House of Commons photo

Crucial Fact

  • Her favourite word was support.

Last in Parliament September 2021, as Liberal MP for King—Vaughan (Ontario)

Lost her last election, in 2021, with 43% of the vote.

Statements in the House

Seniors June 17th, 2021

Mr. Speaker, we are keenly aware of how important GIS benefits are for seniors and because of our temporary extension, over 200,000 seniors continue to receive their GIS and allowance benefits even though they did not submit their 2019 income information. We know GIS recipients need to file their 2019 tax information as soon as possible. We have sent seniors letters and made calls reminding them to do this. We did outreach activities, such as engaging groups that serve seniors using social media to raise awareness.

We will be there for seniors because we know how important their benefits are.

Seniors June 16th, 2021

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his advocacy for seniors.

While no solution can meet everyone's needs, step by step we are making progress. For low-income seniors we increased the GIS by 10% for singles and increased and enhanced the GIS earnings exemption. We lowered the age of eligibility for OAS and GIS to 65 from 67, and for future retirees we enhanced the CPP by almost 50%. For everyone we are increasing the basic personal amount, saving individuals close to $300 every year.

Our government's work is making a real difference in the lives of seniors.

Seniors June 1st, 2021

Mr. Speaker, I want to assure my colleague that we are working on behalf of seniors who have worked all their lives. They deserve to have a safe and financially secure retirement. They deserve to be paid their benefits and the payments that they require. We are working very hard to make sure that all seniors receive the payments and the benefits that they are entitled to.

Seniors May 28th, 2021

Madam Speaker, our government has delivered on its commitment to increase old age security by 10% for all seniors age 75 and up. We are helping address the pressures that are faced by more than 3.3 million seniors as they age, by giving them more financial security later in life. Older seniors face increased care expenses and are at greater risk of running out of their savings.

As seniors age, their health and home care costs rise. All the while, they are more likely to be unable to work, have disabilities or be widowed. The OAS hike—

Points of Order May 11th, 2021

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. I would like to also just reflect on what has happened during question period.

You have been, very kindly for many months, advising us all on how to behave in this virtual environment. However, despite those repeated reminders, we have seen an increase in interruptions. I think that it is completely unacceptable. You are doing a great job trying to remind everybody, but I would like you to consider whether there is some further action that you could take that would really deter these very inappropriate interruptions during responses to questions. It is totally inappropriate. Reminders have been nice, but I think it is time for more than reminders. Everybody knows now exactly how they should behave, so what they are doing is obviously intentional.

Seniors May 4th, 2021

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague for his leadership with the Liberal seniors caucus.

Budget 2021 recognizes seniors' increased needs as they age. In August, we are issuing to seniors who are 75 and older as of June 2022 a one-time $500 payment and we are delivering on our commitment to increase old age security by 10% for those age 75-plus in July of 2022. We are also investing $3 billion in long-term care and $90 million over three years to launch our age well at home initiative.

Our government will always be there to support seniors.

Seniors April 15th, 2021

Mr. Speaker, it is really unfortunate that the opposition continues to confuse the cost of living increase with the significant support that we provided seniors during the pandemic.

We know many Canadian seniors are facing significant health, economic and social challenges due to COVID-19. That is why we provided them with significant tax-free support. Combined with the GST top-up, this provided over $1,500 tax-free to support the most vulnerable senior couples in our communities.

We will continue to support seniors and all Canadians during this pandemic.

Seniors April 13th, 2021

Mr. Speaker, my hon. colleague from Scarborough Centre is right. As a result of the pandemic, seniors have experienced significant negative impacts. To help combat the isolation they have faced during the pandemic, we invested millions more into the new horizons for seniors program. In total, we have funded 5,000 community support projects across the country during the pandemic to help seniors stay connected and supported.

I want to thank the organizations, like those in my colleague's riding, that stepped up to serve seniors with projects during this extraordinarily challenging time. Together, we can make a difference in the lives of seniors. I look forward to the opposition supporting Bill C-14 to get it through to the other place as soon as possible.

Seniors April 12th, 2021

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the member for Newmarket—Aurora for his advocacy on behalf of seniors and for letting me share this exciting news for his riding and communities across Canada.

This year, through the new horizons for seniors program, we are funding more than 3,000 community-based projects to support seniors. These projects will help seniors stay active, informed and socially connected during the pandemic. Our improvements and funding increase to the program resulted in almost double the number of projects serving rural seniors and a greater share of funded projects serving vulnerable seniors. This is great news for seniors all across Canada.

Pensions April 12th, 2021

Mr. Speaker, I would like to touch on the point that my colleague raised about seniors' isolation, because it is a very serious issue that we are dealing with.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, programs supporting local seniors and seniors organizations are more important than ever before. We have funded over 5,000 community support projects, supporting seniors to stay active and socially connected during the pandemic through the new horizons for seniors program. This year, increased funding and improvements to the program resulted in the highest number of applications ever, almost double the number of projects serving rural seniors and a greater share of funded projects for vulnerable seniors. It is important that we provide them with programs and support that they need and deserve.