Madam Speaker, I congratulate you and all of my colleagues in this House. I also want to thank the clerks, pages, interpreters and security who keep things running so smoothly here.

If the House will indulge me, I will take the opportunity to recognize some very important people without whom I would not be here. First, of course, there are the wonderful people of Milton East—Halton Hills South, who found themselves not only in a brand new riding but also enduring a two-week-long judicial recount as they waited to learn who would represent them here in their House. It truly showed, in action, the adage that every vote counts, in some ridings even more than mine. We were in good company.

I thank the good people of Georgetown and east Milton for their patience and for their confidence as that fascinating and mildly stressful process played out. No one saw that stress manifest more than those closest to me, my family: my four children, Thomas, Ashby, William and Andrew; my parents, Mario and Lynda; my siblings and many extended family members who sent support and kind words; but none more than my long-suffering husband of 28 years, Chris. In his typical, unwaveringly supportive style, he always reminds me that I am stronger than I think.

I came in late to the election race and had mere weeks to organize, coordinate, recruit, fundraise and get my name out to voters before election day. In hindsight, it was a gargantuan effort, and I am under no illusions; it would not have been possible without an absolutely spectacular team of campaign managers, staff and hundreds of volunteers and supporters, all of whom came forward with their time, support, energy and great faith, and over half of whom had never been involved in a political campaign before. These volunteers have continued to engage politically and are organizing to explore ways to make their community a better place. I am so proud of them.

I humbly rise with gratitude for my place in this Parliament and for the gift of responsibility that I have been granted and that we all share as colleagues in this House. How fortunate to have been reminded of this responsibility in person by His Majesty, when he closed the throne speech by stating, “Members of the House of Commons...May you honour the profound trust bestowed upon you by Canadians, and may God bless and guide you in all your duties.”

Regardless of how members feel about monarchies, it is a sobering reminder, provided by His Majesty, of the tremendous responsibility we carry. How fortunate we are to be here to fulfill that work together.

In fact, all Canadians are fortunate to be here, in this country, the best on the planet, working together to make each other's lives better and standing as an example to the entire world of the artistry that emerges from a true mosaic of cultures, beliefs and stories. With the exception of our indigenous brothers and sisters, we all come from somewhere else. I am one of those who comes from somewhere else.

My mother's family has been in Canada for many generations, originally coming to Ontario from the New England colonies and settling in lovely Parry Sound, where my grandfather worked for Imperial Oil. He and my grandmother raised eight children. My mother attended bible college, sang in a gospel trio, was crowned Miss MacTier in 1967 and became a nurse. In stark contrast, my father was a child refugee from the Second World War. He came from Italy with his parents and brother. As an adult, he found work as a truck driver. His father, my nono, worked as a bricklayer and mason, helping construct the very town that his granddaughter would one day represent as a member of Parliament.

Their story is similar to that of many Canadians, and many in this House, who owe their existence to Canada's history as a welcoming nation for immigrants, a point also noted by His Majesty when he referred to Canada's immigration system as a source of pride and dynamism. My parents' families left their ancestral homes and came to this country because they had faith in Canada and its promise. I am a humble and grateful beneficiary of that faith and that promise.

I will submit, however, that this promise is not as vibrant now as it once was. For newcomers to have an opportunity to contribute to their new communities and country, they need support to get started. Right now, that support is simply not robust enough to provide what newcomers need. Many who are already here, whether indigenous peoples, long-settled Canadians or newer Canadians, are struggling and facing challenges of scarcity and unaffordability.

This is why our government has committed to several measures to alleviate the strain. As His Majesty noted, we will cap the total number of temporary foreign workers and international students to less than 5% of our population over the next 18 months. This approach will align immigration levels to infrastructure capacity. Newcomers need to be able to integrate successfully without overwhelming public resources. Our government recognizes that it is counterproductive to invite people into a house that is not properly able to receive them.

Our government has also made a significant commitment to francophone communities outside Quebec by increasing the target for francophone immigration. This policy will support the cultural and economic contributions of francophone communities in places like New Brunswick, Ontario and Manitoba.

As an aside, I make a personal commitment today to my own French-language learning.

I promise.

We will return overall immigration to sustainable levels, ensuring that the best and brightest are drawn to Canada and will work with us in building the strongest economy in the G7.

These actions also prop up our government's work to address affordability and housing. As a former municipal councillor, I know first-hand that housing and residential development are matters of great focus and great anxiety, particularly when provincial and federal partners amend the conventional use of tools, such as development charges, and particularly in Ontario. I understand the burden that falls to municipalities when other orders of government, however well meaning, download responsibilities to them without considering the financial impacts.

Municipalities have very limited ways to raise revenue and cannot legally run budget deficits. We must ensure that municipalities are made whole when their methods of raising revenue are altered. I was heartened to hear the Prime Minister acknowledge this to the Federation of Canadian Municipalities conference delegates in Ottawa this past weekend.

This responsible course correction on immigration will take some time, but we will restore balance and rebuild trust in our immigration system, a system that has contributed to nation building since Confederation and before, and will continue to do so if responsibly managed, as this government commits to do. At a time of critical consequence for the economic covalence of our country, we must support immigration that strengthens our economy while reducing stress on housing and infrastructure. In order to put action behind that commitment, our policies will prioritize those already in Canada over new entrants.

My four children, mentioned earlier, are young adults. They are striving to launch their own lives and become settled in their own homes, but that has simply been out of reach for them so far. One reason I am so pleased to be elected as a representative in this government is the ambitious homebuilding plan we have designed. Big results require big ambitions. Yes, our plan to get the government back into the business of building homes, and to double rates of homebuilding, is ambitious, but definitely results-driven. “Build Canada homes” will deliver affordable and deeply affordable housing for people just like my kids. There is no trepidation in executing this plan.

We all know Canada is a country of prosperity, but many Canadians do not feel prosperous right now. This problem has been stewing for decades, but now it will be dealt with. Productivity needs to grow so Canadian paycheques can grow. We will boost the revenues our country relies on to support vital services that improve Canadians' quality of life while focusing investment on capital government assets. Now is a time of opportunity. We are poised on the edge of a new era of prosperity and nation building not seen since the postwar period.

The dark cloud blowing in from the south has stirred us to action. Amid a groundswell of patriotism, we will build a shelter and a safe haven for our country and use this opportunity not only to weather the storm but to flourish when the clouds part. This is the promise being made to Canadians now and Canadians yet to come. May God bless us all in these duties.

Kristina Tesser Derksen

Transcript

Speech from the Throne

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