The End of an Era/New Beginnings

[:en]The End of an Era

It was with heavy hearts and deep sorrow that Canadians took in the news that our Head of State, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, had died.
Most of us have not lived a day of our lives in which Elizabeth was not Queen.
In these uncertain and tumultuous times in which we live, there has always been one constant presence in our lives that exemplified stability: Elizabeth.
Now she is gone.
Early in her life, the Queen—whose name means “my God is an oath”—made a commitment to God and to her people that hers would be a life of service.
From her childhood, through the war years and throughout her reign as Queen, Her Majesty served the UK, Canada, and the Commonwealth with a humility, grace, and dedication to duty that is unparalleled.
Personally, I was always inspired by Her Majesty’s devotion to her people, her unwavering sense of dedication and duty as monarch, and, most of all, her deep devotion to her Christian faith.
My thoughts, prayers, and most sincere condolences go out to the Royal Family. It is my hope the Queen’s deep faith in her own King and Saviour Jesus Christ, of which she always spoke openly and fondly, will be a great comfort to the family during this most difficult time.
Serving Provencher as a Member of Her Majesty’s Government and Her Majesty’s Loyal Opposition has been one of the greatest honours of my life. It is an honour I look forward to continuing under the reign of our new Monarch: His Majesty King Charles III.
God save the Queen.
God save the King. Long may he reign.

New Beginnings

On Saturday evening, the Hon. Pierre Poilievre was elected as the new leader of the Conservative Party of Canada.
I’m pleased with the result. I was there, in Ottawa, for the announcement and it was a very exciting night for Conservatives and for Canada.
Obviously, I endorsed Dr. Leslyn Lewis, largely due to her strong positions on social conservative issues. Those are very important to me, and to many here in Provencher. That said, Pierre was always a very close second for me. It was a tough decision as they both bring a lot of great things to the table. I’m sure Leslyn will feature prominently in our next Conservative Government. I’m excited to have Pierre as our leader.
Canadians are tired of Justin Trudeau. Tired of scandal, hypocrisy, and failure. Over the course of the leadership campaign, Pierre showed he was not only a viable alternative but brought hope to Canadians—across the political spectrum—who are struggling to get by under this Liberal Government.
Pierre and I worked together on the Finance Committee. We’ve spent time together, gone for dinner together. His intellect, political skill, work ethic, and energy are hard to match. He’s always the most prepared guy in the room.
Pierre knows our nation’s finances backwards and forwards. He knows what needs to be done to get Canada back on track.
Pierre recognizes that government leaders are the servants, the Canadian people are the masters. That’s been his whole message. Ditch the government gatekeepers who have assumed way too much control over people’s lives, have government provide the basic services it’s there to provide, and, other than that, just get out of the way. Let Canadians live their lives.
I am excited for the days ahead.

[:]