Extreme weather and building back better: MP Gray reflects on year

Amidst natural disasters and the ongoing pandemic, a local MP is hopeful people will continue to come together in these difficult times. She’s also strongly opposed to any tax increases.

Reflecting on the past year, Conservative MP for Kelowna-Lake Country, Tracy Gray, said it has been challenging for many people and businesses.

Gray said inflation, the labour crisis, and tax increases for businesses, people, and goods were the economic lows of 2021.

“I’ve already been pressing on the government to halt all tax increases for 2022,” she said.

There has been much conservative criticism of the Trudeau government’s spending plans on large social projects, including affordable childcare. Some Conservative MPs, including finance critic Pierre Poilievre, have said the governing Liberals have been focused more on assistance programs than on getting people back to work.

Last week, the federal government expanded temporary supports for those businesses impacted by the latest closure orders in light of the spread of the Omicron variant.

As for the massive damage caused in this province following last month’s flooding, Gray said the Conservatives would continue to press the government on following through with promises. Late last month, the NDP and Conservatives called for an emergency debate in the House of Commons regarding the destruction to infrastructure and widespread flooding.

“We’re going to be continuing to press the government on important adaptation that we really need to focus on here so that this type of devastation doesn’t happen again,” Gray said, speaking to the need for funding so communities can adapt to the harsh realities of climate change. In B.C., the governing New Democrats have insisted major road and bridge infrastructure, such as that caused to the Coquihalla highway, will need to be 'built back better' so as to withstand future extreme weather events.

From summer wildfires and drought, to the flooding, and now a polar vortex, extreme weather and its consequences have dominated the lives of British Columbians this year.

“Of course, the devastation due to the floods and the road closures did affect us here, and our community really stepped up,” Gray explained.

She said Kelowna was a good neighbour as people and animals were taken in, and volunteers helped those impacted by the flooding.