Marwan Tabbara

[Air Transportation, November 19th, 2020]

Mr. Speaker, travel agents worry that they will have to return thousands of dollars in commission under the new airline bailout plan. Independent travel agents who have already paid back thousands in earned commission from refunded airline tickets are worried that they will owe thousands more after the minister suggested that any kind of government bailout for the airline industry would hinge on companies issuing refunds to customers.

Can the minister please explain what protections the government has in place for travel agents under the new bailout plan?

[Small Business, November 3rd, 2020]

Mr. Speaker, we know this pandemic has had a devastating impact on Canada's small businesses. Many small businesses in my riding have raised concerns about the requirement that landlords apply to the Canada emergency commercial rent assistance program.

Can the minister please explain in what ways the new rent subsidy program will be helpful and easier for businesses to use?

[Bills of Exchange Act, November 2nd, 2020]

Mr. Speaker, I vote in favour.

[Health, October 26th, 2020]

Mr. Speaker, the number of reported cases of COVID-19 continues to rise, as we have seen this past weekend. We know that the key tool to combat the further spread of the virus is the COVID Alert app. Unfortunately, not all Canadians have downloaded the app or even have access to the app at this time.

Could the minister please update the House and Canadians about the government's plan to increase the use of the COVID Alert app?

[Housing, October 9th, 2020]

Madam Speaker, the cost of housing in my riding has steadily increased over the last decade, pushing many families out of the housing market and into precarious living situations. Currently, the consequences of this pandemic have exacerbated this problem by increasing building costs and housing prices. Home builders say increased material prices will increase a typical single-family home by $10,000.

Could the minister please update the House and Canadians about the government's plan to make home buying more affordable for Canadians?

[Health, October 1st, 2020]

Mr. Speaker, I was pleased to hear the government's announcement of the purchase of 7.9 million rapid point of care COVID-19 tests, which have been approved by Health Canada.

As we head into the fall months, could the minister update the House and Canadians on three things: first, the accuracy of the test; second, to whom the tests are being distributed to across Canada; and third, who is making the distribution decision?

[Petitions, October 1st, 2020]

Mr. Speaker, I am honoured to present an e-petition signed by 515 residents of Ontario calling upon the government to seek special sessions of the UNHRC to conduct an independent inquiry into human rights violations in Iran since November 15, 2019. Academics and those speaking out have been wrongfully imprisoned.

[Proceedings on the bill entitled An Act relating to certain measures in response to COVID-19, September 29th, 2020]

Mr. Speaker, I agree to apply and will vote for the motion.

[Business of Supply, March 9th, 2020]

Madam Speaker, to say that we put money just into Liberal ridings is false. We put money into Toyota. Yes, Toyota has one of its manufacturing plants in my riding, and I hear people chuckling on the other side, but the second plant is in Woodstock, which is in a Conservative riding. We put money where we know investments will grow jobs. We have created 450 new jobs by investing in Toyota, and over 1,000 co-op placements are created from that.

Speaking in terms of the G7, we have a AAA rating. That allows us to ensure that creditors know Canada's institutions are working well. Canada has a strong economy, and we are able to invest more so that we can grow our economy.

[Business of Supply, March 9th, 2020]

Absolutely, Madam Speaker, and I mentioned in my speech some of the great things that our Liberal government has done in four years. However, there is still more to be done. We have seen housing prices increase a lot, particularly in my area in southwestern Ontario, all the way to the west coast in Vancouver, British Columbia. Yes, we still need to do more as people are feeling the pinch.

Creating a million jobs and lifting thousands of people out of poverty is something we can look at and still build on. Obviously, we need to invest in more green technology and this is something that our government takes seriously. We know that is the future. It is a trillion-dollar economy and we will make sure we impose measures and that we invest in the new green economy.