Appointment to Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Women, Gender Equality, and Youth

As a mom of three daughters, as a politician in the House dominated by men, and as a former executive in our technology sector, I know firsthand that we have a long way to go to achieve true gender equality in our society. Canadians can be proud of the monumental commitments our government has made, but more work has to be done.

It goes without saying that the COVID-19 pandemic has walked back the decades of progress made in labour force participation by women. Once again, it has been predominantly women who have stepped away from their paid work to take on more of the load for childcare and elder care as a result of lockdowns and school closures. We must reverse this trend.

I have no doubt that our government's plan to introduce affordable, quality childcare will have tremendous impact and unlock the economic opportunity of more women participating in the workforce. Although Ontario has not yet signed onto the program, I remain committed to seeing this work through to the end. I know the moms and dads in Kanata—Carleton, Ontario, and Canada as a whole, will be much better off because of it.

I am excited to be a leader of this societal transformation in my new role as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Women, Gender Equality, and Youth. I look forward to working with Minister Marci Ien and Women and Gender Equality Canada in the days to come.