Guillaume Deschênes-Thériault
Madawaska—Restigouche, New Brunswick · Liberal · Canada
“Mr. Speaker, I would like to hear what my colleague has to say about the fact that, through the economic update, we are continuing to implement our action plan for official languages, with $4.1 billion to support the vitality of francophone communities everywhere outside Quebec.”
“Mr. Speaker, after the economic update was released, several unions praised our initiative to develop the team Canada strong initiative to recruit up to 100,000 new skilled workers. We implemented a series of measures to help these people, particularly apprentices, on their journey to certification.”
“Madam Speaker, the Conservative Party used to call itself the party of law and order. Unfortunately, today, the Conservatives no longer have any credibility on this issue. When the time comes to better protect victims, what do the Conservatives do? They vote against it.”
“Today, we are focusing specifically on the proposed Senate amendment to add the noose to the list of symbols of hate. The Standing Senate Committee on Human Rights has heard from numerous witnesses and organizations who have stated that the noose is a recognized symbol of terror and intimidation against Black people and that it should be…”
“This is how we strengthen our shared way of life and the truly Canadian values of respect, equality and dignity. I will use the last few minutes of my time to say that I am disappointed by the excessive partisanship we have seen in the debate on Bill C‑9 .”
“I do not believe this is commensurate with the issues before us, and I find it deplorable. Lastly, beyond the issue of hate symbols, Bill C‑9 is an important step forward in a number of ways.”
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“In some cases, we ended up with dozens of nominations for people who had no real intention of participating in the democratic process and who were really only trying to disrupt the democratic process that we want to protect. Let me give a few examples. In the last election in Terrebonne, nearly 40 out of 48 candidates were people who had no real intention of campaigning. As a result, instead of a normal ballot, we ended up with a blank ballot. In Battle River—Crowfoot, 200 out of 214 candidates were not really serious ones. In LaSalle—Émard—Verdun, during a by-election two years ago, we ended up with 91 candidates and a ballot that was a metre long. This has real consequences because it makes it harder for some people to participate.”
“Over the next several minutes, I am going to review some of the measures set out in this bill and try to explain why I think they are important and why we should support them. The bill contains measures that seek to prevent excessively long ballots. We will achieve that by allowing voters to sign only one candidate nomination form per riding and by requiring each candidate in a riding to have their own official agent. Why are we doing that? It is because, over the past few years, we have seen a group of activists disrupting elections. Dozens of candidates in one riding had the same official agent and their nomination forms were signed by the same people.”
“That is why Bill C-25 proposes several practical measures to address current challenges, including addressing the problem of excessively long ballots, banning deepfakes of election officials, further protecting the integrity of leadership and nomination races, enhancing measures to prevent foreign interference, strengthening the enforcement of the act and improving federal requirements for the protection of personal information by federal political parties. These amendments did not come out of nowhere. They are well reasoned and based on recommendations made by experts during the public inquiry into foreign interference in federal electoral processes and democratic institutions, as well as by the Chief Electoral Officer and the commissioner of Canada elections.”
“Today, as we can see throughout the world, democracies face growing threats, whether through the malicious use of technology, foreign interference, disinformation or other attempts to undermine public confidence in democratic processes. To maintain Canadians' confidence in the integrity of our elections, it is therefore essential to continue strengthening the mechanisms that protect our democratic process. Public trust is the very foundation of democratic stability, and we must strive to preserve and strengthen that confidence at all times.”
“Mr. Speaker, I would like to begin by telling you that I will be sharing my speaking time with the member for Ponoka—Didsbury In Canada, we are privileged to have a strong and internationally recognized electoral system. Canadian democracy is among the most stable and resilient in the world, and the Canada Elections Act is recognized for its robust safeguards, strict rules on political financing and high standards of transparency. In addition to this solid framework, the strength of our electoral system also lies in its ability to evolve. The rules that protect our elections must adapt to the realities of our time.”
“Mr. Speaker, building a strong economy means helping our businesses innovate. One of the tools we have is scientific research and experimental development tax incentives. I would like the parliamentary secretary to comment on the work we are doing to improve and enhance this tax incentive program, which is very important to many businesses in our regions.”
“Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister works every day to implement our plan to build the Canadian economy. One need only look at the results; they speak for themselves. More than twenty new partnerships have been launched around the world. We have attracted foreign investment to Canada. We have the second-strongest economic growth among G7 countries—”
“Mr. Speaker, our federal funding covered a substantial portion of the capital costs of providing a public transit service that is truly tailored to rural regional realities. FlexGo is providing affordable service that meets the needs of our seniors, workers and post-secondary students. Since this service was launched, it has made a huge difference on the ground and in people's lives. This is an investment that is contributing to the economic vitality of our communities while providing an essential service for people who may not have any other way to get around. It has been a resounding success from the start. Ridership has been even higher than predicted. This is a concrete example of how we are contributing to our rural regions.”
“Mr. Speaker, in our most recent economic update, we announced a funding extension for the pilot project providing five additional weeks of benefits in 13 economic regions, including the two regions in my riding. I believe my colleague's riding is also included in this pilot project. This will provide five additional weeks of regular EI benefits to help bridge what is commonly referred to as the “spring gap”. This is in addition to other measures we have implemented, such as eliminating the one-week waiting period for EI benefits.”
“Mr. Speaker, I would invite my colleague to reread all the opposition motions that have been put forward in the past year. When it comes to the Conservatives, there is rarely anything substantive. It is always couched in hyperbole and exaggeration. There is little substance in their motions, and criticism comes easily. They are drafted in such a way that it is clear they cannot be supported. Personally, I would like to see more substance and more solutions in Conservative opposition day motions. We were talking about results, and we want results. Canada is expected to have the second-strongest growth in the G7 this year. Exports to non-U.S. markets are expected to double over the next decade. Foreign direct investment in Canada is up. We have signed more than 20 trade and partnership agreements around the world.”
“On our side of the House, we do not let ourselves get distracted by this sort of grandstanding. From day one, we have remained focused on our work. Canadians gave us a clear mandate: to strengthen the Canadian economy and make it more resilient. That is what we are doing to deliver the results the public expects.”
“I am thinking of all the programs we have put in place over the years, including the Canada child benefit, the Canada disability benefit, the Canadian dental care plan, the affordable child care programs and the Canada groceries and essentials benefit. These programs make a huge difference to those who need them most. Unfortunately, when the official opposition is presented with measures that genuinely help people, their instinct is usually to oppose them. In closing, I think that we can see a contrast between this side of the House and the other side. The motion that is before us today is a joke. It was written in such a way that it cannot be supported. It seems to have been designed to generate sound bites for social media. It proposes very little in the way of concrete measures.”
“Over the past few weeks, I have called over 200 different employers in my riding to let them know the good news that they are going to receive funding this summer through this program. Based on the feedback I received, the program is making a real difference to them. I would like to take this opportunity to wish all the young people in my region who get jobs through the Canada summer jobs program a terrific summer. When we talk about building a stronger Canadian economy, we must also ensure that we build a fair and equitable system and that we are there for those who need it most. That is why all our efforts to strengthen the Canadian economy are accompanied by a social safety net.”
“When we talk about providing employment opportunities, we also need to talk about youth. In budget 2025, we announced increased funding for the Canada summer jobs program. In my riding, it amounts to an investment of over $1.5 million this summer to support more than 400 jobs. These jobs provide practical work experience for young people in Madawaska—Restigouche. They will have an opportunity to work for community organizations, municipalities, day camps, the construction sector or SMEs. This wide range of employment opportunities might not have been available without this funding. For employers, SMEs, community organizations and municipalities, this is a game-changer.”
“For starters, apprentices attending technical training can get up to $400 in financial support per week—$16,000 per year—plus a $5,000 bonus when they obtain their certification. We want to give them a financial incentive to help them complete their training from A to Z. We will also provide financial support to small and medium-sized businesses that offer on-the-job training because apprentices have to accumulate a certain number of hours to get certified. Specifically, we will provide up to $10,000 in wage subsidies to small and medium-sized businesses that take on apprentices. This is an effective way to increase the number of welders, electricians, plumbers and carpenters, to name just a few. These workers are essential to achieving our ambitious goal to build more in Canada.”
“Moreover, as a member from an Atlantic riding, I am pleased to note that this potential is particularly significant in the Atlantic provinces, where several spaceports are under development, including the Maritime Launch Services spaceport in Nova Scotia and NordSpace's Atlantic Spaceport Complex in Newfoundland and Labrador. When we talk about investments that will strengthen the domestic market, when we talk about investing in infrastructure, building housing and delivering major projects of national interest, we have to start by investing in our workforce and our workers. In last month's economic update, we announced a plan to increase the number of workers in the country's Red Seal trades.”
“We also expect it to attract billions of dollars in investment to Canada. In fact, since the announcement of this bill, several Canadian and foreign space launch companies, as well as foreign governments, have approached our government to signal interest in doing business in Canada for satellite launches. This is creating new partnership opportunities with our NATO allies and strengthening Canadian sovereignty. It is a concrete example of how our plan to strengthen the economy also helps strengthen our defence capabilities and our sovereignty.”
“They will help develop a new commercial space industry in Canada and create numerous opportunities, particularly in the telecommunications sector. This is a particularly promising area. We often hear about connectivity problems in rural areas. Certain emerging technologies like low-earth orbit satellites show a lot of potential for improving connectivity in regions that are currently underserved by cellular networks. However, if we want a seat at the table, we need to have the capacity to develop these technologies in Canada and then be able to launch our own satellites. This also opens up all sorts of interesting opportunities in navigation and natural resource development in remote regions, as well as in the defence sector. (1235) This will also help reduce costly delays for Canadian businesses.”
“Naturally, since we lack sovereign space launch capabilities, investors turn to other countries. This leads to costly delays for our companies, since they need to launch their satellites through other countries. In addition, our critical infrastructure is at the mercy of decisions that are beyond our control. In an increasingly uncertain and competitive world, Canada can no longer rely on others to guarantee its access to space. That is why we introduced a bill on Canadian space launches. This legislation will be a real game-changer by establishing the framework needed to build Canada's own space launch capabilities. The idea is to boost Canada's commercial space launch industry. These changes will have real benefits for the Canadian economy.”
“I have talked to business owners in my riding about this, and they are very excited about the benefits of this new agreement. That is how we build a strong economy: by providing new markets and new opportunities for Canadian businesses. I also want to mention that, in our work to strengthen the Canadian economy, we are also looking to develop new sectors and build capacity in areas where we may be less competitive right now. I will use the commercial space industry as an example. Right now, Canada is the only G7 country without sovereign space launch capabilities. That means that our country, our businesses and our institutions have to rely on foreign countries, particularly the United States, to launch their satellites into orbit. This reliance has real-world consequences. It is diverting investment to other countries.”
“When it comes to economic diversification, we have been working for over a year to strengthen our trade partnerships around the world. This enables our businesses to access new markets and, at the same time, attract foreign investment to Canada. In fact, over the last 12 months, we have made significant progress in this regard. We have signed more than 20 new economic and defence partnerships and secured nearly $97 billion in foreign investment commitment. These are concrete results. They have an impact on the Canadian economy as well as on the ground, in our ridings. For example, agriculture is an important sector of the economy in Madawaska—Restigouche, where many farmers grow potatoes. The new agreement with Mexico will give Canadian potato farmers access to a market of over 130 million consumers.”
“In last year's general election, Canadians had a choice between a team offering empty slogans and divisive politics, and a team with a plan to strengthen our economy. That is exactly what they chose. Since our election, we have been working to diversify the Canadian economy, facilitate the implementation of major projects of national interest, strengthen domestic demand, and support our workers and businesses. When we look at the motion tabled today, it is clear that the official opposition is not taking the current challenges seriously enough. Once again, it is presenting us with a motion that seems designed more to fuel social media content and generate sound bites than to propose concrete solutions and work with us for the benefit of the Canadian public. I can list a few examples to illustrate our work and the results we are achieving.”
“Mr. Speaker, today's motion is on a serious topic. However, it is written in a very unserious way. As we know, the United States has fundamentally changed its approach to trade with countries around the world, not just with Canada. However, given our geographic proximity to the United States and given the fact that it is our main trading partner, this tariff dispute, which we did not initiate, is having specific repercussions on the Canadian economy, our workers and our businesses. At the same time, conflicts around the world, particularly in the Middle East and Europe, are having significant impacts on supply chains, which in turn affect the global economy. In light of today's challenges, Canadians do not need political theatrics. They need a serious plan to strengthen our economy and make it more resilient.”
“Madam Speaker, we are debating the second implementation bill of the 2025 budget, which includes an investment of more than half a billion dollars in Canadian creators and the cultural economy. This investment demonstrates that arts and culture are a priority for us. We talk about building Canada strong, and arts and culture, along with the entire cultural sector, are a cornerstone of what building Canada strong means to us. I want to ask the minister how the cultural community has responded to this investment and why it is important to make such an investment at this time.”
“Once again, I would like to reiterate my congratulations and thanks to my colleague from British Columbia for introducing this bill in the House, as well as to all my colleagues who supported it and worked on the amendments in committee. I will conclude by saying that I fully support this bill and the proposed amendments.”
“It recognizes that no parent should have to navigate confusing red tape or repeatedly prove their loss in order to access the support they are already entitled to. This legislation represents a rare opportunity to achieve three goals at once: reducing unnecessary bureaucracy, improving government efficiency, and showing empathy toward bereaved Canadians. By supporting Bill C-222, Parliament can ensure that no family is punished by the system for having experienced an unimaginable tragedy. It is a small change, but it will have a profound human impact, and it reflects the best of who we are as a country. As other colleagues have already mentioned, we are here to make a tangible difference in the lives of the people we represent, and this bill allows us to improve things for people who are going through an extremely difficult situation.”
“In closing, I want to reiterate that the loss of a child is a profound and tragic event that no Canadian parent should have to experience. These parents deserve our full support, not administrative hurdles, in their darkest moments. Our government is committed to ensuring that families facing this tragic situation get the support they need. There is no doubt that Bill C-222, as amended, would promote a compassionate and flexible approach for parents facing the unthinkable, allowing bereaved parents to remain eligible for parental benefits even after their loss, thereby ensuring continuity, compassion and stability. More importantly, Bill C-222 restores compassion and dignity to families during their darkest hours.”
“However, given the heavy emotional burden this would place on parents at a time of deep grief, a regulatory authority will be established to set up a simple and compassionate process that grieving parents can use to notify the commission. Bill-222 would also ensure that employees subject to the Canada Labour Code are entitled to the remaining weeks of parental leave that they would have been entitled to had the child not died. This proposed amendment would allow employees in the federally regulated private sector to benefit from protected parental leave while receiving EI parental benefits. Parents could also take advantage of the existing eight-week bereavement leave provided in the event of the death of a child, if they are nearing the end of their parental leave and wish to claim additional weeks of EI benefits.”
“This measure will apply no matter which parental benefit option the claimant chose, whether standard or extended parental benefits. These additional weeks of EI parental benefits would be paid at the same income replacement rate as the option they chose initially. For example, if the claimant chose the extended parental benefits option at 33% of their average weekly insurable earnings, that rate would continue to apply for the remaining weeks and for the additional weeks of bereavement support. Under the proposed amendments, parents must inform the Canada Employment Insurance Commission if they want to add the additional weeks of bereavement support to their benefits.”
“The amendments to Bill C‑222 propose that EI parental benefits continue to be paid for a maximum number of weeks after the death of a child, up to 40 weeks for parents who share standard parental benefits and up to 69 weeks for parents who share extended parental benefits. By allowing EI parental benefits to continue to be paid without any additional administrative burden, these amendments would help ensure ongoing support during a time of great emotional distress. For eligible parents who have already used almost all of their weeks of benefits at the time of their child's death, Bill C-222, as amended, would guarantee every eligible parent up to five additional weeks of benefits in the form of bereavement support.”
“These amendments are intended to strengthen the proposed bereavement and EI benefits for parents who are nearing the end of their parental leave. The amendments will help ensure that the bill actually meets parents' real needs. The proposed changes also make consequential amendments to the leave provisions in the Canada Labour Code to align them with the proposed changes to EI parental benefits for bereaved parents. (1405) Today's topic is an emotional one, but for the purposes of debate, I will also focus on a few technical details related to the proposed amendments to fully understand the scope of what we are discussing today. I want to take a few moments to talk about some of them.”
“For now, however, unless the claimant contacts Service Canada within a week of their child's death, they begin accumulating a debt to the Canada Revenue Agency. Bereaved parents can also apply for EI sickness benefits, but they are then required to check in with Service Canada every two weeks to confirm that their benefits are still needed. Again, this creates an unnecessary burden at a difficult time. It is easy to see how hard this process can be for parents still grieving the loss of their child. The current process lacks compassion and needs to be changed to ease some of the burden these parents face. The government wants to ensure that the parental leave provisions meet the needs of bereaved parents in a fair, reasonable and compassionate way. That is the spirit in which the amendments to Bill C-222 are being proposed today.”
“No law can alleviate such grief, but our federal system—in particular EI and the protections provided by the Canada Labour Code—can at least ensure that bereaved parents have swift access to the support they need, when they need it most. That is what compassion looks like. At present, EI parental benefits end as soon as the claimant's child dies. In its current form, Bill C-222 will allow parents who lose a newborn or an adopted child to keep receiving parental benefits after their child's death. The bill would also amend the Canada Labour Code so that employees who work in the federally regulated private sector and are on parental leave can continue to take that leave even if their child dies during the leave period that was initially granted.”
“Dealing with administrative institutions can also add to the emotional burden. This burden can become even heavier when the bereaved parent is no longer eligible for the income support measures available under the EI program. It goes without saying that work and financial considerations are not the priority for these parents while they are going through an extremely difficult time. Having to deal with various administrative procedures and worry about their job security or financial situation adds an unnecessary burden to their emotional distress. Some parents who return to work quickly may experience what is known as presenteeism: They are physically present at work but unable to participate fully due to their emotional and psychological state.”
“There is nothing more devastating for parents and a family than the loss of a child. It is, of course, an ordeal that causes deep and lasting pain. According to mental health professionals, parental grief is one of the most intense and persistent forms of grief. The death of a child is a tragedy that affects many Canadian families every year. Data show that, in 2024, approximately 3,100 children under the age of 19 died in Canada. Of those children, 1,661 were infants who died before their first birthday and 1,210 were infants who died within their first month of life. That means that, every year, approximately 1,600 Canadian families experience the unthinkable loss of a child while they are still receiving EI parental benefits. Research shows that returning to work after the death of a child can be difficult and takes time.”
“Mr. Speaker, like my colleagues, I feel privileged to rise to speak to this important bill. This is a compassionate bill that will add more humanity to the employment insurance regime, particularly for grieving parents. As I mentioned, it is an honour to rise in support of the amendments that have been presented to facilitate the passage of Bill C-222 , an act to amend the Employment Insurance Act and the Canada Labour Code with regard to the death of a child. [ English ] First of all, I would like to thank the sponsor of the bill, the hon. member for Burnaby North—Seymour . He deserves immense credit for his work in support of grieving parents. [ Translation ] I also want to thank all of my colleagues who helped shape this bill, as well as the witnesses who testified in committee on this very sensitive subject.”
“I am thinking in particular of cellular connectivity and the bill introduced by our colleague from Compton—Stanstead on spectrum issues to improve cellular connectivity in Canada. There are a whole range of initiatives that my colleague and I, along with other members from rural Canada, are committed to working on to build strong rural regions for a strong Canada.”
“Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure to work with my colleague in our rural caucus, which is made up of MPs who are committed to the development of our rural regions. For us, it is clear: Building Canada strong means building strong rural regions. It means programs tailored to life in rural areas. I am thinking of the rural transit solutions fund. Last fall, I announced an investment of over $700,000 in my riding to implement a public transit system that truly responds to the needs of rural areas. It has been a tremendous success. This has changed many people's lives. It makes it easier for them to get to work and school or to travel around the riding at very little cost. Building strong rural regions also involves raising issues that are important to them.”
“Mr. Speaker, my esteemed colleague is welcome to visit Madawaska—Restigouche. There are indeed berry wine producers there. In fact, one of the wines served at the Parliamentary restaurant comes from my riding and is made from berries grown in my riding. Over the past month, we announced, among other things, that we would be extending the cap on alcohol excise duties. Various discussions are ongoing. I would like to thank my colleague for her commitment to this issue. It would certainly be worthwhile for us to continue discussing this matter together.”
“Once again, I would invite the member to come talk to businesses that have received this support, which has enabled them to maintain their operations. These businesses see the efforts that we are making to boost innovation and enhance their productivity gains through a variety of programs.”
“Mr. Speaker, as I said, since day one, we have been focusing on strengthening the Canadian economy. We did not ask for this tariff dispute, but we are not standing idly by. Since the United States is our largest trading partner, this dispute has had a major impact on our economy, our businesses and our workers, but we are working to diversify our economy. We have signed over 20 agreements, and that is producing real results. I would invite my colleague to come talk to potato farmers in my riding who are seeing real economic benefits from these agreements. I am also thinking of the support that we are giving to the hardest-hit businesses, including those in the steel and softwood lumber industries.”
“To give a few examples, I am thinking in particular of the financial support we provide to the Campbellton Salmon Festival, the Saint-Quentin Western Festival, the Grand Falls Potato Festival, the Rendez-Vous des Artistes de Saint-Léonard, and the Sortie branchée en Acadie, which takes place at the Botanical Garden in Saint-Jacques. All these different types of investments send a clear message that the socio-cultural vitality of our communities is very much a priority for us. I appreciate having the opportunity to expand a bit on what we mean when we talk about building Canada strong.”
“These are some of the measures we are implementing to strengthen our social fabric and support our community organizations. When I talk about strengthening the socio-cultural vitality of our communities, that also means supporting our festivals. Summer is just around the corner, and I can tell the House that there will be no shortage of things to do in Madawaska—Restigouche. We have volunteers who are deeply committed to the vitality of our communities and are working hard to put together a great summer of programming. I am very pleased that our government is investing to support these initiatives.”
“I am thinking in particular of organizations like the Acanthus Gallery in Grand Falls, which recently celebrated its 10th anniversary. I attended an event to mark the occasion and took the opportunity to announce $25,000 in funding. It is not always the largest amounts that make a difference, but these funds help our organizations meet their needs and continue contributing to the vitality of our communities. Over the past decade, the Acanthus Gallery has become a key arts and culture hub in Grand Falls. It is a popular destination for both local residents and visitors. It showcases local artists as well as artists from outside the region who come to exhibit there. Thanks to the grant that was recently announced, pottery classes will now be offered in the Grand Falls area.”
“As an MP, I feel it is important to give these institutions—which are vital to our economy and our local communities—the means to continue operating in the long term. This investment will ensure the centre's stability. In the context of climate change, it will also give the centre access to groundwater sources. There was a problem with access to water, and this investment will help resolve it. As well as being a project that contributes to the economy, it is also in line with the new nature strategies, as it will help to better protect our natural ecosystems, particularly through the revitalization of fish stocks. When we talk about building Canada strong, that also means supporting our community organizations, which are making a real difference on the ground.”
“In recent weeks, I was pleased to announce more than $210,000 in federal funding for the Charlo Salmonid Enhancement Centre. This investment will support the drilling of a new artesian well, as well as the acquisition of an industrial fish grader that will help manage the growth of juvenile fish stocks. This type of investment will help solidify the centre's position within New Brunswick's aquaculture supply chain. It also contributes to the economic vitality of my region, particularly by helping to preserve good jobs. This centre has been operating in the Restigouche area since 1938, helping to revitalize fish stocks in New Brunswick's waterways; that is nearly 90 years of activity.”
“It is also based on the ongoing collection of evidence-based data to ensure that the services and activities put in place truly meet the needs of our young people. As an MP, I can say that it is always a pleasure to announce funding in my region, especially when it supports young people. When we talk about building Canada strong, as I often say, that also means having strong rural communities. Our rural regions are an integral part of our country. It is important that the programs we implement, including the ones targeting innovation, also benefit businesses in rural areas. I am thinking in particular of all the work done by our regional economic development agencies, such as the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, or ACOA, including through the regional economic growth through innovation program.”
“I had the pleasure of announcing over $560,000 in federal funding to help the Northwest Regional Service Commission implement the Planet Youth Northwest program. (1040) Through this program, partners like the regional service commission, municipalities, the public health department, schools and community stakeholders will develop a range of activities to help reduce youth substance use, which is recognized as a factor that can lead to delinquent behaviour. They will also work to strengthen youth mental health and provide positive youth engagement experiences in their community. Planet Youth is based on an Icelandic model. It will be rolled out and adapted to local realities in northwestern New Brunswick.”
“When we talk about building Canada strong, we are also talking about safe communities. Thanks to our ambitious legislative agenda, practical measures have already been introduced in the House. I am thinking of Bill C-14 , which would make it harder for offenders to get bail and would provide for tougher sentences for the most dangerous criminals, particularly violent and repeat offenders. There is also Bill C-16 , which is about offering better protection for victims of crime, such as victims of intimate partner violence, and protecting children from online predators. In addition to introducing these legislative measures, we are also making significant investments in prevention, because that is key to ensuring safe communities. Here is a very recent and specific example related to the national crime prevention strategy.”
“In addition to the work we are doing to develop new trade ties around the world, we are also focusing on building a strong domestic market. That is an important pillar of our strategy to make Canada's economy more resilient. Take, for example, all of the measures that we have put in place to remove the interprovincial trade barriers that fall under federal jurisdiction, or our “buy Canadian” policy, which sends a clear message: The government wants us to be our own best customer. I am also thinking of the various investment policies that stimulate domestic demand. I am thinking of housing, Canada's defence industrial strategy and infrastructure. We want to get Canadian businesses and workers involved and use Canadian products on these major projects to increase domestic demand and strengthen Canada's economy.”