Lindsay Mathyssen

[Post-Secondary Education, October 19th, 2020]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals are hoping their scandal will go away quickly. Instead, it is the help they promised for students that has disappeared. They promised close to a billion dollars to help students pay for their tuition fees, rent and groceries, but after seven months of broken promises and scandal, students have gotten nothing. The Liberals have denied Canadians access to the truth, and they are denying students access to post-secondary education.

Do students also need to hire a family member of the Prime Minister to get the help they need from the government?

[Judges Act, October 8th, 2020]

Madam Speaker, I was interested to hear the member across the way talk about all the things the Harper government did, but she failed to mention the fact that it eliminated the phrase “gender equality” from the Status of Women. It closed 12 of the 16 Status of Women offices. It reallocated funding from organizations that supported advocacy for women's human rights. It eliminated funding to the Court Challenges Program.

Why did the member decide not to highlight those things that had a significant and horrible impact on women?

[Post-Secondary Education, October 8th, 2020]

Mr. Speaker, almost $1 billion in promised support for young people is missing because of the Liberals' WE scandal.

Today La Presse had a story about students who are struggling during the pandemic and worried about their future. They are graduating. They want to work but many will end up in precarious jobs, and they are drowning in debt. They feel abandoned.

When will the government commit to delivering the money they promised in the CSSG? Will it commit to using it to help students reduce their debt?

[Child Care, October 6th, 2020]

Mr. Speaker, women-led businesses are a key driver of our economy in London and across Canada, and women are more likely to own newer and smaller businesses. From a lack of universal child care, to failing small business supports like the commercial rent assistance program, for all their talk about feminism the Liberals are not actually getting anything done. The failed program is gone and Liberals are telling small business owners to wait longer. Women are tired of waiting for Liberals to keep their promises.

When will they deliver the help women who own small businesses need to keep their shops open?

[Resumption of Debate on Address in Reply, October 6th, 2020]

Mr. Speaker, the member spoke about small business at the end of his speech.

I know that small business owners in my riding of London—Fanshawe have heard the Liberal rhetoric. They have heard how Liberals are putting Canadians first and that they have their backs. So many of those small businesses and their owners barely made it through the first wave, and they are terrified about what the second wave will have in store for them. They are unsure they will survive it.

A lot of problems came in the failure of the rental subsidy in the commercial program that the Liberals put forward. It was because it was given to landlords. It was not provided to tenants. I would like to hear the member's explanation for why the government chose to do it in that really specific way, knowing that it probably would not actually help the majority of small business owners.

[Resumption of Debate on Address in Reply, October 6th, 2020]

Mr. Speaker, I specifically want to ask the member about the Canada Water Agency. This is an exciting undertaking. I am really quite excited to hear about this and follow its progress.

I have a private member's bill, the national strategy for fresh water, Bill C-245. I wondered if the member and his government have any plans to support this bill, as it looks to do a lot of the same things as he was talking about regarding the Canada Water Agency.

[Resumption of Debate on Address in Reply, October 6th, 2020]

Madam Speaker, I appreciate my colleague's frustration with the Speech from the Throne. I, too, am very frustrated. I think it is because of the empty words, the empty promises and the lack of action we have seen across the board. Specifically for me, as the critic for youth and post-secondary education, I noticed there was not a single mention of students.

The member talked a bit about the WE scandal. I know that New Democrats have been pushing for that $912 million, almost $1 billion, to be put directly into the hands of students. I would like the member to comment on his frustrations with that as well.

[Judges Act, October 2nd, 2020]

Mr. Speaker, the Elgin—Middlesex—London has been a wonderful partner in our area and has advocated for women. I will miss her at the Status of Women committee, but I hope we will continue to look at the incredible problems women are facing right now.

The member spoke a lot about women's voices being heard and having somebody to turn to. I think about the incredible organizations in our city of London. She mentioned the London Abused Women's Centre. There are places like Anova, My Sister's Place and the YWCA. They have been struggling throughout COVID, but these are the organizations women turn to have their voices heard.

Something that I have been pushing for, and I know these women's organizations have been pushing for this as well, is a commitment from the government for long-term, stable core funding. I would love to hear the member's response to that.

[Judges Act, October 2nd, 2020]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to build off my colleague from Shefford's comments on the national action plan for gender-based violence. The Liberal government has been talking about bringing this forward since 2015. Many groups recognize that this was an issue before COVID, but obviously, during the COVID pandemic, it has become even more of an issue. We are able to work together to quickly move on this. Groups are calling for a coherent, coordinated and well-resourced national action plan.

I would like to hear about a specific timeline and deadline for when we can expect that action plan.

[Post-Secondary Education, October 2nd, 2020]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals have ended the freeze on student loan payments, but they never helped international students or graduate students. They cut almost 40% from the help low-income students got, and there is still the almost $1 billion in supports they promised through CSSG but buried under their WE scandal. Now, with a second wave of COVID and poor job prospects, the Liberals are forcing students to figure out how to make their loan payments again.

Will the Liberals commit to long-term help and, at the very least, permanently remove interest on student debt?