Filomena Tassi

[Budget Implementation Act, 2024, No. 1, June 17th, 2024]

Madam Speaker, it is interesting. Usually, we get criticized for too much consultation, and now we are getting criticized for not enough. In this budget, we have invested $200 billion in health care. We recognize the importance of providing affordable, good health care to Canadians. We are working with provinces and territories in order to ensure that this health care is provided, that there is access to doctors and that information is shared to help expedite treatment and care. In my own file, in economic development, we are making investments in projects like SOPHIE, the Southern Ontario Pharmaceutical and Health Innovation Ecosystem.

These projects are moving health care forward so that we are investing in those research capabilities and also in the commercialization aspect. Health care is a top priority for the government. Our investments have demonstrated that. We are going to continue to deliver the health care Canadians need.

[Budget Implementation Act, 2024, No. 1, June 17th, 2024]

Madam Speaker, I am a person who has been very clear from the beginning of my time in office that positive politics works and that collaboration works. This is an example of working together to ensure that supports for Canadians have been delivered. Yes, I thank the NDP members for their support in helping us get these measures forward. It is with that support that we are going to get these items across the finish line. These are items which, on this side of the House, we have recognized as so very important for Canadians, whether it is housing, as I have said, or whether it is child care or the food program, and there are also opportunities to foster and to promote economic development, a file that is very close to my heart. This is a budget that demonstrates that we, as a government, believe in Canadians. We believe in the talent they possess. We want to give them the opportunity to flourish to their full potential. That is what this budget does.

[Budget Implementation Act, 2024, No. 1, June 17th, 2024]

Madam Speaker, let us be clear about what this budget is about. It is delivering for Canadians. The member refers to terms in this budget that I absolutely do not agree with. We know that Canadians are struggling, and our government is there to support them every step of the way.

In this budget, we look at programs like affordable child care to get women back to work. Think of the contributions women are making to the workforce. Our government is making it easier for women to share their gifts and to participate to a fuller extent by providing them with affordable child care.

There is a national school food program. I worked in education for 20 years. I can tell members that there is a disparity across the country with respect to the food programs taking place. Yes, some teachers are able to take the time, and they have the resources to do it, but there are schools where children are hungry. We know that when children are hungry, they are not at their best. Our government wants to support children so that when they go to school, they have full stomachs. That means the learning takes place at a higher level. They are now able to learn because their stomachs are full. The fact that they are all accessing this food means there is no stigma by providing this. There are 400,000 students who would benefit from this program.

We want to provide dental care. Seniors have said to me that in their senior years, they have never had dental care. Now, with the dental care program, seniors would have access to dental care. Then, of course, there is pharmacare and housing.

In all of these areas, there are supports that the government would give to Canadians because we know it is a challenging time. At the end of the day, members should think about how these supports would elevate Canadians. We are all better off, and we benefit when we all have an opportunity to succeed—

[Small Business, May 31st, 2024]

Madam Speaker, I want to thank the member for Ottawa—Vanier for her important question.

The My Main Street initiative is very important to small businesses and to our communities.

My Main Street, delivered through the Canadian Urban Institute, is going to deliver $15 million to small businesses on main streets and to the organizations that support them. Our government knows that those businesses are the vibrancy and success of our communities. We are going to continue to deliver important programs that grow businesses. We thank our hard-working entrepreneurs and all the organizations that support them.

[Questions on the Order Paper, May 1st, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, in response to part (a), the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario, FedDev Ontario, delivers programs and services to support innovation and economic growth in southern Ontario. Its mandate covers the region as defined by 37 Statistics Canada census divisions. Actively promoting FedDev Ontario programs and funding opportunities is part of the agency’s core business, and therefore the total cost of this advertising and outreach is not systematically tracked. FedDev Ontario concluded that producing and validating a comprehensive response to this question would require a manual collection of information that is not possible in the time allotted and could lead to the disclosure of incomplete and misleading information.

Details of travel associated with outreach activities by senior agency officials are proactively disclosed and published on the Open Government portal at https://search.open.canada.ca/travel/.

In response to part (b), FedDev Ontario makes use of free social media and regularly engages with stakeholders and communities across the region to promote programming and funding opportunities for southern Ontario businesses and organizations.

In response to part (c), FedDev Ontario tracks engagement and impressions on social media, traffic to the agency website, and application downloads.

In response to part (d), the agency does not have any specific targets associated with advertising and outreach. Reporting against FedDev Ontario’s key targets and results can be found in the agency’s departmental results report, DRR, at https://feddev-ontario.canada.ca/en/transparency/departmental-results-report.

[Supplementary Estimates (B), 2023-24, December 8th, 2023]

moved:

That Vote 10b, in the amount of $581,833,069, under Department of Indigenous Services — Grants and contributions, in the Supplementary Estimates (B) for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2024, be concurred in.

[Supplementary Estimates (B), 2023-24, December 8th, 2023]

moved:

That Vote 1b, in the amount of $399,821,108, under Department of Indigenous Services — Operating expenditures, in the Supplementary Estimates (B) for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2024, be concurred in.

[Supplementary Estimates (B), 2023-24, December 8th, 2023]

moved:

That Vote 5b, in the amount of $43,500,000, under Department of Justice — Grants and contributions, in the Supplementary Estimates (B) for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2024, be concurred in.

[Supplementary Estimates (B), 2023-24, December 7th, 2023]

moved:

That Vote 1b, in the amount of $1,121,104, under Department for Women and Gender Equality — Operating expenditures, in the Supplementary Estimates (B) for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2024, be concurred in.

[Tourism Industry, November 20th, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, I am glad to have the opportunity to talk about the great announcement made today by my colleague, the Minister of Tourism, that will grow the tourism sector. The newly launched tourism growth program will support expanding and developing local tourism businesses from coast to coast to coast. Our government knows that local tourism grows our economy, creates good Canadian jobs and will continue to position Canada as a destination choice for domestic and international travellers. I thank all those who work in the tourism sector and ask them to please take a look at the tourism growth program and apply today.