As we approach the four year point of our government’s mandate, it continues to be a privilege and a pleasure to serve the people of Don Valley West. I look back with great pride and joy at all the work we accomplished together. I hope this newsletter can serve as a reminder of what I have accomplished and some of our government’s more notable achievements.
Canadians want a government that fights for a stronger middle class, reduces the cost of living, ensures our communities are safe and prosperous and takes direct action combating climate change. Our government made these concerns our priorities - and the results speak for themselves. Our economy is strong and unemployment is at an historic low. We continue to make it easier for all Canadians to live well, we introduced common sense firearm legislation and we are on track to hit our ambitious 2030 target to reduce Canada’s carbon output.
My own personal achievements include creating the first-ever Canadian Strategy on Alzheimer's and Other Dementias (C-233) and successfully passing the Genetic Fairness Bill (S-201), while also chairing the Special Joint House of Commons and Senate Committee on Medical Assistance in Dying. In addition, I chaired the Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security, as well as the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration. Now, in my role as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, I represent Canada’s values and interests abroad working with the Honourable Chrystia Freeland.
My greatest responsibility, however, is to represent you. I want to assure you, whether in the House of Commons or in another part of the world, the thoughts and views of our community are always uppermost in my mind - and that will never change.
I hope to see all of you and please do not hesitate to reach out to my office if you have any concerns or questions, or if I can be of any assistance.
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Our government has been hard at work over the past four years creating new opportunities for Canadian businesses to expand their markets around the world, grow our country’s economy, and create good, well-paying jobs.
We have also been negotiating with countries around the world to increase access to markets for Canadian businesses. Thanks to Canada’s 14 trade agreements with 51 countries, we are doing business with over 1.5 billion consumers! Canadians now have preferred market access to two-thirds of the global economy, and we’re the only G7 country who has free trade deals with every other G7 country. Canadian businesses are accessing new markets, creating more jobs, and growing our economy.
While ensuring Canadian businesses have access to international markets, we are also focusing on bringing investment to Canada. Our government knows that attracting international investment creates new Canadian jobs, expands trade, encourages innovation, and links Canadian companies to global supply chains. In 2018, we saw the highest level of venture capital investments since the 1990s and attracted $51 billion in Foreign Direct Investments, which is an increase of almost 60%.
Our government is also giving small businesses an opportunity to grow and succeed by lowering the small business tax from 11% in 2015 to 9% in 2019, giving Canada the lowest small business tax rate in the G7. I’ve heard directly from small businesses right here in Don Valley West that these tax cuts are making a positive impact.
Increasing access to foreign markets, attracting foreign investment, and lowering taxes on business have allowed Canadians to create over 1 million new jobs since November 2015, of which 75% are full time! This in turn has decreased the unemployment rate to a 40-year historic low.
Looking to the future, we’re making sure Canada remains one of the best places in the world to invest, while ensuring that our federal debt-to-GDP ratio, which is the lowest in the G7, continues to steadily decrease. Major credit rating agencies have praised Canada’s economic record as “sound and consistent fiscal and monetary policies.”
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Protecting Our Environment
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Canadians across the country are already seeing the devastating effects of climate change and living through floods, droughts, forest fires and extreme heat. We need to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions and our reliance on fossil fuels while continuing to grow our economy—and we are doing just that.
We are putting a price on pollution to encourage Canada’s biggest emitters to pollute less and make cleaner choices. This is a critical part of any serious climate plan. Putting a price on pollution reduces emissions while incentivizing companies to innovate, develop clean solutions, and transition to a clean growth economy.
To help offset any increase in your energy costs and to invest in lowering your energy usage, an average Ontario family of four will receive $307 through the Climate Action Incentive. The amount families will receive from the Climate Action Incentive will increase every year. Our government is taking steps to protect our environment while making life more affordable for Canadians.
We are also phasing out coal power for cleaner air and healthier communities. Smog from coal power plants can lead to asthma and respiratory illness, especially for children and seniors, and adds to the burden on our healthcare system. Accelerating the phase-out of coal-fired electricity in Canada by 2030 will help us reduce our carbon pollution by the equivalent of removing 1.3 million cars from the road.
Our government is taking further leadership by banning harmful single-use plastics and making sure companies, such as large food retailers and product manufacturers, take full responsibility for collecting and recycling their plastic waste.
And we are helping expand the market for zero-emission vehicles in Canada and making it more affordable for Canadians to purchase a more fuel efficient vehicle. We have invested $310 million to deploy new charging and refueling stations in workplaces, public parking lots, commercial and multi-unit residential buildings, including one at The Shops at Don Mills. Making sure this critical infrastructure is in place will help more Canadians confidently choose a zero-emission vehicle.
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Making Life More Affordable
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All Canadians have a right to an affordable home where they can feel safe.
We’re working hard so families don’t have to decide between paying rent and putting their children in sports or saving for their education. Housing isn’t just about putting a roof over your head; it’s about lifting Canadians out of poverty, building healthy neighborhoods, and giving every person an equal opportunity to succeed.
Our government introduced the First-Time Home Buyer Incentive in Budget 2019. It will help make home- ownership more affordable in Canada by allowing eligible first-time buyers to apply to finance a portion of their home purchase. It offers a 10% shared equity mortgage for a newly constructed home or a 5% shared equity mortgage for an existing home through the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation.
Investments in Budget 2019 build on the National Housing Strategy which is expected to build over 100,000 new affordable housing units, repair 300,000 others, and reduce chronic homelessness by 50 per cent over the next 10 years. Here in Toronto, the federal government invested $1.3 billion into Toronto Community Housing.
The Canada Child Benefit, our National Housing Strategy and investments in infrastructure and transportation are all making a difference in Canadian communities across the country. Thanks to federal initiatives, 825,000 Canadians have been lifted out of poverty since 2015, and Canada’s poverty rate has fallen by more than 20 percent. It’s clear that our plan is working, but we know there is more to do.
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Keeping Our Community Safe
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While Canada is one of the safest countries in the world, gun violence is taking too many lives in our communities. Our government remains committed to combating criminal gun and gang violence through prevention, intervention and enforcement. With Bill C-71, we are taking concrete steps to make our communities safer. Better background checks, sensible license verification, best practices in commercial record keeping, and safe transportation of firearms are now the law in Canada.
We have also provided an additional $327.6 million over five years to support initiatives to combat illegal gangs and gun crime. This is in addition to the increased funding provided to the Canadian Border Services Agency and the RCMP to help prevent illegal firearms and concealed goods from entering the country.
Here in Don Valley West, I held several town halls where residents had the chance to voice concerns and share ideas regarding gun violence. Having been a strong advocate on this issue for many years, hearing directly from you only encouraged me further to take immediate action. I was pleased to have met with Bill Blair, Minister of Border Security and Organized Crime Reduction, and Ralph Goodale, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, to discuss this issue at length. I was extremely pleased and proud to see the main concerns that the community raised addressed in Bill C-71. Although I am pleased with the actions our government has taken to reduce gun violence, I believe more must be done and I will continue to advocate for a ban on handguns.
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Working For You In Parliament
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Co-chairing the Joint House of Commons and Senate Committee on Medical Assistance in Dying
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In response to the Supreme Court’s Charter decision which stated the prohibition of medical assistance in dying was contrary to the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, a Special Joint Committee was established. As Co Chair of the Committee, I worked diligently across party lines to present the government with a report that balanced the rights of Canadians to access medical assistance in dying while protecting vulnerable populations and medical professionals. During this time, I hosted numerous meetings and received hundreds of pieces of correspondence from residents. I was incredibly proud to present the committee’s report, Medical Assistance in Dying: A Patient Centred Approach.
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Chairing the Public Safety and National Security Committee
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When our government was elected four years ago, we made a promise to fix the problematic elements of the previous government’s Bill C-51 and ensure Canada’s national security framework provides adequate safeguards against abuse and respects the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. I was honoured to be named Chair of the Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security, which was tasked with delivering this important work. During my time as Chair, I heard from many individuals and groups across Don Valley West about the importance of maintaining both our security and our human rights.
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Chairing the Citizenship and Immigration Committee
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As Chair of the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration, I led several studies on important topics such as Settlement Services for New Canadians, Immigration to Atlantic Canada and the UN Global Compact on Migration, to name a few. The Committee heard from many witnesses from our community. Witnesses such as Ahmed Hussein from The Neighbourhood Organization, Rosie Smythe and Diana Gibbs from New Circles, and Adeena Niazi from the Afghan Women’s Organization, all contributed significantly to our committee’s work.
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Passing the Genetic Fairness Bill (S-201)
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The use of genetic tests are becoming widespread in modern society and is an increasingly important tool for medical practitioners when advising patients. One unforeseen consequence is the results of these genetic tests being used as a basis for discrimination by service providers, employers, or insurance companies. That is why I was proud to sponsor Bill S-201 and work with health charities, patient groups, and Senator Jim Cowan to ensure its passing. Thanks to the passing of this bill and the hard work of local organisations, Canadians will no longer need to decide between potential genetic discrimination and access to the best medical care.
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Canadian Strategy on Alzheimer's and Other Dementias
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Having worked as a United Church Minister, I met with and counselled many families struggling with Alzheimer’s and other dementias. My previous career, as well as my work with local organizations such as Cedarhurst and seniors homes in Don Valley West, motivated me to co-sponsor Bill C-233, which calls on the Minister of Health to develop a comprehensive national strategy on Alzheimer’s and other dementias. This strategy will include national objectives to improve the current living standards of those with dementia, encourage greater investment in research, disseminate best practices across Canada and recommend nationalguidelines of care for dementia patients.
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