A Message From Lisa

The past year has been a whirlwind of activity, connecting with the community, getting better acquainted with constituents, organizations and businesses that are making such a tremendous impact on Hamilton Mountain. My colleagues Minister Filomena Tassi, MP Chad Collins and I were honoured to host visits from a number of ministers, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau himself, and his entire cabinet for their retreat in January. But the best part of the last year has been getting to meet so many of you. We have chatted, debated, and celebrated many events. I have learned about your families, your work, how the pandemic impacted your lives, how you’ve been managing day-to-day. I look forward to many more get-togethers in the future. As we make our way through the spring session of Parliament, I will be in Ottawa representing your interests, and my staff at both my constituency office on Upper Gage and at my Parliament Hill office in Ottawa are eager to assist you.  

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PM Trudeau and His Cabinet Love Hamilton

Since I’ve been in office we’ve welcomed Prime Minister Trudeau to Hamilton on four separate visits, three of them to Hamilton Mountain. He liked Hamilton so much, he brought his entire cabinet for this year’s cabinet retreat in January! I have introduced PM Trudeau to my friends at Eastern Food Market and to the enthralled team at Toma La. He has toured LiUNA and announced funding that will help ArcelorMittal Dofasco grow as a world leader in green steel. He has chatted with constituents and sat down for frank conversations with our neighbours and friends in the riding. I have connected visiting ministers with relevant individuals, businesses and organizations. I am constantly advocating for our local organizations and businesses at the federal level. Sweetly, sometimes that work involves sharing snacks from local favourites like Candi Werx. So, what did I talk about with the Prime Minister, MP Collins and Minister Tassi over lunch at Toma La? How to make life more affordable for Hamiltonians and how we will  support our most vulnerable constituents through these tough economic times.  

Housing and skilled trades go hand in hand

The housing crisis and the acute need for more permanent, safe, affordable homes is top of mind for many Hamiltonians. As we know, the housing supply in many cities across Canada, including in Hamilton, hasn’t kept up with demand. We need to build more accessible, inclusive spaces that align with the priorities of the municipal government’s housing strategy. In order to build, we need to address the gap in the labour market. We need more people to take up careers in skilled trades. We must diversify our workforce. This means attracting more women and newcomers to the trades, which is a good first step. But we must also work at creating a shift in culture that makes these spaces welcoming to diversification. I have been working closely with Minister of Labour Seamus O’Regan on addressing these issues for Hamilton Mountain. Minister O’Regan has visited the riding a number of times this year and engaged in roundtable discussions with representatives from YWCA Hamilton, KickAss Careers, Brantford Building Trades, LiUNA, the Carpenters Union, Aecon, Ellis Don, to name a few. I organized one roundtable specifically to address the issue of women in skilled trades to learn what is working, what isn’t, where the government can help to improve conditions so that more women enter—and stay in—these solid, well-paying jobs.

Supporting Women and Children

More women have been entering and re-entering the workforce since our government managed to negotiate $10/day child care legislation. Hamilton Mountain families are already saving thousands of dollars every year because of this important plan. As we parents know, raising kids is expensive! That is why our government increased the Canada Child Benefit, which helps offset the rising cost of feeding, housing and clothing children and has lifted hundreds of thousands of children out of poverty. And last year we started rolling out the Canada Dental Benefit, beginning with children under the age of 12. To date, nearly 1,400 kids in the riding of Hamilton Mountain have visited a dentist, thanks to this benefit. By the end of 2023 we expect to improve access to dental care for youth under 18, seniors, and individuals living with disabilities.

Working for you in Ottawa

It’s been an eventful year in Parliament, as we address important issues that affect the constituents of Hamilton Mountain. I sit on the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage, as well as the Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics. This fall I re-established the All-Party Steel Caucus which I now Co-Chair. How will this affect you? Many constituents in Hamilton Mountain work in steel and steel-related industries. The purpose of this caucus is to advocate for Canadian steel companies and steel workers, to ensure the Canadian steel industry continues to be competitive, to ensure you have good jobs now and in the future as the industry changes. In our last caucus meeting we heard from the Canadian Steel Producers Association and United Steelworkers about issues that directly affect workers in Hamilton. I was honoured to be part of President Biden’s historic first official visit to Canada. I am encouraged to know there are important conversations happening around promoting Canadian exporters and ensuring that our industries have access to the U.S. Market. I’ll continue to advocate on behalf of our Hamilton steel producers to ensure fair and open access to the U.S. market. I've also been a vocal advocate on Heritage Committee for Safe Sport, as we've undertaken a study to ensure our kids and everyone playing sports can do so in a safe space.  

In the Community