House of Commons photoWon his last election, in 2021, with 50% of the vote.
The Economy October 23rd, 2024
Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for London West for her hard work.
Today, the Bank of Canada announced a big cut to interest rates by half a point, bringing interest rates down to 3.75%. Canada was the first G7 country to cut rates and is now the first to do so for a fourth time. All the Conservative leader has is his little performances because he knows our responsible economic plan is working.
Health October 23rd, 2024
Mr. Speaker, I agree entirely that Conservative governments across this country have weakened our public health care system, and that is why we are continuing to demand investments in public health care, investments that will create more family doctors and reduce wait times. We have put money on the table for provinces willing to step up and actually deliver clear data and results to Canadians.
We are going to continue to defend Canada's public health care system from those Conservative ideologues, premiers and politicians who want to weaken our health care system and not deliver for Canadians.
Foreign Affairs October 23rd, 2024
Mr. Speaker, the violence in the Middle East needs to end. It cannot continue to see civilians killed, innocents wiped out and communities destroyed. We need to make sure there is a ceasefire in Gaza and in Lebanon. We need to see the path once again toward a two-state solution where a peaceful Israel lives alongside a peaceful Palestinian state. That is Canada's position.
That continues to be what we fight for every single day to bring a global consensus together to protect lives, to get humanitarian aid in, to release hostages and to end this conflict once and for all.
Government Priorities October 23rd, 2024
Mr. Speaker, while the Leader of the Opposition is focused on exploiting the struggles of Canadians, which are very real, he is not offering a single solution to support them.
He is offering to take away the Canada carbon rebate, which is putting more money in their pockets and fighting climate change successfully while it grows the economy. He is offering to cancel the dental care program, which has helped close to a million Canadians access dental care already. He is planning on cancelling the child care, which has brought child care costs down to $10 a day in so many parts of the country and created spaces everywhere. He stands against the programs and supports for Canadians, while at the same time, he says Canada is broken.
Government Priorities October 23rd, 2024
Once again, Mr. Speaker, we see the Leader of the Opposition pushing a brokenist vision of Canada that is simply not aligned with the reality.
Yes, Canadians are struggling, like people are all around the world. Years of high inflation, disrupted supply chains and global conflicts have weighed heavily on everyone around the world. However, Canadians continue to see opportunities. Canadians continue to see investments by a government that believes in them, whether it is investing in green jobs of the future or investing in programs and supports like dental and child care that make a difference, which the Conservatives continue to vote against.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship October 23rd, 2024
Mr. Speaker, the work we are focused on is on the middle class and people working hard to join it, and we have delivered over these past years. In these times of global strife and pressures, that is exactly what we are doubling down on: investing in building homes, investing in strengthening our immigration system so it can match the challenges we are in right now, and moving forward on putting more money in people's pockets even as we create strong jobs and growth for the future.
The Bank of Canada just reduced interest rates, because inflation is now down to low inflation once again. We are managing this country responsibly. We are continuing to invest in its future.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship October 23rd, 2024
Mr. Speaker, one of the great advantages of Canada in the world, of Canadians in the world, is that we continue to be a country that understands immigration is a source of opportunity and growth and richness for this country. One of the other great advantages we have is an immigration system that is able to adjust to different realities. In the years after the pandemic, there was a need for more temporary workers and a desire for more international students, and we let more in, working with the provinces and with businesses across the country. As we see the situation shift as the labour market shifts, we are making changes to the immigration system so we can keep its support.
Justice October 23rd, 2024
Mr. Speaker, I will be even more clear. What has been reported about the children at that school is completely unacceptable. However, it is also unacceptable to use extreme cases, exceptions like this one, to attack Quebec's diversity and to attack the different backgrounds that tie our country together.
We will always stand up for cultural diversity and coexistence at home, and we will defend the rights, freedoms and protection of children every step of the way.
Justice October 23rd, 2024
Mr. Speaker, our government will always defend the fundamental rights of all Canadians. It is a principle that drives us as a party, but also drives us as a country.
We are very concerned about the children who are going through unacceptable and painful experiences at school. That is why we expect the Government of Quebec to address this. In the meantime, we will always defend the fundamental freedoms of all Canadians.
Housing October 23rd, 2024
Mr. Speaker, we have continued to step up and invest in housing by working with provinces and municipalities right across the country because, of course, we know that previous governments, of Conservative and Liberal stripes, underinvested for many years in housing, which is why we are in the situation we are in, a situation not dissimilar to many advanced democracies around the world. That is exactly why we have stepped up to put money on the table for municipalities as they change their densification rules and zoning laws to accelerate the process of building housing, and continue to solve this housing crisis that Canadians are facing from coast to coast to coast.