I would like to take this opportunity to thank voters for re-electing me to the House of Commons in October. It is a tremendous honour and privilege as well as important responsibility to represent my constituents in Ottawa. The need to continually earn your trust is something that I will never take for granted.
We are very fortunate to live in a democracy where governments can change peacefully and where people can choose who represents them, so I thank the other candidates for contesting the election and for their willingness to serve our communities.
Over the past number of months, I spoke with thousands of constituents, many of whom have been out of work for a long time. I spoke to many people who expressed frustration about how the lack of pipeline capacity is impacting our economy and job prospects, and how the current federal government has made problems worse through policies such Bills C-69 and C-48. Others expressed concerns about mounting deficits and multiple ethical scandals.
The current government was re-elected with a minority mandate and my opposition colleagues and I will be the government in waiting—ready to form a government if the current one loses the confidence of the House of Commons. I will work with this government if it is willing to take immediate steps to ensure the Alberta economy gets back on track, and I will vigorously oppose the government if it continues to harm the workers and families of Calgary Rocky Ridge through bad policy and indifference.
Once again, thank you for placing your trust in me as your Member of Parliament. I will provide a strong voice in Ottawa and assistance in my Calgary office for those having problems with departments or agencies of the federal government.