Mr. Speaker, I will be sharing my time with the member for Marc-Aurèle-Fortin.
As I rise for the first time in the House in response to the Speech from the Throne, I begin by offering my deepest gratitude to the people of Toronto—St. Paul's for their trust in electing me to their seat in the House of Commons.
It is the greatest honour of my life to be their voice in the House.
I want to thank the hundreds of volunteers who brought incredible energy to our campaign, like James Kingsmill, a high school student who knocked on doors almost every day after class, part of an army of engaged residents who made calls, dropped off food, hosted coffee parties and helped us speak to tens of thousands of people across the community.
To our campaign team, led by Wilder Walker-Stewart and Jonathan Afek Levy, and our local riding association, led by Brian Klunder, my thanks for their hard work, long nights and leadership of our outstanding dream team.
I want to thank my family for their immense love and support: my husband Sheamus and children Adaira, Ethan and Meghan. Making sure they grow up into a safe, prosperous and bright future inspires me every day to do this work.
I grew up around airports and airplanes in Edmonton, Alberta, as the daughter of two air traffic controllers. Whenever I see a plane overhead, I think of my parents, Doug and Helen. I thank them for their support and the values of hard work and education, not to mention calm under pressure, that they instilled in my brother, sister and me. I think of my grandma Wanda, no longer with us, who left an indelible mark on my life. She came to Canada to escape the war in Europe, built a life as a seamstress and wife of a carpenter, and was a proud Liberal. She always cared for her neighbours and kept scissors close to the newspaper so she could clip the articles she thought were important for us to read.
I am grateful every day for the life that Canada has afforded my family. It is why I ran for public office to do the work that must always be done to safeguard our country, strengthen our unity and ensure every Canadian has a bright future ahead.
Over the past 18 months, I have had the wonderful experience of connecting with so many neighbours from across Toronto—St. Paul's, from Hillcrest and Humewood to Davisville Village and the great republic of Rathnelly, from Oakwood and Little Jamaica through Cedarvale and Forest Hill, from bustling towers at Yonge and Eglinton to quiet streets nestled above Moore Park Ravine.
St. Paul's is an incredible community, one of caring, kindness and ambition. We believe in supporting our neighbourhood with vibrant farmers' markets and local small businesses that give our streets character and a strong sense of community. We share a deep love for our city and our country, and a commitment to leaving both in better shape for our children, with new green spaces, better public transit, high-quality public health care and education, and a strong economy that lifts up our quality of life. However, there are challenges. Many of our neighbours are struggling with rising rents, a lack of housing, a rising cost of living and precarious jobs. As the throne speech set out, too many families are struggling to get ahead.
We are here to deliver for Canadians. It is why our very first act as a new government is to reduce middle-class taxes, saving families up to $840 a year. We are also protecting the programs that Canadians rely on. In St. Paul's, I met seniors at St. Matthew's Bracondale House who were getting dental care for the first time in years because of our dental care program. I have met families saving upwards of $10,000 a year because of our $10-a-day child care plan. This is good for kids, good for families and good for our economy as parents, especially women, return to their careers. It is a triple crown that has already boosted our GDP.
The strongest economies are built on solid foundations of housing, education and culture. We are focused on building affordable homes to drive supply up and bring costs down. We will build across the full continuum of housing needs, from deeply affordable housing, co-ops and purpose-built rentals to a supply of new homes for young people and young families. We have major federal investments already at work in St. Paul's, building over 800 new suites across two buildings on Broadway Avenue. At St. Hilda's Towers, we are investing in 330 new affordable suites for seniors.
This is just the beginning. We need to, and we will, build many more homes. While housing is key to a strong economy, education lights the spark of economic opportunity. Twenty years ago, I had the honour of working with former premiers the Hon. Bob Rae and the Hon. Bill Davis on the Rae review of post-secondary education, to improve the quality and accessibility of Ontario's colleges and universities.
Today, more than ever, our ambition should be nothing less than to have world-leading skills and education. As the throne speech set out, the skilled trades can open the doors to good careers for hundreds of thousands of Canadians. These careers will be even better if they are connected to world-leading science and innovation: the builder who builds more homes faster at lower cost with new materials, the engineer who can harness AI and lead a team to bring it to market. Toronto—St. Paul's is home to today's innovators and entrepreneurs, and tomorrow's too.
We are also a community of artists, filmmakers, musicians, authors and journalists. These professions continue to tell our uniquely Canadian stories, reflect our history and open our imagination.
In the heart of Toronto, we support the arts and strong public institutions: our science centres, our art galleries, the local organizations that bring people of all ages together for theatre, crafts and fellowship. In an era of misinformation and polarization, our public broadcaster has a vital role. Let us improve the CBC-Radio Canada, not tear it down.
When I think back to when I was knocking on doors this past winter, I remember the snowbanks with hockey sticks planted in them flying Canadian flags. Canadians are ready to stand up for Canada. Yes, it is about patriotism, but as the Prime Minister has shown, it is also about respect. Respect is something we expect from our neighbours and allies. It is mutual; we give it, and we expect it in return. It is what we expect from each other. Respect for one another is a Canadian value. It is what we must demand from our political leaders. Canadians expect us to reach out to one another, to wrestle in good faith with facts, not fiction. We are at a moment of change and challenge. It is easier than ever to spread fear and hate. This is a toxic recipe for any country.
Toronto—St. Paul's, with its vibrant shuls and synagogues, is at the heart of Canada's Jewish community. The past 604 days since the terrorist attack of October 7 have been an extraordinarily difficult time of grief, anger, pain and fear. There has been, and continues to be, a very real, shocking rise in anti-Semitism in our city. As parliamentarians, as Canadians, we must ensure unequivocally that no parent is ever afraid to send their child to school, that no small business is the target of hatred and that no synagogue, place of worship or neighbourhood is targeted in an effort to make any group of Canadians responsible for a foreign conflict. This is anti-Semitism, and it is unacceptable.
As we work as a new government to make our streets safe, reduce crime and strengthen law enforcement, we will also protect schools, community centres and places of worship from acts of intimidation and fear. Freedom from fear is at the root of the Canadian commitment to democracy, pluralism and the rule of law. As we heard in the throne speech, these are values Canadians hold dear, and our government is determined to protect them.
In closing, I am here to listen, to work hard and to ensure that the voices of Toronto—St. Paul's ring out in this chamber. We all stand on the shoulders of those who came before us, and I want to pay tribute to the Hon. Dr. Carolyn Bennett, who served the community of St. Paul's for over 27 years in this House. She was a trail-blazing woman in politics and a champion of reconciliation and women's health, among her many accomplishments in a lifetime of service.
With each new Parliament, there is more work to do in this great endeavour of building a country. As Prime Minister Lester Pearson hoped when he raised the Maple Leaf flag on Parliament Hill for the first time 60 years ago this year, “Under this flag may our youth find new inspiration for loyalty to Canada; for a patriotism based not on any mean or narrow nationalism, but on the deep and equal pride that all Canadians will feel for every part of this good land.”
The road ahead may have challenges, but let us keep our eyes fixed on the horizon, towards a brighter future, a proud people and a Canada strong and free.
