Holiday greetings from MP Paul Lefebvre

One of my first official duties as Sudbury MP was to rise and report on my community in the House of Commons. On Dec. 10, I delivered a speech to the House explaining how the culture of innovation is growing in Sudbury, as well as extolling our city’s cultural vibrancy and ecological sustainability.

I also used the opportunity to talk about the importance of mining, mining sales and service and the Ring of Fire to the Canadian economy. It was a fitting way to begin my term in Canada’s 42nd Parliament, as I will be returning to these themes often in the coming four years.

It’s been a whirlwind two months as Sudbury’s new Member of Parliament, but not too busy to reflect on our start and what we’ve achieved together.

Locally, I was proud to announce a federal commitment of almost $5 million for the Advanced Medical Research Institute of Canada in November. This project will further solidify Sudbury’s role as a centre of excellence in medical research and innovation.

I have also met with a number of community leaders to discuss their priorities and projects for Sudbury. I anticipate a busy couple of years as these projects take shape and we continue to build our community together.

In just our first week on the government benches of the House of Commons, our government has already begun fulfilling our campaign promises. Our first week in Parliament, our Liberal government:

Welcomed the first planes of Syrian refugees to Canada, as part of our commitment to bring 25,000 Syrian refugees to Canada by the end of February 2016. Locally, I have met with representatives of Project Hope, LifeLine Sudbury and other groups to work together to welcome refugee families to Sudbury;

Launched a national inquiry into missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls, a critical step in addressing this national tragedy, giving closure to affected families, and providing governments with a framework to address the root causes of this violence;

Passed a motion in the House of Commons to enact the middle class tax cut – to take effect on January 1, 2016 – which will reduce the middle class tax bracket from 22 to 20.5 percent. By delivering savings to middle class Canadians to the tune of $540 every year for the average couple and $330 for the average single individual, we are putting more money in the pockets of middle class Canadians to save, invest, and grow our economy;

Established a new, merit-based appointment process to reduce partisanship in the Senate, improve its capacity to serve Canadians, and help restore public confidence; and

Led negotiations at COP21 to help secure an ambitious and effective global agreement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Our Liberal government is committed to taking real and immediate action on the issues that matter to Canadians – in Sudbury and across the country. We have already kept our promises, and in the new year, we will continue to roll out our plan for real change that will make a meaningful difference in the lives of all Canadians.

I wish everyone a happy and healthy new year!

Paul Lefebvre is Member of Parliament for Sudbury. His constituency office is at 152 Durham Street. He can be reached (705) 673-7107.