Eve Adams

[Preventing Human Smugglers from Abusing Canada's Immigration System Act, September 23rd, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, Canada has a wonderful reputation internationally for welcoming refugees. My parents are immigrants. In fact, my father was a refugee in 1956 during the revolution when he stood against Soviet tanks.

The hon. members on the opposite side do not want to understand that perhaps smugglers are what we are trying to target, not refugees. We continue to welcome refugees and we continue to have a wonderful international reputation doing so.

Perhaps the hon. member might be aware that the folks who come here with smugglers are working two, three or four jobs in order to pay off their smuggling fees and the only people benefiting or profiting are the smugglers. They are the ones who are demeaning people who are trying to come to our country. They are the ones who are robbing them of their dignity.

I would encourage members opposite to join with us to help folks who are coming to Canada and genuinely seeking refugee status. Does the hon. member have some comments on that?

[Veterans Affairs, September 23rd, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, when it comes to agent orange, our government acted when the Liberals refused to act.

When it comes to homelessness, our government is taking action. In fact, in March we established the new emergency funds that allow veterans and their families to access emergency cash when there are no other funds available. We have established new initiatives in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver, to help with the homeless. We have asked all of our district offices to go out and search, and assist our homeless veterans.

We take our veterans very seriously. In fact, no other government has served our veterans more honourably.

[Restoring Mail Delivery for Canadians Act, June 25th, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, just to correct the record, it was the NDP and the Liberal Party that forced this unwanted $300 million election upon us, and it was Canadians who chose a strong, stable, national majority Conservative government. That is how we came to be here, and I am very grateful, because that is how I find myself in this hallowed chamber.

This is not about picking sides. I can assure the member that the Conservative Party values the hard work of our postal workers. It is really about the economy, as I heard at the door and as I am sure everyone heard at the door.

There are still too many of our neighbours who are looking for work. In Canada we have had a very successful economy over the last number of quarters. I believe it is for seven quarters that we have had consistent growth, and that growth compares very favourably with the rest of the world. We need only look at Greece, where they are holding out their hands again for a second round of funding from the EU. The United States is looking at possibly entering a second recession. We are doing incredibly well in Canada.

Does the hon. member not honestly feel that by having the workers go back to work and getting mail delivered, we might actually improve the economy?

[Restoring Mail Delivery for Canadians Act, June 24th, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, I certainly want to set the record straight. The Conservative Party values the hard work of Canada Post workers. We value anyone who is willing to work hard to put food on the table.

Today I was on the phone with a constituent of mine. She runs a small business and has been running it for 11 years. She was on the phone with me three times today. Cash flow has become critical. She runs a mail house. Her revenue evaporated earlier this week, she is looking for some stopgap financing and on Monday she needs to decide whether she is laying off 16 people.

I am here today to implore the opposition to please allow this woman to get back to work and allow Canada Post workers to get back to work. She questions what really is being achieved by continuing these debates for some 17 or 18 hours. The point has been made. She really sees this as theatrics.

I am here to put the question to the hon. member who just gave her speech to please help me make sure that this woman's employees can continue working for us and to put food on the table for their families.

[Restoring Mail Delivery for Canadians Act, June 23rd, 2011]

Don't be shy.

[Infrastructure, June 15th, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, our Conservative government has invested over $100 million in infrastructure projects in the cities of Mississauga and Brampton.

As a city councillor for over seven years in Canada's sixth largest city, I led the charge for some of these investments. I can say that this government's help put our neighbours to work and helped cities build infrastructure they could not have built on their own.

Next week, Mississauga is excited to open our vibrant, new downtown square. We are also opening new libraries where children can develop a love of reading with their moms and dads. Soon, our new, modern pools will help keep us fit and the hydrotherapy pool is sure to be a hit with seniors and young moms. I am most proud of the new ambulance station that will provide faster emergency response times.

Canada is coming out stronger than ever from the global economic downturn because of our Conservative government. It invested in communities, gave our neighbours jobs and improved the quality of life with lasting infrastructure projects.

[The Budget, June 7th, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, I am humbled to rise for the first time in the House. May I thank my neighbours, the great voters of Mississauga—Brampton South, for their kindness and support. I promise to repay their trust with an immense amount of hard work.

To start, our Conservative majority government is providing support for families in a number of ways: a new children's art tax credit on up to $500 in eligible fees; a new family caregiver tax credit on an amount of $2,000 for caregivers of all types; an enhanced medical expense tax credit removing the limit on the amount of eligible medical expenses that can be claimed on behalf of a financially-dependent relative; an extension on the eco-energy retrofit homes program; and full-time students will now be allowed to earn more money without affecting their loans by doubling the in-study exemption to $100 per week and giving them a tax break on certification fees.

Our strong, stable national Conservative majority government is delivering for Canadian families.