Costas Menegakis

[Resumption of Debate on Address in Reply, May 30th, 2025]

Mr. Speaker, I see that the member is young. It is unfortunate that the government has created a situation in which home ownership is very difficult for young people. Certainly, paying $56 billion a year in interest is not going to provide an—

[Resumption of Debate on Address in Reply, May 30th, 2025]

Mr. Speaker, certainly I was extremely proud to be a part of the Harper government in this time. It was a time in which we were completely transparent. Ministers presented their bills, budgets were presented on time and there was accountability. In fact, I am proud to say that our prime minister, Stephen Harper, was never called onto the carpet by the Ethics Commissioner, something that the former Liberal prime minister was quite challenged with. If I am not mistaken, it was two or three times that he had to present himself and was found guilty by the Ethics Commissioner of violations of the rules and regulations of this country. Therefore, I am proud to say that I served in the House with, in my opinion, one of the best prime ministers to have ever served this Parliament.

[Resumption of Debate on Address in Reply, May 30th, 2025]

Mr. Speaker, I wish I knew the answer as to why. One can surmise only that there are things the Liberals do not want us to know. Transparency is an attribute that one cannot attach to the Liberal government. We have seen over the last 10 years, and in fact just in the last Parliament, that Parliament was shut down for a number of months because the Liberals refused to provide information that parliamentarians and Canadians were entitled to. Therefore, by not producing a budget, they are raising a big question mark as to the integrity of what they are intending to do with Canadians' money.

[Resumption of Debate on Address in Reply, May 30th, 2025]

Mr. Speaker, the current Prime Minister has touted his background as a businessman and a banker as credentials for the office he currently holds. He would never loan money to somebody if they did not present their financial picture. He would never loan money to a business if it did not present a budget. It is 2025, I would remind the hon. member opposite. The Prime Minister is now asking Parliament to give him a blank cheque for $500 billion today, and then he will tell us what he has done with that money six months down the road.

It is not our money, but taxpayer money. It is my responsibility as a parliamentarian, and that of all parliamentarians, to have an opportunity to review that budget and every dollar that is spent so that we can have a say, we can have input and we can—

[Resumption of Debate on Address in Reply, May 30th, 2025]

Mr. Speaker, while there are some measures outlined in the throne speech that can be seen as steps in the right direction, the government's agenda is clearly lacking and short on measurable actions that could produce meaningful and positive outcomes for Canadians. Moreover, the throne speech is a blueprint intended to signal the direction and focus of an incoming government. It is up to this place, the House of Commons, and all of us elected parliamentarians to review government programming with the objective of ensuring transparency and economic viability.

Let us start with the need for a budget. Households have budgets. Small businesses have budgets. Corporations have budgets. Charities have budgets. People routinely create a yearly budget as a prudent standard practice. The Liberal government's decision to not table the budget at this critical juncture for our country can best be described as irresponsible.

The Prime Minister touted his banking and business background as qualifying attributes for the office that he now holds. Can anyone imagine the response a Canadian would get if he or she were to approach their financial institution and apply for a loan with a caveat that they would provide their financial records and a budget six months after they receive the money? I would argue that the Prime Minister, his cabinet and the Liberal caucus would do well to respect Parliament and present a budget before they leave on vacation. They should not be afraid of vigorous, insightful and inspiring debate.

I want to touch on some issues that are important to my community and that were shared with me while I was campaigning. Nestled in the heart of the GTA, the beautiful municipalities of Aurora and Richmond Hill have been fraught with crime. There have been a record number of auto thefts and home invasions, and violent smash-and-grab robberies are far too prevalent. The Liberal catch-and-release agenda has frustrated law enforcement agencies across the country.

Even more glaring is the omission of investing further in the Canada Border Services Agency to provide it with the tools to catch and stop the influx of illegal drugs and guns into our country. Again, law enforcement agencies from coast to coast to coast have repeatedly told us that the majority of the confiscated weapons used in violent crimes in our communities have entered into our country illegally.

The Liberal government needs to get serious about the crime and drugs ravaging our communities. Repealing Bill C-75, which gave high priority to releasing repeat violent offenders back into our communities and avoiding jail time, would be a good start. Canadians deserve to feel safe in their communities. Sadly, the Liberal government is showing us once again that it will continue to take half measures that are weak on crime.

Speaking of half measures, the Liberals have now tabled a ways and means motion proposing three modest tax measures, but the motion does not go nearly far enough. The income tax cut, if one can even call it that, in practice, would not even cover a cup of coffee a week. The industrial carbon tax would continue to make life more expensive for businesses and consumers, and that would remain. Residents in Aurora—Oak Ridges—Richmond Hill deserve better. We need a bigger tax cut that would make a real difference for their families. The entire carbon tax must be repealed so industry can excel and residents can afford to live.

One of the saddest conversations I had at the doorsteps was with a lady who confided the following: “Sir, I am not a political person. I am a widow in my eighties. My husband and I bought this home, a modest bungalow, and grew our family here. I worked all of my life, paid my taxes and am now on a modest fixed pension, but unfortunately I cannot afford to eat the same way I was eating three years ago, so I am eating less, and different things, because I want to continue living in my home.” I would ask that members of the House reflect on the gravity of that statement.

Young people are being saddled with an ever-growing national debt. Youth unemployment is once again on the rise. Liberal policies have left them with little hope for their future, and the idea of achieving home ownership is but a dream.

In closing, there is much work to do. We can all do better. The current government can start by doing a lot better than the Liberals have been doing over the last 10 years.

I would like to thank my wife Gail, my pillar of strength for the past 45 years, as well as my children, Michael and Alicia, and my extended family, for their love and support. Being here in Canada's Parliament is indeed a huge honour and one that I will cherish every day as I walk into this historic chamber.

[Resumption of Debate on Address in Reply, May 30th, 2025]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to begin by thanking the constituents in my riding of Aurora—Oak Ridges—Richmond Hill for allowing me the opportunity to be their voice in this historic place. I am truly humbled by the honour they have bestowed on me to represent them and our community in the home of democracy for Canada and all Canadians. I know that the chair I sit in belongs to them.

This is an honour and a privilege that I cherish, and I pledge to work tirelessly on their behalf to prove worthy of the trust they have placed in me. From the bottom of my heart, I thank my hard-working campaign team and the hundreds of volunteers who devoted so much of their precious time to help me spread a message of hope in these trying times.

It was in the third week of May in 1956 when my mother Panagiota, a young woman in her mid-twenties, boarded the Queen Frederica for a transatlantic trip to Canada from her native country of Greece. Born in the 1930s in the midst of the Great Depression in a small village in the Spartan region of southern Greece to a poor family, opportunities were virtually non-existent. The inevitable hardship that followed as the country was embroiled in the Second World War was only compounded by the civil war that ensued in 1948.

Like so many of her generation, my mother was deprived of an education. By the 1950s, it became evident to her that she did not have a future in her poor village in her own country. It was then that a friend told her about a country called Canada. At the time, the Government of Canada had an immigration stream for domestics. Today, we call it the live-in caregiver program. She applied and was one of 75 young women who courageously boarded the ship for Canada to work as a maid in a home. The Queen Frederica embarked on a 15-day journey, landing at Pier 21 in Halifax on June 6.

My mom walked off the ship with no money, carrying a small suitcase containing just a few clothing items and not knowing a word of the English or French language. In truth, though, she carried a lot more than that. She brought with her the dream that in this new country she had chosen, she would be welcomed, she would succeed with hard work and her dreams would be fulfilled. She dreamed that she would meet someone, get married, have children and grow a family in a country that promised every opportunity to educate her children, contribute to society and prosper.

My father John also chose Canada as his home and landed at the same pier with the same dream one year later. They met in Montreal, and the following year they were married.

Born in Montreal, my brothers and I grew up in a loving home guided by our Christian faith and the values taught to us by our parents. It was in those early formative years that I learned the importance of civic engagement and realized that in addition to my personal career path, I wanted to be of public service. For the past 35 years, I have volunteered in my community, and this ultimately led me to seeking elected office. My election to Canada's Parliament in 2011 and again in 2025 would not have been possible if my parents had not instilled in me a deep love for our great country. Canada is, indeed, a country where everything is possible, even for two poor people who came here, like so many others have, seeking a better life. For my family, my election was in part a fulfillment of a Canadian dream.

After 10 years of the tired Liberal government, Canada's promise that with hard work anyone from anywhere can achieve anything has been broken. Taxes are higher, interest rates are up, grocery prices have skyrocketed, home prices are up and Canadians have been left helpless, as the Liberal government has lost its way.

Unfortunately, the Speech from the Throne did very little to give people hope and inspire optimism for better days ahead. While there are some measures outlined that can be seen as steps in the right direction—

[Resumption of Debate on Address in Reply, May 29th, 2025]

Mr. Speaker, the throne speech, as we all know, is a blueprint of the direction the government would like to take moving forward, but there is follow-up to that. Oversight by Parliament is an opportunity for everyone in this place, on both sides of the House, to review how the government plans to move forward with its agenda. One of those very important things is a budget. I think it is incumbent on a sitting government to be transparent as to what it plans to do. Presenting a budget six months down the road, after we have already spent six months' worth of the money, does not make sense.

I wonder if the member can comment on how she feels about not having the opportunity to review a budget before we recess for vacation.

[Housing, May 29th, 2025]

Mr. Speaker, the housing market in the GTA is descending into complete chaos. New data shows that GTA home sales are the worst since the market crash of the 1990s, falling 89% below the 10-year average, and that condo sales fell 94% below the 10-year average. Home prices are too high for buyers and too low for sellers. Sellers cannot sell, buyers cannot buy and builders are not building. The report warns that there will be a massive housing shortage in just two years.

Can the Prime Minister tell us why he refuses to present a budget immediately to provide much-needed help for both buyers and sellers?

[Citizenship and Immigration, June 19th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, as I said earlier, we welcome one out of every ten resettled refugees globally.

What is shameful is that the member, the NDP and members of the opposition continually vote against important legislation that we bring to the House that would expedite the entry of people who genuinely need assistance.

Those members voted against Protecting Canada's Immigration System Act, the Faster Removal of Foreign Criminals Act and the Strengthening Canadian Citizenship Act. They do not have a clue on the other side of the House.

[Citizenship and Immigration, June 19th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, our government is proud of our record on refugees. We welcomed one out every ten resettled refugees globally, more than any other industrialized country in the world.

Last year, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees met with the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, and he recognized Canada's international leadership when it came to providing assistance to refugees.

Our comprehensive reforms to Canada's asylum system ensure that genuine refugees receive faster and fairer protections.