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Year-end update from Anita Vandenbeld |
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As 2022 comes to a close, I want to wish you and your loved ones happiness, good health and peace. The last few years have not been easy for many in our community. In 2023, let's remember to be kind and generous toward one another, to build a better community where everyone can be included and contribute fully, and to have hope for a better future for our families, our country and our planet. |
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From my family to yours I wish you a very Happy New Year! |
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Building an Economy that works for Everyone |
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Anita's Pre-Budget Consultation 2023 |
Have your say on the next federal budget. Anita will be hosting her pre-budget consultation in person this year.
Where: Ben Franklin Place Room 1b (101 Centrepointe Drive, Nepean)
When: Saturday January 21st
Time: 2:00pm to 3:30pm
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Positioning Canada for Recovery |
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The Federal Liberal Government understands that during difficult times, it is necessary to invest in Canadians. During the pandemic, the income supports that we provided to Canadians and to employers allowed us to get through the toughest times of Covid-19 while ensuring that Canadians had jobs to go back to when the economy opened up again. In fact, today Canada's employment rate is 113% what it was before the pandemic, meaning that 400,000 more Canadians have a job today than in February 2020. We did this while still maintaining the lowest net debt to GDP ratio among the G7 wealthy countries.
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Today, Canada has the strongest GDP growth in the G7. We have maintained our AAA international credit rating. Since we took office in 2015 our policies, including the Canada Child Benefit (indexed to inflation) and increases to seniors pensions have lifted 2 million Canadians out of poverty, including 450,000 children.
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Helping with the Cost of Living |
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With the current global crises of Covid-19, conflict (especially Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine) and the climate emergency, we understand that Canada is not immune to global financial difficulties, including inflation and supply chain disruptions. Canadians are struggling with the rising cost of living. This is why we will be there for those most impacted, while also ensuring that we maintain strong fiscal discipline to keep inflation under control.
One immediate measure we have taken is to double the GST credit for six months. This is providing hundreds of dollars extra for 11 million Canadian households at a time when they need it most. If you filed your income taxes and you are already receiving the GST credit, you will automatically have begun receiving the extra amount in November. Single Canadians with no children will get $234 more, couples with two kids will get $467 more and seniors will get $225 more on average.
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Early Learning and Child Care - reducing fees now |
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The federal Liberal government now has agreements with all the provinces and territories to deliver federally-funded affordable child care to Canadian families. This means that regulated child care spaces will see a fee reduction of 50% starting December 31st, saving families in Ontario an average of $6000 a year. And we will continuento reduce fees until we achieve $10/day child care by March 2026.
In addition, we are creating over 250,000 new affordable child care spaces across Canada, including 86,000 new licensed child care spaces in Ontario by 2026. We also introduced legislation on child care to ensure that these agreements cannot be eliminated in the future.
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Housing affordability and $500 rental supplement |
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The federal Liberal government is providing a one-time $500 rental supplement for low-income Canadians (under $20,000 for individuals or $35,000 for a couple) whose rent is more than 30% of their income. You do not already need to be receiving existing housing benefits in order to apply. You should apply through CRA before March 31 2023. This will help almost 2 million Canadians who are struggling with the cost of housing.
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The federal Liberal government has already legislated housing as a human right as part of the $72 Billion National Housing Strategy.
The federal government is also taking action to make home ownership more affordable:
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Doubling the First-Time Home Buyers’ Tax Credit, which would provide up to $1,500 in direct support to home buyers, starting in 2022, to help offset the increasing closing costs involved in buying a home.
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A two-year ban on non-Canadians purchasing residential property in Canada, effective January 1, 2023. This ban will ensure that houses are used as homes and not used as financial assets for foreign investors.
In addition, we are establishing a new refundable Multigenerational Home Renovation Tax Credit, which would provide up to $7,500 in support for constructing a secondary suite for a family member who is a senior or an adult with a disability.
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Dental Care for children under 12 |
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For families earning less than $90,000 per year with children under 12 years old, the new Canada Dental Benefit can provide up to $650/year for the next two years per child for a maximum of $1300 per child.
This program is administered by CRA so you must apply to receive it. You can apply now for any dental costs incurred since October 1st 2022 if you do not already have coverage.
This is the first step in our plan to provide national dental care for all Canadians.
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Support for low-income workers |
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Our most essential front line workers are also often the lowest paid. The Canada Workers Benefit provides an additional $1428 per year for single workers or $2461 for families. This benefits almost 3 million low income or minimum wage Canadian households each year. Starting in 2023, the benefit will be paid in advance every 3 months so you don't have to wait until you get your tax refund to access these benefits.
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Our government is working hard to ensure that seniors are able to live with dignity.
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Increasing the Old Age Security (OAS) pension by 10% for the most vulnerable seniors. Providing $800 in new support to full pensioners over the first year, and increasing benefits for more than three million seniors.
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$20 million over two years for expanding the New Horizons for Seniors Program to support more projects that improve the quality of life for seniors.
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Setting national standards for long term care, including an announcement Anita made recently about $1.5 million to the Canadian Association for Long Term Care to provide support to long term care workers whose mental health was impacted during Covid-19.
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Supporting persons with disabilities |
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The federal government has passed Accessibility legislation and the House of Commons is in the final stages of consideration of Bill C-22 which will create a new federal disability benefit.
In addition, the Canada Workers Benefit includes a supplement for people eligible for the Disability Tax Credit, which will provide up to an additional $720 for persons with disabilities.
Anita has been working with Every Canadian Counts to go beyond accessibility and income supports and provide national disability insurance similar to what was done in Australia.
Anita is committed to ensuring that people living with disabilities have the supports that they need not only to reduce barriers but to be included and to contribute fully.
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Anita's Constituency Youth Council |
If you are between the ages of 14 and 26, consider joining Anita's constituency youth council. This group meets several times a year (either by zoom or in person) and learns about the legislative process, provides input for Anita into current issues and priorities, and acts as a youth advisory body.
Priorities raised by the youth council include climate change, mental health and student loans. In the fall economic statement the federal government eliminated interest on all federal student loans permanantly, something that was advocated by our youth council. Anita has also included knowledge she got from youth council members to inform her interventions in the Status of Women committee on the mental health of young women and girls. The action of youth council members on climate change, including one member who participated in COP27 in Egypt as a youth delegate, has inspired her to always work more urgently on climate change and the environment. The ban on single-use plastic waste which just came into effect this month was also an early suggestion by Anita's youth council. Youth voices matter!
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Climate Action and the Green Economy |
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To help us get to net-zero emissions by 2050 and as part of our 2030 emissions reduction plan, in 2019 our federal government introduced a world-leading price on pollution across Canada.
All funds collected from the federal price on pollution remain in the province or territory in which they were collected. These funds are then distributed equally amongst the residents of that province or territory through the Climate Action Incentive. Over 80% of households end up with more money in their pockets because what they pay in the "carbon tax" is less than what they get back in the incentive or "rebate". The price on pollution - and the rebate - will increase between now and 2030 as one of the best proven mechanisms to reduce carbon emissions while also addressing affordability.
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Other accomplishments from 2022:
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Record federal transfers to the provinces
The Government of Canada will provide a record $94.6 billion in major transfer funding to provinces and territories in 2023-24. This represents an increase of $7 billion from 2022-23. All provinces and territories will receive a year-over-year increase in major transfer amounts.
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While health care is a provincial jurisdiction, the unacceptable wait times at emergencies, lack of family doctors and other crises in our health care system are costing lives. In March 2022 the federal government committed an additional $2 billion specifically to reduce surgical wait times. But despite the federal funding some provinces have made ideologically-driven cuts to health care and have surplus budgets. Further increases in federal funding will need to come with conditions to ensure the money transferred will achieve the intended results.
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Mental Health
The federal government remains committed to working with the provinces and territories toward a permanent mental health transfer to build on the $5 billion that was committed in 2018 over ten years.
In the Status of Women committee there is an ongoing study on the mental health of young women and girls with some alarming testimony. Watch Anita's question to Carolyn Bennett, the first ever federal Minister responsible for mental health.
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Indigenous Reconciliation |
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In addition to previous funding commitments, in 2022 we committed to:
- $209.8 million over five years to increase the support to communities to document, locate, and memorialize burial sites at former residential schools.
- $227.6 million over two years to maintain trauma-informed, culturally-appropriate Indigenous-led services to improve mental wellness.
- Supporting self-determination by replacing existing First Nations land management Acts with new agreements that are better tailored to the nation-nation framework and reduce red tape.
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Supporting Women, Peace and Security
In October, at the invitation of President Vjosa Osmani of Kosovo, Anita participated in a high-level global Forum on Women Peace and Security. Anita had the opportunity to speak on a number of important issues, including violence against women in politics, regional security, gender inclusion, and democracy, as well as Canada's leadership on Women, Peace and Security and our feminist foreign policy.
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Leadership on Global Education
In June Anita led the Canadian delegation to the UNESCO Transforming Education pre-summit in Paris. During the summit, Anita emphasized Canada's support for girls education, SRHR and education of refugee and displaced youth. Anita also spoke at the main plenary where she yielded the floor to a youth member of Canada's Global Refugee Education Council, Nhial Deng. Anita also spoke on a UNICEF panel about girls' education and discussed shared priorities with Ministers from partner nations.
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Standing with Ukraine
In February, Russia illegally invaded Ukraine, sparking a devastating conflict that displaced millions of civilians. Since the beginning of the war, Canadians and our federal government have been stepping up to help the government of Ukraine and Ukrainians fleeing violence.
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Solidarity with the people of Iran
The death of Mahsa Jina Amini, a young Kurdish Iranian woman, sparked protests in Iran and all around the world against the brutal human rights abuses by the Iranian regime. The Government of Canada has imposed some of the toughest measures of any country against Iran, including banning IRGC officials from Canada, expanding sanctions and enhancing Canada's ability to seize and freeze assets.
Anita stands in solidarity with Iranian women and the brave protestors who are facing such barbaric repression. She has joined with the the Iranian Canadian community in Ottawa several times and will continue to do so.
"Woman. Life. Freedom"
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Taking action on the crisis in Haiti
Anita has been speaking out in Parliament about the current crisis in Haiti, where armed gangs backed by oligarchs are creating a devastating humanitarian crisis. Canada is the second largest humanitarian donor to Haiti after the United States. Anita sits on the sub-committee on International Human Rights which has been conducting hearings on the complex situation in Haiti. To follow the committee's study click here.
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Crisis in DRC
Before entering politics, Anita was the country director for the National Democratic Institute (NDI) in the Democratic Republic of Congo. She has remained in close contact with the Congolese community in Ottawa as well as democracy and womens rights advocates in DRC. In recent months, there has been increased violence in eastern Congo by the M23 militia group against civilians. Watch Anita's statement in the House of Commons calling for an end to the violence.
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Passing legislation against organ trafficking
Earlier in December there was a proud moment in the House of Commons, and an example of how cross-party cooperation can get important things done. Bill S-223 makes it illegal under Canadian law to knowingly travel abroad for an organ transplant without proving full consent of the donor. It is to deter forced or coerced organ trafficking in countries like China. This Bill has been brought forward in 6 different parliaments since 2008 first by Borys Wrzesnewskyj and Irwin Cotler. Since 2018 Anita has worked with a group of MPs and Senators from across all parties to pass it. Finally it was successful. This is how cross-party cooperation, determination and citizen advocacy can come together to truly save lives.
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Anita loves to attend community events in Ottawa West-Nepean and to stay connected with the people she represents in Parliament. If you would like her to speak at your community event, or to just drop by and say hello, please send us an email so we can add it to her calendar!
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Anita's Virtual Coffee Hour |
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Anita's coffee hours have gone virtual. Every Friday from 5:30-6:30pm, you can join Anita and other community members for a Zoom Coffee Chat right from Anita's desk at home!
Email us to be sent the zoom meeting link to join these group video calls. You must live in Ottawa West-Nepean and be willing to join the chat by video to ensure that everyone feels comfortable to participate.
For those who prefer a phone call, Anita has been hosting regular telephone 'drop in' hours. Email us to schedule a time for a direct call with Anita, or call our office at 613-990-7720.
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Follow Anita on Social Media |
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