Parliamentary Speeches

Madam Speaker, I will be sharing my time with the member for Milton East—Halton Hills South. It is a great honour to rise for the first time as the elected member of Parliament for Hamilton West—Ancaster—Dundas. I am speaking today in support of our government’s mandate as laid out by His Majesty King Charles III in the Speech from the Throne. I stand here with deep gratitude. I thank my wife, Dawn; and our children, Sadie and Isaac, for their love, patience and support. I thank my parents, John and Dianne; and my in-laws, Mike and Bev, for the values and work ethic that brought me here. To the people on my incredible campaign team who worked tirelessly to connect with our community, I say that this is their victory as well. I would like to sincerely thank the Hon. Filomena Tassi for her many years of dedicated service to our community and country, and for her guidance and friendship. I often say that I am not a politician; I am an engineer who finds himself in a political role. After nearly two terms on Hamilton city council, I am excited and deeply humbled to serve our community in this new capacity. Today I will address several important issues and opportunities in my riding of Hamilton West—Ancaster—Dundas: economic development, protecting our national sovereignty, U.S. tariffs on steel, affordability and housing, public safety and the need for collaboration. There is no question that we are at a difficult time in Canada’s history. We face external pressures and internal challenges. The Trump administration threatens not only our economy but also the principles of collaboration and international partnership that Canadians value so deeply. Tariffs and protectionist threats create uncertainty in key sectors like steel and manufacturing, which matter profoundly to Hamilton. Canadians are facing a real affordability crisis. The cost of housing, groceries and daily essentials has stretched household budgets past the breaking point. During the campaign, I heard these concerns again and again, but what struck me most was not just the worry; it was the determination. Homes across Hamilton are again proudly flying the Canadian flag. It is a powerful act of hope, a signal that we are proud of our shared values and that we will face these challenges together. Canadians are tired of politicians who foster division instead of delivering solutions. Now more than ever, we need leadership that is capable, collaborative and constructive. A strong economy is the foundation of everything we do. It is how we fund health care and housing and defend our sovereignty. It is how we give our children a future. I have two teenagers at home, Sadie and Isaac, and I want to make sure their generation has access to meaningful jobs, affordable homes and the promise that all Canadians who work hard can achieve the lifestyle they deserve. That is why our government is committed to building the strongest economy in the G7 by leveraging Canadian resources such as timber, minerals, and research and innovation, and by investing in the skilled trades. Hamilton is already poised to lead in economic growth. At McMaster University, where I studied engineering, the McMaster Automotive Resource Centre is developing EV technologies that do not use rare earth metals. Hamilton is also a growing hub for pharmaceutical research, biotech and life sciences, and our government is investing hundreds of millions of dollars to modernize steelmaking and drastically reduce emissions. We are also prioritizing Canadian steel, aluminum and timber in major new infrastructure projects. Of course, everyone in Hamilton knows someone who works in the steel industry. Hamilton’s steel industry directly employs over 10,000 workers and another in 40,000 indirect jobs. Uncertainty over U.S. tariffs on steel are causing immense stress and anxiety for Hamilton families. These tariffs are unjustified, unlawful and deeply damaging. They threaten Canadian workers, disrupt communities and undermine cross-border supply chains that have taken generations to establish. I have been in direct contact with the Minister of Industry and local partners in the steel industry, and I want to assure steelworkers in Hamilton that our government is fighting back with strong retaliatory measures and targeted domestic support to defend our industries and protect the thousands of Canadian jobs at stake. Our government will fight for every worker, every job and every business. Tariffs on steel harm workers and businesses on both sides of the border. We have an opportunity to work with the American steel industry to achieve a common goal: to grow the entire North American steel industry and protect against low-cost steel imports from overseas. Even with economic progress, Canadians cannot prosper if they cannot afford to live. Hamilton’s housing market is out of reach for far too many. Our government is taking immediate action. We cancelled the consumer carbon tax, reducing the cost of gas by 18¢ per litre. The new middle-class tax cut will help over 22 million Canadians save up to $840 per year. We removed the GST on new homes under $1 million for first-time homebuyers. We introduced affordable child care, now $10 a day, saving Canadian families thousands of dollars. On housing, our government is working collaboratively with all levels of government and our industry partners to invest billions of dollars to double the rate of homebuilding in Canada for new homes for Canadians, homes that will use Canadian lumber, Canadian steel and Canadian skilled workers. I was recently at the groundbreaking ceremony for a major new affordable home project in Hamilton. This project would not have been possible without the support of the federal government in collaboration with the City of Hamilton and local affordable homebuilders. Hamilton's community housing providers, including Indwell, Victoria Park, Kiwanis, Good Shepherd, Habitat for Humanity and CityHousing Hamilton are setting a national example of best practices. They are doing more than just building homes; they are redefining what sustainable, affordable housing looks like in Canada. These organizations are committed to high-performance building standards such as Passive House and LEED platinum to build net-zero carbon housing at scale. They are not just planning on doing this; they are doing this right now in Hamilton. By investing slightly more during construction, they are able to deliver homes where low-income tenants never have to worry about paying utility bills. They are easing the financial burden while contributing to environmental sustainability. Equally important, these new developments include wraparound supports like on-site health care and mental health and addiction services. This integrated approach ensures that people have not only a roof over their head but also the resources they need to stay housed, healthy and supported. The housing affordability crisis was created over decades through successive governments. Record-low interest rates, the ongoing financialization of housing, provincial rent deregulation and an unprecedented increase in material prices during the pandemic all contributed. In recent years, municipalities like Hamilton have been working hard to eliminate barriers to construction of market housing and reduce costs. Right now, there is 10 years of housing supply already approved and ready to be built within the city of Hamilton, but market housing builders are not building. There are tens of thousands of housing projects across Canada on hold due to economic uncertainty in the housing market. Our government is working collaboratively with provincial and municipal governments while investing billions of dollars across the country to get Canadian homebuilders building again. We are implementing real solutions to housing affordability so that every Canadian who works hard can afford a safe and affordable place to call home. Of course, none of this matters if Canadians are not safe in their own home. Gun violence, auto theft, organized crime and drug trafficking are on the rise across Canada. In fact, my own car was stolen right from my driveway while my family and I were home asleep. Our government is responding with a serious plan: bail reform to keep violent offenders in jail, tougher sentencing for drug trafficking and gun crime, cracking down on illegal firearms and fentanyl imported from the United States, and strengthening the criminal justice system. We also know that homelessness and addiction are public safety and public health challenges. Homeless tent encampments in city parks are not a compassionate solution. The federal government is responsible for over $200 billion a year in transfer payments to the provinces for health care. We need to hold provincial governments accountable for their investments in health care, because addictions and mental health are health care issues, and we need real action from our provincial partners to get people the help they need. I firmly believe that every member of the House is here to advocate for Canada and Canadians. Canadian voters have spoken; they have elected a government that is capable, collaborative and constructive. Since arriving in the House, I have noticed something: Despite our differences, we agree on much more than we disagree on. We agree that Canadians need opportunity, that they deserve safety and that they need homes, jobs and opportunities for a better future. The people of Canada have shown us the way in their optimism, their resolve and their determination to come together, so let us follow their example. Let us rise above division and let us work together across the aisle for the good of all Canadians. I am honoured to stand for a strong and prosperous Canada, and I invite every member of the House to stand with me to work together to keep the true north strong and free.

Madam Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague for her question. I apologize for the quality of my French. It is not very good, but I am learning. So far in this chamber, I have been very impressed with the Bloc's position on a number of issues: the environment, energy, development, health care and education. I think that, except for the whole leaving-the-country thing, we actually have quite a bit in common. It makes sense, because Ontario is quite similar to Quebec in many ways. The member talked about timber resources, aerospace and lumber. We also have many of the largest and strongest vibrant municipalities in Canada. We share common interests, so there are three things that come to mind that Ontario and Quebec could work together on. The first is expanding the definition of the energy sector. Conservatives are fixated on legacy fossil fuels, and I think Ontario and Quebec are more interested in clean next-generation electricity, mass timber construction and climate mitigation.

Madam Speaker, there is no question that there is an opioid crisis in this country. In my time on Hamilton city council, we did declare an opioid crisis. We were looking at taking positive steps to address it. I have had many discussions with Hamilton police on the impacts of opioids on the streets, along with crime in general. It is something that residents contact our office about daily, when they see people with addictions issues on the street openly using drugs. It is a huge problem throughout Canada. I think there is a way forward that is compassionate and would address the actual root cause of the opioid crisis, which would be to focus more on addiction supports. At the end of the day, we cannot arrest ourselves out of an addictions and health care crisis. We need to work collaboratively with the provinces and municipalities to get people the help they need.

Mr. Speaker, there is quite a bit of misinformation and disinformation online. We have seen the impact here in the House, with the members opposite, yesterday, repeating some pretty wild conspiracy theories here in the House of Commons, nonsense in this chamber, protected by parliamentary privilege. I am not going to mention the never-ending tide of propaganda from south of the border. Based on the member's background, can she tell us how important it is to have a strong media and a common frame of reference for all Canadians?

Mr. Speaker, congratulations to my colleague across the floor for his election in Calgary McKnight. I appreciate a speech that I think he mainly wrote himself, which is refreshing. The member mentioned cutting red tape and also the energy sector. Does the member consider other portions of the energy sector that do not include pipelines? In Ontario specifically, we talk about growing nuclear, carbon-free energy, and also, in Quebec, there is the hydro sector. How would the member suggest growing the entire energy sector in Canada?

Mr. Speaker, today I rise with deep sorrow to honour Harsimrat Randhawa, a bright, kind and ambitious 21-year-old Mohawk College student from India. On April 17, 2025, Harsimrat's life was tragically cut short by a senseless act of violence. She was an innocent bystander taken from us while waiting for a bus on her way to work. In our grief, our community came together to mourn, to support one another and to remember Harsimrat. That strength in community reflects the very core of what Canada stands for. As a father, I can only begin to imagine the grief that her family is enduring, and the heartbreak of sending their child across the world to pursue her dreams, only to receive the devastating news that she had been killed. Harsimrat's story is a stark reminder that public safety must be a priority. Harsimrat Randhawa was loved and will be remembered.

Mr. Speaker, it was inspiring to hear the story from the member opposite about her experience immigrating to Canada. It is a story that is so familiar to so many families throughout this great country. I congratulate the member on her election to Parliament. I have had the pleasure of serving with her husband in my capacity as a board member for the Art Gallery of Hamilton. My question is about what I heard when I was campaigning at doors, which is a renewed passion and pride in Canada and in being Canadian. I heard it most clearly from new immigrants and immigrant families, newcomers to Canada who are so proud to be part of our great country. My question is this: If the member's parents are still with us, what do they think about her election to Parliament and the amazing contributions she is making?