Plett calls on Prime Minister to start doing his job and help Canadians | May 4, 2024

“Plett says the discussion stemmed from a private members bill by Member of Parliament Chris Lewis of Essex….”


Senator Don Plett of Steinbach says our Prime Minister is missing the mark if he thinks his job is not to be popular.


Plett made that comment after a long week in Ottawa that saw Senators meeting into the early morning hours of Friday. He says Senators spent hours Thursday night discussing topics surrounding inflation and the rising cost of living.


Plett says the discussion stemmed from a private members bill by Member of Parliament Chris Lewis of Essex, Ontario. Lewis is calling for tradespeople to be allowed to deduct on their tax form, the cost of travel when they travel outside of their area to do a job. Plett says though many other professions are given this tax break, tradespeople are not.


Plett says this private members bill then acted as a catalyst for him to share an illustration from his own life. He told the other Senators that when he first moved to Steinbach two years ago, he did not know where the food bank was. The reason for that is that anytime he would drive by South East Helping Hands on Main Street, there were never any visible lineups. But that has changed.


“Now you see, even in our city, lineups a block long, people that cannot put food on the table,” describes Plett.
Not only that, but Plett says 40-year-olds are living in their parents’ basement because they cannot afford the down payment on a house.


“So many young people that are now saying, their dream of ever owning a house is gone,” adds Plett.


He says there are families making a good income who cannot afford to buy groceries and seniors who must decide on a daily basis what they can afford to eat for supper.


“It is shameful where this has gone,” he says.


Plett notes our Prime Minister has been quoted as saying, ‘It is not my job to be popular.’ Yet Plett disagrees.


“I’m sorry Mr. Prime Minister, it is your job. It is your job to help Canadians and to see to it that they can put that food on the table,” says Plett. “And you have caused the inflation. You have caused the fact that people cannot put food on the table. It is your responsibility to help them out. And your harmful, harmful carbon tax does the exact opposite. Your inflation does the exact opposite. Your printing of money does the exact opposite.”


Plett says Canada has come through some very tough times with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.


“I cannot wait for us to turn this around,” he says. “And there is a light at the end of the tunnel. I want the people of Steinbach; I want the people of southern Manitoba to know that there is a light at the end of the tunnel.”
Plett says the light at the end of the tunnel shows a Liberal government that is on its way out and a Conservative majority government that will turn some of this around.

Chris Lewis MP - Essex

Constituency Office

Ottawa Office