Chad Collins

[Budget Implementation Act, 2023, No. 1, April 27th, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, as to this theme of gatekeepers holding up housing, we know that the housing supply is controlled by municipalities and provinces. What the member and other members who have talked in the House this evening and other days as we have debated the budget have neglected to talk about is affordable housing. I know that our government, as I outlined earlier tonight, has a number of programs that have helped not just housing issues and homelessness but providing affordable housing in municipalities across Canada.

Can I ask the member why consistently Conservatives get up and talk about housing and housing supply but neglect to talk about affordable housing investments and why they are so averse to supporting any program that has to support housing providers who are assisting with social housing units?

[Budget Implementation Act, 2023, No. 1, April 27th, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, I was very impressed with the recent announcement that we made for funding for the Great Lakes action plan. It was $420 million to assist with cleaning up the Great Lakes. As a member whose riding borders the shoreline of Lake Ontario, I know how important that investment is in terms of cleaning the environment and cleaning the lakes. That is in large part due to my friend and colleague from Niagara Centre who worked very hard over many years to make that investment happen.

I certainly took into consideration some of the constructive criticism the member provided as it relates to the budget, but can I ask his opinion in terms of what would be considered a historic announcement? He is from the vicinity there, the region of Niagara. I know his constituents enjoy Lake Ontario and probably some of the other Great Lakes. What are his thoughts on that investment? Could he support something like that?

[Budget Implementation Act, 2023, No. 1, April 27th, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, I am happy that my hon. colleague raised the green investor revolution. I think those were the words he used.

The example he provided was the investment that was recently made into the Volkswagen plant and what will happen in St. Thomas, which is very similar to the investments our government has made in Hamilton as it relates to ArcelorMittal Dofasco and the $400-million investment we have made to get them off coal and begin their process of making green steel.

I know what that means to my community in terms of employment, tax assessment, all of the spin-offs that come with it, and, of course, there is the environmental benefit.

I am wondering if he could comment on the same in terms of what that investment in St. Thomas means for his community.

[Budget Implementation Act, 2023, No. 1, April 27th, 2023]

Madam Speaker, I support Minden's mayor and their call to keep the emergency room at Minden Hospital. I have spent a lot of time in the member's riding. It is a beautiful riding. I have had many summers in Coboconk.

However, I am trying to rationalize the comments that were made earlier. It is a provincial decision. He knocked on doors, likely for the premier and his local member, who sit at Queen's Park where the rally is occurring. How that health care decision to close the Minden emergency ward has anything to do with us after all the resources that we are investing in health care in this budget is beyond me. The member supported the premier who is making the cuts that the member mentioned earlier. How does the member square that?

[Budget Implementation Act, 2023, No. 1, April 27th, 2023]

Madam Speaker, I really appreciate the member's focus and concentration on housing. I would have to differ, though. The national housing strategy has given weighted importance to our affordable housing programs and providers. Many of the programs are specifically for municipalities and municipal non-profits, as well as non-profit housing providers. There is the rapid housing initiative, the housing accelerator fund, the national co-investment fund, and the list goes on, in terms of the programs we have provided to assist non-profit housing providers with social housing units.

I really appreciate the member's advocacy on this issue. Does she not see the benefit in many of the programs that her own riding and her community have benefited from as part of that? I think we are at year five or six at this point now. Those investments have been made all over Canada, specifically for non-profit housing providers. Has she not seen those benefits in her own riding and her own community?

[Budget Implementation Act, 2023, No. 1, April 27th, 2023]

Madam Speaker, first and foremost, I want to thank the member for her support of the budget and for her advocacy on the housing file. As the member knows, we are going to start the financialization of housing study soon at HUMA. I know the member for Port Moody—Coquitlam, who is the author of that motion, is here tonight. I look forward to that.

I just want to ask a question about social housing and the importance of investing in that. The member mentioned the rapid housing initiative. We have now had three rounds of rapid housing funds that have benefited my municipality, in particular, in my riding, and I know Vancouver has been a leader on the modular-build front. I am anxious to see further investments in that area. Could the member talk about and highlight the benefits of rapid housing and the modular builds that we have seen across the country?

[Budget Implementation Act, 2023, No. 1, April 27th, 2023]

Madam Speaker, I will continue along the theme of housing. I am so glad my friend and colleague referenced the investments that we have made in affordable housing. Unfortunately, we have not seen those same investments at the provincial level, especially in Ontario.

I wonder if the member could comment on the importance of having all three levels of government investing in affordable housing to ensure that the supply is there for the people who need it.

[Support for Displaced Ukrainians, March 29th, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, as Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine rages on, our government continues to provide support to those seeking safe haven here in Canada. Last week, we extended the Canada-Ukraine authorization for emergency travel and, to date, we have approved over 616,000 applications, with over 190,000 Ukrainians having landed in Canada since the start of the conflict. It is essential that all levels of government continue to provide settlement services in support of displaced Ukrainians and their families.

Today, I rise to thank the Hamilton Immigration Partnership Council, the staff at Wesley in the city of Hamilton, as well as the Ukrainian Canadian Congress, Hamilton, for their support of Ukrainians arriving in my city. Municipalities in the greater Hamilton and Toronto areas have invested tens of millions of dollars in settlement services and they need our financial support. These are shared federal responsibilities and I look forward to working with the minister and IRCC representatives to ensure settlement agencies and municipalities receive the necessary resources they require to continue to provide this invaluable service.

[Glendale Secondary School, March 8th, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, I stand in the House today to acknowledge Hamilton’s Glendale Secondary School on its designation as a language-friendly school. The Language Friendly School network has 23 members around the world, and Glendale Secondary School is the first secondary school in Canada and North America to receive this title.

More than 40 languages are spoken by the student body at Glendale, and a team of teachers, administrators and student leaders have made it their mission to ensure the school is linguistically and culturally welcoming. On February 21, International Mother Language Day, a Language Friendly School flag was raised in front of the school.

I congratulate Joanna Duong, Language Friendly School student ambassador; Marjorie Hewitt, head of ESL; David Schroeder, school principal; and all the staff and students at my alma mater, Glendale Secondary School, for their efforts to build understanding and connection through multilingualism.

Go Bears.

[Business of Supply, February 16th, 2023]

Madam Speaker, in her speech, the member touched on the tremendous pressure that health care workers have been under, especially through the pandemic and leading up to today and the announcement of this investment.

What does this mean to health care workers in her riding as it relates to relieving some of the pressure they have been under for the last number of years?