Peter Fragiskatos

[Taxation, November 4th, 2022]

Madam Speaker, the member knows very well that I cannot comment on specific cases, but what I can say is that our entire social safety net depends on the principle of tax fairness and people paying their fair share.

That is why this government, since 2015, has invested $1 billion to counter tax avoidance, and we will continue to do that. It is yielding results. Just in response to the Panama papers, which I know the member has raised before, there have been 900 individuals identified as subjects of concern by the CRA. There are hundreds of audits being looked into and closed as well.

[Municipal Elections, October 31st, 2022]

Mr. Speaker, today I pay tribute to a political colleague and friend, the Hon. Ed Holder, who was sworn in as London's 64th mayor on December 1, 2018. After much success, he decided not to seek re-election in the recent municipal election.

Before being chosen by Londoners to lead our city, Ed served as the Conservative member of Parliament for London West from 2008 to 2015 and as the federal minister for science and technology. Though we come from different political backgrounds, collaborating with Ed has been an excellent experience and one that saw us always put partisan interests aside for the best interests of Londoners.

Prior to politics, Ed served as the president of Stevenson & Hunt Insurance and dedicated himself to the community. He has held leadership positions in more than 40 community organizations and not-for-profit organizations in particular.

It has been a privilege to work with Ed. I wish him nothing but success in the future.

I say to London's newly elected mayor Josh Morgan that I know we are going to achieve great things together, and I wish him nothing but success as well.

[London and District Business Hall of Fame Inductees, October 24th, 2022]

Mr. Speaker, I rise to honour Tina Bax and Michelle Quintyn, who were recently inducted into the London and District Business Hall of Fame in recognition of outstanding contributions and ethics in business.

Tina is the founder and former president of CultureWorks ESL and the founder of Canada Immigration Pathway. Founded in 1998, CultureWorks was the first public-private partnership of its kind in Canada, graduating thousands to colleges and universities across the country.

Michelle is president and CEO of Goodwill Industries, Ontario Great Lakes. As CEO at Goodwill, serving across Ontario, she steered the company to a $59-million enterprise with 1,200 employees who train and work on several platforms, including thrift/recycling, food and hospitality, light manufacturing and more.

I have come to know Tina and Michelle as titans in our community. They have made monumental impacts in their fields, and they have made London a better place to live. I congratulate them again.

[Mental Health, October 20th, 2022]

Madam Chair, I thank my colleague for the question. I know how passionate she is in her work as parliamentary secretary. I think that she was engaged in such issues before she became an MP and deserves a lot of credit for that work as well.

I think that accessibility is fundamental to the issue, and whatever government can do to further ensure that is very important. This is something that relates to stigma as well. I do not know if even 10 years ago we would have had these kinds of discussions or the sort of policies that bring to life what the member is talking about, so yes, there is more to do, but I am glad to see that we have, in many ways, gone in the right direction.

[Mental Health, October 20th, 2022]

Madam Chair, there is no question that there is enormous urgency. This morning, I had a meeting with the YMCA in London, a virtual meeting of course, and we engaged in a conversation about some of the challenges they are facing. They are also an outstanding group that deserves attention and positive comments.

What I can say to the member is that, throughout the pandemic, this government stood up for frontline organizations like no other government ever had. It was truly impressive to see fundamental and emergency funding flow to organizations that helped Canadians through. Certainly, yes, they are faced with a difficult time right now, and government should continue to be there for them as much as possible.

There is a need for fiscal restraint, and I think we all should understand that, but that does not mean that organizations cannot continue to receive support. I think all of us can collaborate to find ways to ensure that outcome.

[Mental Health, October 20th, 2022]

Madam Chair, I did not have a chance to cross the way and shake my colleague's hand after the speech he gave earlier, but I think he touched everyone tonight in a very real way, and I say that to him sincerely.

I am not sure of the specifics of the particular case the member raises. I am happy to have a further conversation with him and learn a little more about what he is talking about there.

However, I have always said that medical assistance in dying, or MAID, ought to be, of course, a last resort. When people need help, it is incumbent that they receive the supports necessary for them to live a dignified life, and I think that everything the government has done as part of the MAID policy has been in that direction. Certainly, it is fundamental that people have access to those basic needs, particularly housing, to have that dignity which should be guaranteed to them. MAID must be a last resort, and I have always felt that way.

[Mental Health, October 20th, 2022]

Madam Chair, I am thankful for the opportunity to speak about a vital issue, to put it mildly. I am glad that the House is taking up the issue of mental health tonight. I have enjoyed listening to the reflections of all members.

I should tell you at the outset that I am splitting my time with the member for Don Valley East.

Where I want to start is on the issue of stigma. I think it is fair to say that, as we discuss this tonight, I hope it adds to the lifting of stigma in some small way. Perhaps it could, depending on where things go. However, it is quite fair to say that over the years Canadians, through their discussions, openness and honesty, have been helping to lift the stigma in very significant ways. What does that mean for us in this House as parliamentarians? I think that very real phenomenon we have seen in Canadian society, where people are much more comfortable speaking about mental health and the particular challenges they face, has direct implications for us in politics.

It is often said, and it is a truism, whether it is politics or specifically government, that the first obligation of government is to ensure the security of its citizens. With the lifting of stigma I think we take that insight and expand it to understand that mental health needs to be part of that conversation and that focus as well, because security, if it is to be ensured, must include not just the physical security of individuals but also their mental health. That is where I think government has a fundamental role to play.

We have a short time to engage tonight. Usually, we have more than the five minutes that is allotted, but it is a take-note debate so I will keep my comments centred on one particular group that I think deserves a great deal of attention and that is youth. Young people in particular faced with poverty struggle with mental health issues. I do not think we can say that poverty in and of itself is the cause of mental health challenges faced by young people, but certainly it is a key factor. Added to that of course is the trauma that so many young people endure. When those two forces come together, the result is very real mental health challenges.

I have mentioned already the importance of government, but community organizations play a fundamental role because they are on the ground and have wonderful staff members. I will speak about two organizations in London that I have a great deal of respect for, who have the expertise to engage youth and help them transform to something better.

Over the years, I have had the chance to get to know the Youth Opportunities Unlimited organization in London. It is led by a wonderful leader, Steve Cordes, in London. This is someone who has devoted his life to helping young people. He has been the executive director for many years, but engaged and involved with YOU, Youth Opportunities Unlimited, since the early 1980s. The organization, through its work, through the work of the board and its staff, has focused on housing services. It has built a wonderful youth shelter. I was thrilled to see federal funding secured for that. It also provides job training, which the federal government assists to fund as well.

There is another great organization, the Boys and Girls Club, in London. Its CEO, Chris Harvey, deserves enormous credit as well. It runs sports programs for kids. It runs art programs for kids, particularly drama, the visual arts and music as well. Importantly, it runs self-esteem programming. One of the programs that stands out in that particular category is the work it has done to help youth understand the importance of body image and the way that modern media helps to shape those notions. It is a very sad thing, to put it mildly, that the self-esteem of young people is so often negatively impacted by the images they see particularly on television, but these days it is online. Anything to counter those negative images is something that I think can further contribute positively to mental health. Organizations that take up that challenge I think need to be applauded, so I wanted to put that on the record tonight. There are many other organizations I could have talked about in London. There is such a great community there, but YOU and the Boys and Girls Club do outstanding work.

I am thankful for the opportunity to engage. I look forward to further reflections from colleagues tonight. It is a pleasure truly to listen and participate on such a key issue.

[Taxation, October 4th, 2022]

Mr. Speaker, in addition, we have put forward in response to the Panama papers, which I know the member opposite who is yelling is quite interested in, 900 Canadians. They have been identified and are under observation. There are 160 audits under way and over 200 have been completed. That work will continue.

[Taxation, October 4th, 2022]

Mr. Speaker, of course, there is an expectation that Canadians and Canadian businesses pay their fair share. To that end, just on tax evasion alone, this government has invested over a billion dollars to counter that.

[Cost of Living Relief Act, No. 2, September 26th, 2022]

Madam Speaker, I think what we have with respect to this bill is one of the greatest advances in social and health policy the country has seen. Therefore, I applaud colleagues in the NDP for helping to raise this issue. I know Liberal colleagues on this side of the House have been advocating for something like Bill C-31 for a long time. In the first place we see kids supported. We are going to see that expanded. When oral care is put front and centre, a person's overall health is certainly ensured. I look forward to hearing more from the member in the coming weeks on these issues.