Terry Duguid

Mr. Speaker, female genital mutilation is an abhorrent and unacceptable practice, and it is against the law. Canada has and will continue to make efforts to prevent and address FGM, and through our gender-based violence strategy, front-line service providers will have the resources to better respond to the needs of survivors of gender-based violence, including survivors of female genital mutilation. Our government will always defend and promote women's and girls' rights at home and globally.

Mr. Speaker, our government recognizes the hard work of seniors who helped build our country. They deserve to retire in dignity.It is why we restored the age of eligibility of OAS and GIS to 65 from 67, a very wrong-headed move by the previous government. We have raised the guaranteed income supplement for 900,000 low-income seniors, and invested over $200 million in senior housing.Make no mistake, our government is there for seniors, now and tomorrow.

Madam Speaker, I want to thank my colleague from Mississauga—Streetsville for his advocacy.During the 16 days of activism against gender-based violence, we reflect on the causes and costs of gender-based violence. This year's theme, “my actions matter”, is a call to action to take concrete steps, to recognize, to call out, and to speak up against acts of gender-based violence.We are proud to partner with the CFL to promote anti-violence measures at the 105th Grey Cup right here in Ottawa. I encourage everyone to join them and take a pledge to end gender-based violence.

Mr. Speaker, again, we will be working with the provinces, territories, and indigenous communities to introduce an early learning and child care framework. I would point out to the hon. member that we will also be introducing the Canada child benefit that would benefit nine out of ten families, more than the Conservative plan, putting the money in the hands of families and lifting many more children out of poverty.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Vimy for that question.Eliminating gender-based violence is critical to allowing women and girls to reach their full potential, and to achieving gender equality. It is also why we are working to empower women in all aspects of Canadian life. That is why our government is pleased to announce $5 million for projects to empower indigenous women to be leaders in their communities in order to address issues that affect them or hinder their advancement.

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the question from the hon. member, who I met for the first time this morning in the elevator.I would just repeat what I said before. Our government has committed to $20 billion over the next 10 years in social infrastructure. A major element of that will be housing and the renewal of housing agreements, as has been mentioned.We will be announcing details of our housing program in the coming days, and I look forward to the member's future interventions.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the hon. member for Don Valley East for her tireless advocacy.Promoting gender equality is not only the right thing to do, but the smart thing to do for our economy and the middle class. However, we need governments with more women representation if gender equality is to be truly achieved. That is why this week the Minister of Status of Women announced that we are investing $3.8 million to further the great work of the Daughters of the Vote program.Our government is proud to support this important project that empowers young women to seek public office and helps build a more representative democracy for everyone.

Mr. Speaker, I think the hon. member will agree, Canada needs to make smart decisions and sound investments today to ensure that Canadians have access to good, well-paying jobs tomorrow. We are moving ahead with making those necessary investments that will grow our economy.As the hon. parliamentary secretary has said many times in the House, we have lowered taxes for nine million Canadians. We introduced the Canadian child benefit; nine out of ten families will benefit. We have improved employment insurance. We are increasing our investments in skills and training. Make no mistake, our government is focused on its plan to strengthen the middle class and improve growth to help the Canadian economy.

Madam Speaker, I appreciate my colleague from Nickel Belt's commitment to gender equality. It is an absolute honour to serve as the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Status of Women. We know how important it is to engage men and boys in the advancement of gender equality to help create cultural change. Gender equality is not only a women's issue; it is a societal issue. As our Prime Minister has said, feminists come in all genders. Again, I am honoured to have the opportunity to be part of this important work.

Mr. Speaker, like the hon. member, we are concerned about homelessness in our country, and that is why in budget 2016 we announced an additional $112 million for the homelessness partnering strategy over two years. This was a 50% increase, the first increase since 1999. Our social development minister recently met with provincial and territorial ministers, and homelessness will be a front and centre issue as we develop a national housing strategy.

Mr. Speaker, our government understands that a strong and vibrant women's movement across Canada is essential to supporting the middle class and those working hard to join it. Women's organizations must have the capacity and resources to do their good work. That is why, after 10 years of being undermined by the Harper government, we launched the capacity-building funds stemming from budget 2018, an investment of $100 million over five years to increase organizational and sector capacity. The women's movement across the country has asked for a reliable, predictable and accessible source of funds—

Mr. Speaker, budget 2017 is a historic first, not only for women but for all Canadians. In the budget one sees $7 billion for child care; a staggering $11 billion for affordable housing, as the parliamentary secretary has mentioned; $100 million for a gender-based violence strategy; better EI parental benefits; and of course EI caregiving benefits as well. There are so many more that I do not have time to list them.When we make gender—

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the member for Scarborough Centre for her question and her advocacy.Women Deliver is not just a conference; it is a movement to advance gender equality worldwide. It brings together thousands of people from across the globe to find solutions to the barriers still faced by women, girls and gender-diverse people everywhere. While we celebrate the progress that has been achieved, we are reminded daily, even in Canada, that women's rights are at risk. Women Deliver will leave a legacy that will empower women and create lasting change that benefits everyone.

Mr. Speaker, as this is the first time I rise in the House, I want to thank the good people of Winnipeg South for placing their confidence in me and assure them that I will work hard every day to earn that trust.I appreciate the question from the hon. minister.

Mr. Speaker, once again, there is very good news for gender equality and the sustainability of the women's movement. The new partnerships with the Community Foundations of Canada, the Canadian Women's Foundation and Grand Challenges Canada will bring funding to women's organizations to a level never reached before. Women's groups know first-hand how a decade of being underfunded and undermined by a government can roll back equality rights, but we are standing with them. I want to thank the hon. member for Long Range Mountains for her great advocacy.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the hon. member for Oakville North—Burlington for the question, and for her leadership on gender equality. I was pleased to join the Minister of Status of Women this morning as she announced our government's strategy to prevent and address gender-based violence. Our strategy is based on prevention, support for survivors and their families, and promoting responsive legal and justice systems. Our approach will build a solid foundation for action.It is time for Canada's strategy to prevent and address gender-based violence.

Mr. Speaker, through budget 2016, the government announced changes to improve employment insurance so that more Canadians could get the help they need when they need it.Our government is committed to improving EI. This includes making compassionate care benefits more flexible and more inclusive for those who provide care for seriously ill family members and providing more flexibility in parental benefits and leave.As the hon. member knows, we are involved in consultations with provinces, territories, and other stakeholders, in the coming weeks in order to modernize employment insurance.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the member for Scarborough—Agincourt for her question and for her tireless advocacy.Our government is focused on gender equality and economic security by creating the Canada child benefit, by creating 40,000 child care spaces, by supporting women in STEM and in the skilled trades and by ensuring equal pay for work of equal value.With one million jobs and historically low unemployment, Canadians see real progress towards gender equality and economic security for the women of Canada.

Mr. Speaker, I would remind the hon. member that we have taken bold action to strengthen the economy through historic infrastructure investments and support for families. This is the right time to invest and stimulate growth for the middle class. I would remind the hon. member that employment in the last month increased by 10,700, over 180,000 jobs in the last year. The unemployment rate has also decreased to 6.8%, good news for our economy. Be assured that our government's plan is to put people first and ensure that Canadians have access to the good, well-paying jobs of tomorrow.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the hon. member for Toronto—Danforth for the question and for her passion on this issue. There are a number of historic measures we have already taken to reduce poverty. To name a couple, we have introduced the Canada child benefit, benefiting nine out of ten Canadian families and lifting hundreds of thousands of children out of poverty. There will be an increase in the GIS for low-income seniors, benefiting 900,000 seniors to ensure that they can retire in dignity. This is why we will be working with the provinces and territories and indigenous communities to develop a national—

Madam Speaker, I am pleased to report that the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development is leading the Canadian delegation in Quito, Ecuador, for the United Nations Habitat III conference. We are there to ensure the new urban agenda is people-centric, respects diversity, and values the inclusion of unrepresented groups. Canada's new approach to housing is being applauded around the world and we are so proud to be part of the international community at UN Habitat III.Canada is back.

Mr. Speaker, we know that when we invest in women, we strengthen the economy for everyone. That is why we are making Status of Women Canada a full department; why we have invested $40 billion in a national housing strategy, 25% of which will go toward women and their families; dedicated $7.5 billion for child care; created a new parental sharing benefit; and are supporting women entrepreneurs and women in the trades. Investing in gender equality is not only the right thing to do, it is the smart thing to do.

Madam Speaker, we are making gender equality a key priority, because our government understands that we simply cannot move forward when half of us are held back. W7 delegates have an important responsibility to have their voices heard and to represent women globally. Women have been at the forefront of innovative solutions to some of the world's greatest challenges, and the W7 represents an opportunity for global leadership, which we are demonstrating.

Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to ensuring that all women and girls can live free from violence. This is why we are investing $100.9 million in a strategy to prevent and address gender-based violence. The strategy we released today is based on prevention, support for survivors and their families, and promoting responsive legal and justice systems; and it will build a solid foundation for action and fill important gaps in support for survivors of gender-based violence. Today was a very good day in the fight against gender-based violence.

In our platform, we committed to work with provinces, territories, and indigenous communities to create a national early learning and child care framework in order to provide quality, affordable, flexible child care for those who need it.We will be making more announcements in the coming days. I appreciate the member's question.

Madam Speaker, yesterday I attended the G7 Gender Equality Advisory Council, chaired by Melinda Gates. Feminist leaders from all over the world were praising Canada's record on gender equality. I would just remind the hon. member of budget 2018, where we made gender equality a priority. We have taken leadership to address the gender wage gap, and we have enhanced parental leave options. We are tackling gender-based violence and sexual harassment. We have introduced a new entrepreneurship strategy for women. We are doing good work, and there is much more work to do.

Mr. Speaker, in budget 2017, our government has made gender equality a priority. We are the first government to provide a comprehensive gender statement in one entire chapter of the budget and measures in the budget that will help advance gender equality: $100 million for a gender-based violence strategy, $7 billion for child care, $11 billion for housing, and better parental and care benefits.I think the hon. member will agree that budget day was a very good day for women's equality in this country.

Mr. Speaker, the government committed to a $20-billion infrastructure program that would emphasize social infrastructure. That will include housing and renewing housing agreements, as the member mentioned, as well as facilities for seniors, early learning, and child care.

Mr. Speaker, as we get set to celebrate the contributions and achievements of women on International Women's Day, I am pleased to say that our government is taking concrete actions toward gender equality by putting gender at the heart of decision-making by legislating gender-based analysis plus, recognizing the important role of Status of Women Canada by making it a full department, and investing $100 million for a strong, sustainable women's movement. When women succeed, we all succeed, and our economy succeeds.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Vancouver Centre for her question and for her tireless advocacy. Advancing gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls is a top priority for Canada's 2018 G7 presidency. This week, two key meetings of feminist leaders, the Gender Equality Advisory Council and the Women 7 (W7), were convened in Ottawa. Through their work, grassroots and feminist voices from various backgrounds will help G7 leaders identify the most pressing issues facing the world's women and girls.

Mr. Speaker, our government recognizes the hard work of seniors who helped build our country. They deserve to retire in dignity.It is why we restored the age of eligibility of OAS and GIS to 65 from 67, a very wrong-headed move by the previous government. We have raised the guaranteed income supplement for 900,000 low-income seniors, and invested over $200 million in senior housing.Make no mistake, our government is there for seniors, now and tomorrow.

Mr. Speaker, female genital mutilation is an abhorrent and unacceptable practice, and it is against the law. Canada has and will continue to make efforts to prevent and address FGM, and through our gender-based violence strategy, front-line service providers will have the resources to better respond to the needs of survivors of gender-based violence, including survivors of female genital mutilation. Our government will always defend and promote women's and girls' rights at home and globally.

Madam Speaker, yesterday I attended the G7 Gender Equality Advisory Council, chaired by Melinda Gates. Feminist leaders from all over the world were praising Canada's record on gender equality. I would just remind the hon. member of budget 2018, where we made gender equality a priority. We have taken leadership to address the gender wage gap, and we have enhanced parental leave options. We are tackling gender-based violence and sexual harassment. We have introduced a new entrepreneurship strategy for women. We are doing good work, and there is much more work to do.

Mr. Speaker, in budget 2017, our government has made gender equality a priority. We are the first government to provide a comprehensive gender statement in one entire chapter of the budget and measures in the budget that will help advance gender equality: $100 million for a gender-based violence strategy, $7 billion for child care, $11 billion for housing, and better parental and care benefits.I think the hon. member will agree that budget day was a very good day for women's equality in this country.

Mr. Speaker, once again, there is very good news for gender equality and the sustainability of the women's movement. The new partnerships with the Community Foundations of Canada, the Canadian Women's Foundation and Grand Challenges Canada will bring funding to women's organizations to a level never reached before. Women's groups know first-hand how a decade of being underfunded and undermined by a government can roll back equality rights, but we are standing with them. I want to thank the hon. member for Long Range Mountains for her great advocacy.

Mr. Speaker, as we get set to celebrate the contributions and achievements of women on International Women's Day, I am pleased to say that our government is taking concrete actions toward gender equality by putting gender at the heart of decision-making by legislating gender-based analysis plus, recognizing the important role of Status of Women Canada by making it a full department, and investing $100 million for a strong, sustainable women's movement. When women succeed, we all succeed, and our economy succeeds.

Mr. Speaker, again, we will be working with the provinces, territories, and indigenous communities to introduce an early learning and child care framework. I would point out to the hon. member that we will also be introducing the Canada child benefit that would benefit nine out of ten families, more than the Conservative plan, putting the money in the hands of families and lifting many more children out of poverty.

Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to ensuring that all women and girls can live free from violence. This is why we are investing $100.9 million in a strategy to prevent and address gender-based violence. The strategy we released today is based on prevention, support for survivors and their families, and promoting responsive legal and justice systems; and it will build a solid foundation for action and fill important gaps in support for survivors of gender-based violence. Today was a very good day in the fight against gender-based violence.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the hon. member for Don Valley East for her tireless advocacy.Promoting gender equality is not only the right thing to do, but the smart thing to do for our economy and the middle class. However, we need governments with more women representation if gender equality is to be truly achieved. That is why this week the Minister of Status of Women announced that we are investing $3.8 million to further the great work of the Daughters of the Vote program.Our government is proud to support this important project that empowers young women to seek public office and helps build a more representative democracy for everyone.

In our platform, we committed to work with provinces, territories, and indigenous communities to create a national early learning and child care framework in order to provide quality, affordable, flexible child care for those who need it.We will be making more announcements in the coming days. I appreciate the member's question.

Mr. Speaker, budget 2017 is a historic first, not only for women but for all Canadians. In the budget one sees $7 billion for child care; a staggering $11 billion for affordable housing, as the parliamentary secretary has mentioned; $100 million for a gender-based violence strategy; better EI parental benefits; and of course EI caregiving benefits as well. There are so many more that I do not have time to list them.When we make gender—

Mr. Speaker, I think the hon. member will agree, Canada needs to make smart decisions and sound investments today to ensure that Canadians have access to good, well-paying jobs tomorrow. We are moving ahead with making those necessary investments that will grow our economy.As the hon. parliamentary secretary has said many times in the House, we have lowered taxes for nine million Canadians. We introduced the Canadian child benefit; nine out of ten families will benefit. We have improved employment insurance. We are increasing our investments in skills and training. Make no mistake, our government is focused on its plan to strengthen the middle class and improve growth to help the Canadian economy.

Madam Speaker, I want to thank my colleague from Mississauga—Streetsville for his advocacy.During the 16 days of activism against gender-based violence, we reflect on the causes and costs of gender-based violence. This year's theme, “my actions matter”, is a call to action to take concrete steps, to recognize, to call out, and to speak up against acts of gender-based violence.We are proud to partner with the CFL to promote anti-violence measures at the 105th Grey Cup right here in Ottawa. I encourage everyone to join them and take a pledge to end gender-based violence.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Vancouver Centre for her question and for her tireless advocacy. Advancing gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls is a top priority for Canada's 2018 G7 presidency. This week, two key meetings of feminist leaders, the Gender Equality Advisory Council and the Women 7 (W7), were convened in Ottawa. Through their work, grassroots and feminist voices from various backgrounds will help G7 leaders identify the most pressing issues facing the world's women and girls.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the hon. member for Oakville North—Burlington for the question, and for her leadership on gender equality. I was pleased to join the Minister of Status of Women this morning as she announced our government's strategy to prevent and address gender-based violence. Our strategy is based on prevention, support for survivors and their families, and promoting responsive legal and justice systems. Our approach will build a solid foundation for action.It is time for Canada's strategy to prevent and address gender-based violence.

Mr. Speaker, through budget 2016, the government announced changes to improve employment insurance so that more Canadians could get the help they need when they need it.Our government is committed to improving EI. This includes making compassionate care benefits more flexible and more inclusive for those who provide care for seriously ill family members and providing more flexibility in parental benefits and leave.As the hon. member knows, we are involved in consultations with provinces, territories, and other stakeholders, in the coming weeks in order to modernize employment insurance.

Madam Speaker, I appreciate my colleague from Nickel Belt's commitment to gender equality. It is an absolute honour to serve as the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Status of Women. We know how important it is to engage men and boys in the advancement of gender equality to help create cultural change. Gender equality is not only a women's issue; it is a societal issue. As our Prime Minister has said, feminists come in all genders. Again, I am honoured to have the opportunity to be part of this important work.

Mr. Speaker, as this is the first time I rise in the House, I want to thank the good people of Winnipeg South for placing their confidence in me and assure them that I will work hard every day to earn that trust.I appreciate the question from the hon. minister.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Vimy for that question.Eliminating gender-based violence is critical to allowing women and girls to reach their full potential, and to achieving gender equality. It is also why we are working to empower women in all aspects of Canadian life. That is why our government is pleased to announce $5 million for projects to empower indigenous women to be leaders in their communities in order to address issues that affect them or hinder their advancement.

Mr. Speaker, we know that when we invest in women, we strengthen the economy for everyone. That is why we are making Status of Women Canada a full department; why we have invested $40 billion in a national housing strategy, 25% of which will go toward women and their families; dedicated $7.5 billion for child care; created a new parental sharing benefit; and are supporting women entrepreneurs and women in the trades. Investing in gender equality is not only the right thing to do, it is the smart thing to do.

Madam Speaker, I am pleased to report that the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development is leading the Canadian delegation in Quito, Ecuador, for the United Nations Habitat III conference. We are there to ensure the new urban agenda is people-centric, respects diversity, and values the inclusion of unrepresented groups. Canada's new approach to housing is being applauded around the world and we are so proud to be part of the international community at UN Habitat III.Canada is back.

Madam Speaker, we are making gender equality a key priority, because our government understands that we simply cannot move forward when half of us are held back. W7 delegates have an important responsibility to have their voices heard and to represent women globally. Women have been at the forefront of innovative solutions to some of the world's greatest challenges, and the W7 represents an opportunity for global leadership, which we are demonstrating.

Mr. Speaker, I would remind the hon. member that we have taken bold action to strengthen the economy through historic infrastructure investments and support for families. This is the right time to invest and stimulate growth for the middle class. I would remind the hon. member that employment in the last month increased by 10,700, over 180,000 jobs in the last year. The unemployment rate has also decreased to 6.8%, good news for our economy. Be assured that our government's plan is to put people first and ensure that Canadians have access to the good, well-paying jobs of tomorrow.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the member for Scarborough—Agincourt for her question and for her tireless advocacy.Our government is focused on gender equality and economic security by creating the Canada child benefit, by creating 40,000 child care spaces, by supporting women in STEM and in the skilled trades and by ensuring equal pay for work of equal value.With one million jobs and historically low unemployment, Canadians see real progress towards gender equality and economic security for the women of Canada.

Mr. Speaker, our government understands that a strong and vibrant women's movement across Canada is essential to supporting the middle class and those working hard to join it. Women's organizations must have the capacity and resources to do their good work. That is why, after 10 years of being undermined by the Harper government, we launched the capacity-building funds stemming from budget 2018, an investment of $100 million over five years to increase organizational and sector capacity. The women's movement across the country has asked for a reliable, predictable and accessible source of funds—

Mr. Speaker, like the hon. member, we are concerned about homelessness in our country, and that is why in budget 2016 we announced an additional $112 million for the homelessness partnering strategy over two years. This was a 50% increase, the first increase since 1999. Our social development minister recently met with provincial and territorial ministers, and homelessness will be a front and centre issue as we develop a national housing strategy.

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the question from the hon. member, who I met for the first time this morning in the elevator.I would just repeat what I said before. Our government has committed to $20 billion over the next 10 years in social infrastructure. A major element of that will be housing and the renewal of housing agreements, as has been mentioned.We will be announcing details of our housing program in the coming days, and I look forward to the member's future interventions.

Mr. Speaker, the government committed to a $20-billion infrastructure program that would emphasize social infrastructure. That will include housing and renewing housing agreements, as the member mentioned, as well as facilities for seniors, early learning, and child care.