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Davenport friends and neighbours:
I love Christmas!
And so, now that the House has risen for the year I will be in Toronto for 6 weeks and will be taking some time off over the next two weeks.
We have perfect weather for Santa, so I am glad that the The Minister of Transport has cleared Santa and his reindeer for take-off in Canadian airspace. Hurrah!
The three things that are top of mind for me are the continued high cost of living, the
Ford government’s plan to redevelop parts of the greenbelt (I am furious), and health care!
Regarding the cost of living - over 100,000 children are already benefiting from the Canada Dental Benefit.
And by Jan 1, Ontarians who use child care will see a reduction of fees by 50%!! So many of you have told me that the national child care program is a life saver; the federal
government is paying 98% of all the costs for the program in Canada. More below … including other ways that the federal government is supporting Davenport residents (and all Canadians) during this difficult time.
Regarding the Greenbelt re-development. The Ford government is ignoring facts, evidence, and what Ontarians are telling them; nevermind that Ford broke his promise to not develop the Greenbelt.
It is an ecosystem that cannot be cut-up. And the 50,000 additional units will barely make a dent into the over one million new homes that are needed in Ontario.
At a time when the world is working to better protect our biodiversity (hello COP15!), Doug Ford is moving in the opposite direction. The actions of the Ford provincial government are unacceptable and reprehensible. I will be in touch with the Minister of
Environment to ask if federal assessment rules can apply to the proposed Greenbelt development.
This is my final federal update for the year - my full-time team and I will be off for the next two weeks for a much needed break. I have two super-star part time staffers who will be listening to messages daily and ensuring that anything urgent is addressed
and responded to. If you have an urgent
issue or an emergency immigration issue please call
my Toronto office at 416 854 8048 and leave your full name, telephone number, email address and details of the issue.
It is truly the honour and pleasure of my life to serve you Davenport. Wishing you and your families a wonderful Christmas, Hanukkah, Holidays and all the best in 2023!
Warmest regards,
Julie
Julie Dzerowicz
Member of Parliament, Davenport
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We know that Davenport residents and Canadians are struggling right now with the rising cost of living. Our federal government has put together a number of targeted supports and as of December Davenport families will see their
child care fees cut in half - resulting in
average savings of $6,000 a year!
The Canada-Wide Early Learning and Childcare Program allows for more families to take advantage of early learning, making a positive difference in the lives of so many. Both parents now have
the opportunity to have careers of their choosing without the financial burden of child care. I am so proud of the federal government’s action in enacting this life-changing program.
The Canada Child Benefit is another example of legislation that is putting money back in the pockets of families.
Over 100,000 children have already received the benefit since it opened on December 1.
Davenport parents and caregivers, if you haven’t already, I urge you to apply for this benefit. Households with an income of $90,000 and less can receive up to $1,300 for children under 12 over the next two years. This funding is retroactive and can cover eligible
expenses incurred from October 1, 2022.
If you do not apply for this benefit you will not receive it …. so
APPLY NOW!
After 13 days of negotiations at the largest ever conference for biodiversity conservation, parties at COP15 in Montréal agreed on a historic global framework to safeguard nature and halt and reverse biodiversity loss, putting nature on a path to recovery by
2050.
The Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Minister responsible for Parks Canada, worked tirelessly with international colleagues on the Kunming-Montréal Global Biodiversity Framework. Among Canada’s main goals were protecting
30% of lands and waters by 2030, respecting the rights and roles of Indigenous peoples, and addressing the key drivers of biodiversity loss, such as pollution and overexploitation of nature. These elements were agreed upon in the final Framework.
More big news on the environment this week with six types of single-use plastics being
banned for import or manufacturing in Canada. This includes: plastic straws, checkout bags, cutlery, stir sticks, and hard-to-recycle food service
ware. Over the next decade this will cut the equivalent of over a million garbage bags full of plastic. A truly historic step in Canada’s fight to beat plastic pollution.
The ban on the manufacture and import of ring carriers will go into force in June 2023. The sale of single-use plastics will be
prohibited as of December 2023 to allow businesses in Canada enough time to transition and to deplete their existing stocks. The
export of plastics in these categories will be
prohibited by the end of 2025.
There is so much more we need to do on the environment, but in the meantime, a year in review - our top climate action accomplishments:
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Delivered Canada’s first
National Emissions Reduction Plan
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Launched Canada’s first-ever
National Adaptation Strategy
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Advanced
regulations on oil and gas sector, methane, clean fuel standard
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Strengthened our
pollution pricing system nationally
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Made big strides on the
electric vehicle supply chain – regulations coming by the end of the year, major partnerships with carmakers
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Brought into place the
ban on harmful single use plastics – came into effect on December 20
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Introduced Bill S-5, Canadian Environmental Protection’s Act (CEPA)
– See its progress
here.
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Hosted a successful
COP15 in Montreal.
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Undertook the
greatest conservation campaign in Canada’s history supporting hundreds of projects from coast-to-coast-to-coast
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Announced
new protected areas across the country, with provinces and indigenous partners, making progress towards 30X30
Our federal government has been working hard in order to decrease the backlogs caused by COVID-19 and
modernize our immigration systems. All of these measures have led to a record-breaking year for immigration applications, despite the unprecedented volume of people seeking to come to Canada and the pressures of responding to global crises.
We have reduced our overall inventory by half a million applications, and have processed nearly twice as many applications as last year. Some key highlights:
Permanent Residence
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On track to welcoming a record number of newcomers
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Cleared 99% of PR card renewal backlog
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Spousal sponsorship down to 12-month service standard
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Express Entry down to 6-month service standard
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4.2% Francophone PRs outside QC
Temporary Residence
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Study permits back to 60-day service standard, with 593K processed Jan-Oct 2022 compared to 455K processed Jan-Oct 2021
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Work permits down to 94 days from 192 days in July, and expected to be back to 60-day service standard in February; already back to 60 days in certain markets such as India
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Overall TRV inventory is down 18%, and we are setting a record in productivity, with 260K TRVs processed in Nov 2022 compared to 180K TRVs processed per month in 2019
Citizenship
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Back to the 12-month service standard, down from 24 months
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Over 30K new citizens per month compared to 20K per month in 2021
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On track to welcome a historic number of new citizens in one year, with over 300K expected by the end of this fiscal year
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Many Davenport residents have been writing to me regarding the expanded eligibility in the Medical Assistance In Dying (MAID) legislation and I wanted to provide a quick update.
On December 15th, the Honourable David Lametti, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, announced that he will be introducing legislation to delay the expansion of MAID’s prospective implementation date of March 17, 2023. This will give our federal
government more time to consult with health experts and the Special Joint Committee on MAID to ensure that the process has proper safeguards in place.
The federal government plans to continue to listen to the experts, including those at the front lines of our healthcare system, respect fundamental freedoms of individuals to make their own life choices, and put the safety and security of our most vulnerable
people at the forefront of our actions. This has been our approach since the implementation of MAID in 2015 and will continue to be our approach moving forward.
The Expert Panel on MAID and Mental Illness’ report is currently being carefully reviewed by our federal government.
The report focuses on the concerns that arise in cases where mental illness is the sole underlying condition of a person requesting MAID. Notably, the Panel does not call for more changes to the legislative framework,
but instead indicates the current system of safeguards, when interpreted and applied as the Panel recommends, provides sufficient protections for vulnerable individuals.
There is also a current parliamentary review being completed by the Special Joint Committee on MAID. This will inquire into the criminal code provisions on MAID and its proper applications. The Committee will produce a report covering specific issues such as:
requests for MAID by mature minors, advance requests, requests by persons with mental illness as a sole underlying condition, palliative care, and the protection of Canadians living with disabilities. The Special Joint Committee on MAID has a very important
job ahead of it and you can be assured that their report will be based on evidence and the testimony of experts. This report is set to be completed by February 2023.
Pre-Budget Consultations 2023 have launched! Our federal government is inviting all Canadians to share their ideas as part of pre-budget consultations on how to best support Canadians, Canadian businesses, and the Canadian economy.
With the Canadian economy facing global headwinds and Canadians contending with the impacts of global inflation and elevated interest rates, the suggestions received from Canadians will inform measures and investments in Budget 2023 that will help build an
economy that works for everyone.
You can participate by sharing your ideas at LetsTalkBudget2023.ca or by uploading a submission
here. You have until February 10, 2023 to participate so go go go!
Last week in the House we honoured the life and service of one of my colleagues, the Honourable Jim Carr, who passed on December 12. Jim proudly served his community of Winnipeg South Centre, was a tireless advocate for the Prairies and an outstanding Parliamentarian
who pushed for positive change. His service and impact will forever be remembered.
My sincere condolences to his family, friends, and all who had the chance to work with him.
Enjoyed a wonderful holiday lunch with seniors at JJ Piccinnini. Lovely to see so many joyful faces radiating with holiday cheer.
Stopped by to address the congregation at the Dawah Centre after their Friday prayer. So great to see so many friendly faces and catch up on the latest!
My sincerest gratitude to all Davenport friends and neighbours who brought donations to my annual holiday party (and to my office!) for The Stop food bank.
It is truly heartwarming to see such generosity in our community at Christmas and throughout the year.
Affordability is top of mind for everyone in Canada right now. That is why we are delivering on our plan to help families cope with increasing costs, make housing more affordable, and strengthen and build a thriving net-zero economy. We’re:
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Permanently eliminating interest on Canada Student Loans and Canada Apprentice Loans
to reduce the burden of student loans on young Canadians.
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Helping young Canadians afford a down payment faster with the new Tax-Free First Home Savings Account,
which will allow prospective first-time home buyers to save up to $40,000 tax-free toward their first home starting in mid-2023.
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Doubling the First-Time Home Buyers’ Tax Credit to provide up to $1,500
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Helping families with a new, refundable
Multigenerational Home Renovation Tax Credit of up to $7,500 so they can afford to have a grandparent or a family member with a disability move back in if they want to, starting January
1, 2023.
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Taxing profits from house flipping if the property is held for less
than 12 months, starting in 2023, with certain exceptions for unexpected life events (e.g. death, divorce).
And this is on top of already:
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Doubling the GST tax credit for six months
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Delivering a $500 payment to help low-income renters
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Increasing the Canada Workers Benefit to put up to $2,400 in the pockets of low-income families
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Permanently increasing OAS payments for seniors over 75
We will continue to be there to support Canadians when and where they need it most.
If you are wondering about what help your Federal Member of Parliament can provide to your specific needs, please review my November newsletter about all the federal resources available in Davenport
here.
Please don't hesitate to get in touch with me and my awesome team!
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