Matt DeCourcey

[Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, June 13th, 2019]

Mr. Speaker, our competitive edge is dependent on smart increases to immigration, something that this government has done and will continue to do.

However, someone is telling the Leader of the Opposition that we need fewer immigrants in Canada. Who is it? It is not families who were separated for seven years under Stephen Harper. It is not universities that see the $15 billion in our economy from international students. It is not businesses that want more immigrants to create another million jobs across the country. Who is telling the Leader of the Opposition to cut immigration? Who is whispering in his ear?

[Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, June 13th, 2019]

Mr. Speaker, one of the very first things the government did when it came to office was work with Canadians to help resettle now over 60,000 Syrian refugees in our country, something all of Canada is proud about.

Something else the government did was help resettle over 1,400 Yazidi women and girls, something the previous government could only do for three such people.

What else has the government done? It has committed to resettling over 1,000 vulnerable women and girls from some of the most conflict and persecuted areas across this world.

The Conservatives cannot even stand and say if they will maintain Canada's humanitarian leadership in the world through refugee resettlement.

[Stanley Cup Winners, June 13th, 2019]

Mr. Speaker, congratulations go to Fredericton's own Jake Allen, who hoisted the Stanley Cup last night in a decisive game seven victory over our Boston Bruins.

Jake is the first Frederictonian since Danny Grant in 1968 to win hockey's holy grail. In fact, on the heels of Willie O'Ree's induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame, it has been a pretty good 12 months for NHL fans and our stars in Fredericton.

I am sure that Jake's biggest fan, Brad Pond, is sitting at home already planning the parade for when the Stanley Cup comes to town this summer. Like Brad, all of Fredericton was filled with pride as Jake lifted the cup over his head last night. I am sure that his great-grandfather Wilfred, a childhood buddy of mine, is looking down from above, smiling.

I hope Jake will enjoy the celebration with his teammates. We look forward to seeing him, Shannon and the two girls in Freddy Beach this summer where we can all have a sip out of Lord Stanley's mug.

[Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, June 6th, 2019]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for raising this request in the House of Commons. She knows that she can speak to me or the minister about such cases, but that we cannot discuss this or any other case on the floor of the House of Commons.

Family reunification is a priority for this government. We have implemented extraordinary measures to reunite refugees with their families. That is essential to provide families in this country with psychological, social and economic support, and it will continue to be a priority in the years to come.

[Women Entrepreneurs, June 3rd, 2019]

Mr. Speaker, 99% of all businesses in Canada are small and medium sized, yet only 16% are owned by women. When half of our population owns less than a quarter of our businesses, our economic potential is held back.

In Fredericton, Bethany Deshpande is an example of how, with support, women entrepreneurs drive the economic growth in Canada that has helped us create one million jobs.

In 2016, Bethany established SomaDetect to market technology that can measure all the key components of raw milk. Thanks to support from our government, this young innovative company now has 26 employees and works with farmers across North America.

Our investments helped SomaDetect grow its business, develop its technology, and trade across North America. Fredericton can be proud of SomaDetect. It is driving trade on our continent and creating jobs in our community.

Our government will always support women entrepreneurs like Bethany, because they will drive the economic growth that will create another million jobs in Canada.

[Liberal Party of Canada, May 16th, 2019]

Mr. Speaker, we were elected on a plan to grow the economy and create jobs for Canadians. Thanks to investments our government is making in infrastructure, innovation, immigration, trade and clean growth, Canadians are working every day to build a Canada that works for everyone.

Under the Harper majority government, New Brunswick actually lost thousands of jobs, but under our government, New Brunswick has added thousands of jobs.

Our Atlantic coast strategy is breathing new life into our communities. In Fredericton, that means a booming cyber sector, hundreds of renewable jobs in smart grid, and new Canadian Armed Forces recruits at Base Gagetown. In fact, across the country since November 2015, Canadians have added more than one million jobs to our economy.

Because of our plan, New Brunswickers and Canadians are working. What is clear is that our plan is working better than advertised.

[New Brunswick Floods, May 3rd, 2019]

Mr. Speaker, communities across New Brunswick are feeling the impact of springtime floods. This year, flooding along the Saint John River has once again reached historic levels. Last week, in Fredericton alone, the water level caused the closure of much of the downtown.

Offices, schools and streets have all been closed. Nearly 500 people were forced to leave their homes. We thank the first responders, the members of the Canadian Armed Forces and particularly the volunteers, who are working hard to keep us safe and secure.

Our government stands shoulder to shoulder with the communities affected. We will cover the cost of deploying Canadian troops, because we know their work at home is as valuable and vital as it is abroad.

We are working together to solve the immediate problems caused by this flood, but we are also looking at the long term. These record floods and their frequency are not a coincidence. They are the result of climate change. We are working to mitigate their damage and ensure future generations do not need to bear their terrible burden.

[Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, May 2nd, 2019]

Mr. Speaker, after three and a half years, the Conservatives finally saw the merit in consulting with Canadians. Sadly, they did not listen. Conservatives are twisting themselves into a pretzel to hide their secret plan to stifle economic growth by cutting immigration in this country.

Looking solely at the our global skills strategy, it has helped create 150,000 jobs across this country. Taking our economic growth plan into consideration, whereby 900,000 jobs have been created across this country, Canadians will see that immigration is a key ingredient. We agree with that. Business agrees with that. Communities agree with that. The only people who do not are the Conservatives.

[Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, May 2nd, 2019]

Mr. Speaker, we know that immigration is key to economic growth across Canada, including in Quebec. We know that client service is important and that we need staff all over the province to help solve this problem.

We are working hard with Quebec to resolve the province's labour shortage. Immigration is important to economic growth in Quebec and in Canada as a whole, and the government will keep working to achieve better results.

[Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, May 2nd, 2019]

Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives have finally seen the merit in consulting Canadians, but they did not listen to what Canadians have to say about immigration in this country.

The Conservatives think that immigration is a bad thing, but we, on this side of the House, know that immigration is a positive force for Canada's economic growth. Take, for example, our global skills strategy, which helped create 150,000 jobs in this country. We know that immigration is important for the economy and for communities across Canada.