Ya'ara Saks

[Mental Health and Addictions, September 27th, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, there is no community that has been left untouched by the illegal toxic drug supply. It has been a tragedy for so many communities that are losing their loved ones. We know that indigenous communities are disproportionately affected. We have answered that call, after listening to communities, in budget 2024, with the emergency transfer fund. It will be launched shortly to work directly with communities to address the overdose crisis.

We know that communities need help. We have been there for them with over a billion dollars in investments to date and we will continue to do the work.

[Women and Gender Equality, September 26th, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, we will always defend the freedom of a woman's right to choose. Conservatives time and again have shown that they will claw back women's rights, from presenting backdoor legislation to prevent access to abortion services to voting against a woman's freedom of access to contraceptives. We will never let politicians dictate what a woman can and cannot do with her body, and we will certainly not fly to Florida on all-expenses-paid trips to meet with anti-choice politicians. They need to be honest with Canadians about their hidden agenda because, on this side, we stand for women's rights.

[Mental Health and Addictions, September 26th, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, I can say as the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions, but also as a mother to two teenage daughters, that this is exactly why in 2024, in this year's budget, we pledged $500 million toward the youth mental health fund.

We are working with community service organizations that are youth-led and for youth in every community across this country. We want to meet young people where they are to get them the supports and services they need and deserve. They are the future of our country, and we are going to take care of them so that we build a stronger Canada together.

[Committees of the House, September 25th, 2024]

Madam Speaker, I would like to raise a matter of personal privilege with regard to the member's comments about the government work that I did abroad. I am a Canadian citizen and an Israeli citizen; I have dedicated 30 years of my life to peacebuilding and he took a—

[Committees of the House, September 25th, 2024]

Madam Speaker, as we are listening, the Conservatives never miss the opportunity to not work for Canadians. We were supposed to be discussing Bill C-71 tonight, which is about lost Canadians. When the Conservatives were in power, they actually stripped the ability of Canadians to retain or gain their citizenship. I wanted to debate the bill tonight because it would affect my daughter, who was born abroad but has lived here all of her life; it might actually ensure that her children have Canadian citizenship.

I would ask the member this: Why is it that we have to hear the same slogans over and over again rather than do the work we are doing on this side of the House for Canadians?

[Mental Health and Addictions, September 23rd, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, on this side of the House, we continue to work with every level of government to save lives each and every day. Rather than using slogans on the back of a napkin, on this side of the House, we listen to experts, we listen to communities and we listen to the science. On this side of the House, we believe in the health of communities. On that side of the House, they do not believe in science, they do not believe in data and they do not believe in saving the lives of Canadians.

[Mental Health and Addictions, September 23rd, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, our hearts go out to every community that is impacted by the illegal toxic drug supply.

It is nice to hear the Conservatives acknowledge that there is a crisis, because when they were in power, they cut the drug treatment fund by more than two-thirds. They are not willing to invest.

Actions speak louder than words. We need every level of government involved to save lives. On this side of the House, we have committed over a billion dollars to date and will continue to do more. When are they going to get on board and work with us?

[Mental Health and Addictions, September 19th, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, we know that across the country the illegal toxic drug supply is taking the lives of loved ones every single day. That is why, in budget 2024, this government pledged to work directly with communities through the emergency treatment fund, $150 million, over the next three years, to work directly with communities like the ones the member discussed. We know we need to be there to save lives, and that is exactly what we will be doing.

[Housing, June 14th, 2024]

Madam Speaker, building and supporting low-barrier access to housing is at the core of our response to the overdose crisis. For example, we are supporting the Northreach Society project in Alberta, which provides treatment and mental health services to tenants or, I could add, The Neighbourhood Group Community Services project in Toronto, so it can train tenants in overdose prevention and response services.

We are investing in projects like this across the country to support the most vulnerable among us, and we are steadfast in that commitment to support housing solutions that respond to the needs—

[Mental Health and Addictions, June 6th, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, let me be unequivocally clear. We always put a lens of public health and public safety on everything we do in addressing this deadly overdose crisis, but in that frame, also to be clear, the safe consumption site in Montreal is managed and run by the Province of Quebec. It is under their jurisdiction. There was no Montreal proposal on our table, but with anything that comes to us, we want to make sure kids, families and communities are safe, while we save lives.