Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre addressed his party’s caucus on Dec. 14 and encouraged MPs and senators to give a helping hand to their constituents who are struggling as they return to their ridings over the holiday season.
“Remember, our job is always always to stand on the side of the common people, their paycheques, their savings, their homes, their country,” Poilievre said in Ottawa during the final caucus meeting of the current parliamentary sitting.
Poilievre mentioned all the themes he’s made central in his bid for party leadership and through work in the Commons since taking the helm in late summer.
The Tory leader had put substantial emphasis on the soaring price of housing in recent months, but rising interest rates, while cooling the market, have not made access to property easier.
“Housing prices are going down but monthly payments are going up which means buyers and sellers are losing. Many Canadians fear they might not be able to pay their mortgages as the rates hit higher and higher,” he said.
The Bank of Canada has increased its policy rate a full 4 points since March to bring down inflation.
Poilievre blamed the Trudeau government for inflation due to spending causing “inflationary deficits” and criticized the Carbon Tax that was targeted by his party with several defeated motions in the House in recent weeks.
“We will put legal limits on spending to bring down inflation, we will ax the carbon tax so that Canadians can keep the tax off [and] keep the heat on.”
While the Conservatives have focused on the issue of affordability during the first months of the fall sitting, it was Poilievre’s comment on Bill C-21 that drew a standing ovation from caucus members.
The Liberals’ recently proposed amendments to Bill C-21 that would ban a number of hunting and sports rifles have also drawn opposition from the NDP.
“We know that it’s not grandpa Joe’s hunting rifle in Cape Breton or in Wainwright that is committing crimes in downtown Toronto,” Poilievre said.
He said that most crime guns are illegally smuggled from the United States.
Poilievre said none of the gun crimes will be solved by banning hunting rifles and that “not a single solitary criminal is going to turn in their gun.”
