- Member of Parliament
- Member of Parliament
- Conservative
- York—Simcoe
- Ontario
- Voting Attendance: 69%
- Expenses Last Quarter: $119,263.34
- Government Page
- May/30/24 1:31:18 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Kingston and the Islands for wanting to speak in facts. Given his speech, we can all agree that we know the shopping cart is the most expensive vehicle in Canada to operate for all Canadians.
Speaking in facts, my riding of York—Simcoe does not qualify for the 20% rural top-up. I cannot even see the CN Tower from my riding. The Chippewas of Georgina Island, in the middle of Lake Simcoe, are 70 miles from Toronto, and they are classified as rural and remote by the federal government. We know, based on facts, that the government has rolled back the CMAs for certain ridings. It knows there is a problem. Houston, there is a problem. It even said so in the budget, but it has done nothing to address this.
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- May/28/24 12:25:13 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I think my hon. colleague missed my four-minute speech. York—Simcoe does not qualify for the 20% rural top-up. I need her to understand that in York-Simcoe, we are on the outside looking in. I would also point out that the fastest growing area in Canada is East Gwillimbury, in my riding, and none of the six northern communities got any housing accelerator funds.
I would sum it up to my colleague like this. York—Simcoe is too Toronto for the rural top-up, but not Toronto enough for any housing accelerator funds. It does not make sense. It is completely upside down. I think of the Chippewas of Georgina Island, out in the middle of Lake Simcoe, which one has to take a ferry to. Could the member square the circle for us? What would she like me to tell the chief on the Chippewas of Georgina Island? They are not subject to getting the rural top-up. We do not qualify. We are part of the people who are not qualifying for the rural top-up.
Axe the tax.
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- May/28/24 12:18:32 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, good morning. It is 12:20 a.m., and I rise to get answers and accountability from the NDP-Liberal government on behalf of the hard-working people of York—Simcoe. The Liberal carbon tax has made life more expensive for every Canadian across the country, raising the price of food, fuel and everything else. The Parliamentary Budget Officer has confirmed: “When both fiscal and economic impacts of the federal fuel charge are considered...most households will see a net loss.”
Rural Canadians are especially affected, as they have to travel farther for longer to go anywhere and face higher costs across the board compared to urban regions. While the government has introduced a 20% top-up to the carbon tax rebate for small town and rural Canadians, many residents are not eligible to receive it. Under the current rules, in order to qualify for the rural rebate, one must live outside a CMA, a census metropolitan area, as defined by Statistics Canada.
Under these ridiculous rules put in place by the Liberals, my community of York—Simcoe is considered to be part of the Toronto CMA, despite being made up entirely of rural areas, agricultural lands and small towns. This includes the Chippewas of Georgina Island on Lake Simcoe, who are classified as rural and remote in any dealings they have with the federal government.
If people google it, they will see that it would take 16 hours to walk to the closest subway station. We are the ice-fishing capital of Canada, the soup and salad bowl of Canada. That is York—Simcoe, and yet the upside-down Liberal government thinks that the CN Tower is right in our backyard. Houston, we have a problem. We know that the government is aware of this problem.
After all, Liberals recently rolled the census data back to 2016 for those living in Liberal ridings that were to be classified as part of a CMA in the most recent census. This ensured that they would still receive the rural top-up, but the Liberals have done nothing for those who are already unfairly excluded from the rebate, which is affecting those in York—Simcoe, outside Thunder Bay and elsewhere, coast to coast to coast.
Budget 2024 indicated, “The government is also working to expand rural top-up eligibility to more Canadians who need this support and will announce a proposal on better defining rural areas later this year.” As per Liberals, they say as much as they can without saying anything. The carbon tax has been in place for years, and now the Liberals are promising a proposal this year, but we all know what a Liberal promise is worth. That promise will be no relief to the residents of these excluded communities who are struggling to pay for groceries on their table and fuel in their cars right now.
Conservatives will axe the tax, but until then, my job is to stand up for my constituents and get every nickel that is owed to them.
Will the Liberal government commit today to stop screwing over rural Canadians and give York—Simcoe the rural top-up?
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- May/22/24 10:34:49 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, this is supposed to be a debate on the budget. We can see the Liberal Party is dragging us into its goofy debate about far-right extremists and everything else. It is very disappointing. I am going to allow the member for Winnipeg North to refocus. I am going to talk about how upside-down things are in my riding.
The member spoke about the carbon tax, and we know the carbon tax disproportionately affects rural Canadians. My riding of York—Simcoe, of all things, has been classified as Toronto. We have a first nation in the middle of Lake Simcoe, 70 miles from Toronto, where we cannot even see the CN Tower, that does not get the rural top-up.
The member talked about announcements. It was funny that government members were in my riding to announce money for Lake Simcoe, but the only thing they came for was to let people know that they can possibly apply for money. The government is all talk, no action. People in York—Simcoe have had enough of this.
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- May/9/24 2:38:12 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we know that is disinformation. Canadians looking at their bank account know that the carbon tax hurts. After all, the government continues to classify small-town and rural communities as urban, making them ineligible for the rural rebate and forcing them to pay more in carbon taxes to the out-of-touch Prime Minister.
Are the Liberals punishing rural Canadians and dividing them based on geography, or do the Liberals actually think that Pefferlaw is downtown Toronto?
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- Apr/29/24 4:42:20 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, all MPs make Ottawa home when we are here. It is frightening to walk down Bank Street now, to see the homelessness and to see the people lying in the street at night. I had company come, and they were actually afraid to walk down the street. This would be a state of emergency in York—Simcoe.
That brings me to rural Canada. I am from a rural riding. Of all things, now the government is actually taking our money in York—Simcoe because it has classified us as Toronto under the goofy carbon tax regime. The Chippewas of Georgina Island in my riding, a first nation in the middle of Lake Simcoe, are not entitled to the rural top-up, and yet the government classifies them as rural and remote. I would like the hon. member to comment on that.
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- Apr/18/24 5:00:28 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I am trying to make the Liberal government understand. Let us take York—Simcoe, for example, which we are talking about tonight. I want to again talk about the rural top-up of the carbon tax because the government members love to divide Canadians. They are dividing Canadians based on geography now; that is what they are doing. I went atop the CN Tower with binoculars, and I still could not see my riding of York—Simcoe, with binoculars, yet the government chooses to classify us, the soup and salad bowl of Canada, as Toronto. It is actually unbelievable.
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- Apr/18/24 4:58:54 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we can talk about the housing accelerator fund. Interestingly enough, I am a York Region and Simcoe County MP. The northern six municipalities in my riding applied for the housing accelerator fund, and guess what? They got no money. Apparently, in York—Simcoe, we are “too Toronto” for the rural top-up and actually “not Toronto enough” for any housing funds.
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- Mar/20/24 5:07:14 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, here we are again with the Liberal government moving closure.
I find it a little bit rich for the government to pretend to care about reconciliation when the Chippewas of Georgina Island First Nation in my community, my riding of York—Simcoe, are not entitled to the rural top-up. They live on an island in the middle of Lake Simcoe, but they are now considered part of Toronto under this goofy carbon tax regime. Once again, we are seeing the Liberals move closure so that first nations' voices, like mine on the Chippewas of Georgina Island, are being silenced.
Could the minister comment about the Chippewas of Georgina Island First Nation not being entitled to the rural top-up under this carbon tax regime in York—Simcoe?
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- Mar/19/24 2:08:27 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, it is ridiculous. The rural communities of York—Simcoe are not eligible to receive the rural top-up on the carbon tax because they are classified as being part of Toronto by the government, and now, not a single community in northern York Region has received any housing funding from the Liberals' overhyped housing accelerator fund, but Toronto has received half a billion dollars.
A clear message has been sent to the residents of Georgina, East Gwillimbury, Aurora, Uxbridge, Bradford and the Chippewas of Georgina Island. According to the Liberals, they are not Toronto enough for housing funding, but they are too Toronto to get the rural top-up.
The Liberals are out of touch. They are hiking up the carbon tax by 23%, though it does nothing for the environment. Their housing fund will not build a single home, including in fast-growing places such as York—Simcoe.
Enough is enough. Conservatives will spike the hike, axe the tax and bring in homes Canadians can afford.
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- Feb/28/24 5:18:11 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I am not sure whether the member is the government House leader or whether the member for New Westminster—Burnaby is the government House leader; I have not had that clarified. However, I have listened to his comment.
Our job is to be the opposition. With all due respect to my colleague from Saanich—Gulf Islands, I listened to her saying we need a doctor and we need a nurse, but these are the very things we are in the House of Commons fighting for. The people in York—Simcoe cannot even ask for that. They do not have a doctor. They do not have a nurse. It is the very government across the aisle that is shutting down debate.
In my riding, we are sitting there fighting, wanting to talk about getting the rural top-up on the carbon tax. Here we are, and the current government is classifying my first nations, our first nations in York—Simcoe, as urban and part of Toronto. These are the debates we want to have, and again we see the government shutting down debate.
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- Feb/6/24 12:48:13 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, since York—Simcoe is now considered part of Toronto under the government's goofy carbon tax regime, I feel I can comment on Toronto and York Region. The facts are what they are. Auto theft is up 200% in York Region. There were 4,290 vehicles stolen in 2023.
I guess my hon. colleague from Etobicoke—Lakeshore hears different things. His speech makes it look like it is all good. When I travel through York—Simcoe, people tell me that our country is not the same. A recent newspaper article reported that a car was stolen and in less than six hours, the gentleman was stealing another car. He was charged with impaired driving and he was out on bail again. These violent crimes have to stop.
God help the people of Toronto with their property tax increase, but the NDP mayor of Toronto is cutting the Toronto Police Service budget.
Could my colleague comment on that?
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Mr. Speaker, my colleague from Winnipeg North is right about one thing. Conservatives are going to axe that tax.
Let us talk about that tax, although I suspect he is not going to answer my question. The Prime Minister said his most important relationship was with our first nations, yet he is discriminating against the first nations in my riding based on geography.
Let us talk about that carbon tax rebate. The Prime Minister made an announcement out east. I know the member for Avalon is here. His riding got rolled back with its data from the census so that it stayed rural. My riding of York—Simcoe is now considered to be a part of Toronto so that no one gets the 20% rural top-up. The member for Winnipeg North knows that it would take 14 hours to walk to the Finch subway station from my riding. The Deputy Prime Minister likes to say that she does not even need to own a car as she can just walk out of her house and get on a subway. We do not have subways, we do not have streetcars; we do not have transit.
I would like him to comment on that. The answer will be astounding, I am sure.
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- Dec/5/23 12:43:54 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, let us talk about affordability. It is unbelievable. My riding of York—Simcoe is now classified as Toronto. There has been a second carve-out on the carbon tax. They have actually rolled the census data back to 2016 to help other ridings. My riding of York—Simcoe, which is home to first nations and farmers, is clearly rural, and it is not going to get the doubling of the rural top-up for the carbon tax.
It takes an hour and 45 minutes for someone from the Chippewas of Georgina Island to get to the hospital in my rural riding, and this government now looks at us as Toronto of all things.
I wonder if the member for Winnipeg North could comment on that.
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- Dec/4/23 2:17:58 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we all know those downtown Liberals would get a nosebleed if they went north of Davis Drive, but it is still ridiculous that they think York—Simcoe is Toronto.
Because the Liberals are so out of touch, rural small-town communities like Georgina, the ice-fishing capital of Canada; Bradford West Gwillimbury; East Gwillimbury; the Chippewas of Georgina Island First Nation; and even farmers in the soup and salad bowl of Canada must pay more in carbon taxes than Canadians elsewhere in the country.
While the Liberals have carved out a few rural communities from paying more, others are being left behind. The government is once again picking and choosing who suffers from the carbon tax the most, based on its own political considerations. Now, it is quadrupling it.
Will the Prime Minister stop punishing rural Canadians and finally get rid of the carbon tax on farmers, families and first nations?
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- Nov/28/23 4:34:51 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, we have to get back to the issue at hand. We know the Prime Minister is protecting the environment minister now because they cannot allow another carve-out.
However, if we read the fine print, there has been another carve-out. The Liberal government stopped some rural ridings from becoming urban to help, for example, the member for Avalon. If his riding were to be ruled as being urban, it would not get the rural top-up all of a sudden. We are again seeing the Liberal government picking winners and losers and who is going to suffer from the carbon tax.
My riding is now considered part of Toronto. The soup and salad bowl of Canada is now part of Toronto. Can members imagine that? I wonder if my colleague could comment on the rejigging of the CMAs through Statistics Canada.
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- Nov/28/23 1:23:30 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I enjoyed the speech by my colleague from British Columbia. York—Simcoe is now classified as being part of Toronto, which is entirely unbelievable. We talk about the Liberals playing games. They have actually played games by changing the CMA census data. Ridings that are supposed to become urban are being kept rural.
With respect to the choices for people in York—Simcoe, we do not have subways and we do not have transit. The member from B.C. knows that my riding is rural, being home to the soup and salad bowl of Canada. How does my colleague think it is fair for the riding of York—Simcoe to be looked at as urban, as though it were part of Toronto?
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- Nov/7/23 5:45:11 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, the carbon tax, we know, disproportionately affects rural Canadians. I think we can all agree with that. I think even the member for Milton would agree with that. The government has come up with a meagre top-up. My riding of York—Simcoe includes all the farms and small communities like Pefferlaw, which is very north of Toronto, and we are not included now in that rural top-up.
We have no choice but to drive to hospitals. We do not have a subway. We have very limited public transit. We do not have any streetcars, so we do not have those choices. I have a first nation in my riding where people have to get back and forth from home, and the choices are limited. How does my colleague think that it is fair for us to be excluded?
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- Nov/7/23 5:23:08 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I always enjoy listening to the member for Winnipeg North.
From a York—Simcoe perspective, since 2018, we are still waiting for the $40-million commitment for the Lake Simcoe cleanup fund. We still do not have it. We are still waiting on the freshwater action plan. Municipalities are calling me about that money. We are still waiting for our trees to be planted. In York—Simcoe, and I am proud of this, we have planted more than 5,000 trees at Canada Day barbecues right across the riding.
We know that rural Canadians are disproportionately affected by the carbon tax. The people of York—Simcoe were shocked to learn that we are now considered as part of Toronto. We are the soup and salad bowl of Canada, the ice fishing capital of Canada. I know I have invited the member to come ice fishing, and he has not taken me up on that. We have all that, and all the rural farms in Pefferlaw, but we are not going to get the rural top-up, the meagre rural top-up.
Could the member comment on how he thinks that is fair for the residents of York—Simcoe?
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- Nov/7/23 4:28:16 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I want to try to find common ground. I think the leader of the NDP and I would both agree that the carbon tax disproportionately affects rural Canadians more than urban Canadians.
My riding of York—Simcoe is now classified as urban. I think the leader of the NDP knows my riding as the soup and salad bowl of Canada, the ice fishing capital of Canada and the home of the Chippewas of Georgina Island. According to the Liberals, we are now classified as part of the city of Toronto, being 70 miles outside of Toronto. We have no streetcars. We have no subways. We have no Uber. As unbelievable as this is, we have no hospital. We have to drive 40 minutes to get to a hospital.
How does the leader of the NDP think it is fair that we do not get the rural top-up or the doubling of the rural top-up, as meagre as it is? It is helpful to some, but we do not get it.
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