SoVote

Mr. Tim Louis (Kitchener—Conestoga, Lib.)

Feb/7/24 2:56:54 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, last week the government announced that eligible Canadian residents aged 72 and older can now apply for the Canadian dental care plan. Over 500,000 applicants have been approved for the Canadian dental care program, making dental care more affordable and accessible. This is great news for seniors in Kitchener—Conestoga and across Canada, as more and more seniors have access to affordable dental care. Can the Prime Minister please update us on the Canadian dental care plan, which will help seniors smile and be an important part of their overall health?

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Context: House Hansard - 277 - Feb/7/24

Right Hon. Justin Trudeau (Prime Minister, Lib.)

Feb/7/24 2:57:24 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I know the member for Kitchener—Conestoga is passionate about ensuring that seniors and kids get access to dental care. I am happy to announce that in the first few weeks, over 600,000 seniors have successfully signed up for the Canadian dental care plan. While the Conservative Party voted against funding dental care for those who need it most, we want to reassure Canadian seniors that on this side of the House we will always have their backs. We will fight for them, and we will make sure that the leader opposite never cuts essential supports to seniors.

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Context: House Hansard - 277 - Feb/7/24

Ms. Bonita Zarrillo (Port Moody—Coquitlam, NDP)

Feb/7/24 7:52:44 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, today I want to speak about the fact that so many Canadians are suffering from losing or potentially losing their housing. Recently in the House, I asked the housing minister what the government was going to do about keeping seniors in their rental homes as many of the affordable rental homes for seniors are being gutted for luxury condos. Luxury condo developers are buying up land, getting it rezoned and upzoned, and displacing the people who have lived in those homes for 10, 20, 30 years, and sometimes longer. I was at a redevelopment where a 70-year-old senior asked if I could help find a long-term care home, because a developer had come and bought up that low-rise rental housing and there was nowhere for that senior to go. I was talking to an educational assistant in her 60s who wants to retire, but is being displaced in my community of Port Moody—Coquitlam. She told me that she has nowhere to go. She has spent her entire career supporting families in this community, sibling after sibling. She loves the community, but is being pushed out by greed. I think about the fact that the government continues to miss the mark on supporting and protecting rental homes. Conservatives lost 800,000 affordable homes. Liberals have done nothing to make up for those losses and it is affecting people on the ground. I also want to talk about transit. We know that we need more public transit investment. The Liberal government is so far behind on its investments in communities, it would much rather spend its money on greedy CEOs who want new freezers than make sure that EAs and the seniors who have lived in our communities forever are being displaced. That is where the Liberals are focused. That is what they want to do. Therefore, I am here today to ask the Liberal government this. Why it is so hard for it to invest in communities and people? Why is it missing the boat on transit? The Metro Vancouver mayors have been here advocating for a transit investment. The infrastructure minister said that they will get it two years from now. That is not good enough. If they do not get the money for two years, they cannot even build for another two on top of that. What is the Liberal government doing to make sure that communities are kept whole, and that people have a place to live and transit to use?

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Context: House Hansard - 277 - Feb/7/24

Mr. Chris Bittle

Feb/7/24 7:59:44 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, it is interesting that the hon. member would get up to criticize a member for reading from notes, when she was holding a note in her own hand and reading from it; unfortunately that is what we are dealing with tonight. She did have a very good question on housing, with respect to vulnerable people. I agree; more needs to be done. The government has proposed many measures. I look forward to her community's stepping up and applying. I look forward to more housing announcements throughout the country, especially for seniors, whom she addressed in her question and many of whom are at risk. We are ready to work across the aisle to get the projects built.

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