Supporting passenger complaints, foreign interference, federal budget date and more money for housing!

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Julie Dzerowicz M.P.

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Mar 17, 2023, 9:17:14 PM3/17/23

Hello Davenport Friends and Neighbours,

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Earlier today, at the Comedy Bar on Bloor St, I announced $500,000 for the Just for Laughs Toronto Festival from the FedDev Canada Community Revitalization Fund. Anytime any level of government steps up to fund Canadian talent and support local small businesses - it is a good day. I am so grateful to venues like the Comedy Bar who heroically showcase amazing talent despite the enormous challenges of running a business today.

The Prime Minister today also announced $4 billion more dollars for housing - via the Housing Accelerator fund. Cities can apply for this funding in order to help them accelerate building more affordable housing and housing that is affordable in general - faster. This is great news and much needed funding - now we need to get going on building more, and faster.

Foreign interference is also on my mind. A few things for you to note: former governor general (and the principal of my university!) D avid Johnston is the special rapporteur who will make a determination of what more Canada needs to do to fend off foreign interference in our elections.

We already have two committees, one specifically enacted just prior to the 2019 election to monitor foreign interference during elections and empowered to take action. This committee is composed of senior government officials. The other is a national security committee composed of members of all parties and both houses (i.e MPs and senators) that is charged with studying all national security issues. More information below.

I encourage everyone interested in this issue to please read multiple sources to get the full story. Most of the “leaks” are unverified and from unnamed sources.

While I do believe there have been many foreign interference attempts on our federal elections, I do not believe that they have interfered to the extent that they have influenced the outcome. The allegations made from the leader of the opposition are ridiculous and unsubstantiated.

The Minister of Finance has announced that the Federal Budget 2023 will be tabled on Tuesday March 28 at 4pm. I will be hosting a Zoom Davenport Federal Budget Debrief, to discuss key parts of the budget and its impact on Davenport, on Thursday March 30 at 5pm. S ign up here if you’d like to participate.

Greenbelt and the Ford government’s proposed development - please read my public letter to Environment and Climate Change Minister Guilbeault and my request to use every tool at the federal level to not allow any development to happen.

I was happy to see that the Hon. Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Health is speaking to the provinces to tackle any creeping in of private care and additional costs to Canadians.

Finally, the cost of living continues to be top of mind for all Davenport residents. Please make sure you familiarize yourself with existing support programs: Dental Care Benefit for children 12 and under; Housing Benefit; and the Y Mind is a free, seven-week mental wellness group program offered at the YMCA for teens (ages 13-18) and youth (ages 18-30) who are experiencing symptoms of mild-to-moderate anxiety or stress.

So much more to tell you - but the fastest way to learn of federal government announcements over the last two weeks is to go to the “Links to other important federal news & announcements” section below.

Have a great weekend Davenport. As always, it is a true honour and pleasure to serve you.

My very best regards,

Julie Dzerowicz
Member of Parliament, Davenport

Table of Contents

The Top Three: Funding to process traveler complaints; Foreign Interference, Cost of Living Supports
Davenport MP Report: Work I am doing on your behalf
Links to other important Federal News & Announcements
Davenport Federal Funding Available (including Small Business supports!)

The Top Three

1. Funding to Process Traveler Complaints

Many Davenport residents have reached out to express their grievances with airlines.

Our federal government has implemented strong passenger rights: the Air Passenger Protection Regulations were Canada’s first ever air passenger rights requirements. These regulations were implemented in 2019 to clarify minimum requirements and compensation based on whether an airline has control over disruptions or not. These measures were strengthened over the pandemic to include refund requirements for flight cancellations or lengthy delays outside of an air carrier’s control.

This week - in order to address the long backlog of air passenger complaints, the Minister of Transportation, the Hon Omar Alghabra announced an additional $75.9 million over three years to ensure the Canadian Transportation Agency has the resources it needs to urgently address passenger complaints and to bolster their operations ongoing.

2. Update on Foreign Interference in Canada

Our democracy must be protected. Any attack, attempted attack, or foreign interference on our democracy is unacceptable and something Canada takes very seriously.

Since 2015 we have taken action to protect our democratic institutions and electoral process from foreign interference:

Closed fundraising loopholes to keep foreign money out of our elections;
put tighter controls on advertising and online platforms to prevent malicious “dark advertising”;
ensured the integrity of the voters list, by ensuring that only Canadian citizens can register and vote;
tasked national security agencies to address threats to our electoral system; and
created an independent and impartial panel to address threats to the integrity of our elections

This impartial panel was set up prior to the 2019 election. It is composed of five senior government officials and set up to monitor if there is any interference in our elections.

More recently, in light of the latest foreign interference allegations, the federal government has announced further measures against foreign interference to ensure that Canadians has a full accounting of any interference and continue to have trust in our institutions.

The House of Commons PROC Committee is studying the issue of foreign interference in Canadian elections which have yet to come to a vote.

There are a lot of unsubstantiated allegations from unknown sources.

“As I said last fall, as the national security and intelligence adviser stated, we have no information on federal candidates receiving money from China. That continues to be the case," said Trudeau in response during Question Period.

Earlier this week, March 15, Prime Minister Trudeau appointed former Governor General David Johnston as special rapporteur on foreign interference.

"Canadians need to have confidence in our electoral system, and in our democracy," Trudeau said. "I am confident that he will conduct an impartial review to ensure all necessary steps are being taken to keep our democracy safe and uphold and strengthen confidence in it.”

Actions we have taken include:

National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians (NSICOP) will review foreign interference attempts that occurred in our elections (est. 2018)
Launched public consultations to guide the creation of a Foreign Influence Transparency Registry; (new)
Established a new National Counter Foreign Interference Coordinator to coordinate efforts to combat foreign interference (new)
Invested $5.5 million to strengthen the capacity of civil society partners to counter disinformation.

3. Federal Supports for High Cost of Living

Davenport friends and neighbours, I know how we are all worried about the higher costs of living, and how it is impacting our lives.

Our federal government is delivering support to our most vulnerable:

Canada Housing Benefit top-up
We have introduced the Canada Housing Benefit Top-Up which will help nearly 2 million renters.

To be eligible for the one-time tax-free payment of $500 you must:

Have your principal residence in Canada
Be a resident of Canada in 2022 for tax purposes
Filed your 2021 income tax return
Have an adjusted family net income of $35,000 or less for families or $20,000 or less for individuals
Paid rent equal to at least of 30% of you adjusted family net income in 2022

APPLY HERE before March 31, 2023 to access this benefit.

Canada Dental Benefit
200,000 children across Canada have benefitted from the Canada Dental Benefit, but only 400 Davenport residents have accessed this support.

I want to encourage all eligible Davenport families to apply for this benefit!

It’s easy to apply and most reimbursements come via direct deposit in the matter of days.

Parents and guardians are eligible to apply if they have a household income of less than $90,000 per year and the child receiving dental care is under 12 years old with no access to a private dental insurance plan.

Criteria:

your 2021 income taxes must be filed with the Canada Revenue Agency.
you must also receive the Canada Child Benefit.
Using your CRA My Account is the fastest way to apply for this benefit.
Direct deposit is the fastest way to receive the payments, however if you prefer a cheque, that option is available.

APPLY HERE before June 30, 2023 to access this benefit.

YMCA Youth Mental Health Support ‘Y Mind’

There are free supports available for youth struggling with their mental health in our community.

Local YMCA’s (yes including the one at Dovercourt and College) provide youth mental health support through their Y Mind program, funded by the federal government. Y Mind is a free, seven-week mental wellness group program available for teens (ages 13-18) and youth (ages 18-30) who are experiencing symptoms of mild-to-moderate anxiety or stress.

Davenport MP Report

1. “Just for Laughs” Toronto Festival - $500,000 Funding

I had a laugh with “Just For Laughs” Toronto while announcing $500,000 of funding from the Government of Canada at a Davenport treasure the Comedy Club. Thanks to Gary for hosting and thanks to Oz Weaver Festival Director for coming to the coolest riding in the city!!!

In addition to supporting the overall program, the funding also helped create the Just For Laughs Toronto Street Festival which spanned 100,000 square feet within the downtown core and provided 35 hours of free programming over a six day period showcasing local, national and international talent.

I look forward to the 2023 Just For Laughs Toronto Festival!

2. Visiting the Amazing Talent at United Contemporary Gallery

Stopped by United Contemporary Gallery to see their current exhibit showcasing talented artists Kachelle Knowles and Gordon Shadrach's 'When the Bread They Have Cast on the Waters Comes Floating Back'.

Thank you to Burke Paterson Gallery Founder and Creative Director (and Sally!) for giving me a personal tour.

This exhibit is open until March 25 - learn more here.

3. Sticking Together - Breast Cancer Research Fundraiser

OMG … a packed house!!!! I loved attending the Sticking Together Fundraiser organised by the amazing LInda Correia and Casa do Poveiros. Thanks to all the amazing Portuguese women and leaders who raised money and made it such a fun and special night! And thank you for raising so much money for breast cancer research.

To all Davenport - please make sure you are following best practices to breast health.

4. Celebrating International Women’s Day with St. Mary Catholic Academy

I always love visiting the schools in Davenport and having a chance to answer their questions.

Last week, I had the chance to celebrate International Women’s Day with the Grade 9 students of St. Mary Catholic Academy. We discussed the importance of International Women’s Day, how the federal government is and will continue to promote equity, diversity, and opportunity for women regardless of their race, religion, sexual orientation, or ability.

We also discussed building an equity-based future for Canada where everyone is allowed to thrive and achieve their potential.

5. Toronto Police 11 Division Visit

Keeping our community and its people safe has been one of my top priorities throughout my time as your MP.

Last week, I had the pleasure of meeting District Superintendent Kelly Skinner, Staff Sergeant Chris McCann and Sergeant Kathy McMahon to discuss how we can continue to build safer communities for everyone in our riding.

6. Toronto Sketch Comedy Festival Opening Night

On March 9th, I had the great pleasure of attending the opening night of the 18th annual Toronto Sketch Comedy Festival at the Theatre Centre!!!

I was able to catch up with Executive Director Paul Snepsts on the evolution of the festival over the years & how the $72,000 of funding from the federal government has helped them expand to 50 performances over 10 days.

Thanks for a great night of laughs all around! Check out a performance before it is too late as the festival ends on March 19!

7. Address to Parliament: Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission

From March 6-8th, Canada had the honour to host President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen.

It was symbolic that as the first female President of the European Commission, her address to Parliament was on the eve of International Women’s Day. I was especially moved by her comments on Canada’s commitment to Ukraine:

“I cannot overstate this: Canada has saved Ukraine … Canada's response to the war in Ukraine has gone above and beyond the call of duty. Everything we did for Ukraine, we did together. Because we believe that Ukraine and the values that it strives for must prevail in this war.”

I was also able to meet her personally and thank her for her extraordinary leadership. I am such a BIG fan!!!

Click here to read her full address.

8. In the House: Tribute to Peter Herrndorf

It was my pleasure to rise in the House to pay tribute and to honour the life of Peter Herrndorf, a giant in the Canadian arts and culture community and a beloved leader.

Peter spent a lifetime devoted to nurturing our artists, journalists, storytellers and administrators to tell the story of Canada.

Among his many accomplishments, he was instrumental in creating the Journal at the CBC, the Agenda at TVO and during his 19-year tenure as president & CEO of the National Arts Centre.

He also developed the NAC Indigenous Theatre, the first National indigenous theatre department in the world.

He will be deeply missed, but his contributions have left a lasting legacy and have inspired a new generation of Canadian artists and talent.

Click here to see my statement in the House to honour Peter Herrndorf.

9. 36th Portugal Week 2023 Anniversary Gala & ACAPO Member Scholarship

I enjoyed attending the 36th Portugal Week 2023 Anniversary Gala & ACAPO Membership Scholarship Dinner.

The Gala was a celebration of Portuguese culture and a demonstration of the successes of our Luso-Canadian citizens and youth.

Thank you to LIUNA 183 for hosting the Gala, and to local Portuguese leaders for organizing such a great event.