0:05
And and Mr. Speaker, we we get into
0:08
politics for a reason.
0:11
And when uh I first put my name forward
0:18
there there is a uh things that you
0:21
stand for and believe it.
0:24
Things like putting Canada first no
0:26
matter what the circumstances.
0:28
things like ensuring that you are always
0:31
going to put your country first when it
0:33
comes to the deliberations in this place
0:35
when it comes to your actions. And Mr.
0:38
speaker. That is why I am so proud to
0:42
stand with Danielle and stand with my
0:46
family and offer my seat uh the the to
0:51
offer to resign my seat to Pierre Paul
0:54
of the leader of Canada's Conservatives
0:56
because the that man I truly believe is
1:00
the right man to lead this party to be
1:02
the leader of the opposition in this
1:04
parliament. And Mr. Speaker, my belief
1:06
before and my belief remains today that
1:10
Pierre Polyv is the right man to be
1:13
prime minister of Canada.
1:24
And and Mr. Speaker, I would ask
1:29
the people who overwhelmingly put their
1:31
trust in me and Battle River Crowoot. I
1:33
was honored to receive more than 80% of
1:36
the vote. An incredible, I think,
1:39
affirmation of not just myself,
1:43
Mr. Speaker, because politics should
1:44
never be about oneself, unlike what so
1:47
many of the Liberals make it about.
1:49
Politics needs to be about doing what's
1:51
best for your country. So for the people
1:54
of Battle River Crowoot, you put your
1:57
trust in me. I have a simple request to
2:01
I would ask that you trust me as I ask
2:04
you in this upcoming bi-election to put
2:08
your trust in Pierre Polyv and elect him
2:11
as the member of parliament for Battle
2:13
River Crawford for the remainder of this
2:15
parliament as he will fight for you in
2:19
rural East Central Alberta and as he
2:22
fights to represent Canadians. the
2:26
common sense vision that so many
2:28
Canadians, in fact, many Canadians put
2:30
their trust in for the first time in
2:32
this election. More than eight million
2:33
Canadians voted conservative in this
2:36
last election. More than 41% of the
2:38
population voted conservative in the
2:40
last election. So to the people of
2:42
Battle River Crowoot, you trusted me.
2:45
I'm asking you to trust me once again as
2:49
I ask you to support Pierre Polyv as he
2:53
runs in an upcoming bi-election in
3:04
Mr. Speaker, our country faces
3:06
significant challenges.
3:08
Significant challenges that require real
3:11
action and a real plan. We face a
3:14
national unity crisis. It is not
3:16
something that can simp simply be uh
3:19
flippantly dismissed by those in other
3:22
parts of the country that would suggest
3:23
that Alberta, for example, should simply
3:25
pay up and shut up. No, I'm sorry. That
3:28
is not what Alberta should do. Alberta,
3:36
Alberta deserves a fair voice in the
3:39
just like every province. I heard
3:41
earlier as a colleague a new colleague
3:42
from Newfoundland had a similar
3:44
sentiment. I've heard the same thing as
3:46
I've spoken with colleagues from from uh
3:49
every region of our country. There is
3:52
challenges that our nation faces and it
3:54
deserves more than platitudes and a
3:56
decade of the of the same failed
3:59
ideology that got us into the disastrous
4:01
position we find ourselves in now.
4:05
And Mr. Speaker, as this is a debate on
4:08
the throne speech, as I listened to the
4:10
throne speech, it was an interesting mix
4:12
of things because you had a co-opting of
4:14
some of our ideas for political benefit,
4:16
but at the very root of it, you see that
4:19
the liberals are simply the same old uh
4:22
uh ideologues that we have seen for the
4:26
last decade that have eroded trust in
4:30
our institutions, that have held back
4:32
our economy, that have shut down our
4:34
resources, that have told Canadians that
4:36
their voices, their freedoms, and who
4:39
they are as people doesn't matter.
4:41
So, Mr. Speaker, as as I I have uh I as
4:45
I shared this decision, this offer a
4:48
number of weeks ago, and as uh over the
4:50
last number of weeks, spoken with
4:52
Canadians from coast to coast to coast
4:53
about this. I see so clearly how the uh
4:57
the vision that Conservatives brought
5:00
forward with leader Pierre Polyv in the
5:02
last in the last election is the uh
5:05
proposes the solutions that truly our
5:08
country needs. And Mr. Speaker, as I
5:10
stand here to offer my farewell address,
5:14
I look uh to a conservative team. In
5:18
fact, I had said earlier that it's
5:20
incredible. I I look back to the class
5:22
of 2019 and the class of 2025 is pretty
5:25
incredible. There's a depth of talent in
5:28
this team that we should and can be
5:30
proud of. But, Mr. Speaker, I know this
5:33
team will do incredible things.
5:35
And I look forward to being able to
5:38
champion the cause from outside the
5:40
House in the interim and I do to my
5:42
constituents, the many of of whom who
5:44
have asked whether or not this is me
5:46
retiring from politics. And the simple
5:48
answer is no. I don't plan to retire
5:50
from politics, but I am stepping aside
5:52
to ensure Thank you. to ensure that that
5:55
that this bi-election gets triggered.
5:59
But Mr. Speaker, as I conclude my
6:02
remarks, I would simply say this to
6:05
conclude where I started with a note of
6:07
thanks, a note of reflection, and a note
6:12
One is driven by things in one's life.
6:15
There's things in their heart that drive
6:17
them. You know, I think of my faith.
6:20
The fact that Jesus is my Lord and
6:22
Savior, the fact that there is
6:27
foundational beliefs that were taught to
6:30
by my dad, my mom, and family members,
6:34
my grandparents, my grandpas who aren't
6:37
with me any longer, that that there is
6:40
so much that we have to be proud of in
6:42
this country. So, Mr. Mr. Speaker, as I
6:44
conclude and as Danielle and I move on
6:46
to what is a bit of an unexpected
6:48
chapter of our lives, I would ask each
6:51
and every person in this house, fight
6:54
for Canada. Fight for what's right and
6:57
do so boldly and strongly because that's
7:00
the least we can do for the people that
