Patty Hajdu

Mr. Speaker, if Markita knew that for every single measure we have put forward for people just like her, the Leader of the Opposition has voted against them, I think she would be deeply disappointed. Every step that we take, whether it is to feed kids, support building trades, make sure that people have access to dental care or provide lower costs for child care, we have been working diligently to ensure that Canadians have what they need to make it through these times. All we get from the opposition members is them voting down those very measures that Canadians tell us they need.

Mr. Speaker, the real question is when the Conservative Party is going to get on board with the rest of Canadians, who have said, “Let's band together. Let's support each other. Let's support Canadian businesses. Let's support each other in our communities. Let's make sure kids have food when they go to school. Let's make sure that every person who wants to be a skilled tradesperson can become that person in their own province or territory.” Every one of those things I mentioned, whether it is a hand-up or a bridge to tomorrow, Conservative members have voted against. My question is this: What are the Conservatives looking for? I know what Canadians are saying.

Mr. Speaker, in the member's province alone, parents are saving up to $10,400 per child per year with early learning and child care. The national school food program in Ontario has already served 130,000 meals, and for indigenous communities alone, 9.8 million meals have been served . Through the work-sharing program with which we have supported provinces, including Ontario, we have managed to prevent over 3,100 layoffs. That is the work Canadians expect: that when things are difficult, we band together. Canadians are doing that every day. They are stepping up to buy Canadian—

Mr. Speaker, Mark will be very happy to know that we index all our benefits to inflation. In fact, I wonder if Mark knows that the member is voting against his interests every time she stands up in the House. I wonder if Mark knows that every time we strengthen our social safety nets, not just for seniors but for children and the next generation as well, she votes against those people too. On this side, we are going to stand up for Canadians. It is what we have been doing every day, despite the Conservatives.

Mr. Speaker, this government has said time and again that we will always respect a worker's constitutional right to strike. If the member wants to be helpful, they will support this government as we invest in the skilled trades, many of them with unionized members, to build Canada strong. We are investing in the trades and training. We are investing in unions. We are investing in workers. We are investing in companies. We are building Canada strong with the workers who power our country.

Mr. Speaker, what an insult to the hard-working tradespeople and building unions across this country who have been standing with this government, fighting to build Canada strong, fighting to train their members and make sure more young people have great skilled jobs that pay fabulous wages, something I thought those guys were for but vote against every single time. What an insult to the hard-working entrepreneurs across this country who have banded together to build up this country. Maybe they should stop talking down Canada.

Mr. Speaker, the real question is this: When will the Conservatives stop voting against the very constituents they claim to stand up for and support? Here in Ontario, for example, a family can be saving up to $13,000 per child per year in early learning and child care fees, which is something that helps people ensure they can get to work and keep those good-paying jobs that these guys keep talking about, but they obviously do not understand how an economy works. On this side, we are doing everything we can to make sure that families, workers, people who are struggling and people who are entering the workforce have the supports to build this economy strong. Maybe the Conservatives should get on board.

Mr. Speaker, I thank that member for his constant advocacy for opportunities for youth. We are proud on this side of the bench to have so many young representatives here in the government benches. We are very eager to work with them to ensure that youth have the best opportunities to succeed. In fact, this year there are 100,000 Canada summer jobs across the country, in every riding in this country. It does not matter whether the ridings are Conservative, Liberal, NDP or Green, because youth all across this country have an opportunity to get that first job, those great skills and those connections in the workforce.

Mr. Speaker, we work diligently to make sure that Canadians get the benefits to which they are entitled. Indeed, the focus of the department is to ensure that Canadians have access to those benefits and supports when they are challenged in applying for those benefits. We will continue that hard work together to make sure every Canadian gets the benefits to which they are entitled.

Mr. Speaker, I am thrilled that in my riding, Lakehead University is opening a new vet school in partnership with Guelph. It is very exciting news for the many people in my riding who are waiting to access veterinarian care. We will continue to work with provinces and territories on making sure that education is affordable. One way the member can help is to stop voting against Canada student loans and grants, which are 40% higher in the current government.

Mr. Speaker, that member of Parliament has risen before to ask questions like this, but I would ask her a question: Why does she keep voting against the very people in Alberta who are asking for a hand up? In fact, the national school food program in Alberta feeds 58,000 children, and parents are saving up to $13,700 a year per child. These are all things that member has voted against.

Mr. Speaker, if we check Hansard, we will find that member on record saying that parents do not want help. In fact, what I hear from Canadians, including Albertans, who write to me as the minister of jobs and families, is that we should stand up for each other, that we should make sure not one kid goes hungry, no matter if their parent is out of work, no matter if their family is struggling, because circumstances are unfortunate for families. What is most Canadian is the value of helping each other.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague for standing up for young people across New Brunswick and Canada. We know that when young people succeed, our communities succeed. That is why we are investing in the Canada summer jobs program by creating 100,000 jobs this year, including more than 12,300 in the Atlantic provinces. We are ensuring that young people can work, build their future and continue to contribute to their communities.

Mr. Speaker, maybe that member of Parliament wants to look at the voting record of his party. In fact, the Conservatives have fought against seniors. They have fought against increases to OAS, and they have fought against increases to GIS, very important supplements to seniors' income. Every step of the way, as we have given seniors the support and the dignity they need, the Conservatives have voted against those measures. It is shameful to hear them get up in this House and talk about supporting seniors when they could very easily lend their hand to the work.

Mr. Speaker, first, let me be clear, it is not the Prime Minister or the Government of Canada that is going to make a deal. In fact, it is the employer and the union. That is how labour relations work in this country. We do have a federal mediation service. Federal mediation service is with the parties. We urge the parties to continue to negotiate for a fair collective agreement. We will be there with all of the support necessary to get that agreement in place.

Mr. Speaker, I think the president of the Crown corporation might be a bit surprised if the Prime Minister showed up to negotiate this collective agreement. Instead, we will do what we have done for centuries. We will let employers work with employees. We will provide them with the support through the federal mediation service so they can negotiate this collective agreement, and we will help make sure they get that over the finish line. That is how labour negotiations are done in this country, with respect for employers and for unions, something this member ought to know.

Mr. Speaker, I thank that member for her hard work representing her constituency, which I have had the honour of visiting. In fact, many programs in her riding, and indeed across Canada, hire students for the summer through the Canada summer jobs program, over 100,000 students this summer. This provides young people an opportunity, quality work experience that they can add to their résumés and some earnings that they can use for their education. It also provides employers a source of new talent, something that many rural communities know is needed.

Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives fail to recognize that when times are tough, what Canadians really want is a government that will stand up for them. In fact, that is exactly what we have done time and again, by cutting taxes for 22 million people, by making sure that people can have access to quality child care for a fraction of the price, by making sure people can access training programs and by making sure the social safety nets are there for when people are facing job loss. These are all things, by the way, that Conservatives vote against. If they really want to help Canadians, why do they not stop voting against them?

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for her hard work and her advocacy to bring the mining industry together to ensure we have the skills that we need for today and for tomorrow. Yes, this alliance is launched with great fanfare from the industry, which is praising the Government of Canada for taking action to make sure that the skills that are taught are aligned with what the industry needs. This is how we build Canada strong.

Mr. Speaker, that was yet another question from a member of Parliament who continually votes against the very things that would help with housing and homelessness, things like the investment in Ontario of $3 billion through the national housing strategy. The member voted against those things. If the member really wants to help people who are suffering from housing scarcity, what she should do is stop voting against the things they need.