Early Childhood Educators  Mr. Speaker, all children deserve a good start in life, something that we depend on our teachers and early childhood educators to make happen. Ms. Tanya Farzaneh, at Seneca College Early Childhood Education Lab School in my riding, recently received a Prime Minister's Award for

Asian Heritage Month  Mr. Speaker, the month of May is Asian Heritage Month. It is a time to celebrate the many contributions of Canadians of Asian heritage to the growth and prosperity of Canada. As the member of Parliament for Don Valley North, I invite Canadians of all backgrounds to learn more th

Interparliamentary Delegations  Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 34(1), I have the honour to present to the House, in both official languages, the report of the Canadian Parliamentary Delegation from the Canada–China Legislative Association respecting its participation at the 19th Bilateral Meeting in Be

Income Taxes  Mr. Speaker, last year, my office ran a successful free tax clinic for constituents with modest incomes and simple tax situations in my riding of Don Valley North. With tax season right around the comer this year, people need help filing their taxes. I am proud to say that this

Statistics Act  Mr. Speaker, I just mentioned that we would give independence to the chief statistician. We will also reduce the size of the board. We are bringing in more experts and giving them pay, so they become more dedicated in terms of time, energy and the quality of the decisions.

Statistics Act  Mr. Speaker, Bill C-36 proposes to make some changes to make our Statistics Canada more independent and ensure that its decisions are made based on the evidence and the studies. We also make this process more transparent. Bill C-36 proposes that the new Canadian statistic advis

Statistics Act  That is exactly the purpose of Bill C-36, Mr. Speaker. In this society, where there is such a high pace, data is so critical, and we have to make decisions based on the accuracy of data and in a timely manner. This is why we have given the chief statistician the authority and hav

Statistics Act  Mr. Speaker, Bill C-36 would introduce the requirement that the new council's work be done in a transparent manner. It would also require that the council make public an annual report on the state of the national statistical system. The new council's membership would also be muc

Spring Festival  Mr. Speaker, I believe many parliamentarians have been participating in Spring Festival celebrations in ridings across Canada with their families and friends. It is the most important celebration of the year for many Asian Canadians. That is thanks to the passage of my Spring Fes

Statistics Act  Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise today to speak to Bill C-36, an act to amend the Statistics Act. As we know, the bill aims to strengthen Statistics Canada's independence. To achieve this, the bill introduces three key legislative amendments. The first would assign authorities

Petitions  Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present an e-petition signed by more than 500 citizens, residents of Canada, many of whom live in my riding of Don Valley North. The petitioners call on the Government of Canada to conduct a study on equal access to both official languages train

Science  Mr. Speaker, last month, the minister of science announced a significant investment of $900 million to 13 post-secondary institutions, through the Canada first research excellence fund. The minister noted that the fund invests in areas and pressing issues where Canada's post-seco

Spring Festival  Madam Speaker, my Spring Festival motion was passed on June 1. Therefore, beginning in spring 2017, the Government of Canada will proclaim the first day of the Lunar Year as the beginning of the 15-day Spring Festival. I thank all my colleagues, including the Minister of Canadi

Spring Festival  Mr. Speaker, I just need 10 seconds. I would just take this opportunity to thank all my colleagues for their support. I will remember this.

Spring Festival  Mr. Speaker, indeed, spring festivals and other ethnic group celebrations have been in Canada for many years. More Canadians know this celebration. As I mentioned, the prime ministers of Canada and other government officials, and virtually everybody knows of a spring festival cel