Steinbach Senator Don Plett says it would be an understatement to suggest that this last session of Parliament was difficult. 

The session, which ended last week, saw the 2024 federal budget pass through the Senate on Thursday. Plett says the lack of seriousness given by the Justin Trudeau appointed Senators when dealing with financial issues is not only appalling but also a complete disservice to Canadians. 

"The Trudeau government continues to pile up debt for future generations for as far as the eye can see," says Plett. "They falsely claim to be championing fairness for every generation and again there is no plan to balance the budget, no plan to increase productivity, and no plan to begin to pay down the mountain of debt this government has already accumulated."

Plett says the budget did not stop the inflationary deficits that are driving up interest rates, noting this year's budget will include over $61 billion in new inflationary spending. 

"This is costing the average Canadian family an extra $3,687," notes Plett. 

He adds that in 2024, Canada will spend $54.1 billion to service the debt, which is more money than the federal government is sending the provinces for health care. 

Plett notes the Conservatives sent a letter to the Prime Minister with three demands to fix the budget. First, they asked that government axe the tax on farmers and food by immediately passing Bill C-234 in its original form. They also asked the Liberals to build more homes, not bureaucracy, by requiring cities to permit 15 per cent more home building each year as a condition for receiving federal infrastructure money. And finally, they asked that they cap the spending with a dollar-for-dollar rule to bring down interest rates and inflation. The government was asked to find a dollar in savings for every new dollar of spending.

Meanwhile, Plett says during this last session of Parliament, pressure from the Conservatives finally forced the government to move on some important issues. He notes his colleague Senator Housakos has been promoting the need for a Foreign Influence Registry and Accountability Act for years, Bill S-237, which has the groundwork for the government's Bill C-70, which got Royal Assent earlier this month. 

"After nine years of Justin Trudeau, foreign interference has been allowed to run rampant in our country, from interference in our elections to intimidation, threats, and violence against Canadians on Canadian soil," adds Plett. 

Plett says the Conservatives have also consistently put pressure on the government to list the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist entity. This ended up happening on the last day before the summer break. 

Finally, Plett says in April, he asked the government about the cost to taxpayers for the Prime Minister's tour of the Indo-Pacific region last September. 

"At the time, the in-flight catering alone for this trip was thought to be just under $190,000," says Plett. "The updated figures show the cost was actually over $223,000."

He notes this was just for airplane food on a six-day trip, which, according to Plett, is 14 times what the average Canadian family will spend on groceries for an entire year. 

"How can Prime Minister Trudeau justify this expense when one in four Canadians now live in poverty," questions Plett. "The Liberals are so out of touch that an Office of the Prime Minister press release claimed this trip was about affordability."