By MPP Bobbi Ann Brady
The second week of my return to Queen’s Park felt like a watershed moment—not for headlines, but for the groundwork being quietly and deliberately laid. My team and I are building toward something bigger, something that reflects the voices too often left out of the conversation. From the moment I arrived at the Pink Palace, I made one thing clear: I am not here for self-preservation. I am here to fight for the people of Haldimand–Norfolk, and by extension, all Ontarians, and to restore a sense of hope that politics can still serve them.
I see missed opportunities for taxpayers at every turn. I see a government letting real chances slip by while settling for the appearance of action over meaningful results. And I hear the soundbites—the kind that may fool some, but don’t fool me. Because at the end of the day, empty words don’t build anything, fix anything, or deliver for the people who depend on us in a time of need.
During Question Period on Wednesday, I called out the government for its posturing on the federal gun buyback—a hare-brained scheme that does little to improve public safety. Whatever your views on firearms, this policy misses the mark. Law-abiding owners are the ones who follow the rules; criminals, by definition, do not. They don’t register their guns, and they won’t be lining up to hand them over.
Last month the Premier praised a homeowner who used a firearm to defend himself against an intruder. Many appreciated the Premier’s remarks, and he and Ontario’s Solicitor General agree with me that law-abiding firearms owners, like hunters and farmers, are not the problem. But that agreement offers little comfort to those anxious about property rights, the effectiveness of the policy, logistical hurdles, and the potential criminalization of previously law-abiding firearms owners.
You do not deserve recycled soundbites on any issue —you deserve real protection and tangible results. That’s exactly what’s being pursued in provinces like Alberta and Saskatchewan, where Danielle Smith and Scott Moe are taking concrete steps to push back and stand up for their residents, proving leadership can move beyond words and deliver action.
I will continue to press this government to introduce legislation that actually protects law-abiding citizens from what I see as an unconstitutional overreach.
From firearms to farms to the rising cost of living, I also stood in the House highlighting the missed opportunities in Budget 2026. Since trade threats first surfaced, I’ve been calling on this government to recognize the urgency: it’s high time Ontario made significant investments in agri-food processing. Strengthening this sector isn’t just smart economics—it’s essential for protecting jobs, supporting farmers, and securing the province’s food future.
I’m not alone in this view. Following the release of Budget 2026, Ontario’s largest farm organization, the Ontario Federation of Agriculture, issued a pointed news release, underscoring the missed opportunities. “We are disappointed by the absence of direct policy aimed at expanding food processing capacity in Ontario. The Budget did not introduce any targeted policies aimed at expanding Ontario’s food processing sector.”
Earlier in the week I took a few minutes to remind the government that Budget 2026 failed to deliver affordability for you because I hear from far too many families who are barely hanging in on the current economic climate.
An hour-long academic interview partway through the week, with Dr. Mario Levesque, gave me a moment to reflect on why I entered public life in the first place. It is simple – I want to see people hopeful again. I want our children and grandchildren to grow up in an Ontario that is familiar, strong and full of opportunity – the Ontario we once knew and must restore.
Bobbi Ann Brady is the MPP for Haldimand-Norfolk