Mr. Speaker, I would first like to thank my supporters, the people of Verchères—Les Patriotes who, on May 2, expressed their will to have me represent them in the House.
I humbly accept this mandate and commit to serving them and to protecting their interests throughout my time here.
I would also like to thank my family, my friends and my husband for their daily support.
I also want to say that I am proud to be the first Tunisian woman to sit as a member of the Canadian Parliament.
On Monday the government presented its budget and there were certain positive aspects to it.
However, what is the government doing to help young graduates who are starting their professional lives with an average student debt of $25,000? Or to help families that have a huge debt load and are being crushed by astronomical credit card interest rates? Or to help the 5 million Canadians who still do not have a family doctor and have to go to emergency? What is the government doing to meet the real needs of Canadians?
By granting subsidies to the country's privileged, the government has made its priorities clear. And those priorities are unacceptable.