Table of Contents
- MP Report: What I’ve been up to
- Federal Supports Available to You Now
- Links: Important News and Federal Announcements
Hello Davenport Friends and Neighbours,
Yesterday I stood in the House of Commons to relay to parliamentarians the fire at St. Anne’s Anglican Church. St. Anne’s was more than a place of worship — it was community, it was music, and it was service. Its loss is a tragic one for our community. I told Reverend Beyers that I would do all I can to see if there are any federal resources that can contribute to the rebuilding of St. Anne’s. Since then, I have written to Federal Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities, Sean Fraser on this topic. For anyone looking to support the rebuilding effort, St. Anne’s has also started a fundraiser available here.
The NSICOP (National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians) Report that came out this week is very troubling — highlighting the extent of foreign interference in Canada. The issue that past parliamentarians (and possibly current ones) are actively supporting foreign actors/states demands immediate government attention. I believe very strongly that our government needs to take urgent action to implement all the recommendations by NSICOP in its latest report and also look to implement ones for past reports, as well. As the federal government, we have a sacred duty to protect the sovereignty and safety of Canadians. Foreign actors and any elected official (past or present) acting in Canada against our country should be dealt swiftly and aggressively.
Note that earlier this week, I supported a Bloc Québécois opposition motion to expand the mandate of the Foreign Interference Inquiry chaired by Justice Marie-Josée Hogue “…to allow it to investigate Canada’s federal democratic institutions, including members of the House of Commons elected in the 43rd and 44th Parliaments as well as Senators…”
A number of Davenport residents asked why I voted against an opposition day motion to force big grocery chains and suppliers to lower the prices of essential foods or else face a price cap or other measure. The simple reason is that the government cannot interfere in setting the prices of Canadian companies.
We do care about the high prices of groceries and have taken a number of measures. We have greatly improved and updated competition policy in Canada and we have introduced a Grocery Code of Conduct. We will continue to take more steps if they are needed to ensure Canadians are not gouged at supermarkets.
On housing, I am happy to report that the Housing Minister Fraser reached an agreement with the Government of Ontario to unlock $357M for affordable housing under the National Housing Strategy. We had allocated these dollars previously but the province was slow to give us a plan on how they would use the dollars to create affordable housing. They now have stepped up and I am hopeful we can take meaningful action on addressing housing affordability in our city and province.
Over 2 million Canadians have signed up to our national dental care plan and the next phase begins on June 27, when children under 18 and people 18 to 64 years old with a valid Disability Certificate will be able to submit applications for dental coverage.
Capital Gains Tax. There are so many questions here. Here is what you need to know.
This is not a new tax. Income tax rates are NOT going up. Your principal residence will not be impacted. Only if you have INVESTMENT property and SELL it, will you be impacted. Canadians (like most other countries in the world) have always had to pay tax on capital gains (ie. profit) when the asset is sold. More info here.
Canada needs more caregivers!!! They play such an important role in taking care of our loved ones. So I was elated when our federal government announced a new caregiver pilot program that will allow caregivers to gain permanent residency status as soon as they land in Canada. We have made the requirements more realistic and the process far easier.
Improving electoral participation. Our federal government introduced Bill C-65 — federal legislation that is meant to increase flexibility and make it easier for Canadians to vote in upcoming elections. Many have been writing about the included proposal to extend the election date one week because of Diwali, feeling that the change was to allow some politicians to be eligible for a pension. This proposal builds on the federal government’s work to remove barriers to voting and encourage voter participation so we will consider it.
Portuguese Heritage Month is in full swing! It was an honour to march in the Portugal Day Parade to celebrate the Portuguese community in Toronto, the largest of which lives in Davenport! I also met with Mayor Carlos Ferreira from Horta and Mayor Ana Brum from Lajes do Pico in the Azores at a great event hosted by Grupo de Amigos & Asas do Atlantico S.S. Club. As the Co-chair of the Canada-Portugal Parliamentary Friendship Group, MP Alexandra Mendes and I hosted a Portugal Day event on the Hill to recognize the important contributions of Portuguese Canadians.
I am wishing everyone a happy Portuguese Heritage Month and Eid Mubarak to the Muslim community celebrating Eid al-Adha. This weekend is full of so many great events in our community. I hope to see many of you out and about!
As always, it is a true honour and pleasure to serve you.My very best regards,
Julie Dzerowicz
Member of Parliament – Davenport