Anna Gainey
Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Westmount, Quebec · Liberal · Canada
“Mr. Speaker, we are committed to ensuring that the New Horizons for Seniors program reaches community organizations led by seniors who are improving Canadians' quality of life. These changes are important to keep the program accessible while also complying with the standards of integrity that Canadians expect.”
“Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question. Parents are asking us to help protect their children from being harmed by social media and we are listening.”
“Mr. Speaker, our government has a plan to transform the foundation of our economy and make it more resilient. We are creating tens of thousands of jobs, particularly in Darlington and Contrecoeur. We are investing in hospitals, community centres, public transit and affordable housing.”
“Mr. Speaker, we are focused on economic growth and we are working hard to achieve it. Our plan is working. The youth unemployment rate has fallen by nearly 1%. That means 22,000 jobs for our young people. What is more, we are investing $6 billion in the skilled trades to recruit, hire and train 100,000 young people.”
“Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Terrebonne for her question. Our government invested $10 billion in Quebec, and young people are going to reap the benefits. We are going to build modern school campuses, hospitals and emergency rooms. We are going to improve public transit to take people to school and to work.”
“Mr. Speaker, we continue to be there for Canadian families. We are investing in a school food program to help families with the cost of groceries. That represents over $800 for a family that is benefiting from this program. We also have a dental care program that is helping families and Canadians with the cost of living.”
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“Mr. Speaker, we are committed to ensuring that the New Horizons for Seniors program reaches community organizations led by seniors who are improving Canadians' quality of life. These changes are important to keep the program accessible while also complying with the standards of integrity that Canadians expect. We are working with the Canada Revenue Agency and with the department to help organizations that need assistance managing this number. The forms are ready. The deadline is July 14, and the department is ready to help anyone who needs help.”
“Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question. Parents are asking us to help protect their children from being harmed by social media and we are listening. The safe social media act implements a minimum age requirement of 16 years to access social media, and three strict duties: the duty to protect children, the duty to act responsibly and the duty to make certain content inaccessible. We are taking action because our children deserve it.”
“Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Terrebonne for her question. Our government invested $10 billion in Quebec, and young people are going to reap the benefits. We are going to build modern school campuses, hospitals and emergency rooms. We are going to improve public transit to take people to school and to work. We are building a strong economy for our youth and for our future.”
“Mr. Speaker, our government has a plan to transform the foundation of our economy and make it more resilient. We are creating tens of thousands of jobs, particularly in Darlington and Contrecoeur. We are investing in hospitals, community centres, public transit and affordable housing. We are creating the conditions for long-term prosperity and building Canada strong from coast to coast to coast.”
“Mr. Speaker, we are focused on economic growth and we are working hard to achieve it. Our plan is working. The youth unemployment rate has fallen by nearly 1%. That means 22,000 jobs for our young people. What is more, we are investing $6 billion in the skilled trades to recruit, hire and train 100,000 young people. We on this side of the House are building Canada strong for everyone.”
“Mr. Speaker, we continue to be there for Canadian families. We are investing in a school food program to help families with the cost of groceries. That represents over $800 for a family that is benefiting from this program. We also have a dental care program that is helping families and Canadians with the cost of living. I want to note that, in the riding of my colleague who asked the question, over 32,000 residents benefit from this dental care program. The opposition members voted against this program. This is the type of support we are giving Canadians by being there for them right now.”
“Mr. Speaker, the government has a plan to build a strong, resilient economy. We see this in the 8,000 jobs in Contrecœur and in the 1,000 jobs at Nouveau Monde Graphite in Matawinie. In addition, this Friday, 12 million Canadians will receive the Canada groceries and essentials benefit. This is a significant top-up payment to help families cope with the cost of living. In addition, we have reduced the gas tax. We are here to build the future and a strong economy for all while supporting Canadians and families across the country.”
“Mr. Speaker, Canadians are working hard and this government is working hard for Canadians. We have taken real action on affordability. This includes making the national school food program permanent, which represents savings of up to $800 for a family with children in school. We have made investments in child care and dental care and continue to invest in the Canada child benefit. We are there to support Canadians as they face affordability challenges and as we face this tariff war with the United States.”
“Mr. Speaker, it is important to remind everyone that we are in a trade war with the United States. This does present unique challenges for our economy, which is why this government has taken action to help Canadians with affordability. Notably, on Friday, 12 million Canadians will receive the groceries and essentials benefit. This is a $950 benefit for a single Canadian, over $1,200 for a couple and upwards of $1,800 for a vulnerable family of four. This will make a real difference for Canadians, and we are proud to support these commitments.”
“Mr. Speaker, I would like to point out that the first thing we did as a government was to lower taxes for 22 million Canadians. Help with groceries is also on the way for 12 million Canadians and will lower their weekly costs. I do not believe that my colleague supported the Canada child benefit, even though it is helping 11,400 families in his riding. Another 29,000 constituents of the Beauce community are also receiving dental care, a program that my colleague voted against.”
“Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague from Les Pays-d'en-Haut for his question. Our spring economic update is about taking responsible action today while investing in the future for young people. We are investing $6 billion to recruit, train and hire up to 100,000 skilled trades workers across Canada. This includes thousands of jobs in Quebec, such as in Contrecoeur and the Matawinie region. We are building the strongest economy in the G7 with our domestic workforce.”
“Mr. Speaker, it is true that just a week ago, in the spring economic update, we announced an investment of $6 billion to recruit, train and hire 100,000 skilled trades workers in Canada. That includes Quebec. We are building major projects. We are building Canada strong across the country. We will continue to provide career opportunities for young people for the future.”
“Mr. Speaker, in yesterday's economic update, we proposed investing over $6 billion to recruit and train more than 100,000 young people in the trades. These new workers will help us build a strong Canada and deliver major projects across the country. We are investing in our young people and in our country, and I hope that the members opposite will support the plan that was presented yesterday.”
“Mr. Speaker, we lowered the retirement age to 65. We increased the guaranteed income supplement by 10% for seniors living alone, and we also increased old age security for seniors aged 75 and older. We also invested $54 million to improve quality of life for seniors in more than 400 communities across the country through the New Horizons for Seniors Program. We are here for seniors.”
“Mr. Speaker, on this side of the House, as my colleague said, we lowered the retirement age. Those folks over there wanted to raise it to 65. We are there for seniors. We are there for all Canadians. We are also supporting them through the Canada groceries and essentials benefit, which will help 12 million Canadians who need it right now.”
“Mr. Speaker, this feels like a good moment to remind Canadians that we made the national school food program permanent in the last budget. This is an investment that will ensure that over 400,000 additional children receive access to nutritious meals at school. It represents a savings of up to $800 per family. We are there for Canadians. We understand that they need supports. This is one of many, including dental care, the Canada child benefit and other measures to support Canadians.”
“Mr. Speaker, I am happy to share great news with my colleague for New Westminster—Burnaby—Maillardville and with the House: Today, young Canadians can now access summer jobs right across Canada. There are 100,000 opportunities, including lifeguarding in Burnaby, being a day camp counsellor in Brampton, or working on a golf course in Brookdale, Nova Scotia. There are 100,000 opportunities for young people to build skills and gain valuable work experience this summer. We are taking action to support youth across this country. People can visit the job bank to learn more.”
“Mr. Speaker, it is true that Canadians need solutions. We are listening, and that is why we are helping to make life more affordable. We are suspending the federal tax on gas to help Canadians deal with challenges over the short term. That amounts to a savings of 10¢ a litre on gasoline and four cents a litre on diesel. We are lowering costs for Canadians and building Canada strong.”
“Mr. Speaker, as I mentioned, we are bringing relief to Canadians at the gas pump today, which represents 10¢ a litre now through Labour Day. We have been there for Canadians from the moment this new government took office, with a tax cut for 22 million Canadians. We are delivering a groceries and essentials rebate, which is a meaningful boost to over 12 million Canadians that will put more money in their pockets. This is on top of dental care, which is reaching five million Canadians, the national school food program, and child care. We are there for Canadians and helping them with affordability.”
“Mr. Speaker, we are listening to Canadians and delivering relief at the pump: 10 cents a litre today, four cents on jet fuel and four cents on diesel. Recently, I spoke with the CEO of Montreal's Welcome Hall Mission about lifting the federal gas tax. He told me that it is a welcome measure that translates into meaningful cost savings, allowing more resources to be directed to providing core services. The government continues to listen to people, including community leaders like the Welcome Hall Mission, as we lower costs and help families make ends meet.”
“Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague from Mont-Saint-Bruno—L'Acadie for the question. It is true that if the Conservative Party wants to talk about food security, it should support the national school food program. A new study by the Breakfast Club of Canada notes that when children are well fed at school, academic results improve, children's health improves, and families spend less on groceries. While Conservative members are obstructing progress, we are listening to families and experts.”
“Mr. Speaker, we are giving Canadians a boost across this country, up to 12 million of them, with the grocery benefit, which will reach families with up to $1,900 this year to give them a boost. I was at the Daily Bread Food Bank in Etobicoke recently. They were very happy about this increased GST rebate, as well as with the national school food program, which we are using to fight food insecurity. We are investing in greenhouses and a national strategy on food security. Again, it would be great to have the member's collaboration to fight food insecurity together in the House.”
“Mr. Speaker, the government is there in support of all Canadians, including with a first-time homebuyer's tax credit and a number of other measures to increase affordability and build homes at scale. That is just one of the many ways that we are there. We are investing in apprenticeships, in job training and in Canada summer jobs. There is a great deal of opportunity and investment, and it would be great to have the Conservatives cease their obstruction, in particular on the national school food program work at committee, which they have continued to filibuster, and get onside.”
“Mr. Speaker, we are actually helping Canadians with the cost of living by lowering their costs with a rebate worth nearly $1,900 a year for a family of four. This measure is in addition to other investments, such as the tax cut for 22 million Canadians and the $800 in savings for families with children who benefit from the national school food program. We are here to help families move forward. The Conservative Party should get out of the way and support our initiatives.”
“Mr. Speaker, it is clear that we do not want families to struggle to feed their children. We are investing in programs and supports for families so they can put food on the table and have food at school through, for example, the national school food program. At the same time, we are creating jobs. That is what Canadians really need. We can see it in the numbers. The number of jobs has been increasing every month for the past three months.”
“Mr. Speaker, once again, the members opposite are focused on imaginary taxes. On this side of the House, we are continuing to invest in Canadians and the supports that they need, including the Canada child benefit, which is pegged to inflation and worth up to $8,000 per child under six years old in this country. On this side of the House, we will continue to invest in Canadians and the supports that they need. We would encourage the members opposite to show a little more support for those programs as well.”
“Mr. Speaker, there is no tax on food; we can start there. Canadian families with children under six are receiving up to $8,000 a year tax-free per child. This is a program that is tagged to inflation to meet and keep up with the cost of living. Members opposite, year after year, vote against investments like the Canada child benefit. It is shameful.”
“Mr. Speaker, while the Prime Minister is delivering for Canadians, let us take a moment to reflect on the hypocrisy of the members opposite in the House. They voted against meals for children at school. They voted against 800 dollars' worth of savings for families through the school food program. They voted against dental care for seniors and for children. They voted against saving parents thousands of dollars on child care. If the members opposite want to talk about judgment, they should start by looking at their own record.”
“Mr. Speaker, we take these issues very seriously on this side of the House. We are not fixated on imaginary taxes. We are here to help Canadian families. One of the first measures we implemented as a government was a tax cut for 22 million Canadians. That is how we help families, and that is how we help children. We are here to do the work.”
“Mr. Speaker, our investments are helping families. Budget 2025 includes a lot of investments for families and children. This includes Canada's national school food program, which will help families keep up to $800 a year in their pockets. There is also the Canada child benefit, which represents up to $8,000 per child under six. That benefit is indexed to inflation. On this side of the House, we are there for Canadian families and children.”
“Mr. Speaker, no parent should have to struggle to feed their children. That is indisputable. On this side of the House, we are investing $13 billion to build affordable homes. This will help families. We are investing in child care and dental care. These measures are helping families keep more money in their pockets so they can get ahead and have money to cope with the cost of living. We will continue to invest in those supports and continue to invest in families and children. I encourage the members opposite to help us do that.”
“Mr. Speaker, we are here for families. We are investing in the support measures that families need. These include investments in affordable child care, which puts more than $10,000 back into Canadians' pockets and reduces costs by 50% across the country. This helps families pay for rent and all sorts of fees. The same goes for the Canada child benefit. Canadians receive $8,000 per child under six. These measures are there to help families. These are support measures that the members across the way keep opposing and keep voting against.”
“Mr. Speaker, it is clear that in order to move forward, in order to support families and children, we need to invest in our future. That is what we are doing with budget 2025. We are investing in jobs for young people. We are investing in affordable housing. We are investing in school food programs. We are investing in affordable child care. We are investing in dental care. All of these things are helping Canadian families get ahead. We are proud to support these measures. It is a shame that the members opposite do not support these measures.”
“Mr. Speaker, we will not take any lessons from the members opposite who are against everything. They are against children and families and giving children access to food at school. They are against investing in affordable child care and investing $13 billion in the construction of affordable housing. It is shameful. We are against them. We are investing with budget 2025. We will protect and strengthen these measures to support families.”
“Mr. Speaker, the reality is that opposition members are currently shutting down committee work. In committee, we are trying to move forward with Bill C-15 , which will provide the support and investment that Canadians need right now. What is happening in committee is shameful. I encourage opposition members to change course and support the measures in place in committee.”
“Mr. Speaker, in fact, we have good employment news this morning. I am proud to say that 50,000 young people found work in November. In October, 21,000 young people found a job. The numbers are moving in the right direction. We are there to support young Canadians. Budget 2025 does that. On this side of the House, we are proud of the job numbers.”
“Mr. Speaker, on this side of the House, we are protecting essential programs that millions of Canadians count on. Six million children count on the Canada child benefit and 5 million people count on the Canadian dental care plan. On this side of the House we are busy helping and supporting families, while the members opposite oppose all of those measures and vote against them.”
“Mr. Speaker, our budget is helping Canadians move forward. The report indicated that access to support measures needed to be improved. That is what we are doing with automatic tax filing, which will help more than five million Canadians get what they are owed. That means they can access support measures like the Canada child benefit, which provides up to $8,000 tax-free per child. We are here for Canadian families.”
“Mr. Speaker, once again, I would like to emphasize that no parent should struggle to feed their children. I was in Nova Scotia this weekend. I had the opportunity to meet with mothers, with women who run day care centres and take care of our children. They told me just how much our investments are doing for their families, whether it is because of lower day care costs or because they are receiving the Canada child benefit. They are very happy with these investments, which opposition members vote against every single time.”
“Mr. Speaker, of course no parent should struggle to feed their children. That is why we have invested in school meals, the Canada child benefit and tax cuts for families, benefiting 22 million Canadians. We have invested in affordable housing, which is a very important aspect of fighting poverty. Those of us on this side of the House are here for families. On the other side, they have voted against all of these measures every single time.”
“Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague for her work as an educator. The voices of educators are in this decision. We have heard from educators, from school boards and from principals across the country about how important school food is to learning for children, to their attention spans and to their capacity to sit still and participate in class. It also has long-term health impacts. There are very positive benefits, obviously, to receiving nutritious meals and to learning on a full stomach. I feel very proud that this government has prioritized this in budget 2025, and that we are making this permanent. I think it is indicative of our commitment to families, to children and to helping them get the best start in life.”
“Mr. Speaker, the Government of Canada is putting money back in Canadians' pockets. The first thing this government did was cut taxes for 22 million Canadians. Budget 2025 makes historic investments, including in protecting the supports that Canadians rely on to help them with the cost of raising their families and the cost of living. The national dental care program is an example of this. The reduced fees for early learning and child care across the country, some of which have been reduced by over 50%, are helping families with the cost of raising children. In addition to child care, we have the national school food program, as I mentioned, which puts $800 back in the pockets of families with two children. On this side of the House, we are investing in families and we are supporting them with the cost of living.”
“It is now up to the Conservative members opposite as to whether they will listen to their provincial governments, listen to teachers and listen to their constituents in legislating this investment to help families get ahead.”
“[ Translation ] In addition, the education minister for the Northwest Territories confirmed to me that, thanks to our government's investments in the school food program in the territory, more children are attending school. Furthermore, according to consultations with Canadians across the country on the national school food policy in 2022 and 2023, affordability is the main reason schools need this program. [ English ] One child going to school hungry is too many. It is no way for a child to start their day of learning. It means they are not getting the best start in life, and ultimately that has an impact on all of us. That is why Canada's new government will make such permanent life-changing investments as the national school food program.”
“This is a generationally important decision that the government has made, and it will literally change the future of Canadian society and the health and well-being of children for generations to come.” I also heard directly from members of the School Lunch Association in Newfoundland and Labrador. They deliver hundreds of meals each and every day in the federal riding of Central Newfoundland. They said they operate in four schools in the central region, with plans to expand in the area thanks to the additional funding the province will receive from the Government of Canada. Let us not forget that the Conservative MP for that riding called all of this garbage.”
“Studies also show that children who participate in robust school food programs go on to earn 3% to 5% more than those who do not. [ Translation ] In addition to ensuring that children receive the nutritious food they need, this program helps develop knowledge about food, strengthens communities and fosters local resilience. [ English ] I mentioned at the outset that the national school food program has been greeted enthusiastically by Canadians on the ground fighting food insecurity. I will illustrate this point. As stated in a recent interview with Debbie Field, the national coordinator of the Coalition for Healthy School Food, “This is monumental.”
“[ Translation ] The school food programs offer immediate and long-term benefits to children and their families and protect them in times of uncertainty. These programs have improved academic performance, promoted better health and health equity, and strengthened ties to traditional cultures and food systems. [ English ] The national school food program is part of the federal government's work to build a more affordable Canada. This includes the Canada child benefit and other supports through targeted investments. They are all contributing to our effort to bring down costs for families so that they can get ahead. The data tells us that every $1 invested in school food yields an estimated $2 to $6 in social returns.”
“That is why our government is firmly committed to the national school food program, and this shows in budget 2025, which advances ongoing funding of $216.6 million per year starting at the end of the pilot project in 2029-30. This will make the program permanent. The national school food program act was also introduced as part of the budget implementation act 2025, which is what we are debating today. The initiative we are cementing would provide up to 400,000 more children each year with access to nutritious meals at school while bringing down costs for parents. Research suggests that participation in such programs can save families with two children in school around $800 a year on groceries.”
“[ English ] In budget 2024, we invested $1 billion over five years to establish a national school food program and signed agreements with all 13 provinces and territories, as well as indigenous partners, to enhance and expand their school food programs. [ Translation ] Having such a program means having access to school lunches without prejudice or barriers, encouraging a healthy lifestyle, and creating connections with the local environment, culture and food systems. (1540) [ English ] This means prioritizing locally grown, healthy Canadian food while strengthening connections to local farmers, food producers and economies. Good work is already happening, and it is important to continue this momentum.”
“It directly contributes to children's success by improving their health, education and well-being. My responsibility today is to explain why we intend to make this program permanent and how it will make life more affordable for families across Canada. [ English ] Prior to federal investments, school food programs funded by provincial and territorial governments reached at least one in four school-aged children. Provinces and territories continue to invest in school food programming, with total funding estimated at $273 million last year, but persistent affordability pressures have meant that the demand for school food programming continues to grow. [ Translation ] Children deserve the best opportunities for success we can offer. That includes the opportunity to learn in school on a full belly.”