Garry Breitkreuz, MP for Yorkton-Melville, says it has been a positive year overall in 2014, and one that has seen positive results for many of the issues he holds at the forefront.
Breitkreuz has always been known for his work on firearms, and says while he regards the dismantling of the long gun registry as a long fought victory, he says there are more changes coming to protect the rights of gun owners. He says that the new package will simplify licensing and paperwork for people who enjoy sport shooting, for example, though he says the work is not complete it’s something he is proud to have as a legacy.
“I’ve become the resident expert, they call me the gun guy in Ottawa. If you follow an issue inside and out and get to know it well enough they trust your judgement on what needs to be done. It’s more important than many people realize, it’s not often you see legislation undone.”
Another focus has been family, and Breitkreuz is also proud of the new package of family benefits, which he says he has been advocating for quite some time. This package will allow for income splitting, which he says is going to put single income families on better footing in the tax bracket, as well as expanding the Universal Child Care Benefit.
Being tough on foreign policy has been another area where Breitkreuz says the Canadian government has to show leadership. He says that the Russian aggression in Ukraine has been something which the Canadian government is strongly opposed to, and applauds Prime Minister Stephen Harper for standing up to Russia and says this policy needs to continue.
Another area where he wants to see Canada take an aggressive stance is in the fight against ISIS in the middle east. Breitkreuz says it’s clear that the group needs to be stopped where it lives, and not allowed to expand further.
“We had the incident on Parliament Hill and we don’t need more of that. We need to have Canadians safe... If we’re going to let them loose in any way, it’s going to hurt the whole world. Some people suggest if we leave them alone or negotiate with them things would be better and they wouldn’t want to harm us. That is absolutely not true, they see it as a weakness and so we have to stand firm in our resolve to fight back.”
Breitkreuz says that the goal of the government for the next year, leading up to the election in October, is to continue down the same path they have, and he believes they can be proud of their legacy.
“We have the lowest taxes in 50 years, which I think is a huge accomplishment for us as Conservatives, there isn’t another country in the world that can make that claim, but it also leads to the fact that we have the number one economy in the world. To continue that, I think, is very important.”
While he won’t be running in the next election, Breitkreuz says he wants to see the government stay the same.
“I believe, strongly, that Canada needs a Conservative-lead government.”
The next year will be Breitkreuz’ last as an MP, as he prepares to retire from Parliament after 22 years of holding the seat.
“It’s been a privilege and an honour to serve the constituents of Yorkton-Melville. The longer I’m an MP, the more I realize what a responsibility it is, as well as an honour and a privilege, and I really thank the people for the support they have given me.”
