Ali Ehsassi

Mr. Speaker, today, it gives me great pleasure to pay tribute to a truly remarkable individual in our community, Dr. Arsalan Mohajer. Dr. Mohajer is that rare amalgam who has demonstrated a unique capacity for achievement as a scientist and educator, as well as a civic leader and philanthropist. This past weekend, hundreds of individuals gathered in Toronto at a special ceremony to praise him for his lifetime of achievement. Among the many attendees was the founder of the association of professional geoscientists of Ontario, the president and CEO of the North York General Foundation, the chief development officer of the University Health Network and the leaders of the widest array of Iranian Canadian civic organizations. I was present to offer the Prime Minister's congratulatory letter. A lifetime of dedication, leadership and service to a multitude of organizations is certainly worthy of celebration. In aspiring to excellence in his own life and contributing to the success of others, Dr. Mohajer has certainly inspired legions.

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of my diverse riding of Willowdale, I would like to wish all those marking the mid-autumn festival a joyous and bountiful celebration. Known as the moon festival, or Chuseok in Korea, Tsukimi in Japan or Tet Trung Thu in Vietnam, it is a cherished festival that brings family, friends and communities together. The full moon at the heart of this celebration has long been a symbol of reunion, harmony and hope, while it strengthens the bonds connecting us to one another. To the many celebrating in Willowdale, in Canada and around the world, may the full moon bring them and their loved ones good health, peace and prosperity, and may their homes be filled with laughter and light. After all, beneath the gentle glow of the mid-autumn moon, we are reminded that, no matter how far we may travel, the same moonlight connects us all. I wish a happy mid-autumn festival to all.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to present petition e-7172, which has been signed by no fewer than 13,198 Canadians across the country. The petitioners call upon the government to conduct a comprehensive and independent review of the structure, governance, practices, legal status, funding sources and activities of the Iranian Canadian Congress. It is an organization that has made no attempt to gauge the interests of the community. There is further consternation because this group has publicly opposed human rights policies, which are broadly supported by members of the community, including its call for the removal of the terrorist designation of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. It is an organization that has all sorts of challenges. It has never made an attempt to reach out to the members of the community. In addition, all of its positions over the course of the past five to six years have run counter to the aspirations of the members of the community.

Madam Speaker, allow me to start off by emphasizing that the global landscape is rapidly changing, leaving businesses, workers and families under a cloud of uncertainty. As a result of all these geopolitical shifts, the costs of groceries and everyday essentials in Canada have been high for way too long. We believe our economy is stronger when it serves everyone. That is why we took action to make groceries and other essentials more affordable in the near term and, in parallel, to promote food security and support innovation in the agricultural and food sectors. To support the people most affected by the rising price of food, in January 2026 we announced a new Canada groceries and essentials benefit to help more than 12 million Canadians afford day-to-day essentials. The Canada groceries and essentials benefit builds on the existing goods and services tax credit and will provide $11.7 billion in additional support over six years. This includes a one-time top-up payment to be issued June 5, equal to a 50% increase in the annual 2025-26 value of the GST credit. This delivers, of course, $3.1 billion in assistance to individuals and families who currently get the GST credit. We know that Canadian household budgets are feeling the squeeze from higher costs. There is no doubt that this spike is causing financial difficulties for far too many individual Canadians. To help Canadians and businesses manage such pressures, our government introduced a temporary suspension of the federal fuel excise tax on gasoline, diesel and aviation fuels. The suspension came into effect on April 20 and will stay in place until and including Labour Day, September 7. This step is expected to lower Canadian bills at the gas station by up to 10¢ per litre in gasoline and four cents on diesel. Such temporary suspensions are expected to save Canadians up to an estimated $5.75 on gasoline when filling up a typical 50-litre tank of fuel. Overall, the suspension is estimated to provide relief of over $2.4 billion in 2026-27. We have done even more to alleviate the pressure from the high cost of fuels on Canadian household budgets. Right after taking office, the Prime Minister cancelled the federal consumer fuel charge, effective April 1, 2025, in a move that directly helped Canadians save money at the pump. As of that very same date, our government also removed the requirement for provinces and territories to have a consumer-facing carbon price. These actions helped reduce gas prices in most provinces and territories by about 18¢ per litre in comparison to 2024-25. There is more. Our government is also delivering major tax breaks to Canadians. Since July 1, Canadians have been paying less tax, after the government lowered the first marginal personal income tax rate from 15% to 14%. Thanks to this change, I would add, 22 million Canadians benefit from tax relief of up to $420 per person, saving two-income families up to $840 this year. Our government has eliminated the GST for first-time buyers on new homes up to $1 million and reduced the GST for first-time homebuyers on new homes between $1 million and $1.5 million. In addition, we have also made the national school food program permanent, providing school meals for up to 400,000 children each year. Despite what the member is suggesting, there are a number of different affordability measures in the update. We are working on that. We are working on investments, and we will continue—

Madam Speaker, I can only go by the question the member provided us with earlier. If the question is whether we are the type of country that is welcoming investment from various sources to make sure there is economic growth, the answer is absolutely. He knows full well that there are a number of Canadian institutions that are very interested in investing in infrastructure projects, and that, of course, creates jobs. In addition to that, as the member is fully aware, in September we will have an investment summit. We are doing everything within our power to make sure that we are building, that we are building bold and that we are building big. That, of course, will include investments from various institutions.