Hello Davenport Friends and Neighbours,

Wow, are there ever a lot of things going on!

Let’s start with the fun! There are a lot of community events taking place and it’s been a real joy having the chance to attend fall fairs, street parties, Portuguese Casa anniversaries and special events.

In fact, today I attended the opening of the new LiUNA Local 183 office in Vaughan. Many may not know that our constituency of Davenport has the largest number of Local 183 workers in the country! It was so wonderful to say hello to union leaders and local members at this historic opening. In my MP Report below I outline some of the other events I managed to make it out to over the last two weeks.

On Parliament Hill — we have made progress on a number of things. The Pharmacare Act (Bill C-64) is now officially law, and our Minister of Health is busy negotiating agreements with each of the provinces and territories so that diabetes medication and contraception will be free in Canada.

Progress has also been made on tackling auto theft — there has been a 19% decline in thefts in the first half of the year compared to the same period last year; border officers have intercepted almost 2000 stolen vehicles; and local police have more tools to go after stolen vehicles. More work to be done, but great progress. Look out for my next constituency mail piece on public safety, which should hit your doors in the coming days. I talk about what our federal government is doing to get guns off our streets and keep our communities safe. 

The Public Inquiry into Foreign Interference has been in the media all week. The PM testified for over 6 hours, providing a lot of insight and some revelations — it is particularly troubling to learn how much illegal foreign interference there has been in Canada by not only the Chinese government but also by the Indian government. Foreign Affairs Minister Joly also announced the expulsion of six diplomats from India over their lack of participation in RCMP investigation in the murder of Sikh-Canadian activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

On the housing front, our federal government has added another 14 properties to the Canada Public Land Bank that are available to homebuilders to build affordable homes right now! A total of 70 federal properties have now been identified as being suitable to support housing. 

Small businesses will be getting financial support. It’s no secret that our small businesses are struggling. Our federal government announced that Dec 16 is the date for all small businesses to receive the Canada Carbon Rebate. A portion of the fuel charge will be rebated to all small businesses (with the exception of sole proprietorships) that are up to date on their taxes. No need to apply — a direct deposit will be made. Here is what businesses will get:

The federal government also negotiated the lowering of credit card transaction fees for small businesses by up to 27 per cent starting tomorrow (Oct 19)! This measure is set to help small businesses save $1 billion over the next five years.

Unfortunately the situation in the Middle East continues to deteriorate. Foreign Affairs Minister Joly and International Development Minister Hussen recently put out another strongly worded statement calling for an urgent immediate ceasefire, a release of all hostages and steps to figure out a two state solution. Minister LeBlanc also listed Samdouin as a terrorist entity; he did so because of its direct affiliation with the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) and because the group burned a Canadian flag.

Immediate action is needed to protect our schools, our kids, and our places of worship. There are no words for yet another attack (firearm discharge) on a Jewish all-girls school in North Toronto on Yom Kippur. I condemn this appalling violence in the strongest terms — and we need more ACTION now. I wrote to Mayor Chow to ask for her Council’s consideration of bubble zones around safe spaces for our children and sacred places that should be protected no matter what religion.

Our economy is looking up. Statistics Canada reported that the national inflation rate fell to 1.6 per cent in September and everyone (including me!) is praying for a 50 basis points reduction in interest rates on Oct 26 — this is when the Bank of Canada will next consider a rate change.

Over the past couple of years, I have received letters from Davenport residents regarding their concerns around the Online News Act (Bill C-18). Earlier this month, the federal government announced the launch of public consultations on the Code of Conduct for bargaining under this Act. This is your chance to share your thoughts on a bill that matters to many of you!

Finally, on Oct 19 I will be celebrating 9 years in elected politics! What a journey. It continues to be the honour of my life to represent Davenport.

It’s a true honour and pleasure to serve you. Have a wonderful weekend!

My very best regards,
Julie Dzerowicz
Member of Parliament – Davenport