Yvonne Jones

[World Dwarf Games, May 9th, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to stand in the House today to acknowledge six-time gold medallist and three-time bronze medallist Brooklyn Wolfrey, who is a remarkable athletic champion from Labrador.

Brooklyn is a 15-year-old athlete from Rigolet in the Nunatsiavut territory. She competed in the World Dwarf Games in 2017, where she won two gold medals for swimming and for hockey. This summer, she attended the World Dwarf Games, this time in Cologne, Germany, competing in badminton, soccer, running, table tennis, basketball and swimming.

She won four gold medals and three bronze medals for Canada, as well as the hearts of Labradorians and of Canadians, and of those around the world.

She was one of 500 athletes from over 20 countries who competed at the World Dwarf Games. Brooklyn was a bright light in the competition. She is a tremendous athlete, a remarkable young person and a role model for all around her.

[National Defence, April 29th, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to highlight the historic investments for national defence in budget 2024. These allocations strengthen our armed forces, confront global complexities and safeguard our nation's security and sovereignty, with special focus on national defence in the Arctic. It also marks a significant increase in defence spending, ramping up over the next few years to 1.76% of our GDP by 2030.

Under previous Conservative administrations, neglect left our military under-resourced and ill-prepared. Budget cuts hindered our ability to protect our interests, particularly in strategic regions across the north.

However, under our Liberal government's leadership, we are rectifying these shortcomings. These investments are aimed to bolster our defence capabilities, and our focus on defending the Arctic underscores our commitment to securing our northern frontier and ensuring Canada's safety and prosperity amid evolving security threats.

These investments are critical for shaping Canada's future and those of the people of the Arctic.

[Points of Order, April 19th, 2024]

Madam Speaker, in consideration of my response to the member for Nunavut during question period, I want to clarify for the record that we have invested close to $1.2 billion across the three territories in housing and have supported over 18,000 units. In budget 2024, we would be investing an additional $918 million in housing in the territories.

[Housing, April 19th, 2024]

Madam Speaker, I want to thank my colleague for her question. She has been a strong advocate on housing across the Arctic and northern regions.

We are the first government, ever, in history to have direct agreements with indigenous governments to address their housing needs. We have invested billions of dollars, over $3 billion in fact, in housing across the territories, in a number of ways, to help increase the housing and to ensure that people have housing that is affordable to them.

[Cancer Awareness Month, April 16th, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, April marks cancer awareness month, and it is an important time to spotlight the impact of cancer, recognize advancements in treatment and extend support to those affected.

Last week, I had the privilege of meeting with the Canadian Cancer Society and of listening to the inspiring stories of brave individuals battling this disease. It is crucial to acknowledge the deep disparities in cancer risk, care and costs that can significantly affect treatment outcomes and overall experiences. The Canadian Cancer Society is tirelessly working to bridge these gaps, striving to improve health care outcomes for the two in five Canadians who will receive a cancer diagnosis in their lifetime.

On a personal note, as a two-time breast cancer survivor first diagnosed at age 42, I cannot stress enough the importance of opening regular mammography testing for women aged 40 and above. It should be available to all Canadians. It is a simple step that can save one's life or the lives of loved ones.

Let us all unite in the fight against cancer, raise awareness and advocate for better health.

[Infrastructure, April 15th, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, we agree that every child in Canada should have the opportunity to go to school in a proper environment and also to go to school on a full belly. That is why we have implemented programs to support schools, to support students and to support the school food program, which we think is very important for kids all across Canada, including those in the Arctic and in Nunavut.

[Official Report, April 11th, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, this morning there was a motion on the floor and I had technical difficulties with my app. I asked for leave of the House so I could vote, and I was denied by the opposition. I ask if they would now grant me that leave so my vote may count and I will vote yes.

[Canadian Sustainable Jobs Act, April 11th, 2024]

Madam Speaker, I want to remind the member that, before we came into government, there was not even a line item in terms of investment in clean tech. We created that as a government. It is the focus of our economy.

We can see companies such as Braya fuels converting their refinery to renewable diesel, while companies in Nova Scotia and Quebec are doing so much work around clean energy and transitioning to produce other renewables. In Ontario, we can see massive investments in the entirety of the electric vehicle value chain. We are seeing investments in—

[Canadian Sustainable Jobs Act, April 11th, 2024]

Madam Speaker, I am very proud of the government's record and what we have done. I am very proud of the fact that we have done more to reduce carbon in this country than anyone else. We have invested more in a clean energy transition. We are looking out for workers while we do that. We have invested more in infrastructure to support clean energy in Canada, and we will continue to do that.

For the record, I want to say to the member opposite that many companies, industries and communities have signed on to the environmental plan and are looking for continued investments to ensure that we have a cleaner environment, a greener economy and more opportunity for Canada in the future.

[Canadian Sustainable Jobs Act, April 11th, 2024]

Madam Speaker, what I do know is that Canadian jobs are going to transition whether we bring in the legislation or not, because that is the way the world is. Bringing forward the legislation would allow more stability and security for the workers. That is what the member is missing.

If we go back to the cod moratorium, the Conservative government of the day did not bring in a transition plan, and thousands of families were left without a way to put food on the table or a job to go to. We are not going to gamble on this in the oil and gas industry; we are going to have a firm energy transition so workers will have those jobs and the skills they need to do the work.

What I can tell the member is that the new transition to a greener economy, whether it is transitioning in mining, oil and gas, or whatever sector, would be creating new, high-paying jobs, and the member knows that.