For almost 47 years, a Canadian flag has flown from the front of our home. The only time it disappears is in the time of Christmas lights. I returned it to its position this past Sunday, and as it began waving in the breeze, I realized again how proud I am to be a Canadian. We don’t often shout out that we are proud Canadians, preferring rather to be known as quiet Canadians.
A year ago, U.S. President Donald Trump made us angry when he suggested that Canada should become the 51st state. It was an awakening call for all Canadians. We suddenly realized that being Canadian was an honour and a privilege. And over the past 13 months, even with all our warts and pimples and imperfect parliaments, we have discovered that we are fortunate not to be citizens of the United States.
We continue to recognize that we do not have to be the melting pot of the United States, but rather a place where the customs and traditions of immigrants from around the world have enriched our nation. In the United States you do not see a turban being worn by a member of the Congress or Senate. You do not see the Democrat or Republican parties being led by a Sikh.
I have for the most of my life supported the Conservative Party, but as I have grown older, I have switched parties, always looking to the local candidate first who would represent my community’s needs. And on occasion I have used my vote to elect a national or provincial leader who understood the needs of Ontario or Canada better. Today, I believe that we are fortunate to have a prime minister to lead us into the future.
Our world has been shaken by one nation. And our prime minister, who is not a natural politician but known rather as a technocrat who solves problems and creates lasting solutions, is leading us. In October of 2024, we were not thinking of the solutions and actions that our government is taking today. We were not considering creating new alliances and business opportunities around the world to diversify our economy.
Today we are expanding our military to look after the north. We are considering expansion of the port of Churchill. We are considering the expansion of a liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal on the West Coast and creating another pipeline to coastal waters. We are looking to create mining and processing opportunities across Canada to develop rare earth minerals.
In two years, Canada has awakened to new possibilities, and that is something to be proud of.
