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Carlton Trail Eagle Creek MP Kelly Block (left) and her constituency manager Susan Redekop (centre) in conversation with a constituent at a coffee shop in Hague on Thursday, April 6

The rising cost of living is taking a big bite out of peoples incomes and savings, according to Conservative Member of Parliament Kelly Block.

Inflation is one of the main issues that people are very concerned about, said Block in an interview on Thursday, April 6 in Hague, one of her stops during a two-week tour of communities in her riding of Carlton Trail Eagle Creek. Theyre worried about not just how theyre going to pay their own bills, but also the federal deficit and debt that continues to accumulate. The other topics raised quite often by voters are the carbon tax; and Bill C-11, the online censorship bill currently before the House of Commons.

Block said Bill C-11 was introduced by the federal Liberal government under the guise of promoting Canadian content, but it actually poses a threat to the free exchange of ideas on the internet. The broadcast regulation bill would grant government bureaucrats the power to filter and regulate what Canadians see in their streaming feeds and on social media.

Censorship is something that people are very concerned about, said Block. They are worried about not having the freedom to choose what they see online or post online. I had the opportunity to speak to that bill in the House of Commons last week for the third time. The Senate has proposed amendments to the legislation, and its been back and forth between the House and the Senate several times so far.

She said the recent increase to the federal carbon tax is fuelling inflation while doing nothing to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The carbon tax went up by $15 a tonne, so its now $65 a tonne, said Block. The data shows that the federal government hasnt yet hit the target theyve set for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, so clearly its a strategy thats not working. Its not doing anything to affect climate change.

Block said during her constituency tour, shes talked with employers in several communities who say one of their challenges is finding enough workers to fill vacant job positions. She added that Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre has advocated regulatory changes to make it easier for newcomers who come with skills to be able to go through the immigration process quicker.

We know in our office that there are always issues with the temporary foreign worker program, and getting permanent residency, said Block. Its a complex issue that includes ensuring communication skills are part of the equation.

Block said many voters are fed up with Prime Minister Trudeau and want to see a change in government.

Im hearing from a lot of people that they are really anxious for another election, said Block. I remind them that its only been 18 months since the last one. Under the current minority situation, an election could theoretically happen anytime; but with the NDP supporting the Liberals through the Supply and Confidence Agreement, the Liberals could stay in power until 2025.

Block said the constituency tour is a way of connecting with voters on their home turf. In addition to discussions about political issues and answering constituents questions, the informal coffee-shop meetings offer people a chance to get assistance on individual problems. She noted that people may feel intimidated walking into an MPs office, and one of the goals of the tour is to help constituents feel comfortable about approaching elected representatives.

We havent been able to have a tour like this for quite a while, said Block. So its really nice to be able to get out in the communities again and make myself available to people for any questions they may have. More often than not there is someone with an issue that would like to have a little bit of my time and were happy to sit down and talk with them about their issues.

I have great staff in all my offices who do a lot of the case work, said Block. Im made aware of the casework and often I will meet with the individuals and then my staff follows up with a particular issue. They may need to do research or connect with other levels of government because it may be an issue that falls under municipal or provincial government jurisdiction. We try to make those connections too.

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Inflation, carbon tax, censorship bill top concerns for voters, says Block - Clark's Crossing Gazette