Foreign Interference, EV corridor and more for travellers!

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Julie Dzerowicz M.P.

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May 26, 2023, 5:39:54 PM5/26/23

Hello Davenport Friends and Neighbours,

This week saw the beginning of fun fairs, street festivals and parades. I had a lot of fun at the Regal Road Jr School Fun Fair - and it was great to say hello to so many parents and teachers.

The report by Special Rapporteur David Johnston was also released this week.

I am still digesting the full report but the key proposals from Mr. Johnston are as follows:

Not to hold a public inquiry on foreign interference, since most of the intelligence information cannot be made public due to its sensitivity.
Inviting leaders of the opposition to a meeting to relay the intelligence directly to them and to ensure a comprehensive understanding of the true facts.
Hold public hearings across Canada with diaspora communities who are targeted by interference to determine other steps that the federal government may need to take.
There is an urgent need to improve communication between security agencies and the federal government regarding foreign interference and threats to Canadians and Canadian democracy.

I believe that these are the right recommendations and if we followed them we would get to a strong game plan to tackle foreign interference and to protect all Canadians, with improved communication protocols between security agencies and Canadian political leadership.

But, given the current state of political discourse, distrust, and the level of misinformation and disinformation we may need to do more. I really liked the Emergency Bill inquiry process and am pondering if we should use that model to look at foreign interference … if only to fully regain public confidence about what has happened, and advance public support for the path forward.

This week was a constituency week, which means I was in the riding for most of the week. I love being home for any period of time as it gives me a chance to meet with constituents and directly hear from you. See the MP Report below for a list of some of the many meetings I had this week including with climate activists, Portuguese business leaders and arts leaders.

I also was very privileged to lead a Canadian Parliamentary Delegation (members from the Conservatives & NDP also attended) to Luxembourg for a NATO Parliamentary Assembly meeting with hundreds of other NATO parliamentarians. As Special Rapporteur for Food Security and Defence - I delivered a repor t. We also debated two resolutions that were adopted on ongoing support for Ukraine and on accelerating NATO’s adaptation at the Vilnius Summit. There was much debate to these two resolutions - especially re an accelerated path for Ukraine to become a NATO member after the war is over; and how to strengthen the NATO alliance and build our resiliency moving forward. I encourage you to read the unanimously approved resolutions. I also asked questions to the Prime Minister of Luxembourg and their Defence Minister, as well as I had a chance to also a sk the Deputy Secretary General of NATO a couple of questions.

Last week - on May 13 was the 70th Anniversary of the first boat of Portuguese migrants coming to Canada. The Portuguese Canadian community is now almost 500,000 strong and leaders in every sector of our economy and society. I gave a statement to pay tribute to them in the House of Commons.

I head back to Ottawa on Monday where there will be ongoing work on the federal budget 2023 and hopefully finally pass the new Federal Disability Act!

Enjoy the beautiful weather this weekend! It’s a true honour and pleasure to serve you!

My best regards,

Julie Dzerowicz
Member of Parliament, Davenport

Table of Contents

Top Three: Foreign Interference, EV corridor and more for travellers
Davenport MP Report: Fun fairs, NATO PA, Finance Filibuster and more
Links to the Latest Federal News Over the Last Two Weeks
Federal Funding Available for Davenport individuals and organizations (including Small Business supports!)

The Top Three

1. Public inquiry into foreign interference

In the past two weeks, my office has received several emails from Davenport residents, concerned with Chinese foreign interference in the elections of multiple levels of government.

The federal government will always defend our democracy and our sovereignty, and Canada will not tolerate any form of foreign interference in our internal affairs. I would say that this is a unanimous statement that would be made by all parliamentarians no matter what their political stripe!

In a May 23 public report by David Johnston, the independent special rapporteur on foreign interference appointed by the Prime Minister, he noted that there is no existing evidence to prove that the federal government failed to react to any information provided by intelligence. Therefore, our federal government did not deliberately welcome foreign interference into Canada. Johnston said that the problem lies in the ways that intelligence information is being transferred from security agencies to the government, requiring better organization.

Johnston’s report suggested that a full public inquiry is not an efficient way to evaluate foreign interference, and our Prime Minister agreed to follow this recommendation. The reasoning behind this, according to Johnston, is because the information he reviewed could not be shared with the public in any inquiry, due to its sensitive nature in terms of national security. However, Johnston plans to organize public hearings about the issues raised in his report.

Our federal government will continue to take prompt action to protect our democracy and uphold the confidence of Canadians in our democratic institutions. Already, in March 2023, the Prime Minister announced immediate measures to counter foreign interference, launching public consultations to guide the creation of a Foreign Influence Transparency Registry and investing $5.5 million to strengthen the capacity of civil society partners to oppose misinformation.

Click here to read Johnston’s report in full.

2. Climate Action - Accelerating to Net Zero

Davenport residents have been instrumental in pushing the federal government forward on Climate Action. I want to share my personal concern for the consequences of industrialization on our environment, as well as my utmost support of Canada’s steady movement towards an emission-free future by 2050.

On May 16^,2023, the Minister of Transport, Honourable Omar Alghabra, and the United States Secretary of Transportation, Peter Buttigieg, announced the first Canada and United States Alternative Fuel Corridor.
This corridor will ensure that electric (zero-emission) cars will be provided with a sufficient supply of charging stations along the US-Canadian border, by having charging stations for electric cars installed every 80 km (50 miles) and at least one Direct Current fast charger with Combined Charging System ports.

The corridor will run from Kalamazoo (Michigan) to Québec City, Québec (along I-94 highway through the tunnel in Detroit to the Canadian border, highway 401 through Toronto, highway 20 in Montréal and highway 40, through Québec City).

Encouraging the shift to electric vehicles will help decarbonize on-road transportation in the future, which is around 23 % of Canada’s total greenhouse gas emissions.

Another update came from the National Inventory Report (NIR) that was released by our federal government on April 14. Its data says that Canada decreased its greenhouse emissions in 2021 by 8.4% below the levels of 2005. Climate Action Network Canada (CAN) analyzed the report, confirming that Canada’s climate action is indeed effective.

Yes, it is a small victory, but every small step is important. In the long run, our federal government is determined to continue developing more effective and powerful legislation to slow down climate change.

3. Verified Travellers Program: moving Canadians faster through airports!

There was an announcement this week that gives all of us hope that airport congestion for travellers may soon be significantly reduced! On Tuesday, May 23, the Minister of Transport, Honourable Omar Alghabra, announced the introduction of the Verified Traveller Program by CATSA, which will replace the current Trusted Traveller Program by June 21, 2023.

The new program will provide a faster screening process for eligible travellers at participating airports (at select domestic and international checkpoints): Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Winnipeg, and Montreal-Trudeau International Airports, as well as Toronto-Pearson International Airport T1 and T3. These are airports that were officially announced, with more details to come!

Verified Travellers include:

Members of Nexus (learn more here) and Global Entry
Active members of the Canadian Armed Forces and US military, including reservists, with valid ID
Canadian aircrew and airport workers with Restricted Area ID card
International aircrew in uniform and with valid airline ID
RCMP officers, Canadian police officers, and constables with a badge and proper photo ID, issued by their organizations.

Verified travellers will be allowed to keep their laptops, large electronics, and compliant liquids, aerosols, and gels in their carry-on, as well as keeping their shoes, belts, and light jacket on them during screening. Several airports will offer front-of-the-line service to verified travellers through this new program.

Davenport MP Report

1. In Davenport: Regal Road Public School Spring Fair

Fun Fun Fun with families of Regal Road Public School this week at their Spring Fair!

Thanks to Principal Erika Lloyd, Parent-Teacher Council Chair Adam Miller and the amazing team of volunteers for putting together the first of the fun festivals this season.

2. In Davenport: Meeting with Environmental Activists

We are truly blessed in Davenport to have so many climate activists and people who not only think about climate action but are super engaged.

A true pleasure to meet with Moe, Yvonne, Sara and Mika to provide them an update on what the federal government is doing re climate change, answer their questions and work together on next steps.

3. In Davenport: Meeting with Hugh’s Room Live

For anyone who loves music and recognizes the importance of the arts for our mental, physical and social health - you are likely a fan of live music!

I met with Hugh’s Room Live Board Chair Brian Iler and Board Member Laura Fernandez to hear about how they are planning to open a new (and improved) Hugh’s Room in the east part of Toronto. I was happy to hear of their plans and to provide advice and support.

Thank you for your leadership and I look forward to an invitation on opening day!

4. In Davenport: Meeting with Portuguese Business Leader Victor Silva

Victor Silva is a business leader who came to my office to discuss how the Portuguese business community can work with the federal government to take advantage of business opportunities between Portugal and Canada as well as the EU and Canada.

We also spoke about how I can work with him to ensure the Portuguese business community is aware of all the business supports that exist.

5. In Davenport: Rawlinson Community School Visit

The leaders of today and tomorrow!!!! It was my great joy to meet with students at Rawlinson Community School on Thursday. I loved answering their many amazing and thoughtful and smart questions.

Thanks to everyone who facilitated this and the students who happily participated in my pop quiz!!

6. Parliamentary Leadership: NATO PA in Luxembourg

As the Chair of the Canada-NATO Parliamentary Association, it was a true honour to lead the Canadian Parliamentary delegation this past weekend at the NATO Parliamentary Assembly’s Spring Session in Luxembourg. I was joined in the delegation by Independent Senators and MPs from the Conservative and NDP parties.

Two declarations were adopted at the Session regarding support for Ukraine and the pathway to the Vilnius NATO Summit in July. These declarations provide a meaningful framework as we continue our support of the Ukrainian people against Russian aggression and build NATO’s defensive capacity on Europe’s eastern flank.

It was also an honour to be designated as Special Rapporteur and present a report on food security and defence. Food insecurity is a real threat to global stability, instigating conflict and threatening our collective peace and security. You can read my report Food Security & Conflict: Harvesting Resilience in the Face of Global Crisis here.

It was my pleasure to ask a question to the Prime Minister and the Minister of Defence of Luxembourg about defense spending and building resiliency to ensure each country pulls their own weight in the alliance. See my clip at 2 hours and 50 minutes into the video here .

I also asked the Deputy Secretary General about the need for a common narrative to counter the misinformation coming from countries like Russia and China. Beyond the 31 NATO countries, there are roughly only 50 countries overall that share our values and support the cause in Ukraine. This is the reason why we have to fight for the international rules based order, human rights, and our ability to define our own democracy.

The second question I asked the Deputy Secretary General was about the ongoing threat of nuclear weapons and what additional actions NATO needs to take to ensure arms control and prioritize nuclear non-proliferation. You can watch the clip at 1 hour and 44 minutes into the video here.

7. In Davenport: Multigenerational Tea at LA Centre with Bishop Marrocco

I was very pleased to be invited to the LA Centre Afternoon Tea. It was lovely to see that, as Canadians are recovering from the pandemic, our seniors have an outlet to socialize and engage with other members of the Davenport vibrant community.

I want to thank Flora Venezia who believes in the importance of bringing seniors and youth together for her leadership and vision in bringing together the multigenerational tea. The youth from Bishop Morocco were so impressive -they did everything: helping to serve, leading the entertainment and the dancing! A fun time was had by everyone!

I also had a chance to speak to all of the seniors and students in attendance. We spoke about issues top of mind to them such as dental care and support for youth and seniors from the federal government.

Thank you, LA Centre, for hosting this heartwarming event and for your friendly welcome!

8. FINA: Filibuster nonsense

Budget 2023 was introduced on March 28 with important measures for Canadians ranging from the Canada Dental Care Plan, a family grocery rebate, and unprecedented investments in initiatives aimed at promoting Green Growth.

The Budget Implementation Act (BIA), which is the legislation that implements the key priorities of the budget, is now being studied in the Finance Committee before being sent back to the House of Commons for final debate.

The Conservatives have been using every trick in the book to delay this process. Through an extensive and embarrassing Conservative filibuster, the committee has been unable to hear from witnesses and government officials on the Budget implementation Act.

Here are the key points to note:

There has been no attempt by Liberal members to not hear witnesses and no attempt to block the issues and concerns raised by Members of the committee
Because of the Conservative-led filibuster, we are not able to hear from the different committee members on the recommendations they have on the BIA
The Conservatives indicated they had invited the Deputy Prime Minister to our Finance Committee many times. It is important to note that the Minister has come before the committee on at least four separate occasions over the last year and a half and it is simply not possible for a Minister to accept every invitation (on our committee or on any committee)
Lastly, on Ministerial accountability, the Minister testified at committee for almost two hours and responded to every question.

Conservatives continue to obstruct and delay the passage of the Budget Implementation Act in the Finance committee.

We will continue working hard to see the Budget through so that we can get more health care to Canadians, fund dental care, implement clean economy tax incentives and ensure more affordability measures to provide targeted financial support to Canadians who are most in need.

9. FINA: Question to Deputy Prime Minister Freeland

As the Minister of Finance, Deputy Prime Minister Freeland appeared at the committee on May 16 to answer questions from Members and testify to the key components of the Bill.

Despite over 20 hours of Conservative filibuster and procedural games, it was a privilege to ask a question to Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland on the clean economy, the substantial investments via green tax credits, and meeting our net-zero target by 2050.

History will show that this is the budget that really kicked Canada’s green industrial transition into high gear under a worker-led agenda. Our government has put forward a $120 billion dollar green industrial policy that will accelerate our work on reducing Canada’s emissions and create a lot of great jobs.

Minister Freeland noted that with this budget, Standard & Poor reiterated their AAA rating with a stable outlook for the future – an important proof point. TD Bank and Rystad Energy, a highly respected energy analytical firm, also came out with a judgement that Canada is now totally competitive as an investment destination for the clean economy.

Thank you Minister Freeland for joining us at committee and your outstanding work supporting Canada’s green transition!

10. In the House: Legislation Bill S-233 and Private Member Motion M-84

I was happy to see that Bill S-233, a National Framework for a Guaranteed Liveable Basic Income Act introduced by Senator Kim Pate in the Senate, passed second reading in the red chamber.

This Bill builds on the important work of myself and my colleagues to establish a Canada-wide framework for guaranteed basic income.

I was excited to jointly second Private Member Motion M-84, pushing the government to use all legislative and regulatory tools at its disposal to align Canada’s financial system with the Paris Agreement. Canada's financial system has the power to be a driving force in our fight against climate change. By redirecting investments towards clean and sustainable initiatives, we can unleash the full potential of our economy while safeguarding our planet.

11. In the House: Meeting Ambassador of Spain

I was delighted to meet with Spanish Ambassador to Canada Alfredo Martínez Serrano to discuss the deep and growing bilateral relations between our two countries.

We had a wide-ranging discussion with a focus on trade, renewable energy, cultural exchanges, education, and my participation at the NATO Parliamentary Assembly. I conveyed my eagerness to further strengthen trade between our two countries and learned more about Spain's impressive renewable energy initiatives.

Thank you Ambassador for a very warm and fruitful discussion.

12. In Davenport: 70 years of Portuguese Immigration to Canada

It was a pleasure to rise in the House to acknowledge and celebrate this important milestone for the Portuguese community. As Davenport is the largest Portuguese community in the country, I always make sure to honour and celebrate their big milestones.

It was also very special to join the Portuguese community at Toronto City Hall to celebrate the 70th Anniversary of Portuguese Immigration to Canada. The event was truly a fun-filled afternoon that showcased the vibrant sounds of Portuguese music and folklore, accompanied by an array of vendors serving up delicious Portuguese delicacies.

It was especially moving to meet 1953 pioneer Antonio da Silva and wonderful to see again the Secretary of State for Portuguese Communities Paulo Cafôfo, Ambassador Antonio Leao Rocha, and other deputados from Portugal.

All of the events organized benefited the Magellan Community Foundation and a much overdue project—building a long-term care home for Portuguese speaking seniors in Ontario.

Thank you again to the entire organizing committee of Portuguese Canadian leaders for their hard work organizing this incredible program to honour our Portuguese-Canadian Pioneers.

Parabens to the community and here’s to a successful next 70 years!