Rechie Valdez

Mr. Speaker, our government is focused on ensuring that everyday essentials are more affordable for Canadians. That is why our government introduced the first-ever national food security strategy. This is our $3-billion plan to make sure that we are increasing competition and making more food here at home. This is going to help Canadian producers, farmers and independent grocers, while bringing the prices in the grocery stores down. We are going to be focused on helping support Canadians while creating jobs and a strong economy.

Mr. Speaker, small business investment is up by 10%. The first thing our government did in terms of action was to bring down federal trade barriers across provinces and territories so small business goods could flow across the country. We are also diversifying trade, making sure that we are able to secure investment. We heard many references today. Do colleagues know who is going to benefit from that? It will be small and medium-sized enterprises. Through our buy Canadian policy, federal procurement opportunities are going to be opened up so that small and medium-sized enterprises can take advantage of this. We have invested $60 million for a small and medium-sized business export readiness program that will help ensure that we can secure—

Mr. Speaker, despite the fact that we are experiencing global headwinds in this country, Canada is functioning from a position of strength. Our economy continues to outperform many different G7 countries, from Germany to Japan and Italy. We have secured 20 new economic partnerships. We have already heard today, thanks to the Prime Minister, that we have 13 new economic partnerships. This is going to strengthen small businesses and supply chains and support SMEs to get the opportunities they need to make sure to pivot away from the U.S. tariffs. We are going to continue to be there for small businesses and provide support when they need it.

Mr. Speaker, at the centre of everything we are working on as a government is affordability. In my riding of Mississauga—Streetsville, it is a worker who can keep more of their money in their pocket since we are cutting taxes for 22 million Canadians. We have also provided Canadians with the Canada groceries and essentials benefit. We are providing Canadians with that type of support. It is even the senior who can get access to a dental care appointment. What do the Conservatives have against seniors who are smiling? Thanks to our government, we are going to be there, we are going to make jobs and we are going to make life more affordable for them.

Mr. Speaker, contrary to what we are hearing from the other side, we recognize that we are in a trade war. Despite this, Canada is in a position of strength. We heard today that Canada posted a $2.7-billion trade surplus, the highest in 15 months. Our economy is growing nearly twice as fast as that of Germany and Japan and nearly three times as fast as that of Italy. We are going to be there to support Canadians. We are going to make sure we create affordability. In fact, $20,000 is what the average family is going to be able to save, thanks to our government's policies. We are going to build this country strong and support Canadians at the same time.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague for his incredible advocacy. Canada is at its best when everyone can fully participate in society, free from fear, discrimination and hate. As we mark the beginning of Pride season, we reaffirm our commitment to ensuring that we are protecting the Charter of Rights and Freedoms for all Canadians, regardless of who they are or whom they love. Through budget 2025, we have committed $54.6 million over five years to strengthen 2SLGBTQIA+ organizations across Canada, including $7.5 million to keep Pride festivals safe. Happy Pride season.

Madam Speaker, in the face of global uncertainty and U.S. tariffs, our country remains strong. I do want to cite that in the face of this, Canada has created over 147,000 jobs. We have already heard today youth unemployment is going down, wage growth is outpacing inflation by 4.7% and Canadians are working. In fact, who is leading the way? Women are leading. They are working in this country. They are delivering. That is something to be celebrated. This also exceeds the United States.

Mr. Speaker, before I begin, I want to thank the members of the justice committee and the witnesses who contributed to the study of this bill. Their work highlighted the urgent need to strengthen protections for victims and survivors. It is an honour to rise in Parliament to support Bill C-16, the protecting victims act, and above all to stand in support of the victims and survivors of gender-based violence across Canada. I thank the Minister of Justice and Attorney General for putting this bill forward. At the core of this bill are women and girls whose voices were not heard when they asked for help, women who spoke up and were dismissed, women who were afraid to speak up at all and women who were denied the support that they need. Intimate partner violence is not only physical. It includes control, emotional and sexual abuse, stalking and financial harm, often forming patterns that grow into more dangerous behaviours over time. When violence goes unseen, it goes unaddressed, and when it goes unaddressed, a woman suffers in silence. A critical challenge is that intimate partner violence is substantially under-reported, with estimates suggesting that around 80% of incidents are not reported to the police. In 2024, in Canada, 81 women were killed by a current or former intimate partner, equivalent to approximately one every four to five days. Each of these deaths represents a life cut short, a family devastated and a failure to intervene when warning signs were already present. These were not random. They were the tragic end of patterns of coercive control, intimidation and abuse, patterns that were known, experienced or reported long before the final act occurred. These harms are experienced at much higher rates by indigenous women, Black and racialized women, women with disabilities, 2SLGBQI+ people, newcomers and women in rural and remote communities. Too often, they are not heard and they do not receive justice, as systemic barriers often cause delays, limit supports and discourage participation in a system that was not built with their realities in mind. Bill C-16 exists because victims, survivors, families and advocates have spent years telling us the same painful truth: that the system has too often recognized danger only after it is too late. Their courage in coming forward has made it clear that intimate partner violence is not just about isolated incidents. It is about ongoing harm, escalating risk and lives hanging in the balance. This bill is not only about accountability after violence has occurred. It is about recognizing danger earlier, strengthening those protections and preventing further harm before another life is lost. Bill C‑16 breaks down the barriers preventing survivors from being heard, strengthens protections, improves access to legal support and enables survivors to safely share their experiences. These measures align directly with pillar three of the national action plan to end gender-based violence, which is “responsive justice system”. This pillar recognizes that gender-based violence is a violation of human rights and, in many cases, a violation of criminal law. It calls for a justice system that understands trauma, acts early, holds offenders accountable and puts survivors' needs first. The national action plan is a 10-year framework developed with provincial and territorial governments, as well as victims and survivors. We have dedicated $539.3 million over five years to help provinces and territories implement the national action plan to end gender-based violence and address their most pressing needs. In addition to this, our budget invests a total of $660.5 million to advance gender equality, including $223 million to strengthen our response to gender-based violence. Overall, our approach to gender-based violence must be comprehensive. Bill C-16 would strengthen this work by making sure that federal criminal law puts survivors' needs at the centre of justice. On top of this, the protecting victims act recognizes a truth that survivors know all too well: Violence does not begin with a single act. Coercive control can take many forms: isolation, intimidation, financial abuse, threats to pets, property damage or threats of self-harm that are used to manipulate and instill fear. Bill C-16 acknowledges and would criminalize coercive control, where economic and financial abuse is often weaponized. However, we know that criminalization alone is not enough. Prevention is equally vital. Economic abuse is often used deliberately to control others by cutting off access to money, creating debt, threatening financial ruin or making it impossible for someone to leave safely. It is a powerful tool of coercive control that keeps women trapped and unsafe. That is why this work needs to be connected. By establishing a voluntary code of conduct for the prevention of economic abuse, we would work closely with financial institutions and gender-based violence organizations to help with recognition and respond to that economic abuse. Together, these changes would reflect a broader understanding of abuse and the many ways it can be used to exert power and control. Coercive control is evolving. We have seen it. In a world where technology can be used to harm, Bill C-16 would respond to that abuse that is deeply personal and deeply violating. The non-consensual sharing of intimate images, including sexual deepfakes and nearly nude images, strips people of that control over their own identity. It follows them into their community, their workplace and their family. It is used to intimidate, to silence and to humiliate them. Bill C-16 also recognizes a harder reality: The most extreme violence against women is rarely sudden or isolated. Bill C-16 would ensure that murders that are driven by hate, coercive control, or sexual violence or exploitation are treated as first-degree murder in Canada. This matters, because femicide is often the end of a long and visible pattern of control, not an unpredictable tragedy but a failure to intervene in time. Prevention means listening earlier. It means recognizing coercive control when we see it, recognizing the financial abuse, isolation and escalating threats for what they are. Our laws and institutions must be strong enough to respond before gender-based violence in its most devastating form impacts these victims. Ending gender-based violence is not only a moral responsibility. It is also about whether people can live, work or contribute without fear. No one can thrive in this country, build a business or raise a family if they are not safe. The bill is part of a coordinated effort to prevent escalating violence and support survivors. Bill C-16 is not abstract. It is about real people and real lives. It is about closing gaps that have left too many people without protection, and about making sure our justice system reflects the harm we know exists. It has been one part of a broader effort to end gender-based violence. As the bill moves forward, I ask all members to continue supporting Bill C-16, not simply as a policy choice but as a responsibility we owe to the women and girls whose lives were taken, to those whose stories were ignored and to those who were never given the chance to be heard. This legislation exists because of them, because they were brave enough to speak up and because others spoke up for them when they could not. Their lives and experiences forced us to confront what failed, what was missing and what must change. Together we can move forward in a country where we can live safely and with dignity, where lives are not lost before systems respond, and where hope is built through action.

Mr. Speaker, our government recognizes the unique challenges that women and other victims face in this country, and this bill is truly important. Bill C-16 would protect those victims. I have already touched on a few things in my speech today, but really the key is addressing and criminalizing coercive control and all the precursors to an ultimate end for women, in terms of severe issues that are caused for them. The bill would also ensure that, from a penalization and justice perspective, we make femicide first-degree murder in this country. That would be a huge step forward, and in combination with criminalizing coercive control and all the other measures I outlined today, we would help address gender-based violence in this country.

Mr. Speaker, gender-based violence has no place in our country. As I said in my speech, by recognizing femicide as a serious offence, tightening bail conditions for repeat offenders and investing over half a million dollars to support survivors and their families, we are strengthening protections for victims of domestic violence.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. secretary of state for sharing her perspectives, and I completely agree. The Conservatives opposite have an opportunity right now. If they really want to end gender-based violence, and if they really want to help victims and survivors, they can help move Bill C-16, the protecting victims act, forward. I just want to share, as I already said in my speech earlier, that it is not just about legislation. We are also, through Women and Gender Equality, investing significantly to make sure to end gender-based violence. In 2024 and 2025, more than 1 million people across Canada were able to access services like counselling, housing, legal information, crisis supports and community-based programs, because of the national action plan that I have already referenced. On top of this, we have delivered 27,400 prevention resources, and we are going to do everything we can to end gender-based violence.

Mr. Speaker, Canadians are facing the impacts of change and global uncertainty driven by U.S. tariffs. That is why our government has a clear plan. We are diversifying trade, creating good jobs in this country, building faster and investing in workers while making life more affordable. This plan is working. Canada is projected to have the fastest growing economy in the G7. We are going to take care of Canadians. In fact, when it comes to affordability, an average family of four will save up to $20,000 this year, and that will help them with the average cost they are experiencing each and every day. We are going to protect Canadians while building Canada strong.

Mr. Speaker, we recognize that Canadians are facing challenging times. That is why our government is providing real relief for Canadians. Through the national school food program, we are feeding 400,000 kids healthy meals at school. I have good news. On Friday, Canadians are going to get the Canada groceries and essentials benefit. An average family of four will receive $1,900. This is real relief being provided to Canadians right now.

Mr. Speaker, I will point out that the member is from the province of Ontario and continues to vote against supports and affordability to help Canadians. Let us talk about Ontario. More than four million people have received the GST rebate, delivering $2.2 billion to Ontarians. We are also helping first-time homebuyers. In the province of Ontario, there is an average of savings of up to $200,000 for first-time homebuyers. We are going to help them with affordability. We are going to help them during these challenging times. That is how we are going to grow Canada strong.

Mr. Speaker, building the strongest economy in the G7 means full and equal participation of women and gender-diverse Canadians. This is why I announced $77 million in funding to extend projects to nearly 400 organizations for women and 2SLGBTQIA+ communities across Canada. These are organizations on the front lines, such as Victim Services of Peel, that are helping women thrive in the workforce and supporting victims of gender-based violence. They are building more inclusive communities across the country, and that is how we are going to build Canada strong.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member from Sarnia for her small business advocacy. I have good news. We have not just one but two new trade agreements that have been made law, with the United Kingdom and Indonesia. Together these agreements are going to boost our trade ties and give Canadian businesses access to markets and more than 340 million people. That means new customers for our exporters, new opportunities for our small businesses and more good-paying jobs in this country. That is how we build Canada strong.

Mr. Speaker, despite the headwinds we are experiencing here in Canada, Canada has a strong fiscal position. Let us take a look at the facts. Wages are up by 4.7%, outpacing inflation. We have the lowest debt-to-GDP ratio in the G7. We are creating pathways for young Canadians, making sure they have skilled jobs, specifically 100,000 Red Seal skilled jobs. We are doing that while bringing Canadians along with our Canada Strong fund. This is the way we build a country strong, and we are going to do that with Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, with our spring economic update, what we are doing is supporting workers and young Canadians. We are making sure that life is more affordable for Canadians. We are building strong and safer communities, and again, introducing a sovereign wealth fund to make sure that Canadians can have direct access to the success of Canada. That member is from Ontario. I do not know what she has against our Major Projects Office, which is building the Darlington nuclear project in Bowmanville and Canada Nickel's Crawford project. These are just some of the investments we are making here in this province, and that is the way we are going to build our country strong.

Mr. Speaker, when it comes to affordability, that member voted against every measure we have put forward for Ontarians. Here are the facts. Parents are saving $10,000 per child for affordable child care; kids have received 99.8 million meals through a national school food program, and by the way, we are making it permanent; and we have delivered income support for over 300,000 Ontarians. These are the types of support that member opposite always votes against. I do not know why she does, because we build Canada strong by making sure we are making it in a way that is also affordable for Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, we recognize that families are still having challenges. Families are now going to the pumps. They are saving 10¢ per litre thanks to our government. We are also ensuring that when they are buying groceries and essentials, through the Canada groceries and essentials benefit they are receiving an average of $1,900 per year to ensure that we can help Canadians. They are also going to save up to $10,000 on child care. We are doing everything we can to make life more affordable while also investing in Canadians, providing more jobs and, of course, building our strong country.