Mr. Speaker, I rise today for the first time in the 45th Parliament with gratitude and humility.
I am the first member of the Liberal Party to win my riding in 70 years. I thank the people of South Surrey—White Rock for placing their trust in me. It is an honour to serve as their representative.
To my family, the incredible volunteers and supporters, I thank them very much for their time, energy and unwavering dedication. I could not have done this without them.
My work in the House has already begun. My priorities for South Surrey—White Rock include protecting our border community, addressing the urgent pressures on housing and affordability, and building safer and more secure neighbourhoods.
I would like to recognize this week as being National AccessAbility Week, which is a time to celebrate the contributions of persons with disabilities and build more inclusive and accessible communities.
I wish to thank Stephanie Cadieux, my dear friend and Canada's first-ever chief accessibility officer, for her continued leadership and—