Corporal M.R. Paquette, Joint Task Force IMPACT Public Affairs
Minister of National Defence, the Honourable Anita Anand and Chief of Defence Staff General Wayne Eyre visit the Canadian Training and Assistance Headquarters in Amman, Jordan, on Dec. 19, 2022.
Across the country and around the world, members of the Canadian Armed Forces are serving our country, and for that, Oakville MP Anita Anand says she is thankful.
In her role as Canada’s Minister of National Defence, Anand recently travelled to Scotland, Kuwait and Jordan to express her gratitude in person to those serving overseas.
Acknowledging the efforts of members of the forces, who serve in various capacities globally and domestically, was the best part of her job in 2022, said Anand in a recent year-end interview.
“The highlight for me as Minister of Defence is to thank the Canadian Armed Forces for their work on behalf of our country, which I see every single day in this job.
“Whether it’s forest fires, whether it’s floods, whether it’s hurricanes – for example, Hurricane Fiona – every day I see Canadian Forces members step up in service of our country, and for that, I am extremely grateful.”
In Scotland, Anand visited members of the Royal Canadian Air Force Air Mobility Detachment, who have delivered more than 5.5 million pounds of military aid to support Ukraine.
They also recently helped transport gloves and clothes donated by Iceland for Ukrainian armed forces members.
“It just goes to show the type of effort that Canada is going to put forward each and every time in support of Ukraine's independence,” said Anand.
On the local front, Anand said the year’s highlights came in the form of initiatives that helped families struggling with the cost of living.
Along with dental care payments for children in lower-income families without coverage, the government also provided a one-time $500 rental support top-up for two million low-income renters, she said.
And for many Oakville families, halving the cost of childcare will help the bottom line in 2023 and beyond.
“We’re going to reach that goal on Dec 31, saving families in Oakville and Ontario an average of $6,000 per year per child,” she said, adding that the government is on track to deliver $10 per day childcare by 2026.
For the coming year, Anand said the government would continue to work with the province to build a national vision for healthcare while also focusing on jobs and economic growth.
“This is a moment in time when we need to look at the needs of our country,” she said. “Affordability, jobs and growth, health care, as well as our international focus on areas like assisting Ukraine in its fight for sovereignty, stability and security.”
