Message From Tony
Childcare
With the arrival of September, life starts to find a new normalcy. School is back and for many parents the routine of work life balance is front and center. For many parents, childcare is a necessity. – an important necessity for them and their children. High-quality, affordable, flexible and inclusive early learning and childcare is important for the future of children. Access to childcare also promotes greater gender equality by allowing more parents, particularly mothers, to participate in the workforce and achieve greater economic security. It also improves and grows the female-dominated early childhood educator workforce. Affordable, high-quality childcare grows the economy, and brings more opportunity for women to enter the workforce. Beyond those benefits is the financial impact on families. Each family is unique, but our childcare program could see families saving up to $14,000 with affordable childcare. Affordability, opportunity, economic growth, and a best start in life for many children is a winning opportunity for so many families.
National Institute for People of African Descent
Our government is committed to investing in initiatives that recognize the contributions of Black people in Canada, acknowledge the significant and unique challenges that their communities face, and improve their economic and social outcomes.
On August 30th, our government announced that the Caribbean African Canadian Social Services was selected to establish the National Institute for People of African Descent (the Institute), following a thorough selection process. The announcement highlights our government’s investment of up to $7.25 million over three years to establish the Institute. The work of this Institute will: Inform policy and program development from a Black-centric perspective at all levels of government; serve as a research, knowledge development, network building and engagement centre and improve social and economic outcomes of Black people in Canada and their communities.
The establishment of the National Institute for People of African Descent is a first of its kind in Canada. It furthers our government’s commitment to diversity and inclusion and marks a critical step towards the full participation of Black communities in all aspects of Canadian society.
Building more homes faster
Canada is facing a housing crisis that is impacting lives and communities across the country. We need to build more homes, faster, to get Canadians into homes that meet their needs, at prices they can afford.
Recently, we launched the Canada Public Land Bank, which features 56 federal properties that have been identified as being able to support housing, including 5 new properties now intended for leasing and ready for builders to submit their plans. This new list will grow regularly in the coming months, along with further details on listed properties.
Under the new plan, we will partner with the housing sector and communities to build homes on every site suitable for housing across the federal portfolio. Wherever possible, we will do it with a novel long-term lease, not a one-time sale, to ensure every site has affordable housing and public land stays public.
Our government is committed to building more homes, faster. All Canadians deserve a safe, affordable place to live.
King Charles III Coronation Medal
The Coronation Medal was created to mark the Coronation of His Majesty King Charles III, which took place on May 6, 2023. It is the first Canadian commemorative medal to mark a coronation. The medal will be awarded to 30,000 deserving individuals.
Through my office, on behalf of the constituency of Newmarket-Aurora, has been selected to award up to 20 individuals living in Newmarket-Aurora who have made a significant contribution(s) to Canada with the King Charles III Coronation Medal. There are only ten more days to submit nominations.
To be eligible, candidates must meet the following national criteria:
- Have made a significant contribution to Canada or to a particular province, territory, region or community of Canada, or have made an outstanding achievement abroad that brings credit to Canada, and
- Be alive on 6 May 2023. The award can be made posthumously, as long as the candidate was alive on that date.
- Be a resident of the constituency of the current federal riding of Newmarket-Aurora.
If you would like to nominate someone from the riding of Newmarket-Aurora, please email tony.vanbynen@parl.gc.ca by Friday, September 13th, 2024 with:
- Your full name
- Your phone number and postal code
- A brief summary of your nominees’ achievements (100 words or 250 characters maximum).
Learn more about the process here.
Protecting Canada's cybersecurity
From electronic espionage to ransomware, the threats to Canadians from malicious cyber activity, including cyberattacks, are greater than ever. As 5G networks continue to be installed across the country, the government is committed to helping seize the opportunities they present, while also safeguarding Canadians from the risks.
In June 2022, our government tabled Bill C-26, An Act Respecting Cyber Security (ARCS), which outlines our plan to protect Canadians and bolster cyber security across the financial, telecommunications, energy, and transportation sectors. This Act also introduces the Critical Cyber Systems Protection Act (CCSPA), which lays a foundation for securing Canada’s critical infrastructure and will help organizations better prepare, prevent, and respond to cyber incidents.
It was great to see this bill pass through the House of Commons during the last session, and I’m looking forward to seeing the Senate’s work to continue protecting Canadians. Cyber security is national security, and our government is committed to ensuring that Canada’s defenses are prepared and ready.
