Nicola Di Iorio

[Business of Supply, December 10th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, I would first like to congratulate you on your appointment.

I have a question for the hon. member for Pierrefonds—Dollard. Does he know whether the opposition has presented any other options and provided evidence to support its position, or any evidence against it, and whether it has informed Canadians?

[Resumption of debate on Address in Reply, December 7th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, I would also like to congratulate the member for Sherbrooke on getting re-elected, particularly since his riding is home to my alma mater, and I have very strong emotional ties to the university and such wonderful memories of the time I spent there.

With regard to his question, we must bear in mind the economic plan put forward by our government. This plan is not just about cutting taxes. It is about lifting 315,000 children out of poverty. The plan that we are proposing is unique. We can always try to find situations in the past where a government told people during an election campaign that it was going to raise taxes for certain segments of the population and use that money to lower taxes for other segments without ever forgetting the least fortunate members of our society. There are 315,000 children living in poverty. At some point in the future, we will meet to look at what things were like in the past, and we will see how those children's lives were changed because of our government's economic plan.

[Resumption of debate on Address in Reply, December 7th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate my dear colleague on his election.

We have to consider the following with respect to reform. Election upon election we are confronted with a result. Canadians express their vote and then look at the results and ask themselves where their vote is recognized in that. First and foremost, we have to listen to Canadians. In the next election, Canadians will look at the electoral system to see one in which they recognize themselves.

Our government has been abundantly clear. It has expressed in the throne speech the firm willingness that was expressed during the campaign. We will consult all Canadians. They are welcome to come forward and express their views as to what the system ought to be. That is the system we will have.

[Resumption of debate on Address in Reply, December 7th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, I will be splitting my time with the member for Parkdale—High Park.

I am pleased to have this opportunity to address hon. members of the House for the first time. I want to take this opportunity to thank the people of Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel for the clear and strong mandate they gave me and our government.

I congratulate the Speaker of the House on his appointment. I would also like to thank the right hon. member for Calgary Heritage. He served his country, and I thank him for that and want to express my gratitude. I hope he is not disappointed to hear me say that over the years I did not always agree with his policies. I must say that our disagreements were not limited to choice in hockey teams, but were on far more important matters. However, it is important to acknowledge that I never doubted his sincere belief in making Canada a good place to live.

I also wish to congratulate the hon. member for Sturgeon River—Parkland following her recent election as interim leader of the opposition.

I want to congratulate the hon. member for Outremont on his re-election and the hon. member for Bas-Richelieu—Nicolet—Bécancour on his status as dean of the House. Finally, I commend and congratulate the hon. member for Saanich—Gulf Islands.

I also want to thank all the defeated candidates. I thank them for their involvement in our country's democratic process. Their involvement makes each one of us in the House stronger, more competent, and better able to serve our constituents. Why? Because throughout the electoral process, they tested us and forced us to give the best of ourselves.

This election helped many people discover or rediscover the full meaning of a word in our vocabulary, and that is skepticism. For that I commend the hon. member who helped us eliminate it in such a resounding way. I thank our leader, our Prime Minister.

I also want to congratulate all the other members of the House on their election or re-election.

I would like to say a few words about myself. When I was asked to run for my party's nomination, my frank and spontaneous reaction was, “What on earth are you thinking?” I have a lovely family that helps me grow and fills me with joy. I have three daughters: Arielle, Claudia, and Emma-Rose. They each speak four languages, and one of them speaks five. They are in love with their country.

I have a wonderful career as a law professor. I have been teaching my whole life. I practise law in a large firm. I have a wonderful career. I love my country. I asked myself why I would agree to run for office, and I realized that my reasons for refusing were the same reasons that compelled me to join the honourable cause of representing my fellow citizens in the House. If you have a family and good friends and are surrounded by good people, you know you will have the support you need to undertake this journey. If you have a wonderful career and you succeeded because you like taking on challenges, you know that being here is a huge challenge.

People who love their country should take the time sooner or later to give a little of themselves to usher it into the future and shape it for the next generation while maintaining it and adapting it for those who are aging.

Immigration has shaped Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel.

Between 1955 and 1971, the population of Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel grew fiftyfold. From a rural area encompassing about 2,000 inhabitants, it rose to a population of over 100,000 people. All that was in a 15-year period. In that short 15-year period, the territory encompassing Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel welcomed the equivalent of 7,000 new immigrants a year.

I suggest that we all be mindful of and learn from the positive lessons of the past. If one riding in one city in one province was capable of welcoming 7,000 new immigrants a year, surely a country like Canada, with today's resources, can do much more than that. Let us remind ourselves of that very positive lesson.

As we sit here today, the population of Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel keeps increasing. Typically, immigrants land elsewhere in the province of Quebec, and after a short period of integration proceed to Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel.

These people do not come to the riding of Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel because they are adventurous; they come out of necessity. They leave the country they love because they have basic needs that their home country cannot meet. These include work, security, health care, education, and religious freedom.

I mention all of those aspects to draw my colleagues' attention to a wish that I want to share with the House today. My wish is that some of these elements allow everyone in the riding of Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel to see themselves in the Speech from the Throne. Consider integration needs for family reunification, security needs, and job creation, as well as our infrastructure program. Also consider the official languages program and the huge environmental needs that must be met in order to ensure that the throne speech resonates with all Canadians.

What I want to point out to the House is that the riding of Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel has proven to be a model of integration. I would like that model to be followed across our province and across the country.