Fall Session: Wrapped and Unpacked
Cabinet Chaos, Devastating Deficits, and a Look Back
Hello friends,
From my family to yours, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
With the Christmas season upon us and the new year in sight, there is a lot look back on — and look forward to.
First, a quick recap of the end of Fall session. It was a doozy.
On Monday, December 16th, Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland resigned just hours before the Liberals were supposed to table their disastrous fall economic statement. And no wonder. It turns out that the Trudeau-led Liberals smashed through their already-insane fiscal guardrail of $40 billion to an incredible $62 billion deficit.
Later that week, on Friday December 20th, Trudeau announced yet another cabinet shuffle — and one of his biggest yet — with eight MPs newly appointed, and four reassigned to new ministerial positions. (There were some… interesting choices. The new Liberal Housing Minister for example has a bit of a mouth… Warning - explicit)
Hot on the heels of this cabinet shuffle, the NDP announced their intent to topple the government when parliament resumes in February… something that only the NDP (and Jagmeet Singh’s pension) have been keeping Conservatives from accomplishing until now. Conveniently, this timing will allow the NDP leader to secure his pension, so we know where his real priorities lie.
So it looks as though the new year might just bring with it the long-awaited Carbon Tax Election that Conservatives have been calling for. But for now, let’s unpack the last few weeks of session and take a look back at some of the highlights since September.
Inside the Liberals’ Indigenous Contracting MESS
Ministers Failing and Flailing
Toward the end of session, four ministers were called to appear before the Indigenous Affairs Committee to answer for their government's failures in the Liberal Indigenous procurement scandal. (For a primer on this scandal, check out my column on the issue)
Minister Anandasangaree admitted that the government has been failing to hold companies accountable for Indigenous identity fraud. He called it “unacceptable” that no company had faced penalties for Indigenous identity fraud under this government.
The Whistleblower Appears
The very next day we heard from former government auditor Garry Hartle about his blowing the whistle on Indigenous Affairs for their repeated attempts to prevent auditors from being able to do their job.
According to the testimony, not only did Indigenous Affairs put into place policies that “hamstrung” government auditors, they actually looked the other way on an exploitative joint venture relationship that saw a larger non-Indigenous company (Canadian Health Care Agency) exploiting a small Indigenous entrepreneur (Pearl Chilton) and leaving her holding the bag on a huge tax bill.
Hartle brought forward serious concerns that Canadian Health Care Agency was committing fraud and recommended to a number of government officials and lawyers that the case be referred to the RCMP. But no meaningful action was taken.
More Ministerial Deflection
In my round of questioning with Procurement Minister Jean-Yves Duclos, I asked a simple question: “Should cases of fraud be referred to the RCMP?” Minister Duclos proceeded to dance around the question in both French and English, delivering a despicably impressive performance in dodging and deflection.
This was emblematic of Duclos’ entire testimony, in which he repeatedly avoided answering any serious questions, opting instead to filibuster, distort, and lie throughout.
Deck the Halls: Some Highlights (and Liberal Lowlights) from Session
It has been a rough few months for the Liberals. They clung to power by the skin of their teeth (with thanks to NDP hypocrisy), but their corrupt practices and general disregard for Canadians have been on full display.
Here are a few key moments from the past few months:
1) Elite Addiction Documentary
Back in October, my team and I released a documentary explaining how well-connected elite insiders like McKinsey and the Sackler family fueled and profited from the addiction crisis. McKinsey still receives substantial government contracts in Canada, despite having been taken to court for over half a billion in settlements by the US government for their involvement in the opioid crisis.
2) Tom Clark’s Tour of Silence
You may recall the scandal from earlier this session surrounding Tom Clark and the government’s acquisition of a $9 million condo on Billionaire Row for his residence. Clark claimed to have had no involvement, but then admitted to touring the place before its purchase. So what? Did he tour it in complete and utter silence?
3) Government Intel is… the Newspaper?
A shocking revelation this year was that government officials under the Trudeau administration seem to be relying on newspapers like the Globe & Mail for key information about contracting eligibility criteria. Unbelievable.
4) Liberals Funding American Universities!
Earlier this session we discovered that the Liberal government is actually sending Canadians’ hard-earned taxpayer dollars to American universities.
5) World-Class Verification Methods
One of Patty Hajdu’s more spectacular failures as Indigenous Services Minister was the revelation earlier this year that her department was requiring nothing but a picture of a bunny to verify Indigenous identity. Are you kidding me?
‘Resuming Debate’ Podcast Round-Up
If you’re looking for a podcast to listen to, why not check out the latest episodes of Resuming Debate? We’ve had some fantastic guests this session, with topics ranging from domestic policy issues to international crises. Click below to watch some of the most recent episodes on YouTube, or listen wherever you enjoy your podcasts.
My Latest Column: Common Sense
I recently spoke in the House of Commons about restoring “common sense” in government decision making. My latest column contains an excerpt from that speech which I hope you will find interesting.
The things that most people learn and practise in order to live well-ordered, healthy, happy lives are what we have come to call common sense. There is no central repository of the information that we call common sense, but the concept still has profound meaning.
You can watch the entire speech below or click here to read the column.
Upcoming Constituency Roundtables
Lastly, for those of you from my riding reading this, my constituency office will be hosting a series of Roundtables in January. You are welcome to attend any/all that interest you; however, RSVPs are mandatory as space is limited.
Please contact my office at Garnett.Genuis.C1@parl.gc.ca or by phone at (780) 467-4944 to confirm your attendance.
Monday, January 13th
6:00-7:30 p.m. - Crime
7:30-9:00 p.m. - Defense & Security
Wednesday, January 15th
6:00-7:30 p.m. - Economy & Government Spending
7:30-9:00 p.m. - Open Topic
Tabling Petitions
I am pleased to table petitions on behalf of my constituents. Here is one example of a petition that I presented earlier this session:
Keep up the great job you are doing.Larry🇨🇦😄
Thank you Garnett. Wishing you and your family (and the CPC) a fabulous 2025!