Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, this is a budget that will invest in Canada, invest in young Canadians and invest in Canadian families from coast to coast to coast. We are supporting youth by giving them opportunities to help them build skills in trades and access high-paying careers and jobs across projects, building homes and building out major national projects. We are investing in training and supports for 20,00…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, our budget delivers historic investments to build Canada strong. This means strong families and strong communities from coast to coast to coast. That includes supports for youth in building skills to help them find and access high-paying careers. We are investing in training and supports for 20,000 youth facing employment barriers. We are investing in an additional 24,000 Canada summe…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, today's budget will deliver historic investments to build Canada strong. This means strong families and strong communities from coast to coast to coast, and investments that will create good-quality jobs and careers for young Canadians, that will build infrastructure, that will put more affordable homes within reach for young Canadians and that will protect the supports that help fami…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, the affordable budget includes historic investments to strengthen Canada, strengthen families and help Canadians across the country. These investments will create quality jobs and careers for young people, build more affordable housing for young Canadians and protect the supports that help families get ahead. Our government will present a budget that aims to build, protect and strengt…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, once again, we find members opposite worried about imaginary taxes while, on this side of the House, we are focused on solutions. The budget will make permanent the national school food program, which represents $800 in savings for families each year. This is one of the many investments we are making on this side of the House to ensure that kids have the best start in life and that fa…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Madam Speaker, the members opposite claim to be there for youth, or to be concerned about youth, and yet at every opportunity, when there is a chance to vote for investments and supports for our young people and families, they vote against them. They will have another opportunity, in this budget, to support the tax cut for first-time homebuyers, to support the permanence of the national school foo…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Madam Speaker, we understand the pressures that Canadians are facing, but at the same time, the Conservative Party offers nothing new. Our government is empowering young Canadians to build lifelong careers. This is one of the reasons we are fast-tracking the Build Canada Homes program to get homes built and fast-tracking major projects to create tens of thousands of high-paying careers across this…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Madam Speaker, it is fortunate that next week we will have an affordable budget for Canadians. We hope the members opposite will join us in supporting that budget. It will include many ways to invest in young people, in young families, in making homes more affordable, in making food available at schools and in making dental care available, with a number of other things that will support Canadian f…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Madam Speaker, I think it is important to once again underline the fact that the report the member opposite cited also lists the Canada disability benefit, the Canadian dental plan, early learning and child care, the national school food program and the national housing strategy among the many tools and investments that support alleviating poverty in this country, all of which have been voted agai…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, the members opposite remain fixated on imaginary taxes. On this side of the House, we remain focused on supports for Canadian families to help them fight food insecurity. We do this with, for example, the national school food program, which we are making permanent, the disability benefit, dental care, child care and the national housing strategy. Time and time again, we are there for …
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, once again, members across the way are talking about imaginary taxes. Today, I spoke with people from the Breakfast Club, an organization that helps nearly 900,000 children access the school nutrition program. They told me that making the national school food program permanent is an important turning point for children's health, learning, and well being, as well as for Canada's social…
Read full speech →Oral questions
Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives cannot have it both ways. They say Canadians are facing challenges, yet they dismiss the ways of helping them to get through these challenges. The same Food Banks Canada report they cite mentions the Canada disability benefit, the Canadian dental care plan, the national school food program and the national housing strategy as steps taken to address the underlying con…
Read full speech →Oral questions
Mr. Speaker, in Quebec, we provide $65 million in funding to support the province's school food program, reaching more than 500,000 students and 2,200 schools. In addition, our support helps families save $800 a year in groceries. This program is not garbage. We are delivering this program for the well-being of children across the country.
Read full speech →Oral questions
Mr. Speaker, Conservative MPs really ought to listen to the folks on the ground fighting food insecurity, such as the Breakfast Club of Canada, the Coalition for Healthy School Food and the Canadian Teachers' Federation, which have all called for the making of the national school food program to be permanent because of the positive impact it has on children. With federal funding, 9.8 million more …
Read full speech →Oral questions
Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives opposite should listen to Canadians who are on the front lines and who are working in favour of making the school food program permanent. The Coalition for Healthy School Food called the program “a generationally important decision that...will...change the future of Canadian society and the health and well-being of children”. Children First Canada said, “This isn't j…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, Sarah from Central Newfoundland reached out to tell me about the national school program at their school after the member's comments last week. She said that it is wonderful. More students are getting healthy lunches, and the lunch lady went from working part time to working full time. Plus, they hired two nans to work part time. This is employment in this area. There are countless ex…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, on this side of the House, we are committed to growing the strongest economy in the G7, and protecting and strengthening the supports that help Canadian families. Of the report that is being highlighted here, I would say that the relief families get through the school food program, as well as through dental care and child care, are all things the report cites as being critical to addr…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, no child in this country should go to school hungry. That is why our government brought forward the national school food program, and that is why this new government has committed to make this program permanent, introducing legislation to do so, as well as the funding necessary to ensure the program continues in perpetuity. This is an essential piece of tackling the challenges that Ca…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, we have a national school food program for children. It seeks to help Canadians cope with the challenges they are facing these days. What I am trying to say is that the members across the way will have the opportunity to support this program and the budget for this program. I encourage them all to support Canada’s national school food program.
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, I know that Canadians are facing challenges. That is why our government is investing in Canadian families to help them get ahead. This report underscores the help that families receive through the national school food program. We are making it permanent. We are easing the pressure on families through our investments in dental care, child care services and the Canada child benefit. Acc…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, Canada's largest food bank in Toronto, the Daily Bread Food Bank, is asking that the national school food program be made permanent through legislation. We are delivering this. It is asking because the program helps provide nutritious meals to 400,000 children at school. The Conservative Party voted against this. The members opposite will soon have an opportunity to do the right thing…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, the report invoked also clearly states that to tackle these challenges, we need to strengthen supports for families. It specifically mentions delivering school food, dental care, child care and affordable housing at scale. Conservative MPs have voted against each of these measures. In fact, the Conservative MP for Central Newfoundland called the national school food program “garbage”,…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, this report clearly shows that we need to strengthen support measures for families to address these challenges. However, Conservative members have opposed each and every measure we put forward to help overcome the challenges outlined in this report. The Conservative member for Central Newfoundland said that the national school meal program is garbage, even though it is already feeding…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, we on this side of the House recognize that families need supports in meeting affordability questions. This is why we have supports in place and why time and time again we have stood for the national school food program; early learning and child care, making it affordable and accessible across the country; dental care; and the Canada child benefit. At each and every opportunity, the m…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, the opposition is talking about imaginary taxes. What we are doing, on this side of the House, is delivering results for Canadian families. We implemented a national school food program for children across Canada, and our government will continue to be there to help families and children.
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, the Canadian Teachers' Federation says that the school food program is fantastic news. It said, "The National School Food Program is here to stay...Thank you to the federal government for making this a priority." We are there for families and children to help with the cost of living. This program puts more than $800 in parents' pockets by helping with food at home.
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, we are determined to grow the strongest economy in the G7 and protect and strengthen the support measures that help Canadians. Our investments in child care services, dental care and school food programs are not only lowering the cost of living for families, but they are also strengthening Canada by promoting women's participation in the labour market, while giving children the best p…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, it is clear that the government has consistently stood by and supported families. We know they need support; they have asked for it. The result of the previous election shows that the plan and the commitment to support families, particularly children, is a strong record and a strong plan that we are delivering on. We have a national food program. We have a national dental care program…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, we have a number of supports for children and for families, including a national school food program, including a dental program, including the Canada child care benefit. I would encourage the member to vote in favour, and support these programs that deliver meaningful supports to families, not only in her riding but in mine and in all of ours across the country.
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, families clearly need support to tackle food insecurity. That is why we are ensuring that more children are getting nutritious meals at school, while saving parents hundreds of dollars with the national school food program. We are putting more money in parents' pockets, tax-free, every month. This is a program, may I remind my colleagues, that they all, on the opposite side of the Hou…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, with everything going on in the world, we understand the pressures that Canadians, particularly young Canadians, are facing. This new government is getting busy with nation-building projects, which will create quality jobs, quality careers and opportunities, in particular for youth, across this country, including 18,000 jobs during the construction of a new Darlington nuclear project …
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Rivière-des-Mille-Îles for her commitment, and I welcome her back to the House. To build a strong economy with the most robust workforce in the G7, we need our young people to gain valuable work experience. That is why your new government is going further by creating up to 6,000 additional summer jobs for young people this summer, for a total of 76,000 jobs. …
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, today, I rise to honour John Little, a pioneer of Canadian urban painting who passed away on October 28 at the age of 96. For over 65 years, Mr. Little captured and chronicled Montreal's neighbourhoods, from Westmount to Little Burgundy and the Plateau to Mile End. His work celebrates the streetscapes and life of the city's core. Mr. Little's gentle spirit and sense of humour endeared…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, I am proud to table petition 441-02837, which calls on the House of Commons to never pre-emptively invoke section 33, known as the notwithstanding clause, in federal legislation. It proposes a parliamentary review process for any pre-emptive use of the clause by provinces and territorial governments. The pre-emptive use of section 33 is on the rise. It is a trend that is alarming Cana…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, climate change is real and a vital concern for many of my constituents. It is why I rise today to table petition number 44-1, calling on the Government of Canada to enact the principal concepts of the proposed climate-aligned finance act. I would like to thank James Murphy and Janet Ledwell from Citizens' Climate Lobby for their tireless advocacy on climate action in Canada.
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to highlight the transformational impact of the Canadian dental care plan, which has already benefited over 750,000 Canadians, including over 5,000 residents of Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Westmount, and that number continues to rise. This initiative has made essential dental services accessible, reducing the financial burden on families and promoting better oral health. The plan…
Read full speech →Statements By Members
Mr. Speaker, I am proud to recognize and celebrate the outstanding team captains who are visiting Ottawa today. Three of Canada's national hockey teams won gold medals at the world championships this year. Tyler McGregor, captain and top scorer of the men's national para hockey team, led his squad to gold at the World Para Hockey Championship. Porter Martone, who broke Canada's all-time tournament…
Read full speech →Statements By Members
Mr. Speaker, this week, Canada is honoured to welcome to Ottawa the International Civil Aviation Organization leadership: Salvatore Sciacchitano, president of the ICAO Council, and Juan Carlos Salazar, secretary general of ICAO. Canada is dedicated to supporting ICAO in pursuit of a safe, secure, sustainable, inclusive and accessible global aviation system. We value ICAO's positive impact on inter…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, millions of children worldwide suffer concussions every year while playing sports, increasing the likelihood of developing mental health problems and chronic traumatic encephalopathy. CTE is a debilitating disease that can cause sleep disorders, mental health issues and even dementia later in life. Concussion Legacy Foundation Canada's “Stop Hitting Kids in the Head” campaign aims to …
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the work of War Child Canada on its 25th anniversary. War Child is a globally recognized leader in creating and implementing comprehensive programs for children living with war and violence. It was founded by Dr. Samantha Nutt in 1999 to address what she saw as significant challenges in the way in which support was being provided to children in areas of confl…
Read full speech →Statements By Members
Mr. Speaker, May 17 is the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia. In 2003, Montreal's Fondation Émergence created the very first national day against homophobia. This day is now observed in over a hundred countries, including Canada. We often hear that progress is being made when it comes to LGBTQ+ rights. While this is true, we also know that the rise of anti-LGBTQ+ hate has become…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, May is Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Month, an opportunity to highlight the profound impacts MS has on all Canadians and, in particular, on the 90,000 people who live with the disease. This month is not just about raising awareness; it is also about ensuring access to care, promoting research and fostering inclusion. We must all take the time to learn more about multiple sclerosis and …
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, today I rise in the House to recognize a wonderful community leader and local hero, Eddy Nolan, who passed away on April 12. Eddy spread joy and inspired many of us. His commitment to the Terry Fox Foundation annual run was contagious. Eddy ran his first marathon after watching Terry Fox cross Montreal's Jacques Cartier Bridge in 1980. He ran dozens over the years, raising more than a…
Read full speech →Statements By Members
Mr. Speaker, today I rise to mark the 150th anniversary of the city of Westmount. Since 1874, Westmount's beautiful parks, bustling schools, CEGEPs, synagogues, churches, community centres and outdoor rinks, as well as our 125-year-old library, the first publicly funded library in Quebec, have all helped to foster a deep sense of community and identity. Westmount is like a small town in a big city…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, today, I would like to congratulate Dr. David Mulder, who retired after a career of over 60 years. Dr. Mulder moved to Montreal from Saskatchewan in 1963 to complete his medical training. He joined the Montreal Canadiens organization, earning $10 a game. He went on to become the team physician, treating countless players, from Jean Béliveau to Saku Koivu, even my own dad. He served in…
Read full speech →Statements By Members
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the top eight Academic All-Canadian student athletes, who were recognized last night by U Sports and the Governor General for their outstanding achievements: Madisson Lawrence, Jordan Canham, Hannah Blair, Ashton Miller-Melançon, Yoan David, Haley McDonald and Aiden Goslett. Finally, I give a special shout-out to Emmy Fecteau, captain of the Concordia Stin…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, the environment is important to all Canadians, and we have a responsibility to future generations. Canada has adopted an ambitious and affordable plan to combat the effects of climate change. Do members know that a recent analysis from the ECCC shows that pollution pricing contributes close to one-third of the expected emissions reductions the country will achieve by 2030? Do they kno…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to an exceptional Montreal photographer, Brian Merrett, who passed away on September 21. Born in 1945, Mr. Merrett became an activist and leader in the preservation of architectural heritage of Montreal. Through his works and the publication of several books, he recorded and fought to protect the fabric of Montreal at a time of tremendous change and urban d…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, our Liberal government is a proud defender of Canada's supply management system. The dairy sector is an important pillar in communities across Quebec and a key economic driver. We know that the government is committed to fully and fairly compensating producers and processors who have lost market share as a result of recent trade agreements. How is the government helping the dairy indu…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, today I rise in the House during Women's History Month to pay tribute to Ruth Gagnon, a leader in my riding of Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Westmount. As the executive director of the Elizabeth Fry Society of Quebec, Ms. Gagnon has devoted 44 years of her life to supporting women in the criminal justice system in Quebec. This community organization based in Notre‑Dame‑de‑Grâce helps women invo…
Read full speech →