Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. I have an official cake for the Prime Minister—
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Mr. Speaker, community organizations are warning that the rush changes to the New Horizons for Seniors program are putting hundreds of projects at risk. Many volunteers are seniors who already struggle with technology. With only weeks to register for a CRA business number and navigate a complex online portal, these changes are overwhelming and many fear they will be disqualified. Will the Liberals…
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Mr. Speaker, the secretary of state claims that registering for a CRA business number and using the online portal is simple, but senior organizations are telling a different story. In my community of King—Vaughan, where 18 senior groups have been supporting over 6,000 senior volunteers, organizations have been frantically calling my office, scared of missing out on critical funding. These changes …
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Mr. Speaker, Italian culture is a rich tapestry of history, art, cuisine, family tradition and the values of respect for each other. Family is extremely important in the Italian culture. My grandfather arrived in Canada in 1950, where he had the opportunity to work and provide a home for his family. I had the privilege of growing up with my nonna who taught me the beauty of the Italian cuisine, wh…
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Madam Speaker, this Liberal government keeps telling us how good we have it. I am here to say that 2.2 million people have been using the food bank, and 8.3% of those clients are seniors, up from 6.9%. Can the member please address this House as to why the Liberals do not care about seniors anymore?
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Mr. Speaker, under the Liberal Prime Minister, Canada is the only G20 country to fall into a recession. I spoke with Rosa from Vaughan, a single senior who cannot afford a place of her own and rents a room in her 86-year-old cousin's home due to the affordability crisis under the Liberal government. After a lifetime of hard work, Rosa is on the housing waiting list, but it will be a decade before …
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Mr. Speaker, as we recognize Seniors Month in Ontario as well as Seniors' Week in Alberta and in British Columbia, it is important that we not only celebrate seniors but also highlight and confront the challenges too many of them are still facing today. Too many single seniors, often older women, face high living costs while receiving fewer financial supports than couples do. A single senior can p…
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Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague for bringing this to the forefront because I have been speaking to seniors. They are not retiring at 65 and they are not retiring at 75 because they cannot afford the cost of living that the Liberal government has placed on them. Even though I will be supporting this bill, which I will be speaking to shortly, we need to do better. The people who built this…
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Mr. Speaker, it is always a pleasure to rise on behalf of the residents of King—Vaughan. Today, I am pleased to speak to Bill C-261, an act to amend the Old Age Security Act. I would like to thank my Bloc colleague for bringing forward this important piece of legislation and for contributing to the discussions on supporting seniors across the country. Before I begin, I want to acknowledge the seni…
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Mr. Speaker, today marks the beginning of Seniors Month in Ontario, as well as the beginning of Seniors' Week in Alberta and British Columbia. As the Conservative shadow minister for seniors, I want to take this opportunity to recognize the seniors who built this country. They are seniors who worked hard, paid their dues, raised families and helped shape the communities we all rely on today. As we…
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Mr. Speaker, seniors built this country, yet every Liberal budget dismisses seniors and leaves them further behind. After 11 years of wasteful Liberal spending on luxuries for ministers and higher taxes, seniors are paying more for everything: more taxes, more debt, more on the national credit card and more of the same from the Liberals. The National Institute on Ageing found that one in five Cana…
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Mr. Speaker, the reality is that seniors cannot afford the essentials, such as groceries, rent and utilities. They cannot afford the gas or transit needed to even get to programs. The Liberal grocery rebate gimmick was pennies in a bucket. Food bank usage among seniors continues to rise. Over 8% of food bank users are seniors. Statistics tell us that more single seniors are now living below the po…
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Mr. Speaker, the government's Cúram system is causing delays for hundreds of seniors who depend on OAS and GIS to pay their expenses. These services are vital to seniors on fixed incomes. Four cost overruns were reported by the Auditor General in 2025. Similar incidents persist in every software program they attempt to execute. When will the Liberal government accept accountability for another sof…
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Mr. Speaker, the system meant to help our seniors has become another expensive disaster. The government continues to hire incompetent consultants that massively overrun their budgets, in this case by $5 billion. The president of the public service criticized the government and said, “If the system had been designed by public servants...it would have been easier to maintain and understand, as the e…
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Mr. Speaker, that is just another excuse from the Liberal government. Seniors are already struggling with the cost of living, and delayed payments are causing seniors to fall behind on rent, skip groceries and worry about how they will pay for their medication. It is unacceptable that this project went from $1.7 billion to $6.6 billion. Who is accountable for this massive cost overrun? Who will be…
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Mr. Speaker, the Liberal government was forewarned in 2023 that its new system, intended to enhance OAS and GIS payments, was already going over budget. This project has ballooned to $6.6 billion. The taxpayer is now responsible for the failure of a system that was supposed to guarantee better access for our seniors. At a time when seniors are struggling to make ends meet, how does the government …
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Mr. Speaker, the Liberals' recycled rebate does not address the high cost of groceries. Some seniors would receive only $10 a week, which is less than the cost of a cup of coffee per day, which is up 33.6%. The $10 savings is like receiving another coupon. The rebate is an admission of the failed policies of the Liberal government, and it would not change much for our seniors. Again I will ask the…
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Mr. Speaker, seniors built this country, and now they must make the tough decisions between buying groceries or medication. They cannot absorb these costs, and they cannot afford to skip meals. Three years ago the finance minister promised to stabilize food prices, which is another broken promise. Canada has the worst food inflation in the G7. The Conservatives have the solution: Cut the industria…
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Mr. Speaker, seniors are choosing between medication and groceries. Food Banks Canada has reported 2.2 million visits in a single month, and 8.3% are seniors, up from 6.8%. Food inflation is the highest in the G7. Canadians need our help. Conservatives have proposed real solutions: eliminate the industrial carbon tax, eliminate the fuel standard tax and cut red tape for farmers. Will the Prime Min…
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Madam Speaker, seniors call me because they are worried. They are worried about where they are going to get their next meal, how they are going to pay for their heat and how they are going to find the money to pay for their medications. The choices they have to make should not have to be that way. After all, they came to Canada for the promise and the opportunity to live a comfortable life. The Li…
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Madam Speaker, I rise today on behalf of seniors in this country, both those from my community of King—Vaughan and the many seniors from coast to coast who have shared with me that they feel completely abandoned by the Liberal government's latest budget. These Canadians expected a plan that addressed affordability, housing, health care and dignity for older adults. Instead they received a document…
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Madam Speaker, the member across the way obviously did not listen to what seniors have expressed to me. Had he been listening, he would have understood that seniors are working beyond the age of 67 because they do not have a choice. I visited a factory in my riding and half of its employees are between the ages of 65 and 74. Tell me why they are still working. It is because of your failed governme…
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Madam Speaker, I understand and I agree with what my hon. colleague is saying, but we have to do more than that. We have to cut taxes. We have to stop spending. I come from a financial background and we were taught that we cannot spend more than we make. The Liberals do not understand that policy. Maybe they need to go back to school. They need to understand that if they expect balanced budgets ev…
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Madam Speaker, I recently visited my colleague from Cambridge's riding and we were shocked to find out that from 2015 to 2024, there was 50 million dollars' worth of scams toward our seniors. The government has done nothing to protect them. I received a note from an individual named Kathy. She said, “Thank you for being a voice for seniors as it is heartbreaking what seniors have to endure to surv…
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Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister told Canadians he should be judged by the prices at the grocery store. Under his watch, the weekly grocery bill has doubled and the food price report of 2026 says it will get even worse. Families in my community cannot even afford a healthy meal, not even a modest Italian dish like pasta e fagioli, yet the government keeps stirring the pot with higher spending, the …
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Mr. Speaker, we are so happy to have the hon. member for Markham—Unionville on our team. I recently spoke to Carole from the Seniors Tin Cup and she quoted these numbers. She said that the poverty line in Canada is $25,252, and that 28% of senior women are living in poverty through no fault of their own. The government has nothing in the budget for seniors. Single seniors are struggling every sing…
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Mr. Speaker, food bank usage is at a dangerously high level with over one million people using the food bank in Ontario. This past year, usage has skyrocketed 165%. Parents take pride in providing for their families. However, in the cost of living crisis, 29% of food bank users are children. When will the Liberal government stop playing games with their Brookfield buddies and stop the industrial c…
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Mr. Speaker, 75 years ago, a bricklayer arrived on Canadian shores from Italy seeking a better life, and 75 years later, the granddaughter of that bricklayer serves in Canada's Parliament. As a daughter of Italian immigrants, I am proud to represent my community of King—Vaughan. On Tuesday, I had the honour of being elected chair of the Canada-Italy Interparliamentary Group. I look forward to work…
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Mr. Speaker, I had the pleasure of visiting my hon. colleague from Middlesex—London to speak with some of her seniors. I have also heard from the seniors in my community and across this province. The number one thing they are concerned about is the fact that inflation is dipping into their fixed incomes. They cannot afford it. They cannot afford food. They cannot afford to heat their homes. They c…
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Mr. Speaker, my colleague mentioned seniors. I recently had a conversation with Carole from Seniors Tin Cup, which is an organization that supports seniors. One of the things that really shocked me is that 11.5% of single seniors live below the poverty line, which is an increase of 6.3%. How can the member justify that this budget would support seniors when there is absolutely nothing in it for th…
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Mr. Speaker, we met with the parents at our town hall. This individual was let out four times, and he went and killed their only child. We have to toughen those laws to make sure that someone who continually repeats crimes is kept in jail if we are going to keep people alive.
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Mr. Speaker, I appreciate my colleague's comments on the importance of our police officers and the work they do to keep us safe. What does the member think of his colleague from Victoria, who is calling to defund the police?
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Mr. Speaker, I apologize. I am a little under the weather today, but I want to state something clearly. My community of King—Vaughan is very upset because police officers have no jurisdiction when they arrest someone. Police officers put them in jail, and they are out before we know it.
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Mr. Speaker, it was an excellent speech. The hon. member mentioned human trafficking. Yesterday, York Region, along with Hamilton police, arrested a man for the human trafficking of children under the age of 18. Could the hon. member please tell the people watching today that our children are our future? Canada has no future without them. Would she agree?
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Mr. Speaker, it is an honour today to speak to Bill C-14, an act that proposes a long-awaited reform to Canada's bail and sentencing framework. For too long, the system has focused more on the rights of offenders than on the safety of our communities. Together with police associations, provincial governments, victims and survivors, we have listened to our communities and advocated for stronger bai…
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Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister said earlier that the Liberal candidate from Victoria is on the record calling to defend the police, to disarm most police and promote drug decriminalization. If they believe that—
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Excuse me, Kevin. Defunding the police—
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Mr. Speaker, I want to let the hon. member for Vaughan—Woodbridge know that we need to protect our citizens. We currently have a citizen who came back to Canada today to testify in committee, and she has to leave because the law did not protect her. She has death threats every single day. We need to make sure that these individuals stay behind bars so that women and children can live in this count…
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Mr. Speaker, I would like the member to look in the faces of the people in my community and tell them that they have made everything possible. I believe that the Carney Liberal candidate for Victoria—
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Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for bringing that question to the forefront. I will tell you that I met with the parents. I will tell you that the problem is—
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Mr. Speaker, as the Prime Minister keeps spending more and more on his inflationary budget, seniors on fixed incomes are being forced to choose between medication and food, with 8.3% of food bank users being seniors, up from 6.8% in 2019. Fitch Ratings, which gives the government its credit score, has warned that because the Liberals are ignoring their own fiscal limits, federal finances run a hig…
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Mr. Speaker, the very people who built this country and taught us the value of hard work while managing our budgets are having to line up at the food bank. Food Banks Canada reports that almost 10% of food bank users are seniors, which is up 22% from 2019. The Liberal government's reckless spending has driven up prices and left our seniors behind. When will the Liberal government respect our senio…
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my new hon. colleague from Newmarket—Aurora. They voted her here today to represent her community. Seventy-six per cent of seniors are having to support their families today because of the Liberal government's affordability crisis. They do not understand budgets. My colleague does. She comes from the banking sector, so I would like to ask my colleague how she mig…
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Mr. Speaker, we have a serious situation in this country, with 86,000 people out of work. Earlier today, during question period, the Minister of Foreign Affairs stated that they are going to support the Canadian population with EI. The people in my community do not want EI; they want jobs. They want to work. How would the member address that?
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Mr. Speaker, after a lifetime of hard work raising their families, seniors deserve to enjoy their retirement, but under the Liberal government, that dream is slipping away. Every dollar the Prime Minister spends comes out of the pockets of Canadians in higher Liberals taxes and inflation. A new report shows that one in three grandparents is now supporting their adult children and grandchildren, an…
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Madam Speaker, welcome back. According to CBC, 33% of food bank users in my colleague's province are children. There were over two million visits to food banks in March 2024. This is due to the high cost of living. The Liberals can talk about their wonderful plans. They can talk about how they are supporting children at schools, and their dental plans. Why is this number so ridiculously high with …
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Mr. Speaker, I had the opportunity this past summer to visit Nova Scotia, and it is a beautiful province. I was in Acadie—Annapolis, where I met with a group that assists seniors. One of the stories I heard was very troubling to me, because this particular senior had to choose between heating her home and buying food. She could not afford both. Let us be honest. There has been a 68% increase in pe…
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Mr. Speaker, I enjoyed being on the status of women committee with the hon. member. As the critic for seniors, I have a question we need to address. According to Statistics Canada, there were 6.8 million seniors representing 18.5% of the population in 2021, and this will grow to 25% in 2036. In my riding, seniors have to look for work because they cannot afford their expenses and have to choose be…
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Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister promised Canadians that he would be judged by the cost at grocery stores, yet, in August, food inflation soared 70% higher than the overall inflation. Denise, a senior in Quebec, is now forced to skip meals to survive the crushing cost of living. This is another broken promise from a Prime Minister who has let our seniors down time and time again. Will the Prime Min…
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask a question, but I want first off to state something from the PBO. He estimates that oil and gas production caps will lower real gross domestic product in Canada by 0.39% by 2032, reducing nominal GDP by $20.5 billion. Here is the other part that concerns the people of Canada. The PBO estimates that achieving the legal upper bound will reduce economy-wide employment…
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