Richmond Hill  Mr. Speaker, recently Richmond Hill has been through many ups and downs. We lost our beloved former mayor on September 22 and, today, his memorial is taking place in the city of Richmond Hill. With a heavy heart, I extend my condolences on the passing of our longest-serving may

Human Rights in Iran  Madam Speaker, watching the growing protests in my home country in demand of justice for 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, I ask myself how I would have coped if this tragedy and murder had occurred to my own daughter. The heart-wrenching murder of this young woman at the hands of Iran’s

Cost of Living Relief Act, No. 2  Madam Speaker, naturally we do. That is why we have introduced the bill and have taken leadership on ensuring that the areas where gaps exist in our health care delivery are addressed.

Cost of Living Relief Act, No. 2  Madam Speaker, I had the pleasure of working with my colleague at the health committee for a short period of time. During that time, we heard from a number of witnesses, who stated that Canada, for the funds it transfers to provinces, places second in OECD countries. However, for

Cost of Living Relief Act, No. 2  Madam Speaker, I would like to acknowledge that I also have the pleasure of working with the member at the health committee. As we said, this is progressive legislation and we look forward to it going to committee and studying it, ensuring that all the areas are addressed. As i

Cost of Living Relief Act, No. 2  Madam Speaker, I will be splitting my time with the member for Skeena—Bulkley Valley. Today, as I rise to speak to Bill C-31, an act respecting cost of living relief measures related to dental care and rental housing, I feel proud. I am delighted. More important, as indicated in

Community Leadership  Mr. Speaker, it is always a privilege for me to speak about the ongoing community initiatives in my riding of Richmond Hill. I am thrilled to see the continued valuable impact of the Canada summer jobs program on our passionate and ambitious youth. This summer, I had the opport

Canada Disability Benefit Act  Madam Speaker, I have had the pleasure of working with my hon. colleague at the health committee, and I am particularly looking forward to receiving this bill at that committee. As I have repeatedly said, and as many of my colleagues in the House have said, we are putting in pla

Canada Disability Benefit Act  Madam Speaker, what this bill provides, as I indicated in my speech, is a framework. If I wanted to draw a parallel, I would say to think of a railroad, laying out the groundwork for all of the rails to be drawn for the locomotive to come. As we go through the 13 provinces and t

Canada Disability Benefit Act  Madam Speaker, first of all, I thank the member for supporting this bill. It is important because it lays down the groundwork. As you said, let us expedite this. Let us get it to the committee, and let us work with all provinces and territories. I am sure a member from the Bloc

Canada Disability Benefit Act  Madam Speaker, I am delighted to rise today to express my support for the second reading of Bill C-22, the Canada disability benefit act. Debate commenced earlier today in the House. We have taken a huge step toward securing the right for every Canadian to fully participate in s

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship  Mr. Speaker, Canada has a long and proud history of welcoming newcomers with open arms. There are several amazing organizations in my riding of Richmond Hill that provide support services to help people settle into their new community. It takes immense bravery to move to a new co

Improvements to Long-Term Care  Madam Speaker, I am delighted to rise today to participate in the second hour of debate on Motion No. 47, a motion introduced by my colleague, the hon. member of Parliament for Avalon, regarding improvements to long-term care. I am going to keep my remarks very brief today, as I

Italian Heritage Month  Madam Speaker, during the beautiful month of June, there is a lot to celebrate. The sun is shining, the ice cream trucks are back and there are numerous cultural heritage months to acknowledge, but in my riding of Richmond Hill there is one occasion we are especially excited to c

Asian Heritage Month  Mr. Speaker, the stories of Asian Canadians are unique, diverse and deserve to be heard. As May comes to an end and we bid farewell to Asian Heritage Month, we must continue to amplify Asian voices while acknowledging the lived realities of being Asian in Canada, and learning m