Madam Speaker, it is an honour for me to rise in the House today to speak to the Speech from the Throne. Thank you for giving me this opportunity.
I will be splitting my time with the member for Scarborough Centre.
I spent the past five months in the beautiful riding of Saint-Laurent, the riding I have the honour of representing in the House of Commons and that I have considered home since the day I was born.
Over these five months, I had the opportunity to talk to my constituents about the federal issues that concern them the most.
Overwhelmingly, the message that my constituents wanted to relay to me about what they most wanted was for us to do more for our planet. It was that we need to act fast to counter the devastating effects of climate change. This is one of the main messages that I heard at the doors at least a few times every single day during the electoral period. That is why I was thrilled that the Speech from the Throne emphasized and prioritized fighting climate change.
The previous Liberal government, which I was proud to be a part of, did more than any prior government for the environment. The current government has committed to making the fight against climate change a priority. We have set the target of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050, which may seem like an ambitious goal, but it is one that is absolutely necessary.
We absolutely must try to achieve the net zero emission target by 2050 to protect the environment in order to give our children and grandchildren the chance to grow up in a world where there is still fresh air and clean drinking water.
It is time to listen to scientists who are telling us that we cannot exceed the 1.5°C temperature increase and Canada must contribute to that effort. That is why our government will continue to put a price on pollution across the country and work with its provincial partners on further reducing emissions.
We know that our target is ambitious. We have to make the transition to renewable energy sources not only because we currently do not have the capacity to rely on renewable energy sources alone, but also because we have to provide support to the people who work in Canada's natural resources sector.
As is highlighted in the Speech from the Throne, our government is committing to protecting 25% of Canada's lands and 25% of Canada's oceans by 2025. To go further, one of the commitments that we made public during our election is the plan to plant two billion trees over the next 10 years to purify our air and water, as we know this is the best way to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions.
Those who know me well, know why I entered politics. They know I have always felt a deep passion to make the world a fairer place for everyone, that the inequalities that exist in this world make my blood boil. They know how I feel about the unfairness that exists based on socio-economic and racial or ethnic background. Back home in my constituency, one of my main priorities is to do my best to help those in need by helping organizations that help those who need it most, or by giving a voice to those who are marginalized and providing space for them to come and communicate and express themselves to make life a bit fairer for them.
In Saint-Laurent, community organizations such as the Bon Courage centre, COCLA, l'Unité, the Centre ABC, CARI, the Maison des familles de Saint-Laurent, and the Au cœur de l'enfance pediatric services centre, as well as many others, are indispensable and make all the difference for families in the region.
Another reason I support the Speech from the Throne is for its focus on strengthening the middle class. Our government has a goal of making life more affordable for Canadians. The personal income tax exemption is being raised to $15,000 so that Canadians can do more with their money, whether that is putting more money into their savings accounts or being able to afford better-quality food on their table for their families.
When I was growing up, my parents did not have a lot of money. My father was my family's only breadwinner, and sometimes it was tough, but he and my mom made up for it by giving us an amazing family experience and ensuring that we took part in extracurricular activities. They wanted to give us a good life and tried hard to do so. However, I began working at the age of 15 in order to pay for my personal expenses, because I did not want to be a burden on my parents. They made sure that there was a roof over my head and healthy food on the table every single day, but I felt that if I wanted more, it was up to me to earn some money. My mom told me to save half of every paycheque so that I could pay for my university tuition one day. If I wanted a cellphone, I had to pay my own bill.
Let me say that kids who know that their parents are going through financial struggles feel it. It is a heavy weight to carry. I know this because I taught in public schools on the Island of Montreal, and kids whose families did not have an easy time knew not to ask their parents for things that they could not afford.
Our government is going to make a real difference in situations such as these by cutting cellphone and wireless bills by 25%, which will help middle-class families in particular.
We also plan to help students so that they all have the opportunity to have a quality post-secondary education, no matter their family's socio-economic status. Students will not have to pay back their student loan until they find full-time employment.
The government will also implement measures to reduce the number of homeless people by investing in affordable housing. During our last term, we reduced poverty by improving the situation of 900,000 Canadians through the Canada child benefit. We will continue to make these crucial investments for the people that need them most.
Last week, we commemorated the 14 lives that were taken at École Polytechnique in Montreal 30 years ago just because they were women. I want to point out that, as a feminist, I am proud of the fact that our government took seriously the challenges faced by women in our last term of office. I am also proud that the throne speech referred to the gender-based violence strategy. We will do more to fight violence against women and the LGBTQ2 community.
Speaking of the École Polytechnique shooting, gun violence has been on the rise in Canada, and our government has a plan to tackle this issue. We will ban military-style assault rifles like the one used at École Polytechnique, and we will introduce a buyback program. While we know that this is only the beginning and a that lot more needs to be done in order to completely eliminate gun violence, this is an important step in the right direction.
At a time when certain powers around the world are turning their focus inward, taking steps back on the international stage and taking less of a leadership role to help countries around the world, Canada will continue its efforts to make this world a fairer, safer and more sustainable place.
We will continue to support international development and we will invest to make education more accessible in third world countries. We will continue to work hard to make the world a more equal place so as to empower women who do not have the same liberties and freedoms as we do here in Canada.
My thanks once again for giving me the chance to express my thoughts in support of the Speech from the Throne.