Dear Friends,
Remembrance Day
This Wednesday November 11th is Remembrance Day and it will be, as always, an honour to be at Veterans Park in Cote Saint-Luc to thank our service members and salute our veterans and remember those who have fallen in Canada’s service.
Over the last week, I have had the pleasure to attend Remembrance Day Ceremonies in the Town of Hampstead alongside Mayor Jeremy Levi and Hampstead Councillors along with MNA Liz Prass and to attend Remembrance Day ceremonies in Town of Mount Royal alongside Mayor Peter Malouf and TMR Councillors and MNA Michelle Setlakwe. Speaking at Peace Park under the 78 year old TMR Cenotaph on Sunday to a group made up of scouts, guides, Royal Canadian Legion members and town residents reminded me of how much more diverse our municipalities are then they were in 1948 but how our values and ideals have stayed the same. We are so lucky that men and women have put on the CAF uniform over the years so that we can live in peace and liberty.
Kristallnacht
Monday, November 9th is the 88th anniversary of Kristallnacht. The night of broken glass. A government led pogrom across Germany and German held lands in 1938. It was an honour to join hundreds of Montrealers including museum president Rachel Gropper, and 105-year-old survivor Roman Lesniak at the Montreal Holocaust Museum’s solemn commemoration of Kristallnacht, reaffirming our collective pledge to confront antisemitism and say Never Again.
Chabad Cote Saint-Luc 40th Anniversary and Cote Saint-Luc Volunteer Night
Beth Chabad C.S.L. 40th Anniversary: Last Tuesday evening, I was delighted to drive back from Ottawa to join former Mayors Mitchell Brownstein and Robert Libman, Mayor David Tordjman, MNA Elisabeth Prass, and community members to celebrate 40 years of inspirational leadership by Rabbi Menachem Mendel Raskin and Sarah Raskin in Côte Saint-Luc. I have worked closely with the Raskins for over 25 years as a councillor, mayor and MP and I have the greatest of respect for their devotion to Cote Saint-Luc and their fantastic work.
Côte Saint-Luc Volunteer Night: It was also wonderful to join Mayor David Tordjman, Cote Saint-Luc council and MNA Liz Prass to celebrate the city’s amazing volunteers across VCOP, EMS, the CSL Dramatic Society, sports leagues, and senior clubs, whose dedication makes CSL a beacon of civic engagement.
Thank you so much to all volunteers for your continued engagement as we work together to build a safer, more prosperous, and united community.
Parliamentary Work
Parliamentary Work: In my committee work last week, parliamentary committees focused on key national safety and justice priorities. In the Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security (SECU), we examined conditional releases, the responsibilities of federal correctional organizations, and enhanced protections for victims. Meanwhile, the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights (JUST) continued its study of Bill C-29, legislation to establish the new Financial Crimes Agency, focusing on how this specialized body will operate alongside law enforcement to investigate complex financial crimes while ensuring strong legal safeguards.
Countering Terrorist Entities: In Parliament, I presented a petition sponsored by constituent Daniyal Khaleghi calling for a formal Criminal Code review to designate Kata’ib Hezbollah as a terrorist entity. Prior to presenting the petition, I hosted a bipartisan parliamentary roundtable with Iranian and Jewish community leaders to discuss steps to hold the Iranian regime accountable and combat foreign interference.
Budget 2026: Masters of Our Destiny
On November 5, 2026, our government tabled Budget 2026: Masters of Our Destiny / Maîtres chez nous. In a period marked by global economic shift and trade volatility, Budget 2026 presents an ambitious and pragmatic roadmap grounded in fiscal discipline, economic productivity, national sovereignty, and community safety.
Budget 2026 focuses on three core pillars: Growth, People, and Canadian Sovereignty and Culture. Supported by responsible fiscal anchors, Canada maintains the lowest net debt-to-GDP ratio in the G7 at 9.3%, will balance its day-to-day operating budget a year ahead of schedule in 2027–28, has reduced direct program spending growth to under 2% per year, and has achieved its target of reducing the public service by 10% two years early.
Launching an Investment Supercycle: The centerpiece of our economic growth plan is the Productivity Mega Deduction, which allows businesses of all sizes to immediately write off new capital investments. This drops Canada’s marginal effective tax rate on new business investment to 6.4%- the lowest in the G7- and is projected to boost economic activity by $22 billion annually while creating 80,000 jobs over the next decade. This is complemented by the Canada Growth Incentive, exempting up to $15 million in capital gains for entrepreneurs reinvesting in Canadian startups, an expanded SR&ED tax incentive ($930 million) for commercialization, and over $50 billion for the National Electricity Strategy to double national electricity generation by 2050.
Direct Affordability Relief: Budget 2026 provides immediate cost-of-living relief, including a one-time 50% top-up to the Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit delivered in early 2027 (providing up to $2,570 for a family of four), the new Build Canada Workers Benefit (providing up to $1,859 for individuals and $3,143 for families), and making the Canada Caregiver Credit fully refundable to deliver up to $1,260 annually to 585,000 caregivers.
Housing & Ending Homelessness: Backed by $45 billion in total capital for Build Canada Homes and nearly $30 billion in dedicated funding, we are setting Canada on a clear 10-year path to end chronic homelessness by integrating supportive housing with mental health and addictions care.
Cultural Sovereignty: Budget 2026 commits $4 billion over five years to support Canadian culture and heritage. This includes consulting on a new Canada Creative Credit allowing artists to earn up to $45,000 tax-free, a $300 million Canada 160 Fund for signature 160th anniversary celebrations, $1.5 billion to rehabilitate local community recreational facilities and ice rinks through the Build Communities Strong Fund, and making national museum admission permanently free for youth under 25.
Budget 2026 Highlights for Québec
Budget 2026 leverages Québec’s skilled workforce, natural resources, and knowledge economy to strengthen economic independence and safeguard our shared culture. Major provincial investments include:
Shipbuilding & Marine Security: An $11 billion federal contract with Chantier Davie in Lévis to build six new Canadian Coast Guard program icebreakers, supporting nearly 5,000 jobs during construction and contributing $650 million annually to GDP.
VIA Rail Fleet Renewal: Over $6.6 billion for VIA Rail passenger train replacement, with world-class design and engineering work taking place in Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville and manufacturing in La Pocatière.
Sovereign AI Leadership in Montréal: Committing up to $1.6 billion in equity financing for Cohere- creating at least 1,000 high-paying Canadian jobs and $1.7 billion in local computing infrastructure in Canada by 2030- alongside a joint $150 million Canada–Germany investment in Montréal-based LawZero and $6.2 million for Montréal’s International Centre of Expertise on AI.
Hosting the 2028 Francophonie Summit: Providing $393.2 million to host the Francophonie Summit in the National Capital Region in 2028, showcasing Francophone culture to up to 90 member states.
Preserving Military Heritage: Allocating $15.9 million for Veterans Affairs Canada to acquire, restore, and operate the historic National Field of Honour in Pointe-Claire, the resting place of over 20,000 veterans.
Major Infrastructure Acceleration: Fast-tracking key projects through the Major Projects Office, including the Contrecoeur Container Terminal (creating up to 8,000 jobs), Nouveau Monde Graphite’s Matawinie Mine in Saint-Michel-des-Saints (the largest graphite mine in North America), and the Alto High-Speed Rail corridor connecting Toronto and Québec City.
Investments in Public Safety, Defense, and Digital Protection
Budget 2026 introduces comprehensive measures to protect Canadians at home, in our communities, and online. Following the tragic incident at CFB Wainwright that claimed the life of Private Aidan Goulding, the government is providing $25 million over two years to support affected Canadian Armed Forces members, their families, and local communities, alongside $3 million specifically for the Wainwright Military Family Resource Centre.
To safeguard our national security against foreign interference, terrorism, and espionage, Budget 2026 proposes $6.0 billion over 10 years ($579.5 million ongoing) for CSIS to expand its domestic presence and deepen global intelligence partnerships.
To tackle radicalization at its roots, Public Safety Canada will receive $64 million over four years ($9 million ongoing) for the Canada Centre for Community Engagement and Prevention of Violence, including $56 million for the Community Resilience Fund.
Finally, to protect our children online under Bill C-34 (the Safe Social Media Act), we are establishing the new Digital Safety and Data Protection Commission of Canada with an investment of $176.3 million over five years ($29.3 million ongoing) to enforce duties on social media and AI platforms, rapidly remove non-consensual deepfakes or child exploitation content, and ensure age-appropriate design protections.
Community Security & Public Safety Advocacy (B’nai Brith & CIJA)
Key Jewish advocacy organizations welcomed the budget’s targeted investments in public safety, security infrastructure, and countering extremism:
B’nai Brith Canada: Urged Members of Parliament to support Budget 2026, highlighting the federal government’s increased investment in the Canada Centre for Community Engagement and Prevention of Violence as recommended in their official pre-budget submission.
Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA): Recognized the budget for directly responding to community advocacy by renewing and expanding Canada’s National Strategy on Countering Radicalization to Violence- including $64 million over four years ($9 million ongoing) for the Canada Centre and $56 million for the Community Resilience Fund to disrupt extremism before it leads to violence. CIJA also applauded the $6.0 billion 10-year investment ($579.5 million ongoing) for CSIS to bolster intelligence capabilities against terrorism, foreign interference, and hate-motivated threats.
Some Other Budget Items
Seniors will no longer need to convert RRSP to RRIFs at age 71. The change eliminates the mandatory requirement to convert an RRSP into a RRIF or purchase an annuity by December 31 of the year you turn 71. But mandatory deductions will continue and be made directly from the RRSP. The proposal allows a surviving spouse or common-law partner to become a successor holder of an RRSP- similar to how TFSAs and RRIFs currently work- making post-death transfers simpler and keeping the account open.
Refunding the Canada Caregiver Credit: Making the Canada Caregiver Credit fully refundable ($1,260 per year), providing direct financial relief to multigenerational households caring for aging parents or family members with disabilities.
Support for Community Media & Culture: Allocating $134 million for the Local Journalism Initiative to support independent community media, as well as $10 million for Building Communities through Arts and Heritage and $15 million for the Canada Arts Presentation Fund to fund local multicultural festivals and community celebrations.
Obviously these are short summaries of a very long budget and you can find the entire document at:
Budget 2026
Best,
Anthony
