Alex Ruff, Member of Parliament for Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound issued the following statement in response to the Liberal Government’s 2021 Speech from the Throne:
“On November 23rd, Her Excellency the Right Honourable Governor General Mary May Simon delivered the Liberal Government’s Speech from the Throne. The speech was broad in scope, and empty in substance. The speech re-announced many of the same recycled, and still unfulfilled promises from 2015; six years later.
“What deeply concerns me, is the lack of attention paid to important issues constituents of Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound are facing. There was no mention of plans to increase, or invest in, rural broadband and the rural infrastructure needed to accelerate economic development, growth, and opportunities in the region. Constituents have been waiting for high-speed, reliable broadband for far too long, and the Liberals have failed to announce concrete plans once again to address this pressing issue.
“I was also disappointed to see there was no mention of the labour shortages many businesses and agri-businesses are currently facing. With businesses short hundreds of thousands of workers in Ontario alone, this does not appear to be a priority for the government. It is imperative the government takes action to address the labour shortages we are currently experiencing before we see the impacts disrupting supply chains, and we feel the consequences when we reach for products on grocery store shelves.
“Most notably, inflation and rising costs of living are significant issues all Canadians are facing, yet, in the Speech from the Throne, there were no concrete measures introduced on how the government plans to address this. Younger Canadians are being priced out of homes in their own neighborhoods, seniors on fixed incomes are struggling to afford the essentials, and parents are feeling pressured by the rising costs of feeding their families. It is my sincere hope the government makes this a higher priority in this session of parliament.
“There was more missing from the 2021 Throne Speech than what was included, clearly demonstrating how out of touch this Liberal Government is with regular Canadians. No mention of our Canadian Armed Forces, no thanks or acknowledgement of our farmers who have ensured Canada’s food supply remained stable during the pandemic, and no concrete plans to address the issues impacting Canadians across the country. My Conservative colleagues and I will continue to hold the government to account to provide solutions to these important challenges.”
source: media release, Alex Ruff,MP
