Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, as a former small business entrepreneur myself, I know the importance of affordability for entrepreneurs. I am glad that, through budget 2024, our government is committed to delivering $2.5 billion to 600,000 small businesses across Canada through the Canada carbon rebate. Reports say that 60% of small businesses are directly impacted by climate change, and while the official oppositi…
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Mr. Speaker, we know that building a more inclusive economy means building a stronger economy. That is why our government has created the first-ever Black entrepreneurship program. This historic $265-million investment has supported over 9,000 Black entrepreneurs across this country and strengthens the ecosystem that supports them. It is disappointing that the Leader of the Opposition and the Cons…
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Mr. Speaker, nearly 80% of small businesses paid back their Canada emergency business account loan and were able to take advantage of the refundable portion of the loan. This being Black History Month, I would like to mention the Black entrepreneurship program. It is an historic investment of $266 million that, so far, has helped support more than 9,000 Black business owners across Canada. Nearly …
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Mr. Speaker, the purpose of the Canada emergency business account, or CEBA, was to help keep businesses afloat during the pandemic and give them some room to recover. Nearly 80% of small businesses have paid back the CEBA loan and were able to take advantage of the refundable portion of the loan. We are also reducing credit card transaction fees by up to a quarter to help small businesses keep mor…
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Mr. Speaker, we know that small businesses are still going through a tough time. They still have nearly three years to pay back their CEBA loan. We extended the term loan repayment deadline to ensure that small businesses can focus on their post-pandemic recovery. We are also cutting taxes for growing small businesses and lowering credit card fees up to a quarter.
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moved: That Vote 5b, in the amount of $2,286,981, under Department of the Environment — Capital expenditures, in the Supplementary Estimates (B) for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2024, be concurred in.
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moved: That Vote 10b, in the amount of $7,500,114, under Department of the Environment — Grants and contributions, in the Supplementary Estimates (B) for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2024, be concurred in.
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moved: That Vote 1b, in the amount of $124,893,005, under Department of Transport — Operating expenditures, in the Supplementary Estimates (B) for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2024, be concurred in.
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Mr. Speaker, we know times were tough and are still tough for small businesses. If they are unable to repay by January 18, they still have a full three years to repay their CEBA loan. We extended the term loan repayment deadline to make sure that small businesses are able to focus on navigating pandemic recovery. We are also cutting taxes for growing small businesses and lowering credit card fees …
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Mr. Speaker, small businesses asked for our help. That is why our government extended the deadline for forgiveness to January 18, 2024. We also announced the extension of the deadline for term loan repayment by one year, to the end of 2026. Our government will always be there for small businesses.
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Mr. Speaker, I can reassure my colleagues that we are here for small businesses. We have already given small businesses an extra year to access the forgivable part of the loan. They asked for more help, so we gave them more flexibility to refinance, more time to access loan forgiveness and a one-year extension of the repayment deadline.
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Mr. Speaker, on a point of order, I had technical difficulties on the app, and I am requesting unanimous consent to allow me to change my vote on the opposition day motion to against.
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to inform my hon. colleague that nearly 900,000 small businesses benefited from the CEBA. That is why we recently announced a one-year extension on the term loan repayment deadline, more flexibility on refinancing and more time to access loan forgiveness. We also increased the Canada child benefit and implemented $10-a-day child care, thus enabling more women than ever to…
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Mr. Speaker, we have already given small businesses an extra year to qualify for the forgivable portion of the loan. Since they asked for more help, we are offering them more flexibility on refinancing, more time to access loan forgiveness and a one-year extension on the repayment deadline. We are always there for our small businesses, unlike the Conservative leader, who wants to take us back to t…
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Madam Speaker, I thank the hon. member for that question. That is why we are offering additional flexibilities for small businesses to repay their CEBA loans. This includes a full one-year extension on the term loan repayment deadline, more flexibility on refinancing and more time to access loan forgiveness, which is both balanced and fiscally responsible. We know times are tough, which is why our…
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Mr. Speaker, we did not abandon small businesses during the pandemic, nor did we abandon them after the pandemic. What did we do then? We created the Canada emergency business account loan to help small businesses keep their doors open. What are we doing now? We are offering more flexibility for them to repay their CEBA loans. What will we continue to do? We will continue to listen to and support …
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Mr. Speaker, our government understands that small businesses are still trying to recover from the pandemic. That is why we recently announced a one-year repayment extension, more refinancing flexibility and more time to access loan forgiveness. This is in addition to our increase in the Canada child benefit and $10-a-day child care, which has enabled more women to enter the workforce than ever be…
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Mr. Speaker, our government listens to small businesses. The first deadline for the exemption qualification was the end of 2022. Small businesses asked for our help. That is why our government extended the exemption qualification deadline to January 18, 2024. We also announced a full one-year extension of the term loan repayment deadline to the end of 2026.
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Mr. Speaker, nearly 900,000 small businesses had to shut down during the pandemic. What did we do? We created the Canada emergency business account, or CEBA, to help small businesses keep their doors open. What are we doing? We are providing additional flexibility so that businesses can repay their CEBA loans. What will our government continue to do? We will continue to listen to and support small…
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Mr. Speaker, our government is listening to small businesses. The first deadline to qualify for forgiveness was the end of 2022. Small businesses asked for our help. That is why our government extended the forgiveness repayment deadline to January 18, 2024. We also announced a full one-year extension of the term loan repayment date until the end of 2026. Our government is always there for small bu…
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Mr. Speaker, we will continue to be there for small businesses. We extended the deadline for small businesses from last year to this year. Since they asked for more assistance, we are giving them more refinancing flexibility. We are giving them more time to access the loan forgiveness and a one-year extension of the CEBA loan repayment deadline.
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Mr. Speaker, we continue to be there for small businesses. We gave small businesses an extension from last year to this year. Because they asked for more help, we are offering them more flexibility when it comes to refinancing, more time to qualify for loan forgiveness, and a one-year extension of the repayment deadline for their Canada emergency business account loan. I thank my hon. Bloc Québéco…
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for her question. Our government understands that small businesses are still trying to recover from the pandemic. That is why we recently announced a one-year extension of the repayment deadline, more refinancing flexibility and more time to access loan forgiveness. We have also increased the Canada child benefit and implemented a $10-a-day child care plan, which …
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Mr. Speaker, speaking of entrepreneurs, I would like to thank my hon. colleague for joining me in attending events for programs our government has funded, which Conservative colleagues have voted against. He was able to see the real, live, tangible examples of success stories. Our government believes in empowering young entrepreneurs and has committed nearly $60 million to future entrepreneurs who…
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Mr. Speaker, we are offering additional flexibility to small businesses in repaying their Canada emergency business account loans. This includes a full one-year extension of the term loan repayment deadline, more refinancing flexibility and more time to access the loan forgiveness, which is both a balanced and fiscally responsible approach. The Bloc Québécois did not vote to lower credit card fees…
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Mr. Speaker, we are offering additional flexibilities for small businesses to repay their CEBA loans. They include a full one-year extension on the term loan repayment deadline, more flexibility on refinancing and more time to access loan forgiveness, which is both a balanced and fiscally responsible approach. We will continue to listen to small businesses across the country.
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Mr. Speaker, as a former small business owner myself, I know that small businesses are the backbone of these communities. As a small business owner, I am glad the Conservatives are not in charge. Small businesses would not be saving $1 billion in credit card transaction fees. Women entrepreneurs would not have $7 billion of investment through our women entrepreneurship strategy, nor the $10-a-day …
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Mr. Speaker, happy Small Business Week to the small business owners and entrepreneurs all across this country. It was terrific meeting with some of these incredible folks in Montreal. I want to thank my colleague for joining me. Since 2018, our women entrepreneurship strategy has helped over 22,000 women start up and scale up. Yesterday I announced a nearly $3-million investment for École des entr…
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Mr. Speaker, the Leader of the Opposition called the supports we provided small businesses “big fat government” supports. He is literally mocking the idea that we stood up for small businesses in a time of their need. In the middle of the pandemic, small businesses were worried about keeping their doors open, keeping the lights on and keeping their teams employed. Our government stepped in during …
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Mr. Speaker, I want the small business owners of Mission—Matsqui—Fraser Canyon to know that their Conservative member of Parliament has voted against cutting taxes for growing small businesses, voted against lowering credit card transaction fees by up to a quarter, voted against supports for diverse and under-represented entrepreneurs. Common sense does not mean voting against supports for small b…
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Mr. Speaker, I was also a small business owner during the pandemic, and I really understand the struggles many continue to face. That is why we are offering additional flexibilities for small businesses to repay their CEBA loans, which are both balanced and fiscally responsible. This includes a full one-year extension on the repayment deadline, more flexibility on refinancing and more time to acce…
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Mr. Speaker, with regard to (i) of part (a), business accelerators and incubators, or BAIs, are organizations that provide business support and advisory services to start-ups. The Business Accelerator and Incubator Performance Measurement Framework, or BAI PMF, was co-created by Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, or ISED, and the BAI community and, since 2020, it is delivered in …
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Mr. Speaker, the Black Entrepreneurship Program, or BEP, builds on the broader Government of Canada commitment to address systemic barriers and racism against Black Canadians. The three pillars of the BEP were developed in consultation with Black Canadian communities to reflect the realities and needs of Black Canadians and is managed by Black led organizations to create stronger economic opportun…
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Mr. Speaker, the Women Entrepreneurship Strategy, or WES, represents nearly $7 billion in investments and commitments from almost 20 different federal departments, agencies, and Crown corporations. This investment represents a “whole of government” approach to increasing women-owned businesses’ access to the financing, talent, networks, and expertise they need to start up, scale up, and access new…
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Mr. Speaker, tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of disease and continues, sadly, to kill 48,000 Canadians each year. Marginalized and underserved populations, such as people with low income, racialized people, indigenous people or those with a mental health diagnosis, experience even higher rates of tobacco use and greater tobacco-related health gaps. Could the Minister of Mental Health …
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Madam Speaker, I want to give a shout-out to the Mississauga Food Bank for its amazing work in giving back to the community and providing our communities with food. As I mentioned, or outlined, earlier in my speech, today, we have designed budget 2023 to have the biggest impact on those who need it most. We have made so many different options available to constituents to assist them in this time o…
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Madam Speaker, I would be remiss on June 1 if I did not say Happy National Indigenous History Month, Deafblind Awareness Month, Filipino Heritage Month, Italian Heritage Month, Portuguese Heritage Month and Pride Month. To go back to the topic at hand, I am very pleased to have the opportunity to discuss this important subject today. The Canadian economy is doing well in the face of global economi…
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Madam Speaker, I will be sharing my time with the member for Winnipeg North. Since I am speaking today on June 1, I would be remiss if I did not say happy National Indigenous History Month—
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Madam Speaker, as I said, budget 2023 announced that the federal government would increase the number of Canadians eligible for File my Return to two million people by 2025, which is almost triple the current number. My son Kyle is about to graduate from elementary school, and I am thinking forward to when he enters university and what he is going to be paying for his education. We know that the h…
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Madam Speaker, I enjoy working with the hon. member on the agriculture committee. I just want to state that, from the national inventory report that was recently published, Canada's climate policies are starting to bend the curve on greenhouse gas emissions. Canada is leading the G7 emissions reduction since 2019 and produced 53 million tonnes less of carbon in 2021 than in 2019. That is the equiv…
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Madam Speaker, as a part of the auto caucus, I hear all the different concerns that we get from the auto industry. I am looking forward to continuing to work with different members in this House to continue to put policies and legislation in place that can help, especially, with enhancing electric battery plants that are coming into Canada. They can also help with different investments, such as th…
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Madam Speaker, I just want to state something else on the record, which is this: Data from Public Safety Canada shows that the average annual bill for disaster assistance has been $430 million over the last three years. The total damage from natural disasters in Canada has been $3.1 billion alone in 2022. Given these substantial costs, inaction towards protecting our planet and fighting climate ch…
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Mr. Speaker, the month of June marks Filipino Heritage Month, and on June 12, Filipinos from around the world will celebrate Philippines Independence Day. From coast to coast to coast, there will be flag-raising ceremonies, cultural events and festivals. Filipino Canadians have made tremendous contributions to this great country. It is an honour to stand here on behalf of nearly one million Filipi…
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Mr. Speaker, as the first Filipina member of this House, I join my colleagues in working to strengthen ties between Canada and the Philippines. Canada is home to nearly one million people of Filipino origin, and that number is growing every single day. As we conclude Asian Heritage Month, and on the eve of Filipino Heritage Month, can the Minister of Foreign Affairs outline the vital role that thi…
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Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak about Mother's Day. Mothers are the foundation of our families and the backbone of our communities. We must also remember that Mother's Day is a celebration for mothers across this country and for those who play a motherly role in our lives, who provide us with love, care and guidance. They all deserve our gratitude and appreciation. Our mothers nourish us, suppo…
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Madam Speaker, as the member mentioned, our government has supported providing adoptive parents with an additional 15 weeks of leave to make sure that they get the same level of support to care for children as other parents do. We have also made many important investments for the well-being of children and families across Canada. I would like to ask the member opposite this. What steps does she pr…
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Mr. Speaker, today, I rise to speak about the brave men and women who serve as firefighters in our communities. These courageous individuals put their lives on the line every day to ensure we all remain safe from emergencies. They are the front line of our emergency response system. A few weeks ago, I was fortunate enough to meet with a few of their firefighters and their union from my riding of M…
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Madam Speaker, housing is certainly a priority for us as well. I know that the Minister of Housing is committed to ensuring that initiatives, like the rapid housing initiative, which is part of our overall Canada housing strategy, will continue to help Canadians be supported across this country. In my riding, there are many different housing initiatives that we have continued to support. That will…
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Madam Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague for her advocacy for indigenous peoples across Canada. I agree the effort that we put into our budget with the red dress initiative is definitely one step; however, there is so much more work that can be done. I hope we will continue to work together to address those concerns for those who need it most, particularly indigenous peoples.
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Madam Speaker, I rise to speak about budget 2023 and, in particular, the recent announcements and significant initiatives taken by the federal government to improve the lives of millions of Canadians across the country. Budget 2023 has been designed to address some of the most pressing issues affecting Canadians, including affordability, education, health care and mental health. What I would like …
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