COLUMN: On Parliament Hill – Back in the House of Commons

This past week marked the return to Parliament after the summer recess. Members of Parliament spent the summer reconnecting with their communities, meeting with constituents, and listening to the concerns Canadians are facing.

There is always a certain buzz in Ottawa when Parliament resumes— a feeling I have experienced every fall since I entered politics over 12 years ago. Fall can bring a sense of new beginnings and renewed hope. But this year, that anticipation is accompanied by something else: a growing sense of trepidation.

I returned to a new committee this fall and will now be serving on the Standing Committee on Public Accounts. Its role is to provide parliamentary oversight of how the government manages and spends public money. At our first meeting, our sense of concern was reinforced.

We examined the Auditor General’s report on RCMP recruitment and learned that during the six-month period under audit, there was a net increase of only 62 officers with some departures outpacing new hires.

Consequently, the Auditor General concluded that the RCMP needed approximately 3,400 additional officers to meet its operational needs.

Yet, Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree, has repeated the government’s promise to hire 1,000 additional officers 45 times in the House of Commons—a commitment also repeated by the prime minister, the justice minister and the finance minister.

When the RCMP testified before committee, they indicated that Canadians could expect only 750 new officers and only over 3 years.

The contrast between the promise made in Parliament and the reality presented to the committee was striking. More importantly, it demonstrated exactly why parliamentary scrutiny and accountability matter.

While Parliament was not sitting, Canadians watched a steady stream of government announcements and decisions emerge through the news—sometimes reported first by U.S. media before Canadian outlets. Major developments involving trade, defence, energy, infrastructure and industrial policy, raised important questions about decisions being made without the advantage of parliamentary debate, scrutiny and accountability.

This is why Conservatives repeatedly called for Parliament to reconvene. Canadians deserve the opportunity to question the government, examine the evidence and hold ministers accountable for their decisions.

There is certainly enough evidence that warrants examination.

Just last week, the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development), a 38-member international organization that analyzes economic data and policies, released its latest forecast. It slashed projections for Canadian economic growth by 25 percent, from 1.2 percent to just 0.9 percent for 2026, while reducing its 2027 forecast from 1.7 percent to 1.3 percent. At the same time, it expects the U.S. economy to grow by 2.2 percent this year—more than twice Canada’s pace.

When the Liberal government was asked in question period about these concerning numbers, the response was essentially to stop “talking down Canada.”

If we collectively refuse to acknowledge what is plainly in front of us, perhaps we can convince ourselves there is no problem. But refusing to acknowledge bad news does not make it disappear.

This isn’t about talking Canada down. It’s about facing reality so we can rise up and do better.

Other reports emerging in recent weeks demonstrate just how deeply the affordability crisis is reaching into Canadian households. An RBC survey found that more than half of parents with adult children aged 18 to 40 provided financial support over the past year, with the average amount being $6,151—with nearly one in five contributing more than $10,000.

Meanwhile, the National Payroll Institute found that half of employed Canadians now spend all or more than all of their net pay, up sharply from 41 percent in 2025.

Clearly, when parents are subsidizing their adult children and half of working Canadians are spending every dollar they earn, or more, this is no longer simply a cost-of-living challenge. It is a warning that the Canadian dream of building a secure, independent life is becoming increasingly out of reach.

Business investment tells a similar story. Overall investment has declined in four of the last five quarters and remains essentially unchanged from when Mr. Carney took office. KPMG, one of the world’s largest professional-services and accounting firms, reported that 57 percent of Canadian manufacturers have paused, reduced or cancelled investment projects.

But not everyone is clutching their wallets.

Canadians get bigger bills while the prime minister lives by different rules. Worse yet, the PBO, the non-partisan Parliamentary Budget Officer, revealed apparent contradictions in reporting. Simply labelling spending an “investment” does not guarantee it will generate economic growth or deliver value for taxpayers.

It’s time for results.

Canada has everything it needs to be the best place in the world to build businesses, create jobs and invest in the future. Conservatives want to see real capital investment in Canadian factories, equipment, technology and people. It won’t happen through summits, announcements or memorandums of understanding alone. It starts by fixing the policies holding our country back—including fixing a broken tax and regulatory system that discourages investment.

It’s time to strip away the rhetoric and confront the reality.