisis.

The United States’ administration stated it wants to stop the illegal flow of drugs and other criminal activity at the border. Canada’s federal government even admitted the weak border is a problem.

Over the past nine years, due to the government’s fiscal and economic decisions, Canada grew its national debt to the highest it’s ever been, $176 billion worth of proposed resource projects or investments were cancelled, real GDP per capital declined, productivity declined and the Canadian economy is in an overall weakened position.

Many residents (in my riding) are already struggling financially. The input I receive from conversations, whether at my community office, at community events or on people’s doorsteps is similar—many personal stories of people struggling to pay their bills and who are concerned about planning for their future. Despite that, the Liberals are still focused on themselves.

The governments capital gains tax increase is set to continue according to the Canada Revenue Agency, even though Parliament is prorogued. Legislation on the tax hike was not debated or voted on in the House of Commons. I’ve heard overwhelmingly from industry leaders and experts how that is driving investment out of Canada, reducing our competitiveness and affecting retirement plans.

Canada’s independent and non-partisan Parliamentary Budget Officer confirmed in a recent report that federal finance decisions have created higher deficits, downplayed risks, made assumptions lacking transparency and increased financial risks.

The PBO also released a report regarding core housing needs of Canadians. The report demonstrated the mortgage debt per person for homeowners rose from $45,488 in 2015 to $65,604 in 2023 and is forecasted to be a shocking $74,424 by 2027.

That is a direct result of “rising interest rates and rising average mortgage debt,” as per the report. The PBO also stated rents are 26% higher today than they would have been as a result of not enough homes being built and because of the federal government losing control of immigration.

In addition, housing inflation is rising faster in Canada than in any other G7 country.

The MNP Consumer Debt Index report gages how Canadians feel about their ability to pay down debt. Half of Canadians now believe they will not be able to cover all their living and family expenses in the next 12 months without going further into debt.

On top of that, many retirees are increasingly needing to dip into their savings. I talked to a single senior just a few days ago who told me he was having to subsidize his modest living expenses each month from his savings. He estimated having only about 13 months before running out and didn’t know what he is going to do after that.

All those reasons, and others, have led to Conservatives calling for the reopening of Parliament, if the (prime minister) won’t call an election, so Canadians can decide on a government that has a clear mandate.

Canada must pass new border controls, agree on trade retaliation and prepare a plan to rescue Canada’s ailing economy. We simply cannot afford weak leadership during this unprecedented time for Canada.

There are so many important issues on top of these that we should be focusing on in Ottawa, including increases in taxes, crime, drug overdoses, homelessness, addiction and our national debt. Parliament and its committees were seized at the end of last year dealing with corruption, conflict of interest issues and the misappropriation of funds within several federal government programs.

There is much work to do in 2025, and beyond, to restore the promise of Canada and fix what this Liberal government has broken. Conservatives do not have confidence in the Liberal team, regardless of which long-time insider may become their leader.

Canada’s Conservatives are ready to meet these challenges and will bring home the Canada we love can all be proud of.

Feel free to reach out to me if you have thoughts to share how to best represent Kelowna-Lake Country in 2025.

My office has Canada flags and pins and offer parliamentary certificates for special occasions or to recognize contributions of residents in the community.

Please call 250-470-5075 or email [email protected] if you need assistance with any federal programs.

Tracy Gray is the Conservative MP for Kelowna-Lake Country.

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.