- Member of Parliament
- Liberal
- Humber River—Black Creek
- Ontario
- Voting Attendance: 64%
- Expenses Last Quarter: $134,163.57
- Government Page
- Oct/31/23 2:07:18 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, earlier this year, my family and I, along with all those in my riding of Humber River—Black Creek, lost a close friend in Sam Russo, the husband of Louise Russo. Sam is survived by Louise and their children.
Sam was always a vital member of our community and played an integral role in supporting Louise's advocacy against violence and gun control after being shot in a random shooting. Last Saturday, friends and family of Sam held a memorial in his honour, presenting a bench plaque and planting a tree in Louise Russo Park.
Sam was a wonderful person and friend. I will always remember him for his kind heart, dedicated spirit and infectious smile. He will truly be missed by all. On behalf of my husband, Sam, as well as my family and staff, I send my sincerest condolences to my friend Louise, their children, their family and all who had the pleasure of knowing him.
161 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Sep/20/22 2:03:04 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, today I rise because I want to honour the memory of a very important friend and a member of the Humber River—Black Creek community, Sharon Lustig.
It is with profound sadness that I recognize Sharon's passing on September 5. She was a devoted mother to Ellen and Joel, a caring grandmother to her grandchildren and a loving wife of the long-standing Humber River Riding Association president, Ernie Lustig, who devotedly served our constituency for 23 years.
Sharon's commitment and contribution to our community is profound. She always advocated on issues that mattered most. She was a great support to her family and friends, most of all to her loving husband Ernie for 70 years, and to Sam and I and our family.
Sharon will always be remembered and dearly missed by all of us who loved her.
May my dear friend Sharon rest in peace.
152 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Sep/15/22 3:16:07 p.m.
- Watch
Madam Speaker, it is truly an honour today to join the acknowledgements for Queen Elizabeth II. Before I make my brief comments, I want to acknowledge the tragedy in Saskatchewan and the loss of two police officers in the GTA in the last few days. What a tremendous loss that is for communities at large in both parts of our country.
I stand today on behalf of the residents of Humber River—Black Creek and the residents of Toronto to acknowledge the tremendous loss we have had in losing the Queen, our Queen. I grew up in Moncton, New Brunswick, and my grandmother and aunts were tremendously fond of the Queen. They would often talk about what she was wearing this day and that day, but most especially they talked about the hats she had on. The visual was the hat she had on, but what was not so visible were the many hats she carried every single day in order for the world we live in, 70 years ago and today, to move forward in a peaceful fashion.
The fact is, she was constantly solid. She never looked frazzled and never seemed to let on the amount of tragedy that she was probably trying to cope with in her own life. She always looked together. She always looked like someone we could depend on to be there as the head of the Commonwealth and to move our many areas forward in so many different ways given what we had to deal with. Never did we see the Queen looking as if she did not have the answers. She always seemed to have the answers when it was necessary to move us forward.
I think back to 70 years ago when the Queen was asked to become the Queen and the leadership she showed in those many years. Long before it became the in thing for women to be recognized, she was put in that position as a woman and showed a tremendous amount of leadership that made us all proud. For forever and a day, we will always hold up Queen Elizabeth as a true leader and as true a feminist as we might want to call anyone. As we move forward on all of our issues, we will always look back and say she was the first who really stood out there in a strong, powerful way as a female to lead our countries and our Commonwealth forward.
I want to thank her again on behalf of all of the residents of Humber River—Black Creek for her lifelong commitment to Canada.
To make a lifelong commitment to public service, as she did, we are asked to make a commitment and we accept that challenge. However, for us it is two years, three years or four years; it is not 70 years. Her commitment never moved. She made that commitment and continued with it so many times.
All of us very much depended on her to be our Queen. The fact is that she visited Canada many times, and it meant so much to residents and Canadians that the Queen was coming to visit. It certainly was a big deal 50 years, and I think it was still a big deal today when the Queen was going to come and visit. Her commitment and devotion to all of us as members of the Commonwealth, but also to world peace and the many endeavours she put forward to make a difference in the world, were important.
It is with very heavy hearts that we realize legends have to pass away too, but I believe the Queen's legacy and leadership will live forever for all of us. A whole era has passed, almost a century of life. Her wisdom, her strength and her dedication guided the Commonwealth and all of its people for 70 years of Her Majesty's reign. The strength that she demonstrated publicly, dealing with the many tragedies that she had to deal with in her lifetime, was an example of strength for all of us.
The Queen once said in her Christmas message, as my colleagues have mentioned already, “Each day is a new beginning”. As I say those words, I can hear her saying them. She said them often, and I think it is a message for all of us:
Each day is a new beginning. I know that the only way to live my life is to try to do what is right, to take the long view, to give of my best in all that the day brings, and to put my trust in God.
This is the kind of sentiment that would be nice for all of us to say at the beginning of every day, especially in the House of Commons. It might help guide us all to do the important work we want to do and do what is right every single day. It is not always about being politically right, but doing what is right for Canadians and what is right for ourselves. We have to look at ourselves in the mirror, and I suggest that when the Queen, our Queen, looked in the mirror, she was satisfied because she gave it all to all of us.
I wish our new King, King Charles III, luck, success and peace as he takes on a very, very challenging job. We will be there for him as we were there for our Queen.
God bless King Charles III and may our Queen rest in peace.
929 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Jun/20/22 2:07:18 p.m.
- Watch
Madam Speaker, today I would like to honour the memory of a passionate teacher, a dedicated volunteer and a great community leader, Ms. Sothymalar Paramsothy. Ms. Paramsothy arrived in Canada, along with her two sons, as a refugee.
Like most Tamils, she balanced several jobs to make ends meet as she integrated into a new place. A teacher by profession, she worked part time in Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board while teaching Tamil in various boards under the international languages program. Apart from work, she was passionately involved with fundraising for humanitarian relief efforts to the internally displaced in Sri Lanka's north and east. Following her retirement in the early 2000s, she returned to Sri Lanka to continue her humanitarian work on the ground.
I remember the day of awarding Ms. Paramsothy with the Queen's Golden Jubilee Medal for service. I will always remember her for her strong spirt, big heart and visionary mind. Until her last breath, she continued to encourage work on improving Sri Lanka's social and economic conditions. It is a painful loss for all of us and for Canada. We are forever grateful for the legacy she has left behind.
198 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Jun/1/22 2:07:59 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, it is with a heavy heart that I rise today in memory of a great man, Maulana Naseem Mahdi Sahid, a dear friend of mine for over 30 years. He left this world last week.
Naseem was a loyal and trusting friend that I, my husband Sam and the rest of our family are honoured to have known. He was born in Pakistan, arriving in Canada in May of 1985 as head of the Canada Jamaat, and served as well in many other countries.
I first met him in Toronto, where he was already a well-respecting and loving mubaligh. He impacted thousands of families and left quite the footprint through things such as the Baitul Islam Mosque, Peace Village and the Ahmadiyya Abode of Peace. He was a champion of interfaith harmony.
Naseem believed that at the core of everything was love and peace and that by working together we could achieve this for the world. He did not believe in just co-existing; he believed in existing as one. I will never forget the work he has done, the love he has shown and the many things he has done for all of us as Canadians.
Naseem's legacy of love and community remains, and I thank him for sharing it with me and every other person who was blessed enough to have encountered him. Rest in peace, dear friend, until we meet again.
238 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Dec/13/21 2:11:07 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the memory of the former mayor of Toronto, Mel Lastman. Mel may have been a small man in stature, but he was a giant against others. He was never afraid to take on other levels of government and fight for the necessary funding for many issues, such as women’s shelters, affordable housing and the expansion of the Yonge subway.
Mayor Lastman was a champion of his beloved city of North York for 25 years. He was an example to all of us as elected officials of what real commitment was and what hard work can accomplish. Mel had a heart to help others and was always ready to help those with charitable initiatives, no matter how outlandish the activity may have been. He was a wonderful politician, an entrepreneur and a successful businessman. Of course, those of us from Ontario can picture him on our TV screens with his famous line, “Nooobody.”
It was an honour to work with Mel for many years. To his sons, Blayne and Dale, and other family members, we send our deepest condolences. We will miss Mel. Best wishes.
197 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- menumenu
- notificationsnotifications
- home
- mailmail
- searchsearch
