Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, I do not know what the Conservatives' jobs plan is, because they vote against every single thing, including the things that unions have said they need. We are investing in skills training for young people. We are moving forward with a defence industrial strategy that is creating 125,000 jobs, the major projects are estimated to support over 60,000 jobs and we are ensuring that workers…
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Mr. Speaker, maybe the member remembers voting against all of the measures that actually make life more affordable. For example, there is early learning and child care here in Ontario, which is saving a family with one child $16,000 a year. For example, there was the announcement we just made yesterday to ensure students can access up to 40% more in student grants, which is going to make sure that…
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Mr. Speaker, despite the conversation today about the impacts of immigration on youth unemployment, I will remind opposition members that even though they enjoy the benefits of something like the Canada summer jobs program, and they go out and meet those students, they vote against those programs time and time again. It is a bit fraudulent, I would say, to meet youth in their ridings and celebrate…
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Mr. Speaker, at the end of the member for Calgary Midnapore's question, just recently, she screamed “shut up” at another member across the aisle. I have to say it is disheartening. I know we get excited and there is heckling that goes on, but to use such unparliamentary language, especially when asking a question, seems really disrespectful in this place.
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Mr. Speaker, what the member alleges is hard to prove. What I will say is that what we can prove is that the investments we are making in workers, the investments we are making in major projects and the investments we are making in defence will lead to hundreds of thousands of jobs. Do members know who is happy about that? It is the unions and the workers all across this country who are eagerly lo…
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Mr. Speaker, the number of Canadians waiting to start their OAS is declining. In fact, Canadians expect a modern benefit delivery system that makes sure their benefits are available when they need them. There were 7.7 million Canadians transferred to the new system without any problem, and those who are waiting are largely paper applications. We have a plan and a process to get through those. If a…
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Mr. Speaker, it is almost as if the Conservatives do not understand that we are in a tariff war and that there is a war in the Middle East threatening the Canadian economy right now. We have been preparing to support workers in these turbulent times, but yet again, they vote against every measure we put forward for workers. That is not what the Ontario government is saying. I was so proud to sign …
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Mr. Speaker, I do not know what workers that member was speaking with, but it sure was not the president of Unifor Local 200, who said, “The problem is that he went ahead and did not consult with Unifor, and it was very, very frustrating to see the things that he put in place knowing we would be in big trouble”. The president, John D'Agnolo, went on to say that he is “ecstatic” over the auto measu…
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Mr. Speaker, I am so proud to be part of a country that believes that people with disabilities deserve to live in dignity, and that is why we have a disability tax credit. As the member knows, this is important work for the full inclusion of people with disabilities in Canadian society, and we will continue to advocate to ensure that everyone reaches their full potential in this country.
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Mr. Speaker, they want to stay in the very distant past. In fact, they would prefer benefits to be administered on a 60-year-old system, using paper, and be hand-administrated. That is not what the government has decided to do. We are continuing the modernization of benefits for all Canadians. The number that the Bloc Québécois continues to use is misleading to Canadians. In fact, it is the sum fo…
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Mr. Speaker, there is room over here. I agree that the Prime Minister is an honourable man, and that is why I am so confident to serve under his leadership. Regarding the issue of Cúram, it would be great if we had some honourable conversations about the real facts of this case. In fact, 7.7 million seniors have been transferred to the new system without any delay. The number that the opposition m…
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Mr. Speaker, do members know what the real question is? Will the Conservatives stop voting against investments in health care? Will the Conservatives stop voting against things like a national dental care plan, which is deeply connected to the health of Canadians? I agree with my colleague. The Conservatives are punching down on the most vulnerable Canadians. I will say this. We are all in this to…
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Mr. Speaker, every step of the way, as the government works to support families in need, the Conservatives vote against it. They obstruct our budget bill in the House, money that Canadian families need for all kinds of things, including the jobs that many of our union workers are relying on. Do members know what helps with food insecurity? It is good-paying jobs. Here is a newsflash: The Conservat…
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Mr. Speaker, I do not think that member was around when the opposition party voted time and again against the investments that provinces and territories had been asking us to make in strengthening our universal health care system. That is how we build a health care system that everybody is proud of. It is something we built on the foundations of our forefathers and mothers in this place, to ensure…
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Mr. Speaker, funding for a project of this magnitude involves incremental allocations, not a lump sum payment. The program's initial $1.7 billion in funding was to launch the first phase of the project; it was never intended to cover the complete restructuring of multiple benefits systems. This investment is going to generate efficiency and reliability gains for years to come.
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Mr. Speaker, it is not true what the opposition is saying. The initial program authority of $1.7 billion was intended to be used to kick-start the first phase. In fact, the program is under budget. The great news is that 7 million Canadians have transitioned to this new system. The previous system was 60 years old. Can members imagine the paper applications that were being filed, with lots of mist…
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Mr. Speaker, transitioning 7 million Canadians to a system without a hitch would not be my definition of failure. Do members know what would be? It would be not investing in the modernization of systems when there was a chance to and voting against bringing all our systems up to date. Not only are we modernizing OAS, but we are also modernizing EI and CPP for all Canadians. Canadians ought to have…
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Mr. Speaker, the member for Davenport is a tireless advocate for seniors and housing across Canada. Our government is working to ensure seniors can age in place with dignity and the supports they need. Indeed, Dunn House provides rent-geared-to-income units for at-risk seniors in Toronto, which helps them live safely and independently. The Conservatives are asking how many. Over the past month alo…
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Mr. Speaker, I keep saying the same thing every day. The system was very old. We invested to modernize the system, and the vast majority of recipients were transferred without a problem. In some more complex cases, the department is working diligently to resolve the situation very quickly. I would gladly meet with the member if she would like to learn more.
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Mr. Speaker, I have worked very well with the MP opposite, and I invite him to come and be briefed on the Cúram system. As we have been saying in the House, this is a very old system that needed modernization. In fact, one of the aspects of that modernization is that people can now apply for their benefits online, without personal assistance. That is going to relieve the load on the entire departm…
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Mr. Speaker, I am very grateful to the public servants who are working hard to learn a new system very quickly. It is very important that we talk about these civil servants with the respect they deserve. In fact, at the beginning, of course it was challenging to learn that system. These workers have worked extremely hard to get better and more proficient at a brand new system. It is replacing a 60…
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Mr. Speaker, I would be happy to sit down with the opposition member, but what he said is not true. We are actually under budget for this modernization of a 60-year-old system, migrating more than 7.5 million Canadians to this new system. Of course, as we see challenges with specific applications, where maybe information is incorrect or maybe there are paper applications, the department is working…
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Mr. Speaker, the member opposite is simply incorrect. There are not cost overruns. In fact, the project is on budget and 7.4 million OAS clients were migrated in March of 2025. Seniors can apply directly online. This is a 60-year-old system. Indeed, Canadians expect us to keep our IT systems modernized, and that is exactly what we are doing. If the member opposite has a constituent who needs help,…
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Mr. Speaker, every step of the way as the government has supported Canadians in what undeniably is an uncertain time, the Conservatives have fought against. Conservatives have stood up time and time again against Canadian families, against Canadian workers and against Canadian children. They have been voting down things like the school food program, enhancements to EI, work and support for familie…
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Mr. Speaker, what the government is saying to young people is that they can help us build big things in this country, and Canadian young people are stepping up to help. All across the country, Canadian youth have been taking advantage of skills training, in partnership with provinces just like Ontario, to make sure that as we build big things, they are on the frontline in the skilled trades, build…
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Mr. Speaker, the only party fighting against workers is the party opposite, whose members voted against the budget, wherein we outline the work we have been doing to protect workers for exactly this situation. Thanks to the proactive vision of the government to protect workers in these situations, workers who are separated from their employment can now keep their last pay. They do not have to wait…
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Mr. Speaker, last fall, all the Conservatives did was quote Food Banks Canada. Over and over, they talked about Food Banks Canada. They failed to notice that Food Banks Canada recommended exactly what we are doing right now, which is to put more money in the pockets of those who need it the most. Conservatives say they want to co-operate. Can they stop obstructing legislation that is helping Canad…
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Mr. Speaker, rolling out a new benefits delivery platform requires an adjustment period. The department is working tirelessly to ensure that staff have the tools they need to familiarize themselves with the new system and deliver benefits efficiently. If anyone is experiencing problems with their benefits, I encourage them to contact Service Canada. I also invite them to contact my office directly…
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Mr. Speaker, the average family is saving $16,000 a year on child care. Who refuses to support young families with the cost of living? It is the Conservatives across the aisle. Families are saving $800 a year in food costs for their children at school. Who refuses to feed hungry children at school? It is the Conservatives. Every step we take, they obstruct. They get in the way of the very things t…
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Mr. Speaker, our office has contacted the member opposite, but has yet to receive a response. If they have urgent cases to resolve, I would ask them to contact my office so that we can answer their requests. I am ready to help my colleague's constituents.
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Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives would need to start having some good ideas for us to steal them. We are always interested in good ideas on this side of the House. The member for Fort McMurray—Cold Lake just said that nothing is working in her province. Let me tell her that the national school food program is feeding 58,000 children in her province. In fact, parents in her province are saving up to …
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Mr. Speaker, all we hear from the opposition are imaginary taxes that they—
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Mr. Speaker, all we hear from the opposition members are conversations about imaginary taxes that theoretically are impacting the price of food. They do not want to work with evidence. They do not want to listen to experts who are telling us that the very thing we need to do is increase the money in people's pocketbooks. That is what we are doing, whether by cutting taxes for 22 million Canadians,…
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Mr. Speaker, this is not an easy fix. The department is in the process of modernizing systems that are more than 60 years old so it can better serve more than 7.5 million people every year. If the member opposite is aware of any instances where seniors are having difficulty accessing their benefits, I would ask her to please share them with me so that my department can resolve these issues as quic…
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Mr. Speaker, here we go again, talking about imaginary taxes instead of the real things that help Canadian families. Last week I met with provinces and territories from across the country, who all agree that, for example, the early learning and child care system is saving families in all of our jurisdictions, sometimes up to $14,000 a year. That is the kind of thing that Conservatives vote against…
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Mr. Speaker, the Daily Bread Food Bank, Food Banks Canada, Food, Health and Consumer Products of Canada, and Roots Community Food Centre, in my own riding, are all food centres that have praised the work of the government and the new groceries and essentials benefit, which many are saying will provide relief exactly when people need it. Across the aisle, Conservatives talk, but do they ever suppor…
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Mr. Speaker, the minister is working diligently to resolve the cases of people who are having trouble getting their benefits. Over 98% of OAS applicants are receiving their benefits promptly. The department is working to overhaul an old system in place for decades and replace it with a system built to last for generations. I invite the member opposite to give me the names of these people and we wi…
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Mr. Speaker, I thank the member of Parliament for their advocacy for northern Ontario, a topic I am always happy to get up to talk about. As the member knows, we have been there for northern Ontario in many difficult and challenging ways. Most recently I have been working with Kap Paper to support the mill as it reorients its product to a product that will be sellable across the world. We will be …
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Mr. Speaker, my department is in the process of transferring benefit delivery to a more modern system. The delay in the processing of applications affected 1.2% of OAS applicants. The department is committed to delivering the OAS swiftly and accurately. My department and I are working tirelessly to resolve these problems. If anyone is having difficulty accessing the OAS, we encourage them to conta…
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Mr. Speaker, all fall, the Conservatives across the aisle quoted Food Banks Canada time and time again in their litigation on the cost of food. Now, when the government steps up to help 12 million families with up to $1,900 to pay for those very costs of food, the Conservatives are fighting against it. Why can Conservative MPs not listen to their constituents, get out of the way and help those ver…
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Mr. Speaker, Conservatives like to talk about making life affordable, but every time Canadians ask for help and the government provides that help, whether it is through affordable child care, which, by the way, saves families up to $16,000 a year; the school food program, which reaches families all across the country; or this new tax benefit that will help 12 million Canadians, they say, “Oh, that…
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Mr. Speaker, every person in this country deserves to receive their benefits on time and error-free. Our department works very closely with individuals all across this country to make sure that if there are challenges in receiving their benefits that we fix those challenges and we get the benefits out the door as quickly as possible. We will continue this work to make sure those benefits are deliv…
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Mr. Speaker, for a party that talked about costs of living and helping families for months and months to stand up and fight against things that will help families is kind of hard to believe. Canadians are watching. They are watching from the riding of that member, who is fighting against the very things that will help. Let me tell members, the Roots Community Food Centre in my riding said that as …
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Mr. Speaker, the benefit is good news for Canadians who are struggling today. In fact, there will be up to $1,900 more for a Canadian family to help with those costs of living, which the Conservatives have been talking about all fall. The MP for Edmonton Manning told a story about Enide, who was struggling with the cost of groceries. Is he going to vote against Enide's desire to have more money to…
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Mr. Speaker, we have good news, and just in time for Christmas. Tomorrow we will be signing the extension of the early learning and child care agreement with Alberta. Now all the provinces and territories have agreed to continue this important program. This means that in Alberta, child care costs have been reduced to $15 per day, which saves families, on average, $7,600 per year. That is money tha…
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Mr. Speaker, rather than focusing on imaginary taxes like the opposition does, we stay focused on helping Canadian families. It is why Canada child benefit cheques will be delivered early this month, so families can have the money when they need it most, as they get ready for a happy holiday and merry Christmas. We are focused on supporting Canadians and Canadian families, something that I would h…
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Mr. Speaker, while the member opposite talks about imaginary taxes, Canadians know exactly what is going on, and it is related to climate change. Our thoughts are with the cattle farmers in the western provinces this year, who have faced unimaginable loss of crop and loss of cattle as a result of drought. That is driving up the price of beef, something that we cannot actually control right now. Wh…
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Mr. Speaker, the opposition wants to talk about nonsense taxes that do not exist on food instead of supporting the very things that Canadians have told us, time and again, that they want. They want a Canada child benefit that is indexed to inflation. They want seniors' benefits that are indexed to inflation. They want to make sure, as do all mothers, that children get healthy food in schools. Howe…
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Mr. Speaker, if we listen to the Conservatives over there, there is no solution. The solution is to sink or swim. If a person cannot afford to feed their family, too bad, the state's not there to take care of them. Here in Canada, we have always believed in taking care of each other. That is why we are known for our universal health care system around the world. We have built on that. We make sure…
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Mr. Speaker, actually what I said was that it is all in the member's head. There are no taxes on food, and there are no taxes on farms. Rather than look for solutions, the Conservatives just throw roadblocks in the way of every single Canadian who knows they need supports in difficult times. By the way, what Canadians are counting on is a government that will stand with them; that will make sure t…
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