National leadership on local issues: Getting results for Battle River—Crowfoot

By the Hon. Pierre Poilievre,
MP for Battle River—Crowfoot
Leader of the Conservative Party of Canada

Since you elected me as your Member of Parliament, my mission has been clear: provide national leadership on local issues that affect Battle River—Crowfoot. But slogans don’t fix fences. Action is needed, and I am pleased to work with our federal Conservative team to take the grit, common sense and determination of rural Alberta and turn them into real results.

I want to give you a few of the many examples of how our team is delivering on this promise. We are taking the specific challenges you face—on your farms, in your businesses, and in your communities—and turning them into policies that unlock Canada’s true potential.

First, we are fighting to unleash our economy. For too long, growth-killing Liberal taxes have punished farmers and other business owners when they can least afford it. Last year, the net income of Canadian farmers dropped by $4.2 billion compared to 2023, while farm debt rose 14.1%—the highest annual increase in over 40 years. That is why I proposed the Canada First Reinvestment Tax Cut. The plan is simple: if you sell an asset and reinvest the proceeds into a Canadian business, farm, or home, you will pay no capital gains tax on that reinvestment. This would be economic rocket fuel for our riding. It would mean that money stays here—hiring local workers and buying new equipment—rather than being taxed away by Ottawa.

Second, we delivered on your freedom to repair your own equipment. When your tractor breaks down during harvest, you shouldn't be forced to wait weeks for a corporate technician to plug in a laptop. That is why we supported C-244 in the last Parliament, the “right to repair” bill, championed by Conservative MP Jeremy Patzer. This legislation updated the Copyright Act to ensure you can diagnose, maintain, and repair the machinery you own without digital locks getting in your way.

Third, we are tackling the violent crime wave threatening our communities. I know that for many of you, the fear of violent repeat offenders is real. That is why our team has introduced Bill C-242, the Jail Not Bail Act, sponsored by Arpan Khanna. This vital legislation would stop the "catch-and-release" justice system created by the Liberals. It introduces a new "Major Offences" category for crimes like extortion and home invasion and creates a reverse onus on bail—meaning violent criminals will have to prove why they should be released, rather than the Crown having to prove they should be detained.

Fourth, we are prioritizing the rights of victims. My colleague Dane Lloyd has championed "McCann’s Law," in honour of Lyle and Marie McCann of St. Albert. This legislation fights for a "No Body, No Parole" standard, ensuring that killers who refuse to disclose the location of their victims' remains face tougher penalties. It is a matter of basic decency: victims’ families deserve closure, and criminals should not be rewarded for their cruelty.

Outside Parliament, we are fighting the out-of-touch bureaucracy on the ground, literally. I have heard from many of you about the devastation caused by gophers. Ottawa’s decision to ban effective pest control products like strychnine was made by bureaucrats who put ideology over evidence. John Barlow, Conservative Shadow Minister for Agriculture, Saskatchewan MP Steven Bonk, and I are actively pressuring the government to grant the use of strychnine. We demand that the Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) base their decisions on agronomic reality, not activism.

Finally, I want to mention my friend and your former MP, Damien Kurek. During the last campaign, he and I travelled thousands of kilometres across this vast region together. From town halls in Consort, to kitchen tables in Camrose, to regular calls with local leaders, we heard the same message: you want a government that respects your work and protects your community.

Damien served this constituency with integrity and honour, and he remains a vital part of our movement. Damien and I, and the entire Conservative team, are united. We will not stop until we bring home a Canada that rewards hard work, respects rural communities, and puts its people first.

We are fighting for Canada. We are fighting for you.