Bexte advocates  for ‘principled and  practical’ trade deals

By Cal Braid
Taber Times
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Bow River MP David Bexte has been on the move within the riding and in Ottawa as he adapts to the flow of life as a parliamentarian. Since being elected, Bexte has been appointed to the standing committee on environment and sustainable development and voted on 34 motions in the House of Commons.

On July 10, he responded to a query from Southern Alberta Newspapers about what had unfolded during his early days in office.

He said, “There’s a lot to learn, but I’m fortunate to be part of a strong and experienced Conservative team that is focused on common-sense solutions and accountable government. Conservatives will always stand for lower taxes, supporting industry, and creating the conditions for Canadians to succeed.”

In June, he supported enacting Bill C-5: the Free Trade and Labour Mobility in Canada Act and the Building Canada Act.

The free trade and labour aspect of the act aims to improve interprovincial trade barriers within the nation, while the building Canada component is focused on quickening the approval process for projects of national interest.

Bexte said he supported sending Bill C-5 to the Senate after key Conservative amendments were adopted at committee.

“These changes were critical in strengthening the bill’s transparency and accountability, especially when it comes to how and when the federal government can declare a project to be in the national interest,” he said.

He elaborated, saying, “Thanks to the work of our Conservative team on the transport committee, the amended version of C-5 now includes important safeguards. That includes limits on bypassing the Access to Information Act and new requirements for parliamentary oversight. These are common-sense protections that help ensure Canadians are not kept in the dark on major infrastructure decisions.”

With those improvements in place, Bexte supported moving the bill forward for further review in the Senate. The third readings of both parts of the act were approved and adopted in Parliament on June 20.

In mid-June, Bexte voted ‘yea’ on the second reading of Bill C-4, the Making Life More Affordable for Canadians Act. Bill C-4 has four parts. First, it amends the Income Tax Act to reduce the marginal personal income tax rate on the lowest tax bracket to 14.5 per cent for the 2025 taxation year and to 14 per cent for the 2026 and subsequent taxation years.

Secondly, it amends the Excise Tax Act to implement a temporary GST new housing rebate for first-time home buyers. Part three repeals a portion of the Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act and the Fuel Charge Regulations. Part 4 amends the Canada Elections Act to make changes to the requirements relating to political parties’ policies for the protection of personal information.

The MP also talked about trade relations, saying, “Conservatives have always supported free trade and strong economic ties with our democratic partners.”

“Trade deals should be both principled and practical. They need to support our industries, defend Canada’s interests, and make sure Canadian workers are not left behind. I will continue to hold the government to that standard as Bill C-4 moves through Parliament.”

Bexte said his first few months in office have been “a busy and meaningful start to my time in Parliament” and expressed gratitude for trust the people of Bow River have placed in him.

“I’ve been focused on delivering on that responsibility—whether that’s through committee work, engaging with legislation, or standing up for rural Alberta in Ottawa. I’m especially proud to be bringing the priorities of our region to the table every step of the way,” he said.