Gary Anandasangaree

[Invictus Games, May 11th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, several weeks ago, the Minister of Veterans Affairs and I met with our wounded soldiers in my riding of Scarborough—Rouge Park as they were training for this year's Invictus Games. As members may be aware, the Scarborough Pan Am centre will co-host the 2017 Invictus Games.

Can the minister advise us as to how the government will be supporting our soldiers and our veterans in representing Canada?

[The Budget, April 14th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, my friend and I share very similar values and very similar demographics in terms of whom we represent.

There are a number of very important initiatives for young people. I believe the number one incentive for young people to go to university is what they will get out of it. I believe our investment into jobs, job training, the 35,000 new jobs under the Canada summer jobs program, and our commitment to co-op placements are very important indicators—

[The Budget, April 14th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, we know that education is at the centre of any type of renewal with our indigenous population. It is a very important tool and the ultimate equalizer in our society. From our experience around the world, we know the value of education and what it allows people to become when they grow up. I am personally invested in it, and I know it is important to our indigenous communities.

I am proud of our government's commitment of $8.4 billion over five years toward a number of very important things, $2.6 billion of which is earmarked for education. Of that number, we will also be investing in special needs, which is a very important aspect in some of the communities with which I have engaged.

As I said earlier, it is a down payment. I believe that over the years we will do the right thing.

[The Budget, April 14th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, I believe we are now six months into a four-year government. This is the first budget we have introduced. There are a number of commitments our government made during the election, and I am confident that we will fulfill those commitments over the coming years.

With respect to health care in general, we have a very able Minister of Health who is working with our provincial counterparts to reset the arrangement on health care across the country. I believe she will be meeting with her provincial counterparts shortly. Over the next year, I am hoping we will have a new accord that will ensure long-term stable funding for the required health care needs of Canadians.

[The Budget, April 14th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, I am sharing my time with the member for Sackville—Preston—Chezzetcook.

I am pleased to speak this morning in support of our government's budget. I want to start by congratulating our finance minister and our Prime Minister for delivering not only on our election promises, but on building a visionary budget, one which I am confident will irreversibly change the lives of millions of Canadians for the better.

This budget represents a significant shift in the direction of our country. We are asking top income earners in Canada to pay a bit more so that the majority of Canadians will have more money to spend on important staples, such as food, shelter, and child care. This will greatly benefit those on the lowest end of the income ladder.

This is all the more important, as budget 2016 sets the groundwork to bring in a group of people who have suffered generations of failed government policies and neglect toward equal opportunity in government services. Of course, I speak of Canada's indigenous population.

This budget takes the first steps in healing old wounds and bringing about true reconciliation in our country. It is a statement that restores a promise that generations of Canadians have known: that no matter who we are or where we came from, if we work hard, we will get ahead.

Today I want to devote my time to focus on two sets of policies of which I am particularly proud.

This budget announced historic investment in infrastructure and our indigenous peoples, programs that will create a more equitable and prosperous country.

First, with regard to infrastructure, Canada lags behind in investment to our infrastructure. Investment in infrastructure is an investment in our collective future. I compare infrastructure investments to a personal decision that I had to make many years ago. I recall the time that I was accepted into law school. Like most students, I had no money to go to school. However, I looked at it as an investment. I borrowed money. I went to law school, built a successful practice, and paid the money back. I had a more stable career. I put a great deal of money back into the tax system, and I created jobs.

The investment we make in our infrastructure today is analogous to the decisions that individuals and families routinely make. Many Canadian cities are currently experiencing infrastructure backlogs. With the lowest debt-to-GDP ratio of any G7 country, there has never been a better time to invest in building roads and institutions that will keep our economy strong. We have historically low interest rates, currently hovering around 2.5%. This compares with 6%, 15 years ago; 10%, 25 years ago; and 18%, 35 years ago.

Equally important is the need to boost our economy. We know that in many parts of this country there is a dire need to infuse capital to kick-start the economy. Our current commitment to infrastructure does just that. It takes advantage of historically low interest rates, infuses capital into our economy, creates jobs, and secures important, much-needed infrastructure projects for our future. We are allocating $11.9 billion to build infrastructure that we need now, and to make long overdue repairs to aging systems.

On public transit, we are putting $3.4 billion toward phase one of our government's plan to improve public transit in Canada. Public transit opens doors to employment and educational opportunities that are not possible without it. Investment in public transit not only provides a quicker way for people to get around, it helps to equalize the playing field for urban Canadians.

I represent a riding with high youth unemployment. I know that improvement in our public transit system will pay dividends over the coming years to our youth and our community.

In addition to these historic investments, our government has committed $3.4 billion for affordable housing, community centres, and child care centres. These funds will ensure our communities are better places to live and provide more low-income Canadians of all ages with peace of mind.

All of these investments will start to provide an immediate boost to our economy and will better the lives of Canadians in my riding of Scarborough—Rouge Park and across this country.

I am particularly proud of our post-secondary institutions strategic investment fund. Budget 2016 plays a major role in supporting post-secondary institutions in Canada. We have allocated $2 billion in additional funding that will be matched by the provinces and territories, to build and update research labs, training facilities, and on-campus incubators. These investments will ensure that Canadian post-secondary institutions remain leaders in innovation and research.

I am proud to say that my riding is home to the University of Toronto, Scarborough campus, and to Centennial College, both hubs of learning in Scarborough. I am pleased that our Minister of Science was at Centennial College in Scarborough last week to announce the post-secondary institutions strategic investment fund. Many university and college presidents, student groups, and community members were in attendance. We were mesmerized by the incredible demonstrations of talent by Centennial College students, who have the key to the collective future in new technology, the new jobs that we often speak of.

The University of Toronto Scarborough campus has a master plan, which principal Bruce Kidd and members of the Scarborough team shared with the members of this House. The master plan supports the renewal of Scarborough as a region. I believe the post-secondary institutions strategic investment fund will greatly support UTSC in our region and escalate the much-needed development that will lead to a more educated workforce, more equipped scientists, incubation of new businesses and technology, and ultimately more jobs.

As an example, this January 29, I had the privilege of taking part in the opening of the new environmental science and chemistry building at the University of Toronto. It is a magnificent structure. It uses 40% less energy for a building of that size and meets the coveted LEED gold standard. This building houses world-class researchers, and Ph.D. and other graduate students. They are looking to help us. As countries address issues such as global warming and greenhouse gas emissions, the output from this building will help us develop the technologies, policies, and workforce to build the green economy of the future, an economy that can grow and help the middle class.

Let me now turn to our historic investment into indigenous communities. The Prime Minister has made it abundantly clear that there is no relationship more important to him, this government, or our country than the one with our first nations, Métis, and Inuit peoples. I note that this morning the Supreme Court of Canada expanded the definition of Indian under the Indian Act to include the Métis nation and non-status Indians, in the Daniels v. Canada decision. In effect, our investment in indigenous communities is even more pressing today.

Two days ago, our House debated the most recent suicides in Attawapiskat, and the broader issue of suicide in indigenous communities. This is yet another tragedy, but sadly not unfamiliar to those who live in these communities. We know there is no easy fix, and we know that money alone will not fix this problem. However, we know that the long-term solutions exist if government puts its energy and resources to it. Five hundred years of colonization, oppression, and failed policies cannot be undone overnight. The devastating news that we hear from many indigenous communities is a reflection of this history.

Budget 2016 will move forward with the goal of renewing the relationship with our indigenous peoples. I believe this budget will serve as a down payment to resetting the relationship. Though programs announced in budget 2016 will not solve the long-standing problems overnight, it is the first step to ensuring that some day soon all indigenous children will be able to have the same hopes, aspirations, and opportunities as any other child in Canada. To this end, budget 2016 proposes an investment of $8.4 billion over five years, beginning in 2016-17, to improve socio-economic conditions, education outcomes, and the well-being of our indigenous population. This investment is a significant increase over funding that would have been made available under the Kelowna Accord.

Of this funding, $2.6 billion is earmarked for improving on-reserve education, including funds for special education and first nations language education. There is $634 million earmarked to improve child welfare, and $1.2 billion is to be allocated toward social infrastructure, with a focus on health and housing. These are investments that our indigenous communities desperately need right now. They will provide youth with the opportunity to build their communities.

Boil water advisories are common in many first nations communities, and we are earmarking $2.24 billion in water and waste water infrastructure.

The spending cap, as mentioned earlier, is a very important challenge that has faced first nations communities. We will remove the spending cap after a number of years where this has stagnated the growth and the needs of indigenous communities.

In conclusion, this budget is one that we should all be incredibly proud of. It invests in our future and the future of our children. It is a statement on who we are as a people, and it opens a new chapter in the relations with our indigenous population. Budget 2016 is a truly inclusive approach to governing Canada, and it will pave the way for the prosperity of all Canadians well into the future.

[University of Toronto Scarborough Campus, April 11th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, great things are happening at the University of Toronto Scarborough campus. In less than two years, UTSC has added two new amazing facilities that students will be able to enjoy over the coming years.

Last summer, UTSC hosted the Pan Am games at the newly built, state-of-the-art Pan Am Centre. This sports centre has received international praise and is already attracting other multi-sport events to our community. In 2017, the Invictus games for injured veterans will take place at UTSC.

Earlier this year, I was proud to take part in the opening of the new environmental science and chemistry building. It was inspiring to see the passion of the world-class faculty and over 200 graduate and Ph.D. students who would bring this building to life.

These facilities have become centres of thought and athletics in our city and are part of a much grander vision for UTSC as a hub for renewal in Scarborough.

I want to congratulate Principal Bruce Kidd, faculty, staff, and students on these achievements.

[Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, March 24th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship for his incredible achievement in bringing in 25,000 refugees by February 29. I am particularly proud of his commitment to bring in an additional 10,000 refugees by the end of this year.

I would like to ask the minister about housing for the new arrivals, and how the minister has progressed in helping government-assisted refugees move into permanent housing.

[International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, March 21st, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.

While we have made great strides in advancing racial equality, we must recognize that much work lies ahead as we strive to eradicate racism in Canada and around the world.

Today I want to highlight the systemic failures of our criminal justice system toward racialized groups, particularly our youth. The numbers are shocking and speak for themselves. Among federal inmates, 25.4% are indigenous men and women, and 36% of women in federal prisons are indigenous. The justice system failed over 1,200 missing and murdered indigenous women and girls and their families. Young black men are more likely to be stopped by police in major urban centres.

Our justice system is rooted in the rule of law and the protection of charter rights. These are important values cherished by all Canadians. Our system of justice is said to be blind, but for many marginalized, racialized groups, the reality is different.

I ask my colleagues to recommit our efforts to eradicate racism everywhere and most urgently within our criminal justice system.

[Small Business, February 26th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, nine in 10 Canadians in the private sector are employed by small businesses across this country. Small businesses are key drivers of the Canadian economy, and a vital part of our growth.

Could the Minister of Small Business and Tourism explain what this government is doing to encourage and support gender balance among Canada's entrepreneurs and small businesses?

[Canada's Contribution to the Effort to Combat ISIL, February 23rd, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my friend for the very passionate discussion this afternoon.

I know he is an educator, and has been an educator for a long time. I would like to get a sense from him of what Canada could do in supporting the local community and educating and training the population toward anti-radicalism, as well as to ensure that they are able to engage in a proper process toward peace.