Annie Koutrakis
Vimy, Quebec · Liberal · Canada
“Mr. Speaker, Canada's drug crisis continues to take far too many lives, and it is having devastating impacts on families and communities across the country.”
“Our government supports harm reduction initiatives when these activities are part of evidence-based projects aimed at reducing substance-related harms, such as overdose and disease transmission.”
“[ Translation ] We cut taxes for 22 million Canadians. This will save a dual-income family up to $840 per year in 2026. [ English ] We are building an affordable, high-quality early learning and child care system that is already saving families thousands of dollars per child per year across the country.”
“[ English ] Since 2016, the Canada child benefit has been a cornerstone in the effort to reduce child poverty. The benefit currently supports approximately 3.5 million families and reaches six million children, putting roughly $30 billion annually into tax-free support to families across the country.”
“[ Translation ] More recently, the national school food program has provided close to 400,000 children per year with access to food programs in their communities, saving parents $800 or more per year.”
“Mr. Speaker, our response to the drug crisis is grounded in evidence, compassion and a commitment to saving lives. Through the substance use and addictions program, we empower those on the front lines, such as the provinces, municipalities, indigenous governments and community leaders, to implement a balanced approach that includes preven…”
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“[ Translation ] This Women's History Month, let us celebrate their legacy, amplify their voices, and uphold our commitment to a Canada where every woman and girl can reach her full potential.”
“Mr. Speaker, I rise today to highlight Women's History Month, a time when we celebrate the achievements and contributions of women. [ English ] Every October, we honour the women who inspire us and whose courage, creativity and leadership strengthen our communities and enrich us all. Today, I want to pay tribute to Dr. Lucy Gilbert, a leading medical researcher and physician whose world-leading work with the DOvEEgene project uses genomics to detect ovarian and endometrial cancers early, which greatly increases the chances of a positive outcome for women. Her innovation has the potential to save countless thousands of women’s lives around the world and is a powerful example of Canadian excellence in science and medicine.”
“Madam Speaker, our plan is to invest in training, because that is the key to a prosperous economic future. This plan is working. Canada is adapting to a changing world and building stronger, more resilient communities. [ English ] Young Canadians who want to work should know that their employment aspirations will be met. There are jobs.”
“Madam Speaker, I am quite happy the member for Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan repeatedly asks questions about our plans to get Canadians into good jobs. It gives us the opportunity to talk about our great array of programs supporting our boundless ambition to create a skilled workforce for the future. Canada summer jobs is not just about eight weeks. Everywhere in my riding, when I go to visit the employers who hire young summer students through the program, they are all asking for more positions, more money and longer times, so it must be making a difference. (1840) [ Translation ] Our plan is to invest in training, because that is the key to a prosperous economic future. This plan— Some hon. members: Oh, oh!”
“Each of these trades contributes directly to building a more prosperous Canada. [ English ] We are working hard to strengthen Canada's economy. We are investing in this country's very deep pool of made-in-Canada talent, because we will always support Canadian workers and their families. The Government of Canada is delivering for Canadians and providing opportunities so this country can grow the workforce of tomorrow.”
“[ English ] Each year, the Government of Canada invests nearly $1 billion annually in apprenticeship supports through grants, loans, tax credits and employment insurance benefits. The skilled trades are one of the most important areas of job growth in Canada. Canada needs more homes for people, and in budget 2024, the government unveiled an ambitious plan to build 3.87 million new homes by 2031. However, we cannot build houses without the skilled trades, so we need to train thousands of new skilled tradespeople right now. [ Translation ] There is currently a high demand for many skilled trades. This includes automotive service and repair technicians, power line technicians, millwrights, horticulturalists, and truck and transport vehicle mechanics, to name a few.”
“After 70,000 jobs were initially created for the summer of 2025, this spring we added 6,000 more opportunities for young people. That one program is working, year after year, to set young people up for a lifetime of success. In fact, we have supported over 138,000 opportunities for youth under the youth employment and skills strategy, which includes Canada summer jobs, the Canada service corps and the student work placement program. [ Translation ] Our goal is clear: to help young people develop their skills and gain the experience they need to enter the labour market as adults. So far, I have focused mainly on youth employment, because youth are at the heart of our economic future. However, our plan to help people get into the workforce is much broader.”
“Madam Speaker, governments, businesses and workers are navigating new challenges because labour is changing at a dizzying pace. We are looking at a whole new kind of labour market. Many workers are retiring from important sectors, which will lead to critical labour shortages. Some 600,000 skilled trades workers will retire by 2031. That means 600,000 new job opportunities are opening up. On top of that, we expect 400,000 new jobs to be created by the end of this decade alone. Canada's workforce has a generational opportunity to renew. That is why we have a plan to help Canadians gain a foothold in the job market. It starts with youth employment. The Canada summer jobs program has a proven track record of providing many young Canadians with their first job. Since 2019, more than 460,000 young people have been helped by the program.”
“Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 32(2) and consistent with the policy on the tabling of treaties in Parliament, I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the treaty entitled “Agreement on Social Security between Canada and the Republic of Ecuador”, done at Quito on June 24, 2024.”
“These programs give young people access to post-secondary education, skills-based training and the integrated support they need to succeed.”
“Mr. Speaker, in the words of our Prime Minister , “It’s time to build big, build bold, and build now.” If young Canadians want to work, there will be jobs, but they will need to develop new skills first, perhaps. This is why we need to attract, hire and train thousands of new skilled tradespeople right away. This is why we are making targeted investments under the Canadian apprenticeship strategy to create a larger and more inclusive trades workforce. [ Translation ] This year, the Government of Canada is supporting roughly 159,000 opportunities for young people and students through the youth employment and skills strategy, which includes Canada summer jobs, and through the student work placement program, the supports for student learning program and the Canada Service Corps.”
“This is a promising statistic, but there is a lot more work that needs to be done across all sectors, and we will be there with the provinces and territories to make sure that we have the fastest-growing economy in the G7. We will continue to create job opportunities for Canadians for all—”
“We are prioritizing workforce initiatives and opportunities such as these, which will develop a larger, highly certified, diverse and inclusive trades workforce. We are making sure that those who face additional barriers have access to the supports needed to access education and training and get a job. This includes indigenous youth, new immigrants, young people living in poverty or facing homelessness, youth who identify as 2SLGBTQIA+, young persons with disabilities, Black and racialized youth, and young women. Labour market participation among working-age mothers with young children was up to 79.1% in 2024 from 75.8% in 2019.”
“It is fair to say that many young Canadians have seen their wages decline, and it is difficult for them to take advantage of new training opportunities when they are struggling to make ends meet. That is why we are taking steps to make apprenticeships more affordable, for instance by offering loans, tax credits and employment insurance benefits. Apprentices can access EI benefits while attending technical training and obtain an interest-free Canada apprentice loan of up to $20,000. Furthermore, through the Canadian sustainable jobs act, we are ensuring that Canadians have access to sustainable, well-paid jobs that contribute to their prosperity. [ English ] I would also mention that our future skills centre has helped more than 105,000 Canadians access the skills training or employment they need for a successful future.”
“However, there is a massive retirement wave sweeping across the country, so we need to encourage more young Canadians to pursue this line of work because this retirement wave is leaving a critical shortage of skilled trade workers in its wake. In fact, we are predicting that 600,000 skilled trade workers will retire by 2031. (1845) [ Translation ] Creating and promoting these employment opportunities is a key priority for the Canadian government. Skilled trades offer respected, well-paid, highly sought-after and rewarding jobs. Budget 2024 laid out a forward-looking plan to build nearly 3.9 million new homes by 2031. To achieve that, we need more Red Seal certified tradespeople, including carpenters, plumbers and electricians. That is why the Government of Canada is investing nearly $1 billion annually in apprenticeship support.”
“Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan for his dedication to the Canadian workforce. The Government of Canada shares this dedication. The world of work is rapidly changing, so we are committed to protecting and supporting workers in this time of labour market uncertainty. We are transitioning to a one economy agenda. We are making significant investments to ensure Canadians have the skills they need to fill in-demand jobs. We are advancing new opportunities, especially for our youth. It is estimated that one in six Canadians have careers in the skilled trades, and registrations for new apprenticeships are higher than they have been in over a decade.”
“Madam Speaker, I want to assure the member for Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan that we have an array of great programs supporting our boundless ambition to create a skilled workforce for the future. Youth are the drivers of future economic growth. By supporting 6,000 additional summer jobs for youth, we are equipping them with the skills and experience needed to thrive. From April 21 to July 21, young job seekers between the ages of 15 and 30 could find summer job opportunities in their communities on the job bank website and mobile app. This important investment in Canada summer jobs means that more youth will benefit. When youth have the skills and experience they need to join the workforce, our communities and economy benefit. It is more than just an eight-week program.”
“The Government of Canada will be there with opportunities for Canadians of all ages to grow the workforce of tomorrow. We will keep on working hard to strengthen Canada's economy.”
“To build a pipeline of workers in the skilled trades for today and tomorrow, we also invest nearly $1 billion annually in skilled trades apprenticeship supports through loans, tax credits and employment insurance benefits during in-school training. The skills for success program has provided training opportunities to over 10,300 young adults aged 18 to 34. This enhances their foundational and transferable skills, such as literacy, digital and social-emotional skills, to help them become more resilient and successful and get and keep good jobs in today's economy. We are also making sure individuals facing additional barriers have access to the supports needed to access education and training. Each of these programs helps us show the world that Canada has a very deep pool of talent. I thank the member opposite for his question.”
“Our current labour shortages pose a collective challenge for federal and provincial governments, unions and businesses. To keep Canada on course as the G7 leader, we must collaborate to ensure our workers have access to training, retraining and upskilling. Let me tell members about a few programs that do just that. This year alone, the Government of Canada aims to support over 138,000 opportunities for youth and students under the youth employment and skills strategy program, Canada summer jobs, the Canada service corps and the student work placement program. It is an unusual labour market. By 2031, 600,000 skilled trade workers will retire, and 400,000 new jobs will be created by the end of this decade.”
“Each one of those jobs allowed a young person to gain valuable work experience, learn new skills and explore career interests, all while earning money to help pay for education and living expenses. At a time when many young people are feeling anxious about their future job prospects, the Government of Canada announced that up to 6,000 more Canada summer jobs opportunities were available for youth this summer, on top of the 70,000 jobs already announced for the summer of 2025. There is no one-size-fits-all solution to fixing Canada's labour shortages, but Canada summer jobs is continuing to set young people up for a lifetime of success in the job market and continuing to help thousands of small businesses that have staffing needs.”
“Madam Speaker, the member for Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan knows that for the country to succeed, it is crucial that young people secure a solid footing in the job market. I appreciate his ongoing interest in youth employment. We need young people to keep Canada's economy strong and vibrant. The Canada summer jobs program, or CSJ, is one way we are preparing them for this generational opportunity. The CSJ has a proven track record of providing many young Canadians with their first job. I will bet it is how more than a few of us in this place got our first summer jobs. Since 2019, more than 533,000 young people have gotten summer jobs because of the program.”
“Mr. Speaker, His Majesty King Charles III recently said in Parliament that “Canada has what the world needs”. This includes Canadian workers. Canada's future success depends on the skills of its skilled trades workforce. That is why the Government of Canada is investing nearly $1 billion annually in apprenticeship support. [ English ] Great programs support our boundless ambition to create a skilled workforce for the future. They ensure there will be new jobs and exciting opportunities for Canadian workers. I want to assure the member opposite that the Government of Canada will always support Canadian workers and their families. We invest those funds because we believe passionately that skills training is key to unlocking Canada's economic potential and a road to a prosperous future.”
“We are making targeted investments under the Canadian apprenticeship strategy, targeting the skilled trades workforce's most pressing needs. Nearly $1 billion annually in apprenticeship support goes toward making trades training more affordable, through loans, grants and contributions, tax credits and EI benefits. [ Translation ] In order to welcome recruits such as young people and newcomers to the workforce, the Future Skills Centre has collaborated with more than 2,900 organizations from 20 sectors from coast to coast to coast and helped 103,000 Canadians access skills training in order to get a job. (2325) [ English ] We will advance new opportunities, transform into a one economy agenda and invest to ensure that Canadians have the skills they need to fill in-demand jobs.”
“[ English ] Young people are navigating an employment landscape that is very different from past generations. Because we cannot build houses without skilled carpenters, plumbers, electricians or any of the other Red Seal trades, we also have to make sure that individuals facing additional barriers have access to the supports needed to access education and training. For Canada to be a G7 leader, our workers must have access to training, retraining and upskilling. That is why the Government of Canada is supporting a comprehensive array of programming. For example, this year alone, the Government of Canada aims to support over 150,000 opportunities for youth through the youth employment and skills strategy program, Canada summer jobs, the Canada service corps, the supports for student learning program and the student work placement program.”
“Add to that the anticipated creation of 400,000 jobs by the end of the decade, and we can see that this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for an entire generation. Of course, there is no one-size-fits-all solution. That said, young people are an underutilized resource and are the key to Canada's future prosperity. A new path forward requires bold action to earn the trust of young people so that they know their career aspirations will be fulfilled. It is also important to remember that young people are entering a labour market that bears little resemblance to the one their parents and grandparents knew. This ever-changing market requires us to do whatever it takes to equip young people with the skills and experience they need to succeed.”
“Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for Calgary Centre for his interest in employment for Canadians. Labour market change is happening at a dizzying pace. Government, businesses and workers are navigating new challenges and opportunities. Fortunately, Canada has everything it needs to succeed, including a very deep pool of talent. Our government is committed to protecting and supporting workers in this period of uncertainty and change in our labour market. We have the most highly skilled workforce in the world. It is why Canada will keep its economy strong and vibrant. However, a huge wave of retirements is leaving important sectors facing critical labour shortages. [ Translation ] An estimated 600,000 tradespeople will retire by 2031.”