For Dan Mazier, being appointed to the new federal Conservative shadow cabinet is fulfilling a personal dream of his to advocate for Canadians and a promise he made to his Manitoba constituents.
On Wednesday, Conservative Party of Canada Leader Pierre Poilievre unveiled his new “inflation-busting” shadow cabinet, which includes 51 critics and 20 associate critics. Mazier, the MP for Dauphin–Swan River–Neepawa, was named shadow minister of rural economic development and connectivity.
His new role in the House of Commons will bring greater significance to the Dauphin–Swan River–Neepawa riding, he said.
Dauphin–Swan River–Neepawa MP Dan Mazier (left) shakes hands with federal Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre after being named to the Tory shadow cabinet as critic for rural economic development and connectivity. (Submitted)
“It speaks to our leader and his focus on the rural voice at the table, and I am truly honoured to be that voice,” said Mazier, who was co-chair of Poilievre’s party leadership campaign earlier this year. “I think it will not only bode well for our riding, but for the whole of Canada.”
Members of the shadow cabinet are meant to scrutinize the policies and actions of the government. In Mazier’s case, he will be responsible for holding Liberal counterpart Gudie Hutchings, minister of rural economic development, accountable, with a greater focus on rural internet and cellular access.
“When you are in government, you tell everyone ‘this is what we are doing,’ and Opposition’s role is to ask ‘how is that going?’” he said. “We are the check in the system, and we ask the questions when they are not doing that.”
Poilievre’s “inflation-busting” shadow cabinet takes aim at the rising cost of living and carbon tax, specifically.
“Together with this team, Conservatives will take on Justinflation, fight all of Trudeau and his costly coalition’s tax hikes — including his plans to triple the expensive carbon tax — and tackle the cost-of-living crisis so that young people can buy a home, families can afford nutritious food, and our seniors can retire with dignity,” the Opposition leader said in a release this week.
According to a report from Clean Prosperity, a non-partisan climate policy organization, carbon pricing is set to rise by $15 a year until 2030 when it hits $170 a tonne.
“Everything we purchase is based off of energy we get into our stores to buy these products,” Mazier said. “This is why this tax is so regressive and a terrible tax, especially for rural Canada.”
As for connectivity, Mazier has long been a proponent for improving internet and cellular access for rural Canadians. He has in the past introduced private member’s bills aimed at holding internet service providers accountable and increasing transparency.
The drive behind his ongoing fight is high prices paired with deficient service, he said.
Wireless prices in Canada continue to be among the highest in the world, according to a 2021 report by Finnish telecom analyst Rewheel, and it’s largely due to a lack of competition in the telecom market.
The report tracked more than 40 countries to find the minimum cost needed to acquire a 4G cellphone plan with at least 100 gigabytes of mobile data per month. Canada charges the most with a price tag of around $144 for such a plan, whereas Israel, for example, charges $10.
“This is a major problem for all of Canada, urban and rural,” Mazier said. “It becomes an economic issue. I’d like to see the market opened up to more competition. It’s also a health and safety issue because people rely on cellphones and connectivity to live their lives.”
» kmckinley@brandonsun.com, with files from the National Post
» Twitter: @karenleighmcki1
Read More:Mazier takes on rural economic development, connectivity in new shadow cabinet role – Brandon Sun
2022-10-14 08:05:43
