Rogers-Shaw merger, Federal Budget 2023 and so much more!

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Julie Dzerowicz M.P.

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Mar 31, 2023, 7:49:55 PM3/31/23

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Hello Davenport Friends and Neighbours,

Picture: Innovation Roundtable with Minister François-Philippe Champagne

There is so much to tell you. I will try to keep it short, but there is a lot of helpful information to share about matters that affect our lives and our community.

It’s just been announced that the federal government approved the Rogers-Shaw merger with numerous conditions that are legally enforceable on network investments, prices and jobs (click Rogers-Shaw deal to learn more).

The Federal budget 2023 was released on Tuesday of this week. The budget is basically focused on three things: affordability, health care and the clean economy. I love the clean economy sect ion that will incentivize investment in low carbon emitting alternatives to oil and gas, will create good paying jobs, will set us up for a competitive and prosperous economy moving forward and best of all move us more quickly to reach our 2030 and 2050 carbon reduction targets.

In terms of affordability, because we know how expensive the cost of living is, we are providing targeted financial support to those who need it the most: starting with the Grocery Rebate (aka GST credit) that will give almost $500 to the average family; a full de ntal care program that would allow all those under 18, seniors and disabled Canadians to qualify by the end of the year; and we are moving to automatic tax filing for low-income Canadians. Hurrah! The last one is great news for poverty activists - who know that so many of our most vulnerable do not even file income tax returns and so miss out on a lot of financial support that they can use.

For students, there are additional student grants and increased Registered Education Savings Plans withdrawal limits; and for s mall businesses, lower credit card transaction fees (up to 27%- a game changer) and also the freezing of the exci se tax on beer, wine and alcohol at 2% for one year, which all brewers in our riding will be so happy to hear!

Let’s talk about health care. We (the federal government) saw how much our healthcare system was struggling so we made a MAJOR investment in healthcare this year.

We increased the Canada Health Transfer by 5% (as recommended by Alika Lafontaine, head of the Canadian Medical Association) which is the annual amount of money the federal government gives to the provinces for health care; we also set aside an additional $46 billion for mental health, access to family doctors or health teams, elimination of the surgery backlogs, and patient records and data.

So, let me be clear. The federal government has stepped up in a major way to invest in health care, so now the provinces and territories are responsible to deliver. The constitution of our nation places the responsibility for health care in the hands of the provinces.

So,it is the Ford Ontario government, now flush with money from the federal pandemic funding support (lots left over from pandemic dollars provided by the federal government) and having taken in record personal and corporate taxes, that has the responsibility to deliver on health care.

To read more here is the healthcare section of the budget.

Money for the City of Toronto. So much to say. Since the federal liberal government was elected in late 2015, we have given a historic amount of funding to the City of Toronto for capital investments in TTC (including repairs and refurbishments), and in housing. We also gave $1 billion to the City during the pandemic to help it with whatever it needed to keep the city moving and safe.

The Province of Ontario is responsible to make sure that the City of Toronto is properly funded. That is not happening now. The cuts to public transit are simply not acceptable. Taking development fees from the City which are much needed dollars is not acceptable unless there is another stream of funding from the province to replace it.

The federal government has never (to my knowledge) in the history of the TTC, funded the TTC operationally.

My personal belief is that the Ford government is literally starving the City of Toronto and shirking their responsibility to support the city and its needs.

But saying that, I do think that the federal government can do more - again my personal opinion:

The City of Toronto needs more tools to raise revenues to fund services and run the city. I think the federal government can help look at this with the Province of Ontario or on our own.
The City of Toronto needs a long term sustainable funding plan for the TTC. There needs to be an international review done on how transit systems are funded - and I do believe there is a role for the national government to play here. But I’d like to see what other international cities are doing. Funding the TTC largely from farebox revenues is unusual (I believe) and not sustainable.
I love and support the idea of a City Charter or any other idea that would give the City of Toronto greater independence. Its economy is larger than most provinces and territories in Canada. It needs to move out from under the repressive confines of the provincial government.

See the Federal Budget 2023 section below to get more details of what is in this year's budget!!

Thank you to all who joined me last night for the Davenport Federal Budget 2023 Debrief. I very much appreciated your questions, and the opportunity to discuss what this year’s budget means for the residents and businesses of Davenport.

This week, I organised an Innovation and IP Strategy Roundtable for Innovation Minister Champagne. With excellent input from business, academic and national organization leaders across the country, we talked about what more our government can do now to turbo-charge our support for domestic innovation, for domestic scale up and to ensure that the investments that the federal government makes stay in Canada, to the benefit of our economy and all Canadians. If any Davenport residents want to talk to me about this, I’d love to hear from you!

My colleague, MP Han Dong has left the Liberal caucus and is sitting as an Independant, following accusations from unnamed and unconfirmed sources. I will be writing more about this but know that I am very troubled that unsubstantiated allegations from unnamed sources are accepted as the truth, that a person is guilty automatically and has to prove their innocence, and that perception is more important than facts and the truth. This highlights my concerns about the state of our media, the toxicity of the House of Commons, where lies are protected as parliamentary privilege, and the disinformation and misinformation that has become so prevalent, making it hard to distinguish what is the truth.

Again more to come.

This is an important time of year for celebration and spiritual renewal for many faiths..
March 22 marked the start of the holy month of Ramadan - a time of spiritual reflection and acts of charity for the Muslim community. I look forward to the upcoming Iftars!

April 1 marks the beginning of Sikh Heritage month. A month to celebrate the amazing contributions of the Sikh community to Canada. And this Sunday is the start of the Christian Holy Week leading to Easter Sunday on April 9, and Thursday April 6 is the Jewish celebration of Passover.

The next two weeks are constituency weeks for me, which means I am at my Toronto office, so feel free to stop by and say hello.

It’s an honour and privilege to serve you Davenport. Have a wonderful weekend.

My best regards,

Julie Dzerowicz
Member of Parliament, Davenport

Table of Contents

The Top Three

1. Federal Budget 2023

This year’s Federal Budget focuses on creating a green, clean economy, making life affordable for Canadians and historic levels of funding for health care including the introduction of a dental care program (moving away from a dental care benefit).

Key sections and items include:

Affordability measures to help low and moderate income Canadians weather the high cost of living:

$2.5 billion f or the Canada Grocery Rebate—targeted inflation relief for about 11 million low-and modest-income Canadians and Canadian families: $467 for families of 4, $234 for individuals with no kids, $225 for seniors. Every additional dollar helps!
Additional student financial assistance (increased student grants) and increased Registered Education Savings Plans withdrawal limits
Cracking down on junk fees, credit card interchange fees (90% of all small businesses will see an average of 27% reduction in fees!!!), predatory lending (maximum charge of $14 per $100)
Freezing the excise tax on beer, wine and alcohol at 2% for one y ear (huge win for the craft brewers in Davenport)

The federal government has stepped up to provide additional healthcare dollars to the provinces and territories:

$198 billion over ten years in public health care—a significant investment and priority for every single Canadian (5% increase of the Canada Health Transfer, $46 billion more dollars for mental health, access to family doctors/ health teams, reduce surgery backlogs, health records, data)
$13 billion to provide dental care for millions of Canadia ns (by the end of 2023 all those under 18, seniors and disabled Canadians without insurance will be able to access this program)
Implementation of the new 988 suicide preventio n line to help those struggling with mental health
Fighting the Opioid Crisis- $359.2 million to support a renewed Canadian Drugs and Substances Strategy

New important measures for the clean economy, which include:

Clean Electricity Investment Tax Credit - 15% refundable credit to support non-emitting generation systems, storage and transmission spanning $6.3 billion over 4 years
Clean Technology Manufacturing Tax Credit - 30% refundable credit to support manufacturing of key clean technologies and critical minerals extraction, processing and recycling spanning $4.5 billion over 5 years
Clean Hydrogen Tax Credit - between 15-40% refundable tax credit for production of clean hydrogen and conversion into ammonia spanning $5.5 billion over 5 years
Clean Technology Investment Tax Credit - expanded to include geothermal energy

Ensuring everyone pays their fair share of taxes by closing tax Loopholes for Canadians earning over $300K

New tax on share buybacks by public corporations ($2.5 billion over 5 years) - to ensure that Canadian companies are using their profits not to buy back their own shares and enriching shareholders but to reinvest in workers and in new technologies
Fairly taxing dividends held by financial institutions as business income ($3.7 billion over 5 years) - ensuring big banks pay their fair share of taxes
Ensuring the wealthiest Canadians pay their fair share ($3.0 billion over 5 years) - Canadians earning over $300,000 will pay more taxes
Implementing a global minimum corporate tax regime ($5.1 billion over 5 years) - so companies do not go to countries with lower corporate tax rates!

Improving Services For Travelling Canadians

Protecting Passenger Rights : Strengthen airline obligations to compensate passengers for delays and cancellations.
Improving Airport Operations and Passenger Screening : $1.8 billion to increase level of service, improve screening wait times, and strengthen security measures at airports
Faster Passport Processing and Improved Immigration Services : $135 Million to address immigration application backlogs and the elimination of passport application backlogs

Other items Davenport residents will appreciate: I pulled out a few thing that you have all written to me about over the last few years and provided links in case you want more information:
Supporting Canadians' Right to Repair
Common Chargers for Electronic Devices
Code of Conduct to protect Canadians with Existing Mortgages
Doubling the Tradespeople’s Tool Deduction
Protecting Federally Regulated Gig Workers
Protecting our Freshwater
Supporting Canadian Screen Sector
Supporting Growth of Canada’s Tourism Sector
Fighting Systemic Racism, Discrimination and Hate
Supporting Black Canadian Communities
Supporting Legal Aid for Asylum Seekers

To view the full Federal Budget 2023 click here.

2. Immigration Measures to Address Labour Shortages

Recently the federal government has implemented new measures to support the challenges facing Canada’s labour force. We are ensuring a historic number of new immigrants, temporary workers and international students can easily access jobs in the sectors who need it most.

These measures include a new economic pathway to help employers hire skilled refugees into high in-demand jobs such as nurse aides, personal support workers, long-term aides, software engineers, web designers, mechanical and electrical engineers, teachers, tourism and hospitality workers, truck and delivery service drivers. This pathway also allows displaced people who are in need of international protection to apply.

We have extended the temporary measures under the temporary foreign worker program workforce solutions roadmap that allows employers in seven sectors to hire up to 30% of their work force through the TFW Program, keeps the Labour Market Impact Assessments validity period at up to 18 months and maintains the maximum duration of employment for low-wage positions at up to 2 years.

International students with post-graduation work permits (PGWP) which have recently expired or are expiring can now stay to work in Canada longer. Starting April 6, PGWP holders can extend their stay in Canada for up to 18 months. This additional work permit allows international students to continue to gain valuable work experience, contribute to the Canadian economy and give them an opportunity to apply for Permanent Residence.

3. Check Your Passport Status Online

The federal government recently launched the new online Passport Application Status Checker. Davenport residents who have recently applied for a passport can check the status of their application online with only a few steps.

You can get the status of your passport application online if you submitted your passport application either:

in person or by mail in Canada or
by mail from the United States

You can't look up the status of a passport application online if you applied for a passport:

at a consulate or embassy abroad or
for official government business (special or diplomatic passports)

The current service delivery standard for passports is 10 days to process in-person passport applications received at a specialized passport office and 20 days for applications received by mail or dropped off at a Service Canada Centre.

Davenport MP Report

1. Davenport Budget 2023 Debrief

Thank you to all Davenport leaders, residents, organizations and friends for joining the Davenport Budget 2023 debrief. We had some amazing questions spanning from green energy to support for post-secondary students!

If you have any questions about this year’s budget don’t hesitate to reach out to me or my office!

2. Innovation Roundtable Meeting

I convened an Innovation Roundtable with Innovation Minister Champagne and leaders from law, tech, and academia, to discuss the current state of Canadian innovation, intellectual property, and Canadian business competitiveness, and to suggest actions on how we can improve.

We had a productive discussion looking at how Canadian companies can better protect their intangible assets and retain their IP.

An IP strategy is a critical element of a successful innovation economy, as we work to increase productivity and drive economic prosperity. Thank you to all that participated and I look forward to continuing this important work.

3. Hispanic Canadian Heritage Council Visits Parliament Hill!

So glad to host the Hispanic Canadian Heritage Council visit to Parliament Hill in Ottawa this week!

Gracias to the school4civics program for your passion for Canadian politics, for attending Question Period, and asking your great questions to Minister Rodriguez, Minister Gould and me!

4. NATO Association of Canada Reception

It was fantastic to give remarks at the NATO Association of Canada reception on Parliament Hill - talking about the important work of the Canadian NATO Parliamentary Association, NATO PA in general, and my worries about a path to peace, the rise of misinformation/disinformation and the need for more efforts on non-nuclear proliferation.

It was great to hear former the Minister of Defense, the Honourable David Collenette and the Ambassador of Finland on Finland’s accession to the alliance. Thank you to all Parliamentarians and NATO-country ambassadors for attending this great event.

5. Leading NATO Parliamentary Delegation to Norway

As Chair of the Canada NATO Parliamentary Association, I attended the Spring Committee Meeting of NATO Parliamentary Assembly in Oslo, Norway.

At the meeting, I got the most recent updates on what is happening in Ukraine from the Speaker of the Verkovna Rada and from Ukrainian parliamentarians, and possible paths to peace.

We also heard from the Prime Minister of Norway on the anticipated addition of Sweden and Finland to NATO. We talked about non-nuclear proliferation, China, energy security, and defending the high-north. It was an amazing (and super quick) visit - and I loved Oslo!

6. Regal Heights Meeting

It was great to pop into the Regal Heights Residents Association meeting last Wednesday. Their key question to me was regarding the IPCC report and the continued climate action by the federal government.

As soon as the report came out, I asked a question to the Minister of Climate Change and Environment in the House of Commons: view it here.

As well, in response to Conservative questions on the Finance Committee about how expensive climate action is - here is my response and the exchange.

Our federal government is committed to climate actions and to meeting our 2030 and 2050 targets. I am a passionate climate activist and work hard to ensure we are moving as urgently and as aggressively as possible.

7. In the House: Question on Climate Change

I rose in the House to ask Minister of the Environment Steven Guilbeault about what our government is doing to fight climate change.

The science is clear, and the recent UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Report shows that humanity is continuing to warm our climate to dangerous levels. We need urgent climate action to limit the warming of our planet.

Watch my question to the Minister here.

8. Finance Committee: Green Finance

Last week, the Finance Committee met to discuss the current state and future of Green Finance.

Building a sustainable, green economy is key for Canada’s successful future and a sustainable, net zero financial system forms the backbone of that future.

I asked questions on how we can protect biodiversity and ecosystems, create an economic environment for green innovation, protect our environment through further economic measures, promote sustainable energy, and the new green bond market.

Watch my question on green bonds here.

9. Asas do Atlantico 50th Anniversary at Casa dos Acores

On March 18th Asas do Atlantico celebrated its historic 50th Anniversary!

A huge thank you to all the hard working volunteers who for 50 years have made this club a success and a space to promote Portuguese language, culture, and traditions.

Cheers to Asas do Atlantico, for the first 50 years and the next 50.

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