Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, I rise today on the occasion of World Theatre Week, organized by the Professional Association of Canadian Theatres and celebrated around the world, culminating in World Theatre Day on March 27, 2026. Spadina—Harbourfront and Toronto's downtown are home to a vibrant theatre community, including Jumblies; Factory Theatre; the Mirvish theatres, the Royal Alex and the Princess of Wales; a…
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Mr. Speaker, my riding has a lot of multi-unit residential buildings, and I am wondering if my colleague could talk a bit about how we are looking toward the future and to future-proofing the auto sector by thinking about what we need in terms of moving toward electrification.
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Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of Bill C-227, an act to establish a national strategy on housing for young Canadians, introduced by the member for Sackville—Bedford—Preston. I represent Spadina—Harbourfront, one of the most densely populated ridings in the country and one of the youngest. In fact, I want to thank my youth council, which is meeting for the first time this evening back in th…
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Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of Bill C-222, the relieving grieving parents of an administrative burden act. First, l would like to acknowledge and thank the hon. member for Burnaby North—Seymour for bringing this bill forward. The loss of a child is one of the most devastating experiences a parent can face. lt is a loss that reshapes a family forever. ln those moments, parents deserve co…
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Mr. Speaker, gender-based violence remains a serious concern in communities across Canada, including in my community of Spadina—Harbourfront. Survivors have been clear about the need for a justice system that better understands the realities of coercive control, intimidation, harassment and repeat harms. The protecting victims act, Bill C-16, responds directly to these concerns. Could the Secretar…
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Mr. Speaker, last week I joined hundreds of residents from across my riding to celebrate the magic of the holiday season with the lighting of our 33-foot tree in the community square at Harbourfront Centre. Harbourfront Centre and the public spaces around it are vital gathering places. They bring people together and create a sense of belonging in vertical neighbourhoods like mine. Even in a fast-p…
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Mr. Speaker, today is Giving Tuesday, a global day of generosity and community, an opportunity to reflect on local needs, support important causes and give through donations or volunteering. Volunteering is how we learn about ourselves and the world. It is woven into who we are as Canadians, and we are people who care. According to the “World Giving Index”, Canada ranks 11th for generosity, yet Vo…
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Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak to Bill C-225, the private member's bill sponsored by the member for Kamloops—Thompson—Nicola. The bill aims to confront one of the most heartbreaking and pervasive crises facing families and women across this country: intimate partner violence. Addressing intimate partner violence is a shared responsibility, and today we have an opportunity to demonstrate that w…
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Mr. Speaker, last month, the Canadian Chamber of Commerce's business data lab, commissioned by Business/Arts in partnership with the Canada Council for the Arts, released a report confirming that the arts are far more than cultural expression; they are a key economic driver. In 2024, the sector generated $65 billion in GDP, nearly $130 billion in total economic impact and over $7 billion in tax re…
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate my colleague for her phenomenal reflection on this extraordinary budget. I will ask her to elaborate a little more, given her deep experience as a municipal councillor, on the challenges we are seeing at other levels of government. What are some of the strengths you see in the proposed budget?
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Mr. Speaker, my colleague's question about what is needed in urban centres was a very thoughtful one. I certainly have a very urban and dense riding in Spadina—Harbourfront. Something I know Canadians care about and Torontonians care about deeply is how we move around the city and how we invest in transit mobility. The infrastructure investments we are making as part of the $51 billion are investm…
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Mr. Speaker, last weekend was a defining moment for sport in Canada as the Northern Super League, our country's first professional women's soccer league, held its inaugural championship final at BMO Field in my riding of Spadina—Harbourfront. Can the Secretary of of State for Sport share with Canadians how our government is investing in women's sport, including with the recent $5.4-million commitm…
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Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak to Bill C-15, the budget implementation act. It is a budget for a moment of profound global change. This is not a routine budget; it is a blueprint for generational transformation, a plan that would define Canada's future for decades to come. We are laying the foundation for a modern, secure and competitive Canada in the 21st century, future-proofing our economy while …
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Mr. Speaker, my colleague's question is a very thoughtful one. Our government has taken a very prudent, smart and responsible approach to how we are delivering the budget, our first budget under the Carney government. We are making choices—
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my esteemed colleague for her question. I know that the work of local democracy and local journalism is critical for storytelling and for the information ecosystem we need in this country. That is why we have committed $37 million to the local journalism fund. That kind of investment will strengthen democracy and ensure that Canadians have access to high-quality local news tha…
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Mr. Speaker, with our new government, the choices we are making are about protecting the social infrastructure and the core pieces I know my residents in Spadina—Harbourfront talk about as really key to securing their future: the programs and the social infrastructure. These are the choices we are making as a government to continue to support Canadians.
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Mr. Speaker, November 15 marked National Philanthropy Day, recognizing Canadians whose generosity strengthens our communities. From food banks and shelters to arts, conservation and youth programs, philanthropy fuels essential work across this country. Spadina—Harbourfront is home to the national chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals and organizations such as Eva's Initiatives, t…
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Mr. Speaker, the government was elected with a decisive mandate to keep violent repeat offenders off our streets. While the Leader of the Opposition was attacking the brave men and women of the RCMP, calling them “despicable”, the Minister of Justice was working with provinces, territories and law enforcement to develop solutions-focused bail and sentencing reforms. Today, the minister has tabled …
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Mr. Speaker, this past Saturday, we celebrated the 96th anniversary of the Persons Case, when the Famous Five fought to have women recognized as persons in Canada. Their courage reshaped democracy in this country. Across Canada, women are transforming government, business and public life. We are delivering on the national $10-a-day child care program, a national action plan to end gender-based vio…
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Mr. Speaker, it is really important legislation to pass so that survivors can feel safe. One of the other elements in the legislation that I think is really important is the annual reporting. The measures there are best practices in this space, and I think this is an opportunity for us to do the right thing.
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Mr. Speaker, from my understanding, this bill would allow us to establish and move forward on the particular requirement that was noted.
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Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak about the much-needed modernization of the Canadian military justice system and the transformation of the culture within the Canadian Armed Forces. Bill C-11 is an important step in renewing the Canadian Armed Forces and ensuring that our military institutions reflect the values of justice and dignity that Canadians and CAF members both expect and deserve. Canada…
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Mr. Speaker, as somebody who has worked in the gender violence space for many years, I know there is distrust of our systems among survivors, and there is work to be done in all of our legal systems to build back trust. There are some very strong elements in this bill that are based on the strong recommendations coming out of the reports from both justices that give us a pathway for that.
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Mr. Speaker, I will confess that I am not able to speak to that; I do not have the answer, unfortunately.
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Mr. Speaker, why is this important? Part of what surfaced in the reports was the existence of the chain of command and it being a challenge in the culture of the military. The bill would allow for a different approach to justice, which was one of the recommendations put forth very strongly.
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Mr. Speaker, in June 2026, the FIFA World Cup is coming to Canada. All six Ontario matches will be hosted on the vibrant waterfront in my riding of Spadina—Harbourfront. Toronto has a proud record of hosting international sporting events, from the 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup to the 2015 Pan Am Games. Time and again, we have delivered unforgettable moments on and off the field. Toronto's waterfront co…
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Mr. Speaker, every September, the streets of downtown Toronto in my riding of Spadina—Harbourfront come alive with the magic of cinema. The Toronto International Film Festival is the world's largest public film festival, showcasing over 300 films and drawing hundreds of thousands of visitors from Canada and around the globe. This year, TIFF celebrated its 50th anniversary. I was honoured to attend…
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Mr. Speaker, Canadian steel and aluminum are the best in the world, and our workers in those vital industries are second to none. However, we know that these vital sectors are facing very serious threats as a result of unjustified and illegal American tariffs. Can the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance and National Revenue update the House on how the government is supporting our wo…
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Mr. Speaker, I wanted to ask my hon. colleague about some of the elements of the bill, some of the progressive pieces there that he wanted to speak to in terms of the criteria around nation building and how he thought that might advance the opportunity to build a strong Canada.
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Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise today to provide some clarity around a few of the measures included in Bill C-3, an act to amend the Citizenship Act for 2025. Under the Citizenship Act, there are three ways to become a Canadian. First, people can immigrate to Canada to get Canadian status. This is the story of my parents. I am the proud daughter of Vietnamese immigrants. My family came to Canada…
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Mr. Speaker, I thank the colleague across the floor for her very thoughtful question, and I appreciate the time we worked together in the past promoting the space of women in politics and women in leadership. In terms of the services in the country supporting women as they come through their immigration experience, the federal government does support a wide range of programs that support the integ…
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Mr. Speaker, I believe they should. I know that, in the meantime, while Bill C-3 is hopefully moving through the system, we have introduced interim measures to support those affected. Individuals born abroad before December 19, 2023, can apply for a discretionary grant of citizenship under section 5(4) of the Citizenship Act. Those born after that date may also be eligible if their parents spent a…
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Mr. Speaker, in terms of how many people would be impacted by this legislation, the reality is that the majority of lost Canadian cases were remedied by the legislative amendments that were implemented in 2009 and 2015, with about 20,000 people either acquiring citizenship or having their citizenship restored through the amendment. The government has not tracked births abroad since the Citizenship…
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Mr. Speaker, I care deeply about the issue of making sure that we have the right infrastructure in place for our communities. This is what I heard about at the doors, with many young parents and family members thinking about their path and how they were going to build the child care required in our communities. We have firmed up our child care program. Seeing those commitments in place makes my he…
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Mr. Speaker, again I will reiterate that we are doing our work and thoughtfully preparing the estimates and work that is required to make sure that when we bring the budget forward in the fall, it has the right figures. There are many things at play at this particularly challenging time. After we do that work, we will be in the House to defend it and make sure that we table the numbers as appropri…
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Mr. Speaker, I congratulate the member on his past experience as an intern. I am glad to join him in these ranks. Our government is working hard to make sure that we are doing our homework and that we are prepared for a very thoughtful budget process in the fall, after we have continued the fantastic work of putting out legislation that is going to help Canadians today: a middle-class tax cut for …
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Mr. Speaker, I will be sharing my time with the member for Kings—Hants. I am honoured to rise today for the first time to properly introduce myself as the proud member of Parliament for Spadina—Harbourfront. I thank my constituents for trusting me. In thousands of conversations during the campaign, they shared their stories, hopes and worries. I carry their voices with me every single day and will…
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for the fantastic question. They are all fantastic questions. I love being in the House. We are working to make sure those estimates are accurate. Numbers are changing rapidly with the pressure points, as we are in conversation around responding to the tariffs and as other elements have an impact on our global community. That work is under way. We will be delighte…
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Mr. Speaker, my waterfront riding of Spadina—Harbourfront in downtown Toronto is proud to host many Canadian Armed Forces members, from the army to the air force and the navy. Every year, about 8,200 members are released from the Canadian Armed Forces, and roughly half of them are looking to start new careers. Can the Minister of Veterans Affairs share with us how the national veterans employment …
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