Colin Reynolds

Today I rose in the house for the first time on behalf of my community. Union workers have their voice in Parliament and I will fight tooth and nail so that all hardworking Canadians get the respect they deserve. I am and will always be One of Us, Working for All of Us.

Just as the government introduces a budget in which they claim to make Canada “masters of our own destiny”, they vote against cancelling an important contract to a subsidiary of an American company. The CRA plans to give a security contract to this American subsidiary over a Canadian company that hires and supports our veterans. At a time when our men and women who served are being degraded by the American administration, the decision to give this contract to an American subsidiary over a Canadian company is unacceptable.

On this day, we honour the soldiers and those who donned the uniform for Canada, who exercised the highest degree of bravery and selflessness. We remember the fallen, who fought and continue to fight for our freedom and for a country that gives promise to its people. Let us never forget the sacrifices made by those in uniform. Let us forever be grateful for their bravery in keeping Canada safe. We honour them, and we will remember them. Lest we forget.

I had the pleasure of welcoming David Neufeld, National President of the Union of Safety and Justice Employees, and a constituent, to Parliament. I appreciated the opportunity to meet with him and show him around our House of Commons! If you are a constituent of Elmwood–Transcona and find yourself in Ottawa, please reach out to my office. We would be happy to facilitate a tour of Parliament and a chance to view Question Period!

Yesterday, on Indigenous Veterans Day, I joined members of our community to honour and remember the sacrifice of the Indigenous members of our armed forces for their sacrifice, and continued selfless defence of our nation. Indigenous Veterans served, and continue to serve, in very important positions in our armed forces. Throughout history, many of their valiant actions and contributions have gone unrecognized and under appreciated. We must never forget their bravery and selflessness in the defence of our country.

Since 2019, food bank usage in Canada has increased 340%. That's astounding. Clearly, government policy has failed to adequately address this issue in the last 7 years. Naturally, we ask what the government can be doing better. Tax relief, particularly for those who are struggling to make ends meet, as well as government policies promoting the reduction of the cost of fuel and other necessities, often through lower government tax, can help many Canadians deal with the burden that is high food costs. These struggles are everywhere, but that is not an excuse to do nothing. Let us work with what we have some control over and help alleviate some of the burden so many Canadians are currently carrying.

Small Businesses who are planning to hire next summer can now apply for the Canada Summer Jobs program! Canada Summer Jobs helps youth in our community gain valuable work experience where they may not otherwise be employed, while also helping non-profits and small businesses cover part of the wages of those being employed. Apply by December 3, 2026: canada.ca/en/employment-soci…

In Manitoba, food bank usage has increased by almost 10% since 2025. More folks are struggling to put food on the table than ever before. Things are not getting better. We need to get serious about tackling the extreme rise in the cost of living. Truly unlocking our economy by reducing government bureaucracy and red tape, and repealing anti-development laws, will allow us to create more high-paying jobs. A more productive economy puts more money in the pockets of Canadians, and allows the government to work towards reducing the heavy tax burden we face. I will always fight to tackle the cost of living by putting more money in the pockets of working Canadians.

Yesterday, Manitobans had our voices heard as we elected our municipal councils. Thank you to all who put their names forward. Congratulations to Emma Durand-Wood, Jeff Browaty and Lora Meseman for their successful campaigns to represent our community. I look forward to working with you for the betterment of our neighbourhoods. Running for office is not easy, and I was very glad to see many new, young, and engaged names on the ballot.

The Prime Minister campaigned on building more homes at speeds not seen in generations and bringing down the cost of housing for young Canadians looking to start families, and get out of mom and dad's basement. A year after the government introduced its solution to this problem, a new bureaucracy, only 10% of the houses slated to be built by it are actually being constructed. Now, the Prime Minister is looking to increase the flow of residents into our country. How can Canadians expect housing prices to go down when the demand from an increased population is met with a supply that is hardly going up? This looks an awful lot like the mistakes of the Trudeau government. Canadians overwhelmingly want our population to be stable, while we get our housing supply back up to affordable levels. That should be our priority and reflected in government policy.

Building Canada requires the work of our tradespeople, there is no question about that. We continue to hear from our provinces about "breaking down interprovincial trade barriers". The biggest interprovincial barrier to building our country is the lack of a common language between provinces with regards to the certifications and training that our tradespeople receive. Despite having extremely similar training, many in the trades from one province must get re-certified in order to work in another. There is a place for the federal government to be a guide on common language, to help our provinces stay true to their words, and break down these certification barriers.

My thoughts and prayers are with our men and women in uniform after hearing about the tragedy that has unfolded over the weekend in Wainwright. As we learn more, I ask you all to keep the families and those who serve our country in your hearts.

It was a privilege to meet Lucy Antsanen to discuss Bill S-225 and the legacy of Thanadelthur, a young Dene woman who brokered peace between converging peoples and built strong trade links in her region. I am proud to continue to learn about Indigenous history, and use these lessons to help guide us as we move to build our country.

Our local steel industries face unprecedented threats from south of the border in the form of tariffs, and Canadian workers are feeling the pressure. As Canadian steel mills continue to close, and as the government continues to commit to Canadian workers that they will protect their jobs, major projects finally approved by this government say they will use Chinese steel, and units made from Chinese labour. Major projects are necessary, and I am delighted to finally see them move forward. These projects, however, should be to the benefit of Canadian workers, many of whom are seeking work now more than ever. We must completely use, to the best of our abilities, Canadian steel, and put the many other resources we manufacture to good use. Canada and Canadians depend on it. With Bill C-39 before Parliament, I will continue to advocate for Canadian workers.

Forward House does good work providing much-needed transitional housing to men in their journey to sobriety by providing them with additional supports before they enter permanent housing. In the previous parliamentary session, my position on the HUMA Committee allowed me to learn about the supports required to help keep people off the street. The support provided by Forward House are exactly what we need in our community. They help folks obtain good housing, meaningful work, and help live the lives they were always meant to live.

Today, on the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, we honour the survivors of Canada's residential school system, and remember those who lived this land first and who were lost to this horrific system. Canada must be a place where Indigenous peoples have the freedom to determine their futures, preserve their languages, and develop their resources. Their resilience and self-determination is displayed from coast to coast to coast. In the spirit of true reconciliation, we must continue to listen and learn from Indigenous survivors, peoples, and communities, so we can heal and build a bright future for all.

25 years ago today, thousands of innocent people, including 24 Canadians, lost their lives on September 11, 2001. We remember them. We remember the brave first responders who ran towards the danger. We remember the generosity of Canadians in Newfoundland who housed and cared for those whose flights had been grounded. We remember the unity of the world against terrorism in the wake of these horrific attacks. Let us continue to stand against hate and terror in all its forms. Never Forget.

On this day, we recognize and celebrate all the workers that have built, and continue to build our country. Canada's workers are resilient. Through collective bargaining, workers have acquired the right to overtime pay, maternity and paternity leave, advancements in workplace safety once thought unthinkable, and so much more. To build a more resilient economy, we need Canada’s workers. Simply put, workers are the beating heart of our nation. To Canadas workers: thank you. I wish you all a happy and restful Labour Day!

Great to meet with folks from Vision Loss Rehabilitation Canada, where we discussed the work and outreach they do to help those facing vision loss. I left with the knowledge that many causes of vision loss are preventable and to get your eyes checked regularly!