Irek Kusmierczyk

[Persons with Disabilities, December 2nd, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, December 3 marks the International Day of Persons with Disabilities. This year the theme is leadership and participation of persons with disabilities toward an inclusive, accessible and sustainable post-COVID-19 world. It is a time for everyone to focus on how the pandemic impacted persons with disabilities, while highlighting the progress of leadership and the participation of persons with disabilities toward an inclusive, accessible and sustainable world.

Could the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion please inform the House about our government's efforts to create an inclusive and accessible nation?

[Resumption of Debate on Address in Reply, December 2nd, 2021]

Madam Speaker, I want to thank the member for Mission—Matsqui—Fraser Canyon for his passion, hard work and dedication raising the issue of flooding and fires in British Columbia and climate change. He is doing terrific work. The constituents of Windsor—Tecumseh stand shoulder to shoulder with his constituents.

In June of this year, this government passed a budget that allocated $63.8 million to Natural Resources Canada and ECCC to work with the provinces to complete flood mapping for higher-risk areas.

I am just wondering this. Does the hon. member have any regrets? His party and he himself voted against the budget, and this particular provision for flood mapping in higher-risk areas.

[Rosalie Trombley, November 26th, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to a Canadian music radio legend, Rosalie Trombley, who passed away this week at the age of 82. As music director at CKLW in Windsor, Rosalie was the girl with the golden ear, who helped launch countless careers, including Bob Seger, Gordon Lightfoot, Aerosmith and the Guess Who. She played Canadian records before Canadian content.

As a single mom, Rosalie worked the switchboard before rising to become the most important music director in America and commanding a signal that reached three million listeners in the U.S. and Canada. In a business dominated by men, she was a trailblazer. In 2016, Rosalie's lifetime contribution to Canadian music was recognized with a Juno Award, and each year a Canadian female broadcaster is presented with the Rosalie Award. In 1973, Bob Seger wrote a song and tribute called Rosalie, which goes, “She's got the power, she's got the tower, Rosalie...”.

Rosalie Trombley was a pioneer who moved millions of people, broke barriers and changed music forever.

[An Act to Provide Further Support in Response to COVID-19, November 26th, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, in my riding of Windsor—Tecumseh, COVID has had a devastating impact on residents and businesses. The programs this government rolled out really were lifelines for so many in my community. Not everyone could afford to self-isolate in a million-dollar recording studio, as some members did during the election.

I wanted to ask the hon. member which programs specifically he would recommend that we cut.

[Retirement Congratulations, June 18th, 2021]

Madam Speaker, today I rise in the House of Commons to recognize the remarkable leadership of Theresa Marentette, the CEO of the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit.

Over the last 15 months of the pandemic, Theresa worked with courage and composure alongside Dr. Wajid Ahmed to steer our community through the greatest public health crisis in our history. We faced outbreaks in long-term care homes and among migrant farm workers, but we came through it thanks to Theresa and Dr. Ahmed. Today, Windsor-Essex is the gold standard for the vaccine rollout, with 75% of residents vaccinated and almost 30% with two doses.

Theresa is retiring at the end of this month after over 30 years at the health unit, which she joined as a public health nurse in 1989. Tecumseh Mayor Gary McNamara said it best: “It has been my privilege to work with Theresa Marentette. Her passion for public health and the community she serves is apparent everyday in her tireless journey to keep us all healthy and safe.”

On behalf of all residents of Windsor—Tecumseh, it has been our privilege, and we thank Theresa from the bottom of our hearts.

[Canada Summer Jobs Program, June 4th, 2021]

Madam Speaker, Canada's prosperity and post-COVID economic recovery depends on young Canadians getting the education and experience they need to succeed in their careers. That is why the Canada summer jobs program is an important part of our government's youth employment and skill strategy, and we are committed to significantly scaling up this program.

Last year, we approved 80,000 Canada summer job placements. This year, a record-breaking 150,000 job opportunities are now available through the Canada summer jobs program, meaning more opportunities for young Canadians than ever before.

We will continue to be there to help young Canadians through these challenging times.

[National AccessAbility Week, June 1st, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, I rise to mark the beginning of the fifth annual National AccessAbility Week celebrating the contributions that Canadians with disabilities make to our great country. The theme this year is “Disability Inclusion 2021: Leaving no one behind”, aligning with our plan to build back better. This includes engaging Canadians and developing the first-ever disability inclusion action plan and key investments in programs such as the enabling accessibility fund.

As part of our pandemic response, we worked tirelessly to put a disability lens on decision-making, ensuring that our supports and relief measures were disability-inclusive. As we move forward, we are more committed than ever to a disability-inclusive economic recovery that truly leaves no one behind.

I invite members and all Canadians to join the conversation around disability inclusion and to follow Accessible Canada on Twitter and Facebook to join the National AccessAbility Week celebrations.

[Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, May 31st, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, the government recognizes the importance of temporary foreign workers, for example for our producers and food processors. We are working tirelessly to ensure that temporary foreign workers can arrive safely in Canada by supporting employers, for example, with additional costs incurred to accommodate the isolation period.

All the federal departments involved in the temporary foreign worker program have worked together to simplify processes and facilitate, as much as possible, the safe entry of workers. We recognize the integral roles temporary foreign workers and, for example, food processing employers play in ensuring Canadians have access to food, and we are here to support them.

[Points of Order, May 28th, 2021]

Madam Speaker, I would like to clarify a response that I gave to a question regarding the repayment of CERB. I would like to correct the record and provide an improved answer.

[Points of Order, May 28th, 2021]

Madam Speaker, the hon. member opposite asked a question earlier about CERB repayment. With your permission and the permission of the House, I would like to correct the record and my response regarding the CERB repayment.