Yasir Naqvi
Ottawa Centre, Ontario · Liberal · Canada
“They have an impact on our country, our economy and people's livelihoods. Of course, they have an impact on young people as well. That is why I think it is incumbent upon all of us, regardless of which political background we come from, to share those ideas.”
“This will create opportunities for young people in skilled trades that are so needed across the country, and it will align with Canada's housing infrastructure and defence needs, where a tremendous amount of investment is being made.”
“In particular, I want to thank him for really making clear how much he believes in this country and how much he believes in a strong Alberta within a very strong and united Canada. I thank him for that. The member is absolutely right.”
“Listening to the debates that take place in this particular House allows us to to be better champions of Canada and to better understand, love and respect this country. I look forward to that opportunity. I would like to ask the hon.”
“Mr. Speaker, let me start by wishing you a restful summer. I know it has been a very busy sitting. I want to thank the entire House of Commons staff for their remarkable work in supporting us in the important work we do on behalf of our constituents. It is a great honour for me to serve Ottawa Centre. Some hon. members: Oh, oh!”
“Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member again for the work he is doing. I briefly want to talk about the Canada summer jobs program, because I know it benefits young people across the country in all our respective constituencies. In my riding of Ottawa Centre alone, almost 600 jobs have been created.”
The complete record
Every one of 211 lines we hold for Yasir Naqvi, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 3 of 5.
“member: Your numbers are fake. Yasir Naqvi: Madam Speaker, again, we just heard my colleague say that my numbers are fake. We do not even have to name Trump anymore to say that is the kind of language he uses. The member can do better. This is what I am saying. How lazy is his argument if this is what he has to go to? Let us focus on the issue at hand. The reason the cost of this program has gone up is that, as we all know, and we have debated it quite sufficiently in the House over the last couple of years, the number of immigrants coming to Canada has gone up. The number of refugees seeking asylum has gone up as well. In fact, that number is now starting to come down. However, if the number of people coming in increases, of course the services they need will go up as well. That is why the cost has gone up.”
“For those who are listening to this debate, that is what the money is going toward, trying to help those particular individuals. If I look at, for example, the victims of human trafficking and family violence, the costs went from $91.3 million to $372 million over that one period. Of that $1 billion the Conservatives are speaking of, $327 million went toward victims of human trafficking and family violence. I for one would argue that the money was well spent. The kind of care needed for those individuals to rebuild their lives is really important. However, what we have heard in the debate is that somehow the entire $1 billion has been wasted and spent on “bogus refugees” or “fake refugees”. Those are not my words but the words of the leader of the official opposition . That is not the case. The numbers do not bear that out. An hon.”
“Madam Speaker, I appreciate the appropriate point of order from my colleague. Let us look at this program. In the fiscal year 2024-25, the eligible population in Canada for the program was about 549,324 people, as I mentioned, of whom 440,537 were asylum claimants, protected persons and victims of human trafficking and family violence. We can imagine those individuals, depending on which part of the world they come from, as asylum claimants, protected persons and victims of human trafficking and family violence. Would members not agree that they would require some important health care services, when it comes to not only primary health care but the kinds of counselling and physiotherapy they would need in order to rebuild?”
“How can that be debated? One billion dollars— An hon. member: Health care is broken. Yasir Naqvi: Health care is broken? Madam Speaker, that is what I heard. I hope you are having that conversation with your minister of health in Saskatchewan, my friend. I hope you are having that conversation. An hon. member: Alberta. Yasir Naqvi: Madam Speaker, is it Alberta? Yes, that is what your premier thinks too. She blames immigrants. She wants to have a referendum on immigrants because she is unable to manage her own books.”
“That is what this debate is about, and I will go back to my point. It saddens me, because that is not the debate we should be having in this country. We should be looking at this moment in time and how we are going to build Canada, and it will require every single one of us. (1055) In a healthy democracy, we are going to disagree with each other, absolutely, but we should disagree with each other in a thoughtful way, in a way that is going to make us stronger, more resilient and more powerful. That is what we owe to this country, not tearing each other down and not creating an us-versus-them narrative. That is exactly what the motion is trying to do. Again, we can look at the language that is being used. The debate is not that somehow Canadians are going to be getting less health care because $1 billion is being spent on this program.”
“All of a sudden our humanity is out the window, because if someone is not Canadian, then we do not owe them anything. We have no international obligations and we do not protect their human rights. The truth comes out. The heckle from the other side was that they are not Canadian; it is us versus them. Guess what? When a lot of our parents came here, they were not Canadians either at the time. They were not Canadians, but they were embraced and given refuge and opportunities to succeed, and they built this country. So will these people. If members across the way are trying to discriminate between people who came from war-torn Europe versus people who may be coming from war-torn Africa, they should say it out loud and on the record. Do not just heckle me when the microphone is not on.”
“I am sure there are some people taking advantage of the system, of course, and that is human nature, but they are not the ones for whom $1 billion is being spent. Somebody asked me how many there were, and I would love to hear the number from you. An hon. member: It is 86,000. Yasir Naqvi: Madam Speaker, last year it was 86,000 out of 549,324 people. Do the percentage right now, my friend. All of a sudden, all of those people are bogus and fake. Come on. Again, nobody is denying that the costs have gone up, but let us be careful with the language we use. Let us not incite Canadians against each other. An hon. member: They are not Canadians. Yasir Naqvi: Madam Speaker, I just heard a friend of mine across the way say that they are not Canadians. The truth comes out.”
“Take a look at your leader , who is walking around somewhere in downtown Toronto, talking about those things. You have been using all kinds of rhetoric, such as deluxe supplemental benefits, which brings all of us down. It brings down the spirit of Canada and what this country is all about. I for one am not going to accept this. I am going to call it out every time I see it, because it is beneath all of us. I am going to stand up for all of us. I am getting worked up, but this is an important issue. It is about setting the tone. This is about saying the right words and doing the right thing. The large majority of the people who have access to the program are not bogus or fake. Most of them have left the places they come from to protect their lives.”
“(1050) We are better than that; we can be better than that. We can have better conversations and better debates in this chamber. What are we going to talk about next, remigration? Is that the next eventual debate we are going to have, where we start talking about somebody like me, who came here 37 years ago, and say that it is time for me to leave? Is that what we will be talking about next? This is where the conversation will go if we do not stand up today to have a thoughtful conversation. I am not suggesting that the program being debated is perfect, but then let us talk about solutions. Let us not talk about bogus refugees, fake refugees or deporting non-nationals. An hon. member: Oh, oh! Yasir Naqvi: That is the language you are using. Go on X right now.”
“They should please not fall for that or take the bait of this below-the-belt conversation by going for the easiest thing. We have worked hard to build this country for everyone. All of us, with the exception of indigenous people, have come from some part of the world. People have come because life in the place they lived was not good. They wanted to come to this country to build a better life. So many of the ancestors in this place came through war-torn Europe. Why did they leave? They came as refugees on boats, because they wanted to build a better life. Were we going to deny them the kind of care they needed so they could rebuild their lives? Absolutely not, so why is there a double standard now? Why do we want to change our position now? Why is it so easy to call them bogus and fake?”
“For the official opposition to make these claims now, without any proof or data as to how many of those people are asylum claimants versus refugees, how many of their cases have been rejected or not or what stage of the process they are in, is absolutely trying to cloud the entire topic and not looking, factually, at what is happening and perhaps coming up with concrete, thoughtful solutions as to how to improve the system. In fact, the government is looking into ways to improve the system, but we are not using language like “fake refugees” or “deport foreign nationals” or “bogus refugees”. That is, purely and simply, Trumpian language. I know so many members of the opposition personally. I know they do not believe in that.”
“We saw the same thing from the Premier of Alberta, Danielle Smith, for the challenges she is facing and the mismanagement that she is responsible for. What is she doing? She is going to have a referendum on immigrants. How lazy must one be to think that is the way to solve the problems? That is not healthy debate. That is not looking at the facts. Why do we not, then, look at the facts? Yes, the amount of money that goes into the interim federal health program has gone up. There is a very simple reason for that. It has gone up because the number of refugees who have come here seeking asylum has gone up as well. Of course, correspondingly speaking, more money is going to get spent to help those individuals receive health care services while they are in Canada and working through the system.”
“There is enough to debate and criticize the government on, there always is, to help build our economy, but to bring forward a motion that picks on refugees, immigrants and those seeking asylum because they are facing hardships and political persecution in the countries they come from is wrong. That is absolutely dead wrong. I sometimes wonder if there is some sort of Conservative ChatGPT that exists out there and if, whenever they are having problems, they just ask for five ways they can pick on immigrants to solve the problems. That is exactly what we see from Conservatives time and time again. They never learned the lesson that dividing Canadians the way they are doing right now through this motion is not going to help build a strong country. It is not going to help build a strong health care system for all Canadians.”
“Madam Speaker, I figured I would get interrupted a few times. I am ready for the right-wing troller trash to be unleashed on me as well as a result of my comments. I am completely ready for that, because what this motion would do has nothing to do with facts or how we can perhaps reform a system. It completely has to do with dividing Canadians, trying to use the Trumpian sentiments that we are seeing south of the border to bring that level of debate to our country. Frankly, I find this motion to be irresponsible. I find this motion to be dangerous. In fact, I find this motion and debate to be lazy on the part of the official opposition. They can do better with their time.”
“That is the entire essence of this debate. After hearing them use words like bogus refugees and fake refugees and talk about deporting non-citizens and foreign nationals, we might think Donald Trump was speaking. We might think those words came straight out of the mouth of Donald Trump, but here is a news flash. Those are the words of the leader of the official opposition. I mean, talk about using Trumpian language, talk about scaremongering, talk about fearmongering, and talk about dividing Canadians. No wonder the Conservatives are losing support, my friends. No wonder they are even losing their own colleagues to this side of the House—”
“Madam Speaker, I must confess, as I start my remarks, that I am coming from a place of extreme sadness around the level, tone and tenor of debate that I have been hearing in the House. I recognize that my Conservative colleagues and their political party are a bit against the ropes right now. They are down in the polls and not getting any traction with the public, and their set of issues is not something people are talking about. In fact, people are focused on what the Prime Minister is doing and how we are building the economy of the country. Conservatives go for the easiest thing they can always find when they are feeling challenged. They pick on the most marginalized and vulnerable people in our country. They go for that divide and conquer strategy that has always suited their needs. It is all about us Canadians versus the other.”
“Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 32(2), and in accordance with the enhanced transparency requirements set out in the amended policy on tabling of treaties in Parliament, I am pleased to present to the House of Commons the Government of Canada's objectives for three negotiations, including a Canada-United Arab Emirates comprehensive economic partnership agreement, a Canada-India comprehensive economic partnership agreement, and a Canada-Thailand free trade agreement. The Government of Canada intends to commence these negotiations as soon as practicable, but in accordance with the policy, the commencement of negotiations will take place no earlier than 30 days from today.”
“Mr. Speaker, the government is working day in and day out to ensure that we are diversifying on trade and working with as many countries as possible. As we speak, the Minister of International Trade is visiting places like Singapore and Vietnam so we can create opportunities in those markets. The Standing Committee on International Trade recently sent two bills back to the House, one dealing with the United Kingdom and the other dealing with Indonesia, so we can finalize those trade agreements. Every single one of those agreements ensures that our agricultural farmers, including Kelowna farmers, have new markets in which to sell their products.”
“Mr. Speaker, we will not rest until normal trade resumes to make sure that canola is being shipped to all markets around the world, including China. That is why the Prime Minister and this government have been working really hard. That is why the Prime Minister visited China to help reduce the tariffs on canola. As my colleague said earlier, we are so fortunate to have the best canola grown right here in this country. There is a demand for that canola across the world. That is why we are negotiating free trade agreements with countries like the Philippines and Indonesia right now where we can export canola, and we will continue to do that work.”
“Mr. Speaker, this is precisely the reason that the Prime Minister and his government are completely focused on building more homes in our country. It is why we have brought in a piece of legislation, Bill C-20 , which would create Build Canada Homes, which would ensure that we build more housing across the country. That is why we have hired somebody like Ana Bailão, who has the knowledge and expertise to make this happen. We are taking concrete actions. We are not just talking about things. I am really happy to hear that there is some talk of collaboration from the opposition. That is a good sign. Let us work together to build more housing across our country.”
“Mr. Speaker, last week was International Development Week, and it was remarkable to learn from partners whose efforts make Canada a leader in development work around the globe. From speaking at Carleton University about how refugees in Canada can contribute to development work globally, to discussing how to bridge the gap between trade and development, it was a very productive and enlightening week. I also had the honour to host the brave women of the Afghan Women Parliamentarians and Leaders Network, who shared the impactful stories of their work to fight for peace, democracy and women's rights in Afghanistan. Canada's international development work makes me proud to be a Canadian, and I am glad to have the chance to support it.”
“Mr. Speaker, our big focus is to build as much housing as possible. We are going to build that housing through Build Canada Homes. We are going to build that housing on federal lands, just like in my community in Ottawa Centre where we are repurposing federal buildings. We are repurposing federal lands to build housing, and we will do that across the country. Slogans are not going to be cut it, as we see from the opposition. Those members need to stop obstructing. They need to pass Bill C-20 so that we can start building housing across this land.”
“Madam Speaker, Bill C-14 is about keeping Canadians safe, and this government is leading. We listened to police officers on the front lines, to mayors, to premiers and to victims' advocates, who have been crystal clear that the status quo is not acceptable. That is why we brought forward a strong, targeted bail reform bill and why we are pushing to get it passed without delay. We expect the opposition, especially the Conservatives, to support this important bill, because Canadians expect action, not obstruction, and this government is leading.”
“Madam Speaker, today, we celebrate an interpreter whose voice will be instantly recognizable to members of the House. Over his 30-year career, Peter Douglas has also been the voice of francophone leaders for 10 different leaders' debates and interpreted numerous budgets and Speeches from the Throne. As a professor of conference interpreting at the University of Ottawa since 2007, he has transmitted his vast expertise to numerous cohorts of young interpreters who themselves now work on the Hill. A lawyer by training, Peter also interprets at the Supreme Court of Canada. Peter will be greatly missed, but we know he is eager to spend more time with his beloved dog Piper and at the curling rink. I wish him a happy retirement.”
“Mr. Speaker, I think we and all young Canadians know that the world is changing. For us to be successful in this changing world, we need to ensure that we are investing in Canadians and building our economy. For us to do that, we need to diversify our trade. We need to make sure that we are doing more business with other countries so that we are creating good-paying jobs for those young people who contribute to our economy. We are focused on building a country that will serve all Canadians, especially young Canadians, so that they can live their dream of owning a home and building this country even better.”
“Madam Speaker, most of our treaty agreements support and benefit small and medium-sized companies. If we look at the Trade Commissioner Service, 75% of the businesses it supports are SMEs. These agreements help businesses in our communities and create good-paying jobs locally.”
“Madam Speaker, the member raises a very good point: Just talking about it is not going to make it happen. Since the election, look at the amount of work we have done. We have moved ahead with the accession of the U.K. into the CPTPP, finalized the negotiations with Indonesia and Ecuador, resumed our negotiations with the countries of ASEAN and Mercosur, started negotiations with Thailand, the Philippines and India, and made an arrangement with the United Arab Emirates in terms of having an investment protection protocol. There are a few more. All this work is happening in tandem, so that we can really put into effect the trade diversification strategy that is so needed as we lessen our reliance on the United States and give more opportunities to Canadian businesses to create good-paying jobs for Canadians right here at home.”
“Madam Speaker, this is an important bill. As I said, the Prime Minister has made a commitment to the British Prime Minister that we will be moving forward with their accession to this agreement. We feel strongly that it is in the best interest of all Canadian businesses, whether they are based in Quebec or other parts of the country, that this bill be passed and that the United Kingdom, from the Canadian perspective, accede to and become part of the CPTPP. That is why we are moving forward with this bill.”
“Madam Speaker, it is a pleasure to serve with the member on the Standing Committee on International Trade. I think the member is quite aware that there were quite a few complications when it comes to CETA being extended to the United Kingdom, with Brexit and all the politics around that. He is right that CETA is a very good agreement, and I am glad the Canadian government has engaged in CETA. Unfortunately, it is still not ratified by all member states. I believe Ireland most recently recognized it, and we are working really hard to make sure that the remaining nine countries of the European Union also ratify CETA so that it is fully implemented. This bill is a very good step toward making sure the U.K. accedes to CPTPP, because it is going to create tremendous benefits for Canadian business.”
“It is going to pay huge dividends, and this bill, Bill C-13 , is a very important step in that direction. That is why I urge all members to support it. If the United Kingdom can be part of CPTPP, this will allow Canadian businesses to do more business in the United Kingdom and other member states.”
“However, our work is not stopping there. This is why we are negotiating with ASEAN countries and hope to complete that negotiation by next year. I was in Malaysia on behalf of the government, working with ASEAN countries to ensure that we can finish that agreement by early 2026. This is why we have resumed our conversations with Mercosur countries as well, which is extremely important. We have also launched trade negotiations with Thailand, the Philippines and India, so that we can open those markets as well. Most recently, we finished negotiations with countries like Indonesia and Ecuador. We are doing a tremendous amount of work so that we can diversify our trade and create more opportunities for Canadian businesses to do business in other parts of the world. I think it is good for our economy.”
“By growing that agreement through including the United Kingdom, we are again creating more opportunities for our businesses to take advantage of this comprehensive trading relationship and have preferential access to a market like the United Kingdom. As we know, the United Kingdom is really important to Canada in many respects, not only from a historical perspective but also for our businesses to have that very important access to that market. If we couple that with our agreement with the European Union, the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement, CETA, this gives a tremendous opportunity for Canadian businesses to do business and sell things into such markets. This is why I really feel strongly that this bill is an important bill to pass, so that the United Kingdom can become part of the CPTPP.”
“exports over the next decade. This means doubling it to about $300 billion in other parts of the world, which, of course, requires a lot of hard work. It requires that we engage with other countries that are growing, where the businesses are growing and the middle class is growing, and create opportunities for our businesses to be able to do work there. This is why this bill is a very important step, because it is putting in place the accession protocol for the United Kingdom to become part of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, also known as CPTPP. This agreement, which Canada is part of as a founding member, has 11 countries that are part of it.”
“In fact, 85% or so of our goods that get exported to the United States are still covered under CUSMA and are tariff-free, but of course, we need to continue to make sure those affected industries like automotive, lumber, and steel and aluminum are part of that free trade regime as well. At the same time, this has been a really important moment of reckoning for Canada to really realize that we need to diversify our trade, that we need to look at other parts of this world to do more business. We cannot just be relying on the United States as our only or biggest market, as we have done up to this point, because, as we have seen, it could have a very serious impact on our businesses and on the respective communities that we all represent in the House. That is why our government has really set a target of doubling our non-U.S.”
“What we need to do is continue on the path of further liberalization, of engaging and entering into agreements with other countries, so we can reduce barriers, reduce tariffs and allow for more Canadian businesses to do business, whether it is selling our goods or services or attracting investment to Canada so we can help support them. That should be our focus. (1600) I really do feel we need to double, triple and quadruple down on that side of the equation, while also working with the United States to make them realize that the agreements we have had with them for a long, long time have been really good for our collective economies. First, there was the U.S.-Canada Free Trade Agreement, then NAFTA, the North American Free Trade Agreement, and then, subsequently, CUSMA, the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement.”
“This is not only counterproductive but also really bad for our economy and the economies we trade with, like that of the United States. This is why we have a really important choice before us: whether we also enact protectionist policies and emulate what we see being done by the United States with imposed tariffs and the closing down of borders, or whether we pursue further liberalization with other like-minded countries and pursue other markets that are also quite keen to do business with Canadian companies and businesses, so we can create good-paying jobs for our workers right here in Canada. I am of the view that we need to focus on the latter.”
“We have rules in place around how to trade and to bring tariffs down so it is easier to export and import things, so they are cheaper for consumers. Having these free trade agreements has allowed for a dispute resolution mechanism in cases of dispute. This takes away what would have happened in previous times, when countries would engage in wars to resolve those disputes. We now have dispute settlement bodies that can do so as a matter of legal recourse based on these treaties. However, what we have seen for the last couple of years, which has unfortunately been led by the United States, is a trend toward protectionism again. We have seen a trend toward imposing tariffs that has been causing tremendous hardship, as we are seeing from our experience here in Canada with Canadian workers and industries.”
“Many would argue it is not free trade per se, but that it is more liberalized trade or trade that is based on rules, in other words a rules-based trading system. However it is categorized is an appropriate categorization, because, from an economic principles perspective, it has allowed countries to really be able to leverage their competitive advantage. Countries that are good at producing one thing can produce more of those goods or services and then exchange them with another country that may have a natural advantage in some other goods or services. This has allowed us all to collectively grow our economies and specialize in things that are good for us and help to create strong economies and good-paying jobs. These free trade arrangements have also allowed us to put in rules, so we are not just dealing in isolation.”
“Madam Speaker, I am thankful for the opportunity to speak to Bill C-13 . Before I commence my comments on this very important bill, I want to advise the House that I will be dividing my time with the member for Kings—Hants . We have earnestly been discussing in this House, at an unprecedented time in our history and since perhaps the end of the Second World War, a tremendous rise in protectionism when it comes to the international trading order. We have spent the last 80 years or 85 years, since the end of the Second World War, creating a system that has championed free trade among countries, especially countries that are like-minded and democratic, to ensure that we have fewer barriers between the countries and that our goods and services can move more freely.”
“Madam Speaker, the Prime Minister is focused on making sure that we are creating good-paying jobs for all Canadians. We are investing and building things like they have never been done before. We are making sure that we diversify trade, so we are investing in our ports right in British Columbia so we can export more to other markets, such as the Indo-Pacific. That is the focus of the government. That is the focus of the Prime Minister . We will not rest until we create good-paying jobs for all Canadians.”
“Madam Speaker, it was my absolute honour to participate in the Tree of Hope ceremony organized by the Ottawa Aboriginal Coalition. This is an important event that raises awareness about the ongoing crisis of missing and murdered indigenous women, girls and two-spirit people. There was a procession beginning at the Ottawa police station, leading to Ottawa City Hall and finishing right here at Parliament Hill. Along the way, we lit red lights in trees as a reminder of the lives lost and as a call to action to support and protect indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQI+ community members. I thank the elders and the Ottawa Aboriginal Coalition for hosting this important event and for their continued leadership to advocate on behalf of the urban indigenous community in our city.”
“Mr. Speaker, I also want to recognize the member for Nunavut. I have always learned from her, and I thank her for her thoughtful guidance. I had a conversation earlier with her about the supports that are necessary for indigenous communities, whether in the north or in my community, which a lot of members of the urban indigenous communities call home. If there is guidance or clearance we need on some of the measures so those supports remain in place, I am absolutely committed to working with the member opposite to make sure we continue to invest in our indigenous communities in the north and in urban settings.”
“Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for her question. [ English ] What we need to really focus on is the reason the money is being borrowed. If it is being borrowed for the purposes of investing in economic growth, that is going to result in more prosperity, increasing the GDP. That is no different than what we would do in our personal lives when it comes choosing for what purposes we would or would not use our credit card. That is the discipline we are bringing. I support the budget because we are investing in the infrastructure we need for our economic growth, not just today but also for generations to come.”
“Mr. Speaker, first of all I want to thank the member for Oakville West, who is the member of Parliament for my parents and does an amazing job. I remind her that my parents are the two most important constituents she has, and she recognizes that very important fact. The fact of the matter is that the budget is focused on borrowing money not for our operating side, program delivery, but for the capital side. It is no different than what we all do in our lives. When we have to buy a house or a car, we go to a bank and get a loan. The reason the bank will give us a loan is that we are building equity; we are investing in something tangible. That is precisely what governments need to do and what we are doing. We are investing in capital, whether that is building roads, community infrastructure, ports or highways.”
“Mr. Speaker, I support a sustainable economy. I support an economy that is driven toward the future. That would require the use of both conventional energy and renewable energy. I think that as a country we can do both. This is a country made up of people who are creative and ingenious. I think that is the work we need to engage in, and we need to harness all parts of the country. We have a responsibility not only to our children but also as global partners. A sustainable economy is what I support.”
“It is a generational investment because it is investing in the generations ahead of us. Our responsibility is to build for them. That is what the budget is doing: building equity that we can then build on to create the prosperity that Canadians deserve and that we have always worked for.”
“All those investments are going to create good homes for people. There are also the superdeductions that are part of the budget. They are going to spur so much economic growth. They are going to ensure that there are new investments coming into our communities. Something the business communities have been asking for for some time is part of the budget so we can really attract private capital to be invested. Last but not least, there is investment in our Canadian Armed Forces, to make sure that we not only meet the requirement of 2% of our GDP but also increase it to 5% to ensure the security and protection of our country from coast to coast to coast, especially the Arctic coast, so we protect not only us but our neighbours as well. This is why I am supporting the budget. It is an investment in our country.”
“Again, building community assets that are going to support our communities is part of the budget. The part I am quite excited about is Build Canada Homes, again, making sure we really deal with the housing crisis the country is going through by leveraging the capacity of the government to build more homes and to build them faster, to really leverage in that way a lot of the lands owned by the federal government. I know quite a bit about this because in my riding of Ottawa Centre there are a lot of federal lands ready to be repurposed and redeveloped to build affordable housing. There are neighbourhoods like Tunney's Pasture and Confederation Heights in my community, and there are buildings like the Jackson Building, which is right in downtown Ottawa, that could be repurposed for homes.”
“That is a huge gain, as are the free trade agreements we have signed with Indonesia. We are negotiating with Thailand, with the Philippines, with Mercosur and with ASEAN. All of this will allow us to diversify trade and open new markets for our businesses. The other big element of the budget is investment in infrastructure. We are talking about schools, hospitals and community facilities. As all of us often talk about, these is the infrastructure that our communities use, and we hear from our communities about it. The government is investing directly in our communities. It is going to support our constituents and make sure they continue to live a better quality of life. I believe that the number is around $50 billion over the next few years that is being invested in our community. That is a really important investment.”
“As I mentioned earlier, we need to make sure we are not reliant solely on trading with the United States. We need to diversify our trade. The Prime Minister and the government have set a target of doubling our non-U.S. exports over a decade; that is about $300 billion that we are talking about. That will happen only if we engage with other parts of the world. That is why the Prime Minister and members of the government are renewing our relationships and are rebuilding our alliances with other parts of the world, whether it is in Europe, the Indo-Pacific or the Middle East, to make sure that we are creating new opportunities for our businesses to do business. We heard in question period earlier today that the Government of the United Arab Emirates has decided to invest $70 billion in Canada.”