This is the speech I delivered at my recent meet and greet in Whitehorse.
Good evening, everyone. Thank you for being here tonight.
It’s a privilege to stand before you as I seek the Conservative Party
nomination to represent the Yukon as the common-sense candidate in the
next federal election.
The Yukon is a special place because of you all. It's the people—resourceful,
and determined—who make this territory extraordinary.
As someone who was raised and grew up in rural Yukon, I’ve seen the
resilience of our communities first hand.
And I’ve benefitted firsthand from the hard work of the generations of
Yukoners who came before me.
We grew up in communities where you could realistically and reliably get a
job that would pay you enough to cover your housing and grocery costs.
Where daily break-ins and weekly police operations weren’t the norm.
Where a young child could walk to and from school without their parents
worrying.
A community where neighbours didn’t have to install surveillance cameras
because of their car being broken into or their property stolen.
To be honest I took these opportunities for granted.
Because now as I raise my two young children I look around and I wonder
what happened?
Our cost of living is through the roof due to government policies such as the
carbon tax and excessive spending.
Housing is scarce and more expensive.
And crime is up significantly.
And as a result, Yukoners are falling further behind.
They are falling behind in their bill payments and in achieving progress
towards their dreams.
In fact, they are falling so far behind, the dream of owning a home and
raising a family here is now completely out of reach for many in our
community.
As a father and a proud Yukoner this concerns me.
And the driving reasons I have put my name forward to be the Conservative
candidate in the next federal election.
I can’t sit back and watch the opportunities my generation benefitted from
disappear for the next generation of Yukoners.
First - community safety and crime.
It’s clear that in the past decade there have been significant changes made
by the current Liberal government in Ottawa to policy and legislation that
have negatively impacted safety in our communities.
Property crime in the Yukon jumped by 42% since 2015 and violent crime
skyrocketed by 47% over that same time period.
But statistics don’t reflect the personal experiences.
Last week, my son’s school was thrown into a lockdown while the RCMP
executed a major operation to apprehend criminals who had stolen guns.
Shockingly it was found that at least one of these criminals was out on bail
and another was back out on the streets later that week.
Last year my family had to deal with a scary situation as our neighbour’s
house was broken into by a man in a mask carrying a shot gun – 15 feet
from my front door.
Police had to interview us at our house and there’s no easy way to explain
to a 6-year-old why the police are walking around your house carrying guns.
My story is just one of hundreds in the Yukon today as the Liberal
government’s approach to crime has made people feel less safe in our own
homes and in our neighbourhoods.
They have made it harder for prosecutors and police to keep repeat
offenders behind bars. Many times, criminals are back on the streets before
victims have any chance to recover.
This is why I firmly believe in the necessity of ensuring violent criminals stay
behind bars where they belong.
On the topic of affordability and housing we are now seeing the results of a
decade of government not properly planning for the future.
The carbon tax - which does nothing but make your groceries more
expensive - wasteful spending, the promotion of immigration at non-
sustainable levels without any plan for where people will live or afford a
home, and no plan for housing development beyond talking points.
And it is on these issues that the Yukon has lacked a voice in Ottawa over
the last decade.
Take the carbon tax for example.
Last fall, amidst the growing unpopularity of the Carbon Tax , Justin
Trudeau pandered and gave an exemption to Atlantic Canada with rebates
that Yukoners were not eligible for.
When it came time to look at an exemption to help out Yukoners our
current MP was nowhere to be found.
I can promise you, if given the honour to represent you, I won’t just ask for
exemptions, I’ll be pushing to axe the tax.
One final example is housing development.
In 2018, the Liberals promised they would release surplus and underutilized
federal lands for housing development throughout Canada.
While we have seen these lands roll out throughout Canada, here in the
Yukon, what has happened in the 6 years since they first made this
promise? Nothing.
In fact, it was not until I raised this issue at council and brought forward a
resolution to have the City of Whitehorse express concern over the lack of
urgency on housing by the Liberals that we saw any movement.
And even then, all they were able to muster was to re-announce their 2018
commitment. No plan. No timeline. No action.
The Yukon needs a champion.
I’m running for this nomination because I believe in the Yukon and the
people who live here. To serve our community with dedication and
integrity.
My roots here are deep, and my commitment to you is strong. I will fight
for the issues that matter, whether it’s protecting jobs, keeping our streets
safe, getting homes built, or making life more affordable.
I will be your advocate, your representative, and your voice in Ottawa.
I will listen to your concerns, and I will work tirelessly to ensure the Yukon’s
priorities are heard and respected.
Tonight, I’m asking for your trust and your support as we get ready for
when the federal election is called.
Together, we can build a better Yukon in which our economy thrives, our
families can afford a good life, and where our communities are safe from
repeat offenders.
It’s time for change, and for an MP who puts Yukoners first.
Let’s send a strong message to Ottawa that Yukoners demand better—and
we won’t settle for anything less.
Thank you. I’m excited to get to work.