Now more than ever, nurses deserve our support

Last month marked National Nursing Week, a time to honour our nurses and recognize their extraordinary courage and sacrifice in answering the call. As a pillar of our health-care system, nurses work tirelessly every day to save lives, care for their patients, and make Canada a better place to live.

Now more than ever, nurses deserve our support. That is why our government will appoint a Chief Nursing Officer to ensure nurses’ voices and perspectives are always included in Canada’s health-care policies. We have already provided $4.5 billion in top-ups to the Canada Health Transfer and proposed another $2 billion top-up in March this year.

As we emerge from this pandemic, I want to sincerely thank each and every nurse for their efforts in getting us here. I especially want to commend nurses with the Scarborough Health Network, the TAIBU Community Health Centre, and the Jamaican Canadian Association of Nurses as well as long-term care nurses at the Altamont Care Community, Extendicare Rouge Valley, Ehatare Nursing Home, and the Tony Stacey Centre for Veterans Care.

Investing in Green Transportation

With the sharp rise of global energy prices and the grim realities of climate change, it’s crucial to invest in electric vehicles and provide Canadians with the jobs of tomorrow. The transportation sector is the second largest source of emissions in Canada, almost half of which come from cars and light trucks. Our government will continue to financially help Canadians make the switch to electric cars by extending the Incentives for Zero Emission Vehicles (iZEV) program to 2025.

The program, which provides up to $5,000 to purchase or lease an electric car, will also be continuously expanded to include more vehicles. As we look to the future, we will continue investing in the domestic production of electric vehicles and batteries and grow our national network of charging stations.

Helping Youth Find Summer Jobs

I was delighted to host our annual Youth Job Fair to connect local youths with a range of businesses, organizations and non-profits looking to hire in Scarborough–Rouge Park. Our attendees learned about resumé writing, and enjoyed the chance to network with potential employers who were eager to discuss their upcoming projects and what type of candidates they were looking for.

Never ones to disappoint, I was impressed by the engagement and quality of questions asked by our youths. This year’s Canada Summer Jobs Program is part of our plan to invest in young Canadians and will help create more than 140,000 jobs, with over 300 jobs right here in our community. With positions offered in fields like journalism, social service and business development, youths will be able to find a job they are passionate about and have valuable experience over the summer.

If you are interested, you can find more information or apply for a job by visiting jobbank.gc.ca/youth

Spring Walk 2022

Come join my team and me on Sunday, June 12 at 10 a.m. for a guided tour of Rouge National Urban Park. This will be a great way to reconnect with neighbours and friends while taking in the pristine sights of our beautiful park. All are welcome to attend. Please RSVP at tiny.cc/srp-rsvp

As always, my team and I are happy to hear your thoughts, answer any questions, and assist you with any federal matters. You can always contact my office at 416-283-1414 or Gary.Anand@parl.gc.ca