John Aldag

[Infrastructure, January 26th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, last Monday the second Canadian infrastructure report card was released by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities and partners. What that report card tells us is sobering—that fully one-third of all municipal infrastructure in Canada is in fair, poor, or very poor condition, and that figure includes much-needed transit assets.

Transit represents a significant investment for all Canadians, and we need to ensure that we allocate appropriate spending to keep Canadians moving. This is a particularly relevant issue in my region, which is in B.C.'s lower mainland, as we will be welcoming an estimated one million new residents and 600,000 new jobs by 2040. Investments in public transit not only help get people to their destinations quickly and efficiently but also support a competitive economy, a clean environment, and a higher quality of life.

I encourage all members of this House to work with other levels of government in Canada to invest in much-needed transit infrastructure, including the expansion of light rail transit to my riding of Cloverdale—Langley City.

[Cloverdale—Langley City, December 11th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, as I rise in the House for the first time as the first member for Cloverdale—Langley City, I want to thank the residents of my riding and my family for their support. I also want to acknowledge that my riding falls in the traditional territory of the Coast Salish peoples.

I served our country for the last 32 years as a federal public servant with Parks Canada, living and working in many regions of the country. My new position as member of Parliament is a continuation of my extensive career in public service.

Currently, the three main issues that families of Cloverdale—Langley City face are their struggles with the high costs of living in metro Vancouver and stagnant earnings; the serious transit shortfalls in the region south of the Fraser in metro Vancouver; and poverty, homelessness, addictions, and crime.

I am excited to see that the government's plan to bring real change directly addresses the issues of my constituents. I look forward to addressing the concerns of my riding in the House and working with all members to improve our communities and our country.