MP looks back on 2023, and forward to 2024
Before the New Year, the River Valley Sun reached out to elected officials in our coverage area to reflect on the past year and look at plans and challenges for the coming year.
Here is Tobique-Mactaquac MP Richard Bragdon’s response to our question regarding his riding.
RVS: What do you see as the highs and lows of this last year in Parliament?
RB: Canadians are struggling from coast to coast and in our region especially. The cost of living is out of control due to the high tax, inflationary policies of the Liberal Government. Yet, I have hope in that I have also witnessed incredible resiliency and determination amongst Canadians in that they know that our perils pale in comparison to our potential.
RVS: How do you view the tone of debate in the House of Commons?
RB: The tone is what it is, and some would say what it has always been at times when there’s a build-up to an election. In a healthy democracy, debate should always be welcome. One factor that I believe has contributed to it, is the bullying type of approach the governing Liberals have taken in the way they deliberately name call, and marginalize, anyone or group of people who happen to disagree with them.
RVS: What are people bringing up to you in your visits related to the issues they’d like addressed?
RB: The biggest issues are the soaring costs of living and the carbon tax. We, as the Official Opposition, have repeatedly called on the Government to Axe the Tax to help address the cost-of-living crisis. When you tax the farmer who grows the food and the trucker who trucks the food, you tax everyone who buys the food.
RVS: Just before Christmas, your party voted against helping Ukraine, with your leader calling it a ‘far-away’ country, adding that we have to do more for people at home. At the same time, your party also voted against several programs that would help your constituents, like dental, school food programs, etc. How do you reconcile that when you represent a riding with many taxpayers who are facing economic hardship?
RB: As I mentioned above, the Liberals have devolved into wedge politics intended to play games and divide Canadians. Our party has and continues to stand with the people of Ukraine. But when the Liberals tie that vote to a Carbon Tax vote, they are only interested in playing petty politics and not helping Canadians or Ukrainians, for that matter. That is why we, as the Official Opposition, voted non-confidence over 130 times in the Liberal/NDP in this last session of Parliament.
Canadians are demanding relief and want a change in government sooner rather than later. It is also beyond rich for this Liberal Government to beat its chest about standing with Ukraine and standing up to Russia when it hasn’t lived up to its minimum NATO obligations in National Defence spending for the past eight years and will continue by further cutting of Defence budget by over a billion dollars this year alone.
