Madam Speaker, it is with a deep sense of responsibility and great pride that I rise today to speak to the 2025 federal budget. Before I begin my speech, I just want to say that it has been over six months since I was elected and I want to once again thank the people of Bourassa for putting their trust in me and for giving me this responsibility.
This budget is not just an accounting exercise. It is a vision, a road map that shows the kind of country that we want to build: a fairer, safer, more prosperous and more innovative Canada, a Canada where families are supported, where young people have opportunities for the future and where communities like Bourassa and, of course, the entire city of Montreal finally get the investments they deserve.
We are at a critical juncture. We must act ambitiously and diligently in light of inflationary pressures, housing challenges, rapid technological transformations, geopolitical tensions and pressing infrastructure needs. Budget 2025 responds specifically to these challenges by focusing on meaningful investments that will have a lasting impact on our country's development.
This is a budget for families and the middle class. A reduction of the rate for the first tax bracket from 15% to 14.5% this year and then to 14% in 2026 will provide meaningful relief to millions of Canadians. For a couple, a single parent or a young worker, this means hundreds of dollars more each year, direct support that leaves more room in already fragile budgets. This measure reflects a simple conviction: Prosperity must benefit those who create it.
If there is one area in which this budget marks a historic turning point, it is infrastructure. This year, the government is allocating $50.8 billion to modernize, expand and develop Canada's infrastructure. This is a huge investment and one that is absolutely necessary. Our infrastructure is the foundation of our prosperity. In my riding of Bourassa, we know how essential it is. Streets, parks, water systems, community centres, public facilities: These are everyday spaces that shape our quality of life. Thanks to this budget, Bourassa will benefit from safer, more modern infrastructure that is better suited to families, seniors and young people, including better-maintained streets, modernized parks and public spaces that are redesigned to be safer and more accessible.
These investments include one that is especially important for our community: the sports centre in Montreal North. I would like to cast this project in a more human light, as it is about much more than bricks and mortar. It is about more than walls and buildings. We are not putting up a building, we are creating hope. We are building the future of our young people. We are reigniting the pride of a neighbourhood which has too often been stigmatized or forgotten. A sports centre is not just concrete and steel. It is a place where young and old alike can find out what they are capable of. They can spend a day there with friends or family members. It is a place where families can gather, where a community can feel at home, where its members can look out for one another and lift one another up. It is a place where dreams will be born and take shape. It is a show of confidence in our youth, a clear signal that Montreal North deserves the best and that our potential is unlimited. That is the very heart and soul of budget 2025: investing in people first, before investing in concrete and walls.
The budget also makes major investments in sustainable mobility, in bus networks, in improving urban travel, and in energy and green transition infrastructure. These initiatives will make our streets safer, help our neighbourhoods adapt and contribute to a real reduction in the cost of living.
In terms of housing, the budget allocates nearly an additional $25 million to improve access to suitable housing. In Montreal, Montreal North and in the riding of Bourassa, where so many families spend more than 40% of their income on rent, these measures will provide welcome relief. Eliminating the GST for first-time home buyers, speeding up housing construction through Build Canada Homes, and supporting community housing will make it possible to offer lasting and meaningful solutions.
Budget 2025 also includes major investments in innovation, cybersecurity and advanced technologies, with $110 billion to modernize our economy. This means jobs of the future for young people in Bourassa. These jobs are designed and planned for a future where advanced technologies, including artificial intelligence, will be central to the jobs of tomorrow. It also means new opportunities and active involvement in Canada's digital economic transformation.
Security continues to be a priority. Adding 1,000 RCMP officers, enhancing the Canada Border Services Agency, establishing financial crimes agency, and making significant investments in cybersecurity will make our neighbourhoods safer and more stable.
I would like to share some comments made by seniors in my riding. They saw that budget line, which may look like a simple accounting entry, but to them, it represents a commitment to protection. Seniors are a prime target for cyber-attacks and financial fraud. They can clearly see that this line in the budget shows that someone is thinking about them, that people are the top priority. That is what budget 2025 is all about.
Lastly, while the budget may be big, it is a responsible budget. Canada continues to have the lowest net debt in the G7. Our fiscal trajectory is sound. Our trajectory is prudent. Most importantly, our trajectory is sustainable.
This budget is a choice for the future. It is a choice for confidence in our families, our youth and our communities. For Bourassa, this budget represents a promise of a future that is brighter, more visible, fairer and more prosperous. For our borough, the budget means investments that finally meet our needs and make a tangible difference in each and every person's life. The future is not carved in stone. The future is what we make it. Today, with this budget, we are choosing to build a future. We are choosing to build pride. We are choosing to build hope. We are building Canada strong.