Prescott and Russell’s new member of parliament (MP )says the Carney Liberal government’s new budget will not just build a strong Canada but also help her riding become stronger too.
Speaking in the House of Commons November 6, Giovanna Mingarelli, Liberal MP for Prescott-Russell-Cumberland, declared her support of the Carney government’s proposed 2026 budget, saying that it represents support for the entire country at all community levels in weathering the impact of the U.S. tariff attacks of President Donald Trump and revamping both Canada’s and local economies to be more innovative and adaptive in a changing global trade economy.
“My riding is a rural one,” said Mingarelli. “This is a region where people believe in the value of work well-done, in solidarity, and in community spirit. The budget represents a generational investment to build Canada, to build a strong Canada, and a strong riding. I’m working hard to insure a part of of this budget is invested in my riding.”
Mingarelli noted that the Trump tariffs levied against Canadian imports to the U.S. are the worst economic barrier for Canada since the Depression. She also noted that Canada still has a better trading situation than some other countries with the U.S. because a majority of Canadian goods are still exempt from Trump’s tariffs under the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) on free trade. CUSMA is expected to come for renegotiation soon and whether it will continue to exist depends in part on whether or not the U.S. under Trump is willing to engage in fair negotiation of a new agreement.
Meanwhile Mingarelli highlighted a number of the policy proposals in the 2026 federal budget that she stated will help with infrastructure redevelopment that can benefit through support of roadwork, transit, and other infrastructure needs “that sustain our towns and municipalities. She also emphasized the budget offers programs to help both businesses and workers affected by the Trump tariffs, including aid for retraining and redevelopment to help with finding new markets and creating new jobs.
Mingarelli also noted support in the budget for companies like Ivaco Rolling Mills in L’Orignal that produce steel or several high-tech firms in Hawkesbury that use steel in manufacturing their products. She highlighted plans for greater investment in Canada’s defence sector and also a federal government Buy Canadian policy that will help create broader home markets for Canadian steel and other products.
“This budget is about building resilience, not dependence,” she said.
Mingarelli highlighted the federal budget policies for agriculture and for small- and medium-sized businesses. She noted that many family farm operations in her riding will benefit from support to make them more innovative and adaptive and able to continue as family farms for future generations. She noted that local businesses like Dunrobbin Distillery in Vankleek Hill and Nonna’s Gelato in Plantagenet “help build our communities” and are the kind of small- and medium-sized businesses that the budget can encourage.
Mingarelli noted that her riding has a large francophone community and she said the federal budget will help maintain francophone culture through protection of Radio Canada and CBC as public broadcasters that report on francophone issues and also provide programs that promote francophone culture. She also noted that the budget’s policies on heritage and culture
will help support groups that provide community programs for francophones and also support local media that reports on issues and events that are important to local residents francophone, anglophone, and allophone.
For the complete text of Mingarelli’s bilingual speech, with both English and French translations provided, go to https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1H3jzeHnzE/.
