- Member of Parliament
- Member of Parliament
- Conservative
- Kelowna—Lake Country
- British Columbia
- Voting Attendance: 68%
- Expenses Last Quarter: $131,412.70
- Government Page
- May/24/24 12:15:40 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to rise and present three petitions today on behalf of the residents of Kelowna—Lake Country and the region. I will be very brief.
The first petition is calling on the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship of Canada to make available a specialized permanent residency pathway for Ukrainians currently in Canada under the Canada-Ukraine authorization for emergency travel provisions. This pathway would not require them to have a Canadian citizen or permanent resident family member in Canada.
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- Jun/1/23 2:16:22 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, residents of Kelowna—Lake Country are increasingly disturbed by a Liberal government, propped up by the NDP, that does not seem to care that homelessness is on the rise. After eight years of the Liberal government, rents and the cost of owning a home have doubled, inflationary policies have poured fuel on the inflationary fire, interest rates are high and local food banks have 30% more people reaching out for help.
Encampments have now become common sights across the country, including in my community, but when I asked the housing minister what he thought about the average rent in Kelowna being over $1,900 a month, he said “it does not matter”. Instead of addressing crushing inflation and building homes, these left-wing Liberal and NDP politicians would rather defend people's living in tents. This creates safety issues for the greater community with potential fires and crime, and leaves vulnerable people to live in unsafe conditions where criminals prey on them.
An Auditor General's report noted that the federal government does not even know whether its billions of dollars spent have improved outcomes for people experiencing homelessness or chronic homelessness, or for other vulnerable groups. Every Canadian deserves a safe place to call home.
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- May/31/23 2:07:23 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I am honoured to pay tribute to a pillar of Kelowna—Lake Country, Al Horning. It was not too long ago that I did the same for his powerhouse wife, Donna Horning.
Al was known for getting things done and was a fierce advocate of our community, in particular, Rutland, while he served on all three levels of government. He served several terms on Kelowna City Council, as an MLA and as a Progressive Conservative MP from 1988 to 1993.
Al was a mentor and friend. I met him one time at one of his coffee spots, the McDonald's on Highway 33, where he said, “Why don’t you come to Rutland?” I said, “Al, what are you talking about? I’ve been to Rutland many times this past week alone” and let him know the activities, and that there were pictures on my social media. He said, “I don’t look at that” in Al’s matter-of-fact, to-the-point way.
He contributed so many ways locally within agriculture, the Black Mountain Irrigation District, and sports and recreation organizations. Al was inducted into the Central Okanagan Sports Hall of Fame. The City of Kelowna recently presented Al with the naming of a future roadway, “Al Horning Way”.
My heart goes out to the Horning family. Al will always be remembered for setting the bar for community service.
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Mr. Speaker, crime, mental health and addiction are top priorities on the minds of many who live in Kelowna—Lake Country, and it was a top issue of importance during the last municipal elections across British Columbia. At our downtown constituency office, we see these complex issues in front of our windows every day.
Kelowna's RCMP superintendent commented how the revolving door needs to stop spinning and stated, “Being compassionate and concerned about mental health and substance use doesn't mean we have to accept repeat criminal behaviour.”
Our Conservative leader called on the government to end “catch-and-release bail” for dangerous, violent repeat offenders.
I have introduced the “end the revolving door act” where those sentenced to federal penitentiaries could receive a mental health assessment and curative addiction treatment and recovery.
Criminal justice, mental health and addiction are complex issues and we need to use many tools, including helping people recover from addiction, and ultimately help the communities they come back to be safer.
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- Jun/13/22 3:49:23 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I rise today to present a petition on behalf of constituents from Kelowna—Lake Country and the surrounding area.
The Okanagan Rail Trail serves as an important recreational and commuter path for pedestrians and cyclists across the region. Seven kilometres of the trail remain incomplete, which poses a safety risk as users have no option other than to divert onto a busy highway. The completion of the Okanagan Rail Trail would be an important link to provide more healthy activity space for residents and visitors in the Okanagan.
Therefore, the petitioners call upon the Government of Canada to expeditiously complete the federal commitments to the Okanagan Indian Band and Duck Lake Indian Reserve 7 to complete the Okanagan Rail Trail.
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- Jun/10/22 11:09:20 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, in Kelowna—Lake Country, June is a busy month filled with recreational activities, heritage, arts, culture and celebrations. It is Italian Heritage Month, Indigenous History Month, Pride Month, and Filipino Heritage Month. The Lake Country Creekside Theatre and the many organizations in Kelowna's cultural district have shows, exhibits and performances for everyone to enjoy. The Kelowna Wine Country half marathon includes a scenic run with a beverage and music festival. There are also many sports and recreation activities, including cheering for our very own Kelowna Falcons.
We then lead into Canada Day and the celebrations that are finally back this year. The Rotary Club of Lake Country starts the day off at Swalwell Park with a pancake breakfast. Folkfest at Prospera Place includes the giant cake cutting, and I will have a tent set up to hand out Canada flag items and kids' colouring sheets.
I wish locals and visitors to our beautiful area well, whether volunteering, watching or participating in activities or celebrations, and I hope to see everyone at one of our many community events this summer.
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- May/19/22 10:22:21 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure to rise today and table a petition on behalf of thousands of constituents from Kelowna—Lake Country and from across Canada. The petitioners are supporting wineries, breweries, cideries and distilleries, of which 95% are small businesses.
The petition says, “inflation, labour shortages, supply chain issues, increasing business debt and federal tax increases on businesses are already increasing costs at an unmanageable level for small businesses” and asks the government to recognize “that small business have been hit particularly hard during the COVID-19 pandemic and as a result of a volatile open-and-shut cycle”.
The petitioners are calling on the government to freeze the automatic escalator excise tax on beer, wine, cider and spirits.
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- Mar/29/22 2:01:45 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, Kelowna—Lake Country lost a wonderful spirit, Onofrio Curatolo, or, as most called him, Ono.
Ono studied in the seminary for 11 years until his family received their visas to start a new life in Canada. In May 1960, they embarked on a voyage from Italy and settled in Winnipeg. Soon after completing English lessons, he founded Universal Travel Agency, which he owned until 1979, later relocating his family and parents to Kelowna. Ono was a entrepreneur at heart, owning numerous stores and businesses and, most recently, Ace Screens & Tint. Having a strong work ethic and wanting to stay involved, Ono, at 83, never fully retired, as he loved meeting new people.
Ono was proud to be Canadian, yet preserved his Italian heritage. He was an active member of the Kelowna Canadian Italian Club and the Galileo Lodge of the The Sons and Daughters of Italy. Ono was always generous and volunteered throughout the community. People would always see his warm smile and hear his big personality. He always greeted my family and me with open arms and was gracious in teaching me a few sentences in Italian that I could use at community events.
My heart goes out to his entire family. May he rest in peace.
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- Feb/15/22 10:07:37 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I am proud to rise today to present a petition on behalf of my constituents from Kelowna—Lake Country, including many who are employed by our largest private sector employer, KF Aerospace.
The petitioners state that the Okanagan Rail Trail serves as an important recreation and commuter path for pedestrians and cyclists across the region. Seven kilometres of the trail remaining incomplete poses a safety risk as users have no option other than to divert onto a busy highway. To summarize, the completion of the Okanagan Rail Trail will be an important link to provide a more healthy activity space for residents and visitors in the Okanagan.
The petitioners are calling upon the federal government to expeditiously complete the federal commitments to the Okanagan Indian Band and Duck Lake Indian Reserve No. 7 to complete the Okanagan Rail Trail.
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