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OPINION: The undemocratic Liberal leadership race

Opinion
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MP Damien Kurek. (Facebook photo)

I, alongside many Canadians, watched on January 6th as the Prime Minister announced his resignation. While I am glad he is leaving, he did so, in line with his legacy, in the most politically self-preserving and undemocratic way imaginable. 

It was the start of a new year like none other. What should have been a relief to Canadians, with widespread agreement, an election was needed, and the hope we could see a change to a commonsense governance return to Canada. To begin fixing the challenges we face, but instead became yet another one of Trudeau’s violations of Canada’s democracy and his desperate cling to power. 
Justin Trudeau announced his planned resignation as the Liberal Party leader and said that he will stay on as interim leader until the next leader is chosen. But here is the catch: until a leader is chosen—which is supposed to happen by the end of March—he has prorogued parliament.

The Governor General, on the advice of the Prime Minister, prorogued parliament (temporarily pausing and resetting the agenda of the current parliamentary session). Members of Parliament are locked out of the House of Commons for debates, which makes us unable to do our jobs until the next session begins. While this tool has been used in the past to help bring stability to our nation, Prime Minister Trudeau, supported by the NDP, did this at a time when our economy faces an existential threat of tariffs from the United States. This is akin to economic vandalism. 

Every Liberal MP in power today, and every potential Liberal leadership contender fighting to become an unelected Prime Minister, helped Justin Trudeau break the country over the last nine years and actively worked to pass into law the job-killing, inflationary carbon tax (a tax that front-runner Mark Carney has championed his entire career and even endorsed in his book).

All the candidates supported a law quadrupling the tax over the next five years, supported Trudeau’s out-of-control spending, debt and immigration, and policies that have doubled the cost of homes, censored your speech, taken away your freedoms, are taking firearms from law-abiding firearms owners while at the same time passed soft on crime policies causing chaos on our streets. 

Today, because of the damage done by the NDP/Liberals, Canada feels broken. And, the proof is that 41 per cent of Canadians are worried someone in their household could lose their job, 50 per cent are worried about their ability to repay their debts, and 50 per cent are now $200 or less away from not being able to pay their bills—an eight per cent increase from last year.

Canadians deserve a Carbon Tax election now. The prorogation has done nothing but paralyze Canada, making MPs unable to fight and stand up for their constituents. An election would allow citizens to stand up and fight for their rights to a democratic and fairly elected government.

This is why Pierre Poilievre, my Conservative colleagues, and I are not giving up. As your representative, I will remain committed to holding the NDP/Liberal Government to account, forcing an election at the first opportunity, and will run again with a plan and team to bring home a government that will not only make life affordable for Canadians but will help bring back the values of democracy, freedom, and prosperity that our great country is founded on.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding this column, you are encouraged to write Damien at 4945-50th Street, Camrose, Alberta, T4V 1P9, call 780-608-4600, text 403-575-5625, or e-mail damien.kurek@parl.gc.ca. You can also stay up to date with Damien by following him on social media @dckurek. If you require assistance regarding a Federal Government program, or need assistance and don’t know where to turn, feel free to reach out to MP Kurek’s office.