SoVote

Decentralized Democracy

Hon. Rechie Valdez

  • Member of Parliament
  • Liberal
  • Mississauga—Streetsville
  • Ontario
  • Voting Attendance: 63%
  • Expenses Last Quarter: $175,403.28

  • Government Page
  • Feb/13/24 2:41:14 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, nearly 80% of small businesses paid back their Canada emergency business account loan and were able to take advantage of the refundable portion of the loan. This being Black History Month, I would like to mention the Black entrepreneurship program. It is an historic investment of $266 million that, so far, has helped support more than 9,000 Black business owners across Canada. Nearly $50 million in loans have been approved.
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  • Feb/5/24 2:38:18 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the purpose of the Canada emergency business account, or CEBA, was to help keep businesses afloat during the pandemic and give them some room to recover. Nearly 80% of small businesses have paid back the CEBA loan and were able to take advantage of the refundable portion of the loan. We are also reducing credit card transaction fees by up to a quarter to help small businesses keep more money in their pockets.
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  • Jan/29/24 2:58:22 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we know that small businesses are still going through a tough time. They still have nearly three years to pay back their CEBA loan. We extended the term loan repayment deadline to ensure that small businesses can focus on their post-pandemic recovery. We are also cutting taxes for growing small businesses and lowering credit card fees up to a quarter.
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  • Nov/21/23 2:54:21 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we know times were tough and are still tough for small businesses. If they are unable to repay by January 18, they still have a full three years to repay their CEBA loan. We extended the term loan repayment deadline to make sure that small businesses are able to focus on navigating pandemic recovery. We are also cutting taxes for growing small businesses and lowering credit card fees by up to a quarter. We will always be there for small businesses. That will never change.
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  • Nov/20/23 2:29:39 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, small businesses asked for our help. That is why our government extended the deadline for forgiveness to January 18, 2024. We also announced the extension of the deadline for term loan repayment by one year, to the end of 2026. Our government will always be there for small businesses.
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  • Nov/9/23 2:45:30 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I can reassure my colleagues that we are here for small businesses. We have already given small businesses an extra year to access the forgivable part of the loan. They asked for more help, so we gave them more flexibility to refinance, more time to access loan forgiveness and a one-year extension of the repayment deadline.
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  • Nov/7/23 3:03:35 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to inform my hon. colleague that nearly 900,000 small businesses benefited from the CEBA. That is why we recently announced a one-year extension on the term loan repayment deadline, more flexibility on refinancing and more time to access loan forgiveness. We also increased the Canada child benefit and implemented $10-a-day child care, thus enabling more women than ever to enter the workforce.
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  • Nov/6/23 2:57:50 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we have already given small businesses an extra year to qualify for the forgivable portion of the loan. Since they asked for more help, we are offering them more flexibility on refinancing, more time to access loan forgiveness and a one-year extension on the repayment deadline. We are always there for our small businesses, unlike the Conservative leader, who wants to take us back to the Stone Age.
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  • Nov/3/23 11:47:09 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, I thank the hon. member for that question. That is why we are offering additional flexibilities for small businesses to repay their CEBA loans. This includes a full one-year extension on the term loan repayment deadline, more flexibility on refinancing and more time to access loan forgiveness, which is both balanced and fiscally responsible. We know times are tough, which is why our government is also cutting taxes for growing small businesses and lowering their credit card fees by up to a quarter. We will continue to listen to small businesses, and we will be there for all Canadians.
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  • Nov/1/23 3:10:25 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, our government understands that small businesses are still trying to recover from the pandemic. That is why we recently announced a one-year repayment extension, more refinancing flexibility and more time to access loan forgiveness. This is in addition to our increase in the Canada child benefit and $10-a-day child care, which has enabled more women to enter the workforce than ever before.
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  • Oct/31/23 3:04:16 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, our government listens to small businesses. The first deadline for the exemption qualification was the end of 2022. Small businesses asked for our help. That is why our government extended the exemption qualification deadline to January 18, 2024. We also announced a full one-year extension of the term loan repayment deadline to the end of 2026.
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  • Oct/30/23 2:43:54 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we will continue to be there for small businesses. We extended the deadline for small businesses from last year to this year. Since they asked for more assistance, we are giving them more refinancing flexibility. We are giving them more time to access the loan forgiveness and a one-year extension of the CEBA loan repayment deadline.
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  • Oct/30/23 2:28:05 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, our government is listening to small businesses. The first deadline to qualify for forgiveness was the end of 2022. Small businesses asked for our help. That is why our government extended the forgiveness repayment deadline to January 18, 2024. We also announced a full one-year extension of the term loan repayment date until the end of 2026. Our government is always there for small businesses.
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  • Oct/26/23 2:44:14 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we continue to be there for small businesses. We gave small businesses an extension from last year to this year. Because they asked for more help, we are offering them more flexibility when it comes to refinancing, more time to qualify for loan forgiveness, and a one-year extension of the repayment deadline for their Canada emergency business account loan. I thank my hon. Bloc Québécois colleagues who continue to share excellent comments and ideas to support small business.
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  • Oct/26/23 2:42:52 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for her question. Our government understands that small businesses are still trying to recover from the pandemic. That is why we recently announced a one-year extension of the repayment deadline, more refinancing flexibility and more time to access loan forgiveness. We have also increased the Canada child benefit and implemented a $10-a-day child care plan, which has enabled more women to enter the labour market.
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  • Oct/24/23 2:41:35 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we are offering additional flexibility to small businesses in repaying their Canada emergency business account loans. This includes a full one-year extension of the term loan repayment deadline, more refinancing flexibility and more time to access the loan forgiveness, which is both a balanced and fiscally responsible approach. The Bloc Québécois did not vote to lower credit card fees. We are always prepared to work with the Bloc Québécois, because our main objective is to help small businesses across the country.
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  • Oct/23/23 2:27:29 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we are offering additional flexibilities for small businesses to repay their CEBA loans. They include a full one-year extension on the term loan repayment deadline, more flexibility on refinancing and more time to access loan forgiveness, which is both a balanced and fiscally responsible approach. We will continue to listen to small businesses across the country.
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  • Sep/20/23 3:12:15 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I was also a small business owner during the pandemic, and I really understand the struggles many continue to face. That is why we are offering additional flexibilities for small businesses to repay their CEBA loans, which are both balanced and fiscally responsible. This includes a full one-year extension on the repayment deadline, more flexibility on refinancing and more time to access the loan forgiveness. We will keep listening to small businesses across the country, and that includes all Canadians.
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  • Jun/1/23 12:51:49 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, as I said, budget 2023 announced that the federal government would increase the number of Canadians eligible for File my Return to two million people by 2025, which is almost triple the current number. My son Kyle is about to graduate from elementary school, and I am thinking forward to when he enters university and what he is going to be paying for his education. We know that the higher cost of living means that students still need support to afford an education and pursue their dreams. Budget 2023 proposed enhanced support for students for the 2023 school year. This includes increasing Canada student grants by 40%, providing up to $4,200 for full-time students; raising the interest-free Canada student loan limit from $210 to $300 per week of study; and waiving the requirement for mature students, aged 22 years or older, to undergo credit screening in order to qualify for federal student grants and loans for the first time. This would allow post-secondary students to access up to $14,400 in enhanced Canada student financial assistance for the upcoming school year. Students with disabilities and dependents would also receive an increase in Canada student grants. Post-secondary education is expensive, and the government is committed to ensuring that education remains accessible and more affordable for Canadians, so that future generations can seek higher education. That is why we will be working with students in the year ahead to develop a long-term approach to student financial assistance in time for budget 2024. Unfortunately, for too many Canadians, including young people and new Canadians, the dream of owning a new home is increasingly out of reach. In budget 2022, the government committed to introducing a tax-free personal savings account, a new registered plan to give prospective first-time homebuyers the ability to save $40,000 on a tax-free basis. In budget 2023, the government delivered on this commitment by allowing financial institutions to start offering this plan to Canadians on April 21, 2023, a few months ago. These are just a few examples of how we are making targeted and responsible investments to build a stronger economic future for all Canadians.
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