House of Commons photoWon his last election, in 2021, with 57% of the vote.
Health November 4th, 2024
Mr. Speaker, our government's priority is to ensure that our health care system is universal, public, and accessible to all Canadians. That is unequivocal. We have made significant strides in oral health care and pharmacare. I think that a lot more work remains to be done.
In contrast, the Conservative Party wants to drastically cut health care funding. That is absolutely unacceptable.
Health November 4th, 2024
Mr. Speaker, health care should be public, universal and available for all. Most of all, we are making sure that the patient does not pay. In our country, we ensure that, when people come in for care, they are taken care of on the basis of their need, not the size of their bank account. That is what distinguishes us from so many countries in the world. That is a principle that we stand up proudly for.
I would suggest to the leader of the NDP that we have worked well together on things from pharmacare to dental care. There are many different challenges the provinces are presenting to health care right now, and certainly the party opposite, the Conservatives, would seek to ravage our health care system. Let us work together to make sure we protect it.
Dental Care November 1st, 2024
Mr. Speaker, it is one million in six months, which is fantastic. It is connecting people to care all across the country. I want to thank the member for Bonavista—Burin—Trinity for his incredible advocacy.
We were in Clarenville together and were able to talk on the ground about what this meant for people in his riding. By connecting them to care, they get the dignity of a smile they can be proud of and get preventative care. Afterward, I went to Gander. We talked to Dr. Redmond, who found three oral cancers in the last number of months that would not have been found.
This is saving lives. This is giving people dignity.
Dental Care November 1st, 2024
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the member, who is such an advocate for health. I know he is a Canucks fan. I am taking a guess, but he is nodding. Imagine filling the stadium 50 times with Canucks fans. That is how many Canadians we are talking about; it is a million people.
Yesterday, when I was in Scarborough, I talked to Manjit. Manjit let me know that he had a tooth extraction that cost him $700 a bunch of years ago. He was terrified to go to the dentist again. He had pain in his mouth. He said he would not go. Now he is going because he has a plan; he has coverage. That is what this plan is about.
Justice November 1st, 2024
Mr. Speaker, my colleague asked a good question. It would be interesting to know the Conservative Party's position. The Conservative Party has nothing to say on the subject. I wonder what the Conservative Party's position is.
For the rest, it is absolutely essential to ensure that our system is ready for change. A change as big and as delicate as this one takes time and conversations, but not over a long period of time. There will be a report next March.
We will continue the national conversation.
Justice November 1st, 2024
Mr. Speaker, advance requests have always been illegal in Canada. Now, we have launched a national conversation about advance requests, a conversation that is absolutely critical. When making such a major change, it is really important to have a conversation with all the provinces and territories, as well as with the families of people making such requests. I lost my grandmother to Alzheimer's, and it was really sad. Such a sensitive issue requires a conversation.
Post-Secondary Education November 1st, 2024
Mr. Speaker, I was with the member in Terrace, and he is absolutely right that there are very significant challenges in rural and remote communities. I am absolutely looking forward to talking to him on that issue. Our loan forgiveness program for doctors and nurses and hygienists and physiotherapists has been a tremendous success in helping with workforce issues. I want to expand that, but I would call on him to work with us on health data because it is one of the main things that can help us in rural and remote communities.
Right now, the Conservatives have taken Parliament hostage. They will not allow a data bill to move forward, which will save lives, is critically needed and is non-partisan. Let us get to work and pass that bill.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship November 1st, 2024
That is 100% true.
Mr. Speaker, what else is true is that this is before we signed a deal with every province and every territory to put in $200 billion. That data is before the dollars that we have actioned to move forward on health care.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship November 1st, 2024
Mr. Speaker, coming out of the pandemic, health workforce issues around the globe were incredibly serious. A CIHI report just came out, which showed that Canada is leading the world coming out of the pandemic. When it comes to surgical wait times and surgical wait-lists returning to the levels of before the pandemic, the CIHI report also showed that almost every jurisdiction in the country has more doctors and more nurses. We also were able to—
Government Accountability November 1st, 2024
Mr. Speaker, it is clear that member, from reading his statement, has spent his day trying to malign the character of a good Canadian. I can tell members I am not reading notes right now, because I spent my morning working on pharmacare and dental care and trying to connect care to people. I wonder if he would go and say to his constituents, “You know what I did today? I attacked the character of a wonderful Canadian. I spent my morning thinking of ways to come up with slogans and attack lines for somebody who served his country and the world.” That is not how I spent my morning. I spent my morning thinking about Canadians.