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Julie Dzerowicz Member of Parliament
Davenport

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Davenport friends and neighbours,

This Sunday, October 19, marks 10 years since I first had the honour of being elected as Member of Parliament for Davenport. It’s incredible to look back at a decade of service in this riding – the years have flown, but the work continues with renewed purpose. How fast time has passed!

I am on my way home from my trip to Europe. So, this will be another week of my staff providing the weekly updates!

71st NATO Parliamentary Assembly: This week, MP Dzerowicz joined meetings in Slovenia as Chair of the Canadian NATO Parliamentary Association. She worked with parliamentarians from many NATO countries. In Warsaw, she met with Canada’s Ambassador to Poland to talk about the Polish-Canada friendship group, shared NATO priorities, and how to fight disinformation. In a world that changes so quickly, building real, person-to-person relationships is one of the best ways to create trust and keep our democracies strong. Every country brings members from all parties (there were 12 of us from both the House and the Senate) to share ideas. 

Each year, five committees within the NATO Parliamentary Assembly work together to write papers and adopt recommendations to improve safety, security, and democracy across member countries. These ideas help guide NATO’s future work and strengthen cooperation between allies. You can find more details here, but here are some quick details on the subject:

  • Cyber threats to democratic elections
  • Chinese disinformation
  • NATO’s evolving Russia strategy
  • Defence cooperation in the Indo-Pacific Region

Ceasefire in Gaza: MP Dzerowicz is relieved to see that a ceasefire in Gaza has been reached, and that Canada’s Prime Minister participated in the Middle East Peace Summit. It is good news that all known living hostages are in the process of being freed, though tragically many did not survive, and some bodies remain unaccounted for. Still, these returns bring a glimmer of relief to many grieving families.

At the same time, the Member expresses worry and her concern remains high. Basic needs like food, water, medicine, and shelter must be delivered at scale and safely into all parts of Gaza. The fighting has officially stopped, but violence and instability between families, Hamas, and others may continue. She also continues to worry about all in Gaza, and believes that any lasting peace must offer safety for everyone. See the PM’s statement here.

Trade Diversification – Building Economic Relationships: One of our government’s key goals is to expand Canada’s international relationships and strengthen our economic ties around the world. As part of this effort, our Foreign Affairs Minister visited India to reaffirm our economic partnership. While we continue to address sensitive issues between our two countries, it’s important that we also focus on renewing trade and investment opportunities as part of Canada’s broader plan to diversify global partnerships. During the visit, discussions focused on expanding the presence of Indian and Canadian businesses in both countries, helping to create MORE jobs and support economic growth. In the days ahead, the Minister also plans to visit Singapore and China.

Safety: Public safety remains one of the top issues for Davenport residents. The era where it was easy for criminals to get out on bail is over. The federal government is taking strong, urgent action to change our laws and keep those who pose a danger to our communities behind bars. New measures include tougher bail rules for major crimes, longer sentences for repeat offenders, stronger penalties for organized retail theft, stricter rules for certain sexual offences, and the hiring of 1,000 new RCMP officers through a $1.8 billion investment. These actions will help make our neighbourhoods safer and ensure every Canadian feels secure in their community. Read more here.

Continued Focus on Affordability for Canadians: This week, our Prime Minister announced new measures to help lower costs, including making the National School Food Program permanent so that no child goes hungry. We’ve also signed agreements with all provinces and territories to expand the program into more schools. 

The government is also introducing automatic tax filing to help lower-income Canadians access benefits more easily. 

Even as many families are having a hard time making ends meet, it’s important that they always have access to the things that make Canada special – our parks, museums, and historic sites. Programs like the Canada Strong Pass help make that possible. We’re truly blessed to live in such a great country, and we will keep working to make life more affordable for everyone.

Investment in Toronto: Here in Toronto, we know how serious basement flooding can be. That’s why the federal government is investing in upgrading wastewater and sewer systems, including major work in the Black Creek area. When these systems overflow during heavy rain, local basements can be flooded. These upgrades will protect homes from future damage.

Minister Gregor Robertson also launched Canada’s Housing Design Catalogue, a new tool to help cities build homes faster. It includes 50 ready-to-build designs for rowhouses, fourplexes, sixplexes, and accessory units created by local architects. Toronto is already on board, pre-approving designs to speed up permits and construction. These investments will protect homes and build more housing, ensuring every Canadian – including families here in Davenport – has access to safe and affordable places to live.

Continued Cooperation between City of Toronto and Federal Government: Canada is a signatory to the UN Convention on Refugees, which means we have a legal and moral responsibility to provide safe haven to people fleeing persecution and violence.

While the number of asylum seekers arriving in Toronto has dropped by about 40%, the federal government has still offered over $260 million to help the city with housing support. We’re also moving toward a more sustainable, long-term approach, where Asylum Seekers will be directed to Welcome Centres (not City Shelters) that can provide work permits, job connections, and housing support in one place.

Toronto residents expect all levels of government to work together – not point fingers – and MP Dzerowicz will continue to push for that collaboration to make sure our city remains compassionate, welcoming, and strong.

That is all for this week! To stay up to date and in the moment, kindly consider following the Member on social media – @juliedzerowicz (Facebook, X, Instagram); @juliedzerowiczMP (YouTube).

In the words of MP Dzerowicz: It is a true honour and pleasure to serve you, Davenport!

With gratitude and warm regards,

The Staff of Julie Dzerowicz

Member of Parliament – Davenport