All levels of government should have their spending examined meticulously, a task typically undertaken by opposition parties.

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More and more, I hear from my constituents about the same issue. The cost of groceries, insurance renewals, utility bills, wireless plans, "bring it back" smartphone charges, and mortgage or rent payments are all on the rise. For an increasing number of citizens, their income has not kept pace with the rising costs. This issue is especially problematic for those on a fixed income.

Given their unchanging income, these individuals need to find ways to cut costs. This typically means eliminating certain expenses or reducing spending to manage monthly bills. This is an uncomfortable reality for many, resulting in the dramatic increase in food bank usage.

Many governments, whether local, provincial, or federal, have noticed a rise in costs. However, they frequently fail to review existing spending and opt to increase taxes instead, overlooking the fact that many citizens can't afford to pay more. Indeed, in Ottawa, whenever we, as the Official Opposition, challenge the Trudeau Liberal government's current spending, the Prime Minister labels us as promoters of "austerity".

A quick search of Hansard shows that Prime Minister Trudeau has mentioned "austerity" over 70 times in the House of Commons. The issue is that all levels of government should have their spending examined meticulously, a task typically undertaken by opposition parties.

However, in Ottawa, we are facing an unusual scenario. The fourth party, NDP, has formed a partnership with the Trudeau Liberals, leading to consistent spikes in spending without sufficient accountability.

In this week's report, I'd like to illustrate a recent example. Conservative Senator Don Plett, who serves as the leader of the Opposition in the Senate, recently received a response to an Order Paper question. An Order Paper question is a written inquiry. After a 48-hour notice period, it is posted on the Order Paper. The expectation is that the responsible Minister will provide a comprehensive answer within 45 sitting days.

Senator Plett queried the Government of Canada about its expenditure on the "gun buyback program", announced by Prime Minister Trudeau on May 1st, 2020. Additionally, he sought to know the current number of staff working on this program.

The response to these questions was startling. The Government of Canada revealed that it has spent $41,904,556 - just under $42 million on this program. How many guns have been "bought back" under this program? The answer is none.

In summary, nearly $42 million has been spent on a so called “gun buyback” program that hasn't "bought back" a single gun in almost four years since Prime Minister Trudeau first announced the program.

My questions to you this week – should the federal government examine how your tax dollars are spent more closely? Or do you agree with Prime Minister Trudeau that this would just be “austerity”? Why or why not?

I can be reached at [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) or call toll-free 1-800-665-8711.

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Dan Albas is the Member of Parliament for the riding of Central Okanagan-Similkameen-Nicola and the Co-Chair of the Standing Joint Committee for the Scrutiny of Regulations. In addition, Dan co-chairs an All-Party Parliamentary Cancer Caucus. Dan's riding includes the communities of Kelowna (specific boundaries), West Kelowna, Peachland, Summerland, Keremeos, Hedley, Princeton, Merritt and Logan Lake.
You can reach Dan by calling 1-800-665-8711 or visit: DanAlbas.com
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Dan Albas MP
2562B Main Street
West Kelowna, British Columbia V4T 2N5
Canada

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