Jennifer O'Connell

[Finance, May 31st, 2019]

Mr. Speaker, I am so glad the member opposite was able to take off his tinfoil hat to come into the House today, because he does not actually understand the real results in our economy.

Let us talk about our real results. A typical Canadian family is $2,000 better off, and as a result of our policies Canadians have created over a million new jobs. Let us not talk about the Conservatives' plan for the economy. They have already flip-flopped. When it comes to the Leader of the Opposition, it is cut first and think later.

[Abortion, May 30th, 2019]

Mr. Speaker, I am proud that our Prime Minister and our Liberal Party will always defend a woman's right to choose. In the 21st century, women, and women alone, should decide what happens to their bodies.

The Conservative leader has suggested that he would not stop his party from introducing anti-choice legislation. He also boasted about his voting record by saying, “I've always voted in favour of pro-life legislation.” More recently, 12 Conservative parliamentarians appeared at anti-choice rallies, where participants pledged to restrict women's reproductive rights. However, now, on the eve of an election, the Conservative leader wants Canadians to believe that his long-standing position has changed. Where is the truth in advertising now?

Make no mistake, when it comes to restricting women's rights, the Conservatives are just as advertised.

[Natural Resources, May 27th, 2019]

Mr. Speaker, as we have said before, our government has full confidence in our energy sector. We will help move the Trans Mountain project forward properly as we protect our environment and hold constructive consultations with indigenous peoples.

Our government chose to acquire the Trans Mountain pipeline and related assets because it is a sound investment. If approved, as we have said before, we will work toward transferring the pipeline and related assets to a new owner or owners in a way that ensures that the project's construction and operation will proceed in a manner that protects the public interest.

[Natural Resources, May 27th, 2019]

Mr. Speaker, let me reassure the hon. member for Drummond that the purchase of the Trans Mountain pipeline and related assets from Kinder Morgan was a sound investment. The investment builds on our commitment to support Canadians and their communities. It is one of the many investments our government is making to protect well-paying jobs that help strengthen and grow the middle class, that help get Canada's resources to world markets and that deliver economic benefits for all Canadians now and for years to come.

The purchase is a good example of a solid investment that will benefit Canadians. We are moving forward with the Trans Mountain expansion project in the right way, with meaningful consultations with indigenous peoples.

If approved, the twinning of the existing Trans Mountain oil pipeline and expansion of the Westridge Marine Terminal would help ensure that we are able to safely get Canadian oil resources to world markets and allow producers to receive a better price for their products. That growth will allow us to invest more in Canadians and the things that matter to them, like healthier and more livable communities.

The core Trans Mountain assets also have significant commercial value. The assets include the existing pipeline, pumping stations and rights of way along the route between Edmonton and Vancouver as well as related tank terminals, the Westridge Marine Terminal in Burnaby and the pipeline to Puget Sound.

Our government believes that protecting the environment and safeguarding the oceans, growing the economy through investment and respecting indigenous rights are not mutually exclusive. No relationship is more important to our government than the relationship with indigenous peoples. The government's goal is to move this expansion project forward to create economic benefits for them and for all Canadians.

These are shared priorities, and it is our government's job to bring them together in a way that benefits all Canadians. That is exactly what we have done. That is why we have introduced a world-leading oceans protection plan to make our oceans cleaner, safer and healthier for generations to come. We believe that this is the best way to protect thousands of good, well-paying jobs and the safest and most effective way to get Canadian oil to world markets.

When we are faced with exceptional challenges that put jobs at risk and put our international reputation on the line, our government is prepared to take action in a way that turns these challenges into opportunities. With the Trans Mountain purchase, we are making these opportunities a reality.

[Housing, May 17th, 2019]

Mr. Speaker, when it comes to the issues that young people are facing, they certainly do not look to the Conservatives for solutions. After 10 years, we saw what that meant.

When it comes to housing affordability, all the Conservatives want to do is allow young people and families in first-time home ownership opportunities to take on more debt. What we are committed to is actually allowing more people to get into the housing market; making their monthly costs go down; increasing affordability for Canadians so they have more money to spend on things that matter, like their families; and making sure that they can invest in communities.

The Conservatives have no plan. We continue—

[Pickering Public Library, May 17th, 2019]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak about an incredible place in my riding that encourages my constituents to embrace their ingenuity and creativity, the Pickering Public Library.

I recently had the pleasure of visiting the Pickering library with the Prime Minister, and we were able to see the state-of-the-art technology and services provided to residents through its maker space. It is in this space that Pickering resident Hamayal Choudhry, an engineering student at UOIT, first began 3-D printing. With these new skills, Hamayal alongside his co-inventor Samin Khan won the Microsoft Imagine Cup with their invention of the smartARM.

The smartARM aims to be priced at less than $1,000, helping change the lives of an estimated one million hand amputees. Hamayal was able to demonstrate this technology to the Prime Minister during his visit.

I look forward to seeing what future creations will stem from the Pickering library's maker space.

[Taxation, May 16th, 2019]

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the question because it gives us another chance to talk about how our government lowered taxes for businesses. We have been investing in Canadians and, as a result, we have actually created a million new jobs. It is hard to take New Democrats seriously when they are talking about the economy because it seems that every day they change their position on various industries.

We, on this side of the House, have had a plan: invest in Canadians and lower taxes for the middle class and small businesses. As a result, Canadians are $2,000 better off. A typical Canadian—

[Canadian Heritage, May 16th, 2019]

Mr. Speaker, we have been working hard with international partners to deal with web giants to ensure that they pay their fair share. This is not a uniquely Canadian problem. That is why we are working with our international counterparts and with groups like the OECD to come up with a consensus-based approach. We want to ensure that the tax system is fair and that it works for everybody.

I want to point out the consistent inconsistencies when it comes to the NDP in closing tax loopholes—

[The Economy, May 13th, 2019]

Mr. Speaker, at the end of the day, the Conservatives will continue the Ford government plan, which is cuts to Canadian families who need help and increased spending for millionaires. We are focused on Canadians, and as a result we have one of the best economies in the G7. We are going to keep working for Canadians.

[The Economy, May 13th, 2019]

Mr. Speaker, I do not have the stomach to imagine what the Conservatives would continue to do with our economy after the disastrous 10 years they had. I am glad that they also recognize now the importance—