Message From Tony
Israel, the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip
Last week, The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs, met with Eli Cohen, Israel’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, in Tel Aviv.
Minister Joly expressed Canada’s unequivocal condemnation of the multi-front terror attack against Israel by Hamas. She reiterated that Canada stands firmly with Israel and its right to defend itself against terror in accordance with international law. The ministers discussed the implications of the attack on regional security and its humanitarian impacts. Minister Joly thanked Minister Cohen for Israel’s assistance in facilitating the departure of Canadians from the region.
She added that it is vital that all parties protect civilians and ensure humanitarian access to affected areas. She also underscored Canada’s steadfast commitment to the rights of Israelis and Palestinians to live in peace and security.
Canada has announced that it is providing an initial $10 million in funding for humanitarian assistance to address urgent needs stemming from the crisis in Israel, West Bank, and the Gaza Strip.
This funding will help provide food, water, emergency medical assistance, protection services, and other life-saving assistance. Canada will ensure that no money goes into the hands of Hamas.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is calling for a humanitarian corridor, “essential to address the urgent needs of civilians in Gaza.” He also stated that “International law, including humanitarian and human rights law, must be respected and civilians, journalists, humanitarian workers, and medical personnel must be protected.”
I join in mourning the loss of five Canadians and offer heartfelt condolences to their families. The loss of civilian life is deeply disturbing.
Celebrating "Watershed Heroes" in Newmarket
Last week, I had the honour of attending the Conservation Awards Ceremony, hosted by the Lake Simcoe Regional Conservation Authority (LSRCA). At this ceremony, I joined our community in saluting and celebrating our “Watershed Heroes”.
These selfless award winners take action to contribute to a more sustainable and healthier watershed like helping clean up Lake Simcoe, restoring the banks of our rivers and streams, improving the health of our soil, conserving our precious resources, and contributing to healthier communities.
LSRCA aims to provide leadership in the restoration and protection of Lake Simcoe and its watershed with all members of our community.
Learn more about the award winners here.
Celebrating Small Businesses in Newmarket-Aurora
Small businesses across the country are at the heart of our communities and the backbone of our economy.
This week is Small Business Week, and we’re focused on furthering our support for small businesses and their workers from coast to coast to coast. As a former mayor and a past president of The Newmarket Chamber of Commerce I truly appreciate the importance of small business in our community.
Celebrating small business means recognizing their incredible contribution to creating jobs; their unique entrepreneurship and their commitment to building strong, healthy communities. We’re committed to supporting Canadian businesses, making life more affordable, and building an economy that leaves no one behind.
To level the playing field for Canadian women in business, we created the Women Entrepreneurship Strategy – an investment that helps women start up, scale up, and access new markets. This Supporting women in business isn’t just the right thing to do, it’s the smart thing to do – by moving the needle for women in business, we’re growing the economy, supporting our communities, and creating good, middle-class jobs Canadians can rely on.
HUMA Study on Canada Summer Jobs
Canada Summer Jobs (CSJ) provided thousands of young people across Canada with job opportunities that will help them for years to come.
This week, in the Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities (HUMA), we began to study the CSJ Wage Subsidy Program.
This means that HUMA will be evaluating the CSJ program and looking for ways it could be modified to improve funding and flexibility for applications. We invite witnesses and thoroughly analyze the program to
We’ve also invited members of the public to submit written briefs no longer than 10 pages for consideration in the study. Briefs can be submitted electronically to HUMA@parl.gc.ca or submitted through the Committee’s study page before Wednesday, October 25, 2023.
I encourage you to watch our committee meetings on ParlVu to learn more about this study.
Bill C-27 - INDU Update
Bill C-27, the Digital Charter Implementation Act, aims to strengthen Canada’s private sector privacy law, create new rules for the responsible development of AI, and continue advancing the implementation of Canada’s Digital Charter.
Bill C-27 is currently under consideration in the Standing Committee on Industry and Technology (INDU), meaning that members will review the text of the bill before approving or modifying it.
While bills are under consideration in committee, we invite witnesses and go through clause-by-clause consideration, at which point members may propose amendments. Following this, members of INDU will vote on the bill as a whole and the Chair reports the bill to the House.
This week, we’ve invited representatives from the Department of Industry and the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada to appear, present their views, and answer questions.
Visit ParlVu to watch these meetings on Tuesday and Thursday from 3:30 PM to 5:30 PM EDT.
Submit Your Favourite Spot in Newmarket-Aurora
Do you have a favourite spot in Newmarket or Aurora? A place to connect with nature or hang out with friends and family? If you would like to share your happy place with others, then we have an opportunity for you.
Each fall my office creates a calendar that we distribute throughout the constituency, and this year’s theme is “favourite places in Newmarket-Aurora.” You can be a part of this by grabbing your camera or phone and snapping a pic of your go-to destination, and sending it along with a brief description (max 15 words).
Here are a few rules:
- Here are a few rules:
- Locations must be within the constituency of Newmarket-Aurora
- No low-resolution pics (minimum 2000 pixels wide)
- Photos must be the work of the sender
- Original pics only (no A.I. please)
- Ensure you have consent from all individuals in the photo.
Please submit your photos to tony.vanbynen@parl.gc.ca no later than November 10, 2023.
