Mr. Speaker, my voice is a little weak today, but any time is a good time to speak on behalf of my constituents.

I will be sharing my time with my esteemed colleague, the member for Rivière-des-Mille-Îles.

I would like to begin by telling the voters of Québec Centre how proud and grateful I am that, on April 28, they voted for me for the fourth consecutive time. They have given me the opportunity to work with them in a positive, constructive and unifying manner, and I want to thank them for putting their trust in me. I look forward to representing them well here in Ottawa and in Quebec City.

The riding of Québec Centre is obviously the most beautiful riding in the country. I know other members say the same about their ridings, so let me just say that it is either the most or the second-most beautiful riding in Canada, and I will leave the final say to my own constituents. The people of my riding are proud and united. My riding is also diverse, and its people appreciate and are proud of how diverse Quebec City and the rest of Canada are.

I obviously want to thank my family for their unwavering support over the past several years. It means so much to me. Everyone in the House knows how essential the support of our families is to our work. Of course I am thinking of Marie-Chantal, Étienne, Clémence, Antoine and Jade, my daughter-in-law, and her two children, my two grandchildren. Their quiet strength gives me the energy and vision I need to do this work with integrity.

I am also thinking of my parents, to whom I owe everything. Their closeness and presence help me to this day. I am thinking of the volunteers in the Québec Centre riding, who ran a truly positive election campaign. They were connected to the people and present in our community. These are people who, for several weeks, would get up early to go door-knocking, make calls or put up signs. I remember the first night. It was windy and raining, but they came out anyway to keep our democracy alive.

I am also thinking of the other candidates in Québec Centre, namely Simon Bérubé, Tommy Bureau, Patrick Kerr and Daniel Brisson. These individuals, and their volunteers, put their hearts and souls into keeping our democracy alive with passionate, informed debates and exchanges that were always respectful and cordial. I thank them for their commitment and their sincere dedication to the people of Québec Centre.

Finally, I also want to thank the team at my Québec Centre office. Every day, Maya, Corinne, Fatima, Anie‑Ève, Steve and Nelson practise what we refer to back home as “positive people-centred politics”. That is what they are recognized and known for. Over the next few years, I will continue to work with them to advocate for a constituent-centred, positive, united and resilient approach to politics.

Speaking of unity and resilience, the past few years have put us to the test, what with the pandemic, the effects of the climate crisis, wars around the world, the increased cost of living and the recent global economic tensions and geopolitical tensions.

In response, the Speech from the Throne charts a course to a fairer, more sustainable and more prosperous future. The speech reflects this new government's desire to build a stronger Canada where no one is left behind.

The plan is clear. We must support families, young people and seniors in a demanding economic context, build more homes faster and at lower cost, and defend our interests and values in a context of trade and security tensions.

Our goal is to make Canada's economy the strongest in the G7 and to invest in a greener economy with more respect for healthy environments and healthy people. We want to create a more innovative, diversified and resilient economy that creates high-quality, high-paying jobs. Of course, we also want to promote reconciliation with indigenous peoples in Quebec and across Canada, along with respect for and affirmation of their rights.

In my riding of Québec Centre, these priorities are more than mere words. They have real meaning. They are talked about in shops in Saint‑Roch, in schools in Saint‑Sacrement, and in seniors' residences in Montcalm. They are discussed by small businesses in Old Quebec, by families in Vanier and Duberger‑Les Saules, by community organizations in Saint‑Sauveur and by the proud residents of Cap‑Blanc and the engaged residents of Saint‑Jean‑Baptiste. Their voices, our voices, our needs and our aspirations are what I bring with me here to the House.

I am particularly encouraged by the Canadian government's clear commitments on housing. Social and affordable housing need to be built more quickly. We must support co-operatives, public housing and non-profit housing organizations, and we must ensure that every Quebecker and Canadian, regardless of income or circumstances, can live, grow and be housed with dignity.

The plan we are putting forward aims not only to build more housing, but to also build better, faster and at lower cost. I would like to take this opportunity to highlight the historic agreement we signed nearly two years ago with the Quebec government. Thanks to this agreement, nearly 10,000 social and affordable housing units are currently being built. This is the largest housing agreement with Quebec in the history of the country. It is in fact the largest investment in social housing that the Quebec government has ever made, with support from the Canadian government. This clearly demonstrates that when governments work together, all Quebeckers, including the people of Québec Centre, can benefit enormously.

In the Speech from the Throne, the Canadian government also promised to invest in major projects. In my riding of Québec Centre and in greater Quebec City, there are a number of these projects, which will connect Canada, deepen its ties with the world and create high-paying jobs for generations.

I will start with Quebec City's strategic transit project, the tramway system that will ensure that Quebec City is no longer the only city of its size in Canada without a modern public transit system. Quebec City is also the capital of the nation of Quebec. We need this project, because it will create tens of thousands of jobs, speed up and even enable the construction of up to 15,000 housing units along the route, and bring in public and private investments to the tune of around $50,000 per family in Quebec City.

There is also the high-frequency train between Toronto and Quebec City and additional investments in the Davie shipyard, the largest shipyard in the country. For the last two years, Davie has been included in the new national shipbuilding strategy after being excluded by the previous government.

There is the Quebec Bridge, which is certainly an engineering marvel. It has been a majestic symbol of Canada's heritage since 1919. It has also been a thorn in the side of my constituents for decades, so we will rehabilitate it, protect it and upgrade its functionality.

I will close by talking about the Canadian dental care plan, which our colleague mentioned just a few minutes ago. The plan is already helping 15,000 seniors in my riding and 1.3 million across Quebec. Now, millions more, some four million, are eligible as of last month. We are each fortunate that it is our responsibility to let people know about this over the coming weeks.

In closing, it is obviously a tremendous privilege to be the member for Québec Centre. Being a member of Parliament is an opportunity that I share with many people here in the House. Regardless of our political stripes, we have an opportunity to work together on the Canadian government's key priorities.

Jean-Yves Duclos

$499,655.00