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     moved for leave to introduce Bill C-201, An Act to amend the Canada Health Act (mental, addictions and substance use health services).

     He said: Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to rise today to introduce the mental health parity act, which aims to address the disparity between physical and mental health in our public health care system. This is the first private member's bill tabled in the 45th Parliament. It is of great importance.

    The bill proposes to amend the Canada Health Act, to expand the definition of insured services to include community-based mental health, addictions and substance use services. As it stands, provincial and territorial health plans are only required to cover mental health, addictions and substance use health services when provided by physicians or in hospitals and deemed medically necessary. As a result, many services, such as counselling or psychotherapy, are not covered under public health insurance plans. The lack of public coverage forces Canadians who are struggling to shoulder significant out-of-pocket costs or go without supports they need.

    The legislation would begin to address the financial barriers to mental health and substance use care by creating a federal requirement for provinces and territories to include coverage of community-based supports in their health insurance plans.

    I want to thank the Canadian Alliance on Mental Illness and Mental Health, the Canadian Mental Health Association and all those advocating for mental health parity and spreading the message that mental health matters. I also want to thank my colleague and friend, the member for Vancouver Kingsway, for his important work in this area and for seconding the bill.

    I hope all members will get behind this very important piece of legislation.

    moved for leave to introduce Bill C‑202, An Act to amend the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Act (supply management).

    He said: Mr. Speaker, during the last Parliament, all of the political parties supported a bill aimed at protecting the entire supply management system, which then protects the interests of both consumers and producers in terms of quality and financial predictability.

    As I promised during the election campaign, I am introducing a similar bill this morning. Once again, I note that all of the political parties in the House have indicated that they will support this initiative. I therefore hope that we can move forward quickly, with the support of all members. This bill is extremely important to the economic model in Quebec's regions and many Canadian regions as well, and it deserves our urgent attention.

    Mr. Speaker, I am presenting a petition about the very important human rights situation in Tibet.

    The people of Tibet have a unique and distinct cultural, linguistic and religious heritage that has been increasingly endangered since Tibet was annexed by the People's Republic of China in 1951. Reports from human rights organizations have documented serious and ongoing human rights abuses in Tibet, including extreme restrictions on freedom of religion, freedom of speech and freedom of assembly.

    Further, many Tibetan political prisoners, including those engaged in peaceful protests, as well as Buddhist monks and nuns, are detained unjustly and subject to brutal and violent treatment.

    The petitioners call on the government and the Prime Minister to advocate for the immediate and unconditional release of Tibetan political prisoners, who have been detained for exercising their right to peaceful protest, freedom of expression and freedom of religion, and to place sanctions on five PRC officials responsible for serious human rights violations in Tibet. Their names are as follows: Chen Quanguo, Zhang Qingli, Wu Yingjie, Wang Yang and Qizhala, a.k.a. Che Dalha.

    Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to present this petition as the new critic for defence for the federal NDP on behalf of residents from Bamfield, Port Alberni, Parksville and Courtenay in my riding.

    The petitioners highlight that Canada signed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948, pledging to achieve, in co-operation with the United Nations, the promotion of universal respect for and observance of human rights and fundamental freedoms; that Canada's Truth and Reconciliation Commission and Canada's adoption of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples reflect our commitment to the principles of justice, equality and freedom; and that upholding the basics of justice, equality, freedom, security and well-being for all is essential for preventing war and conflict.

    They highlight that an open society and an informed public and Parliament are essential for the understanding of complex issues of violent conflict and for the achievement of lasting peace and disarmament. With the closing of the Pearson Centre, Canada lost an important civilian-led, independent institutional structure that supported effective research policy and training in peace operations and conflict.

    The petitioners call on the House of Commons to assemble, re-establish and fund a centre of excellence for peace and justice focused on research, education and training in conflict resolution, diplomacy and peace operations for Canadian civilians, police, military personnel and the international community.

     Mr. Speaker, I ask that all questions be allowed to stand.

    Is that agreed?

    Some hon. members: Agreed.

    Mr. Speaker, it is with great humility that I rise to respond to the Speech from the Throne, delivered by His Majesty King Charles III. The royal visit was a reminder of the bond between Canada and the Crown, one forged over generations, shaped by shared history and grounded in common values. This bond has evolved over time, just as Canada has, to reflect the strength, diversity and confidence of our people.

    The historic honour of having Canada's sovereign open this new Parliament matches the weight of our times. Serving Canadians at this hinge moment of our history is a privilege of the highest order, one that I share with every member of this chamber.

     I would like to congratulate all of my colleagues in the House of Commons on their election. Canadians have given us the honour of serving them. Every member of Parliament has a great responsibility, one that is greater still given the nature of our mandate to overcome the tremendous challenges that define this hinge moment for Canada's future.

    In a more dangerous and divided world, geopolitical risks are rising, threatening our sovereignty. The global trading system, which has helped power Canada’s prosperity for decades, is undergoing the biggest transformation since the fall of the Berlin Wall.

    At home, our long-standing weak productivity is straining government finances, making life less affordable for Canadian families and threatening to undermine the sustainability of vital social programs on which Canadians rely. Canada’s new government has an immense responsibility to address these challenges head-on, with focus, with determination and with innovation. In this, our government will be guided by the priorities His Majesty the King outlined in the Speech from the Throne.

    The government welcomes yesterday’s decision by the U.S. Court of International Trade, which is consistent with our long-standing position that the U.S. IEEPA tariffs were unlawful and unjustified. That said, we recognize that our trading relationship with the United States is still profoundly and adversely affected and threatened by similarly unjustified section 232 tariffs against the steel, aluminum and auto sectors, as well as continuing threats of tariffs against other strategic sectors, including lumber, semiconductors and pharmaceuticals. It therefore remains the top priority of Canada’s new government to establish a new economic and security relationship with the United States and to strengthen our collaboration with reliable trading partners and allies around the world.

    We welcome yesterday's United States Court of International Trade ruling, but there are still other unjustified tariffs and too much uncertainty. Our economy is still under threat. We therefore remain relentlessly focused on obtaining the best possible trade agreement for Canadian businesses and workers, no matter how long it takes.

    In parallel, we will work with the provinces and territories to build one Canadian economy by removing internal barriers to trade and labour mobility and by identifying and expediting nation building projects that will connect and transform our country. We will bring down costs for Canadians and help them get ahead, including through the middle-class tax cut and cutting the GST for first-time homebuyers, measures that are now before the House.

    We will make housing more affordable by unleashing the power of public-private co-operation, catalyzing the housing industry and creating new careers in the skilled trades. We will protect Canadian sovereignty and keep Canadians safe by strengthening the Canadian Armed Forces, securing our borders and bolstering law enforcement. We will return our overall immigration rates to sustainable levels while attracting the best talent in the world to help build our economy.

    We will spend less on government operations, so Canadians can invest more to build Canada strong. Day-to-day government spending, the government’s operating budget, has been growing by an unsustainable 9% every year. We will bring that rate down to 2%, less than half the average nominal rate of growth in the economy.

     We will not cut transfers to provinces, territories or individuals. Instead, we will balance the operating budget over the next three years by cutting waste, capping the public service, ending duplicative programs and deploying technology to boost public sector productivity. Government must become much more productive by deploying AI at scale, by focusing on results over spending and by using scarce taxpayer dollars to catalyze multiples of private investment.

    In all our initiatives, Canada’s new government will be guided by our conviction that our economy is only strong when it serves everyone. That means bringing costs down. That means helping Canadians to get ahead. Canadians will keep more of their hard-earned money with a middle-class tax cut that will take effect by Canada Day, saving a two-income family up to $840 every year.

    We will protect and expand the programs that are saving Canadian families thousands of dollars every year. These include pharmacare and child care. We will expand the Canadian dental care plan to cover eight million Canadians, saving them more than $800 per year.

    We will work to bring about the change that Canadians deserve, without losing sight of what defines Canada. Here in Canada, we celebrate our diversity, we are proudly bilingual, we promote the French language, we take care of the most vulnerable, we appreciate and showcase our natural heritage, we have confronted the truth and are working toward reconciliation with first nations, Inuit and Métis peoples, and we respect and defend the rule of law and democratic institutions.

    Canada's new government will protect, reinforce and promote our official languages. We will ensure the sustainability of the vital social programs on which Canadians rely. We will protect our natural heritage and fight climate change. We will advance reconciliation with indigenous peoples. We will uphold the rule of law, protect our democratic institutions and reinforce the unity of our country. We will protect what makes Canada Canada.

    In his speech, His Majesty the King touched on Canada's unique history. Our sovereign embodies Canada's British heritage, which is a source of pride for many of us. I am speaking to you today in French, thanks to the cultural contribution of Quebeckers and francophones across the country that defines the Canadian identity.

    This Parliament, built on lands stewarded by indigenous peoples since time immemorial, now has a record number of first nations, Métis and Inuit members.

    In short, Canada is more than a nation. It is a confederation based on the union of peoples, and our government's approach will reflect that reality.

    To deliver the change that Canadians deserve, we will work constructively across parties in Parliament. We will work in true partnership with territories, provinces and indigenous peoples. We will bring together labour, business and civil society to advance the nation-building projects and investments needed to create the strongest economy in the G7.

    Canadians voted last month for big, bold changes. They called for a transformative plan for a confident, independent nation. They called for unity. Our plan is bold. Our plan is transformative. Our plan is unifying. Its success will breed more success. As Aristotle taught, and as Canadians instinctively know, we become just by doing just acts and brave by committing brave acts. When we work together, unity grows. When we work together, Canada grows.

    Throughout our history, there have been turning points when the world's fortunes were in the balance. That was the case at the start of the Second World War, just as it was at the end of the Cold War. Each time, Canada chose to step up, to assert ourselves as a free, sovereign and ambitious nation, to lead on the path of democracy and freedom, and to do so with compassion and generosity. We are once again at such a hinge moment. Now is the time to address the challenges and seize the associated opportunities with urgency and determination.

    We are masters in our own house. To shape our destiny, we have to accomplish things that once would have seemed impossible, and we have to do so at an unprecedented pace. We need to ensure our prosperity in a world that has been profoundly transformed.

    Now is the time to build a Canada worthy of its values, a Canada worthy of its people, and a Canada for all and for all times.

    Mr. Speaker, this week, the Prime Minister introduced a spending bill. It was the main estimates for 2025-26. To be fair, his spending is not as bad as Justin Trudeau's; it is actually worse.

    To start, the Prime Minister inherited an obese Liberal government. We know that. He promised to “spend less”. The first spending bill that he dropped in the House of Commons spends 8% more than Trudeau did in his last year in office. That is almost three times bigger than population and inflation combined.

    We know that the Prime Minister is going to say that this new spending is an investment, but he is going to spend a record $26 billion on consultants. That is $1,400 per family, per year, and that is more than the tax cut he just talked about. He literally said, on Tuesday morning, that he would cap government spending, and he said it again today, at 2%. By the afternoon, he dropped a bill in the House of Commons to raise spending by 8%.

    How is the Prime Minister going to reconcile what he said on Tuesday morning with what he did on Tuesday afternoon?

     Mr. Speaker, the hon. member's question goes to the heart of the transformation the government intends.

    The first step is to shift the core of spending from day-to-day spending, operational spending, to investment spending. In other words, spending that catalyzes investment, particularly investment in the private sector. We will see that through “build Canada homes”. We will see that through the nation-building projects. We will see that through facilities to accelerate private business investments, such as accelerated capital allowances.

    The government is putting in place the mechanisms to control operating spending, to shift the rate of growth that has been seen in recent years and reduce it to less than the rate of growth of the economy. It is an effort that will be undertaken across government, including by the Minister of Government Transformation, the Minister of Finance, the President of the Treasury Board, the Minister of National Defence and all ministers of His Majesty's government, to deliver the results that Canadians deserve.

    Mr. Speaker, I want to take this opportunity to congratulate you on being elected Speaker. I wish you every success during this Parliament.

    I would also like to congratulate the Prime Minister for surviving his baptism by fire, his first question period and his maiden speech today. We do not mind saying that he did well.

    However, a number of questions remain unanswered. One specific question of mine concerns farmers in Quebec and Canada who operate under supply management. This morning, my colleague and leader, the member for Beloeil—Chambly, tabled a bill similar to the one that we introduced in the previous Parliament to protect supply management from any concessions made in future trade negotiations with foreign countries and partners.

    The bill is roughly the same as the one that was supported by all the parties when we tabled it during the 44th Parliament. Will the Prime Minister promise today, as he did during the election campaign, that the Liberal Party and his government will support the bill introduced this morning by my colleague and leader, the member for Beloeil—Chambly?

    Mr. Speaker, I thank the leader of the Bloc Québécois for his bill.

    I have been clear about this since January. Supply management will never be on the table in negotiations with the Americans. We will protect supply management. There will be a direct response. We will protect the French language and Canadian culture in its entirety in any discussion or trade negotiation with any country around the world, including the U.S.

    We will carefully consider the Bloc Québécois bill that was introduced this morning.

    Mr. Speaker, I want to talk more about affordability and the measures our government is proposing to help Canadians across the country. The past five years have seen difficult times. A global pandemic, wars and geopolitical instability have caused market crashes and strained relations between those who have historically been international allies, including our own relationship with our neighbours down south. I welcome the proposal of a middle-class tax cut that would save a two-income family up to $840 a year. This will be a welcome change for all of my constituents and Canadians across the country.

     I understand that we have made progress toward change this week, which is very exciting. We are getting straight to work to support Canadians, true to the mandate on which we were elected. I would ask the Prime Minister to please elaborate on what material changes the Canadian family can expect in the coming months to help with tightening budgets at home and other areas of affordability. For example, what housing measures will he focus on to increase access?

     Mr. Speaker, I would like to welcome the hon. member for New Westminster—Burnaby—Maillardville and congratulate him on his maiden intervention.

    The government will begin by focusing on affordability. That is why the first item we tabled was the middle-class tax cut the hon. member referred to, a tax cut that will save up to $840 per year for every two-earner taxpaying family in the country. Up to 22 million Canadians will benefit from this measure.

    Rightly, the focus of the question was on housing and housing affordability. The first and most immediate thing we can do is cut the GST on homes for first-time buyers, saving up to $50,000 on the purchase of a home.

    Ultimately, fixing the housing crisis requires a dramatic increase in housing supply. That is why we need to catalyze major investment in housing. We will do that through the creation of “build Canada homes”, which will focus first on deeply affordable housing, a sector that has been neglected for decades. I recall the record of the former member for Carleton, which was that he built six deeply affordable homes during his time.

    I will end with this: Fundamentally, we will rely on the private sector to build affordable homes, including by supplying $25 billion in direct financing to private developers to build the housing the country needs.

    Mr. Speaker, I listened closely to the Liberal Prime Minister's speech. It seems that the Prime Minister has not yet made the transition from candidate to Prime Minister. He kept repeating his slogans, including the one about having a plan for Canadians.

    Household debt has reached record highs. The number of people who cannot pay their mortgage is on the rise. Lineups at food banks are getting longer. TD Bank predicts a recession, which means hundreds of thousands of job losses.

    The Prime Minister has acknowledged the damage caused by the Liberals over the past 10 years, with their irresponsible borrowing, the massive inflationary deficit, and the carbon tax that drove up the price of everything and scared away investors. Now he has the opportunity to present a real plan, a costed plan, a plan with tangible measures, a plan based on the current state of the public finances. That plan is called a budget.

    Why is he so afraid to table a budget this spring?

    Mr. Speaker, I know it is difficult to be an opposition member because now, at the beginning of this parliamentary session, they have a choice to make.

    We are offering a tax cut for the middle class, cancelling the carbon tax, and cutting the GST on new home construction.

    He has a choice. Will he say yes or no?

     Mr. Speaker, welcome to the Speaker's chair. Today I will be splitting my time with the member for Long Range Mountains. It will be her premier speech in the House. For many of us, it is our first time rising in this House of Parliament.

    I want to welcome everybody to the 45th Parliament. I thank the voters of Calgary Centre for sending me here for a third mandate, in the 45th Parliament. I have many people to thank: my colleagues, people around Calgary Centre, all the hundreds of volunteers who came out and knocked on doors with us, and, of course, my wife and my family, who were so supportive throughout the whole process and have been very supportive of the role I play here in the House of Commons. Also, I thank the energy community in Calgary and the finance community across this country, which are looking for better results from governments they elect to run Canada.

     I know we have a new Prime Minister.

    I welcome the new Prime Minister to the House. He is new here, but I am confident that he will learn about the workings of the House of Commons and democracy in Canada. I am sure this is all new to him, but there are customs here that the new Prime Minister did not have to practise in his life prior to politics. It is obviously different.

    I am looking forward to debating with the Prime Minister, because I have been here five and a half years and have had little debate with the other side of the House as far as economic matters go. I have heard Liberal talking lines again and again, so I am looking forward to some actual economic debate that does not just float things by but actually addresses what I think are some of the key issues Canada faces going forward.

    Real economic questions require real economic answers. Our country's economic future has been at risk for some time now, 10 years. As we know, we have had the second-worst-performing economy of the OECD's 36 countries around the world over the last decade. That is a choice the previous government made, including the majority of the front bench that allowed this to happen and allowed the economy to go down as far as it did.

     I do have to respond to the Speech from the Throne, because there are many things in that speech. The first thing I will say is that there were some excellent issues and concerns raised in the Speech from the Throne. One is tax cuts. Who has been campaigning on tax cuts the entire time we have been in Parliament? The Conservative Party has. We thank the government for picking up that Canadians need tax cuts, not more inflation, not more taxes all the way through and not an extra capital gains tax increase, but tax cuts and the GST cuts to housing. That would be a great position to have during an election, and I thank the Liberals for finally coming to the table and emulating the Conservative position on tax cuts for housing.

     Reducing internal trade barriers is a great idea. We have had that idea for Lord knows how long now, to actually get things such as one major project office done in Canada again. It is the instruments that the previous Liberal government put on the table that have hindered economic development in this country. With respect to a safer, more secure Canada, there is border investment, and we thank the government. On military investment, we thank the government. On taking crime seriously, we thank the government.

    It is almost as if I were talking to my own colleagues here on this side of the House, with all the great things that were in the Speech from the Throne. I appreciate that the other side of the House has actually come to the realization that this is something that Canadians are experiencing. Therefore I am congratulating the government on the excellent parts of the speech, including, by the way, the indigenous loan guarantee program, which again was promulgated by this side of the House as an idea to advance indigenous reconciliation, economic reconciliation, across this country.

    Nonetheless, the government fails at a few things in the Speech from the Throne. Number one is that it is not particularly ambitious, although I realize it is high-level. At the same time, it has to address a number of issues. The Prime Minister, in his Speech from the Throne, talked about spending less and investing more. This is where I am critical of financial subterfuge, because it is subterfuge.

     The current government and its predecessor government have run advancing deficits for years and years. If we look at the Liberal program during the election, we see that it increased the budget deficit this coming year and for the foreseeable future to over $60 billion per year. That is not the actual deficit; that is the planned deficit. Events always come forth here that actually push that higher. I guarantee, and I will tell this to my colleagues on this side of the bench, that there is going to be nothing that actually reduces that number.

     Financial subterfuge and fooling Canadians about what the government is spending by putting it in a different category is nonsense. Get real. Let me say that to the Prime Minister. These are economic measures that we measure ourselves by in Canada to make sure we are not throwing the baby out with the bathwater as far as the economic future of Canadians goes.

    I am going to quote the Speech from the Throne, which was written by the Prime Minister and his staff: “Day-to-day government spending—the government’s operating budget—has been growing by nine percent every year.” Surprise. It goes on: “The Government will introduce measures to bring it below two percent.”

    I could have written some of that myself, but I am going to ask this: If they are limiting the growth to 2% as far as the operating budget goes, and inflation is at 4%, how do they continue to fund the provinces, which have to fund health care, if they are penalizing them as far as the money they are transferring to them goes?

     Inflation is going to be a factor. It has been a factor and will grow to be a factor as they continue with large budget deficits. This is a problem that is going to have to be addressed sooner rather than later. Hiding the numbers in an operating budget or an investing budget is not solving the problem at all. The government has a spending problem, and it has to address the spending problem.

     Now I am going to get to something I am really critical of in the speech, and I will quote the government again:

    This is in contradiction to what the housing minister himself said about not bringing down the price of housing. The proof is in the pudding again here, and let me challenge the other side of the aisle, because over the past eight years, from 2016 to 2024, the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation's budget went from $2 billion a year to $5 billion a year, all while building about 40,000 more homes per year in that period. That is 40,000 homes for an extra $3 billion per year.

    Do the math: That is $75,000 per home. The result was that it drove up the price of housing by $200,000, which is 45%. That is great success on that side of the bench: driving up the price of housing and making Canadians more indebted. Therefore, regarding “build Canada homes”, the Liberals are blowing the budget every time, and their results are not there. They need to figure out something else.

    I actually spoke to the housing minister and said that the Liberals need a restart. Continuing to spend is not solving anything. They need to get back to a solution where house prices can actually come down, and that starts with their own house. That starts with balancing the budget.

     One thing we have not seen here in the lead-up to this Parliament is the commitment to a budget. That is one of the most fundamental democratic instruments we have here in Parliament to hold the government to account for what it is going to spend, and we have seen none of that at this point in time. When is the last time this happened? The last time it was more than 150 days before there was a budget was when Ralph Goodale was the Liberal finance minister, in 2005. The last time we did not have a spring budget, because the Government of Canada operates from April 1 to March 31, was over 25 years ago.

     The government has to start respecting the rules of Parliament, the rules of running this country, the accountability it owes Canadian people and the transparency that is required. I do challenge the government to do better. There is much in the throne speech, but there is much that could be much better.

    Mr. Speaker, let me start by saying congratulations to you on your election to the Chair. It is very well deserved, and I know you will keep us in good standing here in the House.

    Even if the hon. member for Calgary-Centre and I do not always agree, I think he does deliver his speeches here with a level of class and professionalism that should be the way in which this place operates. I listened to portions of his speech; I will admit I did not hear the entirety. He talked about the importance of balancing budgets. I think that, obviously, perhaps he missed in the Speech from the Throne that the Prime Minister and the government have committed to an operational balance within three years.

     I think this is extremely important. I hope the member would agree, but he must also acknowledge and recognize that we do have major expenditures in defence and in the investment in housing and infrastructure. Surely he is not talking about a completely balanced budget and absolutely not investing in the critical infrastructure that is needed in the time for the country.

    Mr. Speaker, every government has to make choices. The continuation of blowing Canadians' money is putting a burden on future generations of Canadians. It is putting a burden on inflation. It is creating a monetary mess in this country. We are going to have to address it.

     We do have to make choices, and yes, as the member will probably know, even my party during this election projected deficits for the next four years and, balancing that, going down to a much smaller number than the government has put forward, for the next five years. The government is a very different government directionally with respect to making choices and not throwing out the baby with the bathwater for the future, so future Canadians can actually spend on the programs they are going to need rather than spending on the programs that were delivered by their parents and their grandparents.

    Mr. Speaker, first of all, congratulations on your election.

    I would like to sincerely thank the voters of Rimouski-Neigette, La Mitis, Matapédia and Les Basques who placed their trust in me for this new mandate. I salute them and thank them from the bottom of my heart.

    The Speech from the Throne shows no respect for jurisdictions. With regard to social programs, housing and immigration, it is a direct affront. The Quebec government is clear, and it is asking the federal government to give it full responsibility for immigration.

    My question for my Conservative Party colleague is this. Does he agree with the Quebec National Assembly's request that the Government of Quebec be fully responsible for immigration?

    Mr. Speaker, I congratulate my colleague from Quebec on his return to the House of Commons. What a great achievement. I believe this is his second term in the House of Commons.

    Immigration is a federal government program that coexists alongside provincial government programs. I know that Quebec has a more elaborate program than some of the other provinces, but all the provinces still have to work with the federal government on immigration because we are one country, after all. There is no border between Quebec and the rest of Canada. People who arrive in Quebec become citizens of Canada. That is why it is important for the federal government to uphold its commitments on this issue.

    Mr. Speaker, congratulations on your election. If you would permit me, I would like to use this opportunity to briefly thank the people of northwestern Ontario for placing their trust in me once again. It is an incredible privilege and honour to serve in this place.

    I would like to note that the Prime Minister was elected on a promise that he was the man with the plan to take on Donald Trump and get our economy back on track, but now we know that there really is not that much of a plan. In fact, the Prime Minister is not even planning to bring forward a budget this spring. I would like to know whether the member for Calgary-Centre has any thoughts about how concerning and irresponsible it is to not be bringing forward a budget this spring.

    Mr. Speaker, it is one of the most fundamentally imperative jobs of the House of Commons to hold the government to account for the spending it is going to undertake. Right now the government thinks it is going to have a blank cheque for the next year, so it has to put its election promise on the table. However, now it is not actually being accountable at all, as 150 days from the time the government actually got elected to the time it is going to pay is far too long for Canadians to know what to expect in their finances going forward.

     Mr. Speaker, it is a great honour and immense privilege to rise in this chamber as the elected member of Parliament for Long Range Mountains, which is a region of breathtaking beauty and unwavering resilience.

    I will repeat this morning that I stand not only as a representative of my constituents, but as the first Conservative woman ever elected in the history of Newfoundland and Labrador. I say that again not for my own sake, but for what it means to so many others. As a mother of four with three daughters, I think of them in this moment. I think of all the young women across Newfoundland and Labrador in small towns and coastal communities who are watching our politics and wondering if there is a place for them here. My message to them is clear: Yes, there is. They belong here. This chamber needs their voice and our country needs their leadership. I hope that my presence here opens the door just a little wider for each and every one of them.

     This historic opportunity is also one rooted in legacy. Newfoundlanders and Labradorians have always had a fierce sense of place and pride. We know that Ottawa can feel far away, not just in geography but in priorities. The last Conservative to represent the majority of the Long Range Mountains riding as it looks today in the House was Jack Marshall, a man of great integrity, compassion and conviction. He once said that the voice of Newfoundland must never be quiet in Ottawa, and those words still ring true today. I intend to raise that voice clearly, consistently and passionately every day that I serve here, and I will do so with the full weight of responsibility that comes with representing the people of Long Range Mountains.

    However, I did not get here alone; no one does. I want to thank the incredible team of volunteers who gave everything they had to our campaign. They knocked on doors regardless of weather conditions, drove long distances and brought joy and purpose to every single moment of this journey. It was their belief in me that made all the difference. I bring with me not just a Conservative voice, but a mother's voice, a rural voice and a Newfoundlander's voice.

     My riding spans the tip of the Great Northern Peninsula all the way down to Port aux Basques, and it is home to some of the most beautiful rural communities in this country, places like The Beaches, Burnt Islands, Reidville, Bird Cove, Conche and Hawke's Bay. These communities are proud, resilient and full of heart, but far too many of them are facing decline. We see it in the closed up fish plants, the boarded up and abandoned businesses, and the crumbling roads. We feel it with the rising cost of living, with fewer kids in schools and with fewer young families putting down roots. We hear it in the voices of residents who are worried about the future of their communities. The heart of the communities is still strong, but the next generation is slipping away.

    There were so many memorable moments during my campaign that I will never forget. One day, while in Port Saunders, I spoke with a young man who was a harvester with the 4R shrimp fleet. He has poured his heart and future into the fishing industry, and he shared his frustrations with policies that made no sense to someone who actually works on the water. He said something that struck me. He said, “I need you to do more than hear me. I need you to really feel what I am going through.” What he was really saying is that his voice, like so many in our coastal communities, is falling on deaf ears. He is not being heard, and he is certainly not being understood.

    He is right. To truly represent him, I cannot just listen. I have to understand the weight of what he is carrying and bring that into this House with the urgency and respect it deserves. However, in light of all these frustrations, I come to this House with hope for a better future and a deep belief in what Newfoundland and Labrador can become.

    We have what it takes to build a province that is affordable and self-reliant, a province where families are not forced to leave to build a life, a province that stands tall on its own two feet. The opportunities are right in front of us, especially in our natural resource sector. From our offshore energy and our forestry to our mining opportunities and our fisheries, we are rich in potential, but that potential must be harnessed in a way that puts our people first, creates jobs at home and keeps the benefits in Newfoundland and Labrador, where they belong.

    Throughout my career in real estate, I have seen first-hand the growing pressure on supply in our housing market, leading to higher prices, especially in places like Corner Brook, and as prices go up, young families are being pushed out. What we need is a government focused on policy that brings costs down so that construction can be fired up. We have the skills, we have the tradespeople and we have the communities ready to grow, but we need federal policies that make it easier to build, not harder. In Newfoundland and Labrador, that means policy focused on rebuilding our rural communities, not writing them off. That is how we create homes, create jobs and create hope.

    At this time, instead of more of the same, we need change. We also need smart, common-sense leadership that unlocks opportunities, and need leadership of vision and commitment. It is time for policies that reflect the strength and resilience of our people and that will give our young people a reason to stay, build and thrive at home.

    Newfoundland and Labrador does not need to be managed by more control from Ottawa. We need leadership that unburdens our hard-working people so they can go further and reach higher. We need the people of Newfoundland and Labrador to have the opportunities to stay in the communities they love.

    Recently, I had the immense privilege of returning to my old high school, not just as a former student but as a mom, to play volleyball with my own kids in the same gym I grew up in. Every time I walk those halls, I see the graduation photos of past years. I see the faces of people who were once full of hope for the future, and I know how that many of them had to move away to Fort McMurray, to Ontario or to the mainland in search of jobs and opportunities that simply were not available back home. That is a loss not just for their families but for our province.

    This has given me perspective on the deep privilege it is to live in my home community. I want that for all the young people living in my riding and in Newfoundland and Labrador. We can build an economy that allows our children to grow up and stay close to the communities they love. We can ensure that no one is forced to choose between opportunity and home.

    I did not run because I thought it would be easy; I ran because it is necessary. As a Conservative, I believe in unlocking the immense potential in the communities in my riding. I believe in responsibility. I believe in hard work. I also believe in community.

    In conclusion, I thank my family, especially my husband Dwayne and our four children, Bree, Paige, Emma and William, for their patience, their support and their sacrifices. As many working mothers know, the balance is not always easy. People often ask me how I will manage a political career—

    It is a lovely sentiment the member is expressing, and I really dislike interrupting for that reason, but we are way over time. We will have to go to questions and comments.

    The hon. member for Bourassa.

    Mr. Speaker, I am deeply moved and truly pleased to rise and speak for the first time as the representative of and member for Bourassa. Before I begin, I would like to thank my family, who have always lovingly, faithfully and cheerfully supported me. I also want to thank the volunteers who gave of their time and took time away from their families to help me take this step.

    Since this is my first time speaking in the House, I would like to respond to what I have heard today, but before I reply to the member, I would like to take a moment to congratulate the women in particular, because they are doing an excellent and important job in the House as elected members, with their faith and their interest in politics.

    My question is very important. You talk about speeding up construction. Do you think your party, Ms.—

    I know the member was recently elected, but I would ask him to address the member through the Chair.

    Mr. Speaker, would the member from the official opposition be willing to work with the government, knowing that it is putting in place AI processes that can obviously facilitate this type of work?

    Mr. Speaker, the people of Long Range Mountains have waited a very long time for their voices to be heard in this House, and I feel a deep responsibility to finish what I started. This House deserves to hear the stories they have passed along to me, because they are stories not just of struggle but of strength, perseverance and quiet determination. They are stories that have stayed with me and guide me, and I believe they deserve to be on record in this Parliament.

    Quickly, if I may—

    Time is really moving along, so we have to be succinct in our questions and answers. I know there are many new members, and I was a new member myself, but please be succinct.

    Mr. Speaker, one day I travelled to Ramea by ferry to visit my friend Mikalah in her hometown, a small, proud and beautiful community. Mikalah is a courageous young woman who lost her mom at an early age and wants nothing more than to stay in the place she grew up.

    That does not sound like an answer to the question. I am sorry.

    The hon. member for Drummond.

    Mr. Speaker, I congratulate my newly elected colleague on her first speech in the House. I remember mine as a very moving experience. When I rose for the first time, I also remember thanking my family members, being overcome with emotion and having tears in my eyes. I have a very good idea of the emotions my colleague is feeling right now.

    We are currently debating a Bloc Québécois amendment to the amendment. It is an amendment to the Conservative Party amendment. The amendment to the amendment is very simple. All it does is insist that the jurisdictions of Quebec and the provinces be respected.

    I would like my colleague to comment on that, if she has finished what was left of her speech. Does her party support the idea that the federal government must categorically and unconditionally respect the jurisdictions of Quebec and the provinces at all times?

    Mr. Speaker, there is Hunter from Port au Choix, who is not old enough to vote, but I can promise has more civic spirit than most adults. He worked hard on the campaign because he believes in change—

    In all fairness to the hon. member, she is not replying to the question about jurisdictions.

    Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. Certainly, I know that I and many of my colleagues want to hear the very important words that this new member from Newfoundland has to share. There is a reason it is called questions and comments. There is latitude given in the questions, and I hope you will ensure there is latitude given in the response, which certainly fits with not only the context of what the member's speech was, but the overall context for what the speech from—

    I understand the hon. member. To my ears, it sounded like a continuation of the member's speech. Anyway—

    An hon. member: She has latitude.

    The Speaker: Yes, but it should be in relation to the question in some way. I get the member's point, but let us be brief, everybody, because we have to be brief if we want to get in at least three or four questions in a five-minute section.

    The hon. member for Drummond.

    Mr. Speaker, with regard to this point of order, I agree that we want to give new members a chance to be heard and to finish their speeches. However, there is such a thing as parliamentary privilege. When a member asks a question, he or she can expect to receive an answer.

     I have no problem with the member making a speech, and she will have an opportunity to come back to it another time, but now is the time for questions and comments, and a question deserves an answer. The official opposition should not mimic the government's usual approach, but should instead answer the questions asked by members during the questions and comments period.

    Mr. Speaker, on this point of order, we frequently have reason to object to the responses we receive from seasoned government ministers, given the fact that we ask questions in the House and government ministers who have been elected for a very long time stand up and say things that have absolutely no relationship to the topic or the question being asked.

    Therefore, I find it a little surprising that we see a new standard being invented in relation to questions and comments for a new member that is not being applied to ministers of the Crown. If you wish to require ministers of the Crown to answer questions from the opposition, though, I think that would be great, and I would look forward to that.

    Mr. Speaker, I would simply ask my fantastic new colleague from Newfoundland if she has any final comments she would like to put on the record for the constituents she stands for in this place.

    Mr. Speaker, respectfully, I guess this is my whole point: The voices of the people of Long Range Mountains have not been heard in this House for a very long time. I was given the opportunity. It is very important to them. They feel forgotten about and left behind in the rural communities because of the Liberal government. I wanted to take the opportunity because, respectfully, they put me here and I will always speak for them.

    Mr. Speaker, I do not wish to comment on the same point of order. However, there is something that everyone needs to be reminded of, and I am certain it is your duty to remind them. It has to do with the interpreters' safety. My colleague may not realize she is banging very loudly on the desk close to the microphones. This is dangerous for the interpreters, who have to wear headphones to do their work. I would simply like to remind everyone that the microphones are very visible and that we must be careful not to handle objects or bang on the desks.

    The hon. member raises a very important point. I myself always used to tap on my desk while I was speaking, but it is not good for the interpreters' ears.

    The hon. member for Courtenay—Alberni.

    Mr. Speaker, first, I want to acknowledge my colleague and congratulate her on her election.

    I want to highlight something that is happening in the fish industry, something that she would be concerned about if it was happening in Newfoundland. Right now, in British Columbia, harvesters are being displaced by foreign acquisition of Canada's commercial fishing licences and quotas. Canada does not currently have any limitations on foreign ownership of commercial fishing licences and quotas in the Pacific region. This is impacting the livelihood of small operators, and this is a practice only on the west coast.

    I would like to ask my colleague, how would Newfoundlanders react if foreign owners were allowed to acquire a licence and did not even have to fish it? This is something the Liberal government has failed to address.

    Mr. Speaker, I will always speak for the fish harvesters in my riding. There are a lot of coastal communities. It is a very important industry. I will always represent them fairly and respectfully.

    Mr. Speaker, it is great to see you in the chair. Keep your stick on the ice. I should have had a footnote for that comment.

    It is an honour to rise today as the member of Parliament for New Tecumseth—Gwillimbury and to be given the opportunity to stand up for the communities of Bradford West Gwillimbury, the soup and salad bowl of Canada; East Gwillimbury, home to the Sharon Temple and the birthplace of responsible government; and Alliston, Beeton, Tottenham, home to the Beeton Fall Fair, Honda of Canada manufacturing and the best potatoes this side of P.E.I.

    This is the beginning of a new Parliament, and with it heightened expectations from Canadians, who voted for hope and change and the belief that things will get better for families, seniors, workers and young people in this great country.

    We have heard from the Prime Minister and his new Liberal government, who have tried to emphasize that there would be change. The Speech from the Throne promised new alliances, a new economy, a new era of economic growth, a new housing industry, new fiscal discipline and so on. Polished words and the suggestion that the current government is at all new ring hollow for Canadians struggling with the realities of day-to-day life. For them, life is even harder. They do not have any hope that change will come. Their grocery bills keep climbing, unemployment lines keep growing and communities continue to fracture under the weight of poverty, rising crime and a deepening sense of hopelessness. If everyday life keeps getting worse for Canadians, it is fair to question whether the so-called new direction is any direction at all.

    At this critical time, our country needs a bold vision for the future, but without a serious course correction, calling this a “new” Liberal government is no different than rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic: same disaster, just a different view. We have already seen what this new direction looks like under the current Prime Minister with the Liberal government's approach to the rural top-up on the carbon tax. In recent weeks, Canadians from rural and remote communities in ridings like mine, New Tecumseth—Gwillimbury, have received angry letters from the Canada Revenue Agency, better known as the CRA—never answer those 613 numbers—demanding they repay thousands of dollars in carbon tax rebates that they were led to believe they were entitled to. These Canadians live far from urban centres, in areas where the carbon tax disproportionately affected their everyday lives, yet the Liberals chose to classify them as part of the Toronto census metropolitan area, better known as Toronto. As a result, they were denied the rural top-up they deserved. I raised this dozens of times in the last Parliament.

    The Liberal government finally acknowledged this unfairness, in budget 2024 and again in the fall economic statement, but nothing was done. No actions were taken. At the same time, the current Liberal government is boasting about cancelling the carbon tax. It has begun to aggressively call back money from rural Canadians who were already struggling to get by. This is not change. This is another example of the Liberal government repeating many of the same mistakes and failures we saw over the past decade, a decade that led to so much decline and hopelessness across Canada. It is also more of the rural-urban divide we have seen time and again.

    Therefore, we can see why so many Canadians are skeptical about the supposed new direction of the Prime Minister and his party.

    After all, the government refused to release a budget during the spring session and provided no comprehensive plan for how it intends on addressing the cost of living crisis facing Canadians right now. The main estimates released yesterday make this even worse, with more spending than Trudeau and a massive increase in consultants, bureaucracy and the overall cost of government.

    A throne speech is not a plan. It is aspirational and lacks any details and clarity needed at this critical time for our nation. There is no costing. What is the deficit? What about government spending? How much will all the promises in the speech cost? We do not have the answers to this, at a time when Canadians sorely need these answers.

    We can also see, with the Liberals' approach to housing, a crisis they seem content to just make worse. We have a new Liberal housing minister, who said he has no intent to lower the prices of homes in a market that has become the most unaffordable in the G7. This is the real message the Liberals are sending to young people priced out of owning a home and all the dreams and opportunities that come along with it: Nothing will change, and it will not get any better.

    The throne speech made this even more evident, as the Liberals boasted of the creation of another government agency, “build Canada homes”. That is just what Canadians who cannot afford a home need: more bureaucracy, more red tape, more delays and more barriers to getting homes built. I really think that Liberal members need to remember to touch the grass.

    When I was out knocking on doors in the election, I heard from a 27-year-old man living in Bradford who told me that he was voting Conservative because he needs hope. This first-generation Canadian was the son of parents who immigrated to Canada in the early 1990s. His father drove tractor-trailers for over 30 years and actually became an owner-operator and bought a small home. His son is inspired to follow in his father's footsteps, but, sadly, he told me that he has been doing long-haul trucking seven days a week, 10 hours a day, and he just cannot climb out of his parents' basement. He just cannot get ahead.

    Canada has become a country where hard work no longer pays, and where the most fundamental of dreams, like starting a business, owning a home or raising a family, are no longer attainable for too many people. The formula we used to have, that a job plus hard work would lead to a good paycheque, to save and put toward the future, is no longer working. I understand why Canadians feel like the hope and change they voted for are just not coming. How can they, when the throne speech and the earliest actions of the supposedly “new” Liberal government all point to the continuation of failures we have become accustomed to?

    As a member of His Majesty's loyal opposition, I look forward to doing my job in this place in holding the government accountable to Canadians. In providing opposition to the government, we ensure that Canadians are well represented and, in doing so, we are making sure that the government can be the best it can be, often despite itself.

    As Parliament gets under way, remember that no one has a monopoly on a good idea. Enthusiasm is free, and it is good to see the Liberals finally realizing that. After all, it has been the Conservatives leading the charge to axe the carbon tax, remove the GST from new homes and lower income taxes for working Canadians. We will keep fighting for all Canadians. Conservatives will be putting forward reasonable proposals in the coming days to ensure that the formula for a good life in Canada works for all Canadians once more.

    Mr. Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague for his address to the House and congratulate him on being re-elected. I quite enjoyed working with him at committee and look forward to working with him moving forward.

    My question for the hon. member is twofold. First, will he be voting in favour of the tax cut that our government will be putting forward? Second, could he speak to some of the benefits that his constituents will benefit from with the tax cut that we will be putting forward?

    Mr. Speaker, I support all tax cuts, but quite frankly, this tax cut is just not enough. I alluded in my speech to the rural top-up. This is money that my constituents have spent and paid. They are owed this money, and the government has failed to do anything about it. Now my constituents are getting letters from the CRA demanding this money back. We have Order Paper questions to the government on it. People in Toronto Centre, in downtown Toronto, were paid the rural top-up, yet we denied the Chippewas of Georgina Island, in the middle of Lake Simcoe, the rural top-up for the carbon tax.

    Mr. Speaker, my colleague and I have ridings that are very similar, and I found what he said very similar to what I was hearing at doors. He mentioned a story about a young gentleman driving truck who could not get out of his parents' basement and was struggling. I heard those stories repeatedly at doors also.

    I wonder if the member could tell me how we are going to restore hope now. What are we going to tell people who see what is in place and who are still going to be struggling for the next few years? What is the member telling his constituents with regard to how we can be here and fight for them every day to make sure life becomes more affordable?

    Mr. Speaker, what we are going to do as His Majesty's loyal opposition is make the government the best it can be.

    As my colleague said, we heard this time and time again at the doors: People are flat broke, and the government continues to spend. If we think of a family now with a leased car, mortgage payments, insurance, cellphone bills and grocery bills, they just cannot do it. We have to make the supposed new Liberal government understand this. It cannot just be a rebranding exercise. Canadians are depending on us to help them.

    Mr. Speaker, I salute my colleague and congratulate him on his re-election.

    The Conservative Party prides itself on being the best at cutting spending. One big expense was incurred over the last few days, when the foreign monarch Charles III came for a visit.

    I would like my colleague to give me a simple answer. Does he agree with the idea of spending millions of dollars calling in a foreign sovereign to stop the Americans from threatening to annex us?

    Mr. Speaker, what a great day it was to see the King. I walked to the Senate; I did not take the bus, and to see the crowd, to see the Canadian flags, I thought he inspired Canadians. This truly is the true north strong and free. It will never be the 51st state. I would invite the King back. I would love to see him again.

    Mr. Speaker, as a rural MP like me, my colleague knows that local governments are responsible for about 60% of infrastructure costs, yet they only collect about 10% of overall revenue. I know this as a former municipal councillor from Tofino.

    I will give an example. The Village of Cumberland, in my riding, is dealing with cost overruns due to supply chain inflation, and they see the federal government as a critical partner for accomplishing that infrastructure as the major tax collector. They cannot get flexibility from the federal government when there are cost overruns.

    Does my colleague agree that the government needs to create more flexibility and needs to be a stronger partner? We are on the eve of FCM. It is important for municipalities to know.

    Mr. Speaker, my hon. colleague cares about the environment. We are going to work on plastics again, and I want to thank him for that.

    My comment is on the Liberal housing decelerator fund. Is it decelerator or accelerator? I cannot remember. This is the problem: It does not build houses. We have municipalities that lack infrastructure and have crumbling infrastructure.

     Mr. Speaker, it is a tremendous honour to be here to make my first speech in this Parliament, my first speech ever as a member of Parliament. Getting here was, as for all members of Parliament, a challenge. We navigated a very tough campaign. I have to give particular thanks to the people I would not be here without. One of them is in the House today, my wife Jennifer, without whom I would not be the man I am today. I am so tremendously grateful that she has been by my side for this journey. I also want to thank my parents, Jim and Trish, who instilled in me the values of hard work, with the encouragement and motivation to be anything I could be. That is a path that has brought me to where I am today in front of you, Mr. Speaker. I thank all of them.

    To the people of Elgin—St. Thomas—London South, I am very aware as I enter this chamber that this seat does not belong to me. It belongs to the people of my riding. I vow and pledge to be a faithful custodian of this seat, however long I have the honour of sitting in it, and to serve and represent my constituents.

     One thing I love about my riding is how much of the wide array of Canada is embodied in it. We have rural communities and small towns. We have the fast-growing city of St. Thomas. We have the incredibly vibrant community of London. My riding is home to beachside villages and fisheries. We have small businesses and manufacturing powerhouses. We have 1,400-plus farms, ranging from small family farms that feed the communities around them to large agricultural enterprises whose harvests end up on plates around the world.

    The county of Elgin and the riding of Elgin—St. Thomas—London South are a success story, and it is my honour to represent them in this chamber as their member of Parliament. The community is incredibly vibrant. From Rodney to Straffordville, from Port Glasgow to Port Burwell and from Eagle and Iona Station to my beloved Lawton's Corners, my riding is made up of incredible communities filled with incredible people. I get to represent them, everyone, regardless of how they voted, the farmers, the artists, the entrepreneurs, people who have just made Canada their home for the first time and people who helped settle this country and settled the community generations ago.

    It is people in these rural and smaller communities in particular who have felt most neglected by the last 10 years of the Liberal government. It was their struggles that motivated me to jump into politics. As a journalist and broadcaster, I could not spend an election with the stakes so high on the sidelines. I had to have a hand in the solutions.

    Like most in this chamber, I spent the campaign knocking on doors. I spoke to thousands upon thousands of people in my riding, and I want to share a few of the stories that stood out and that I carry with me today.

    One was about a retired teacher from St. Thomas, a woman who said she had voted Liberal every single election in her entire life. I asked her, “Why not now?” and she said, “I just cannot.” Now, a good politician probably would have taken the vote and walked away, but as a journalist I asked one further question: “Why?” She said that her sons are 28 and 30 years old and live with her, and that unless things change, they are never going to be able to move out.

    That one conversation I had is so similar to countless more of people whose families could not develop and thrive the way that most Canadians dream, the way that people in my riding dream, because of Liberal government policy, which has made home ownership a fantasy rather than a dream and an aspiration.

    There was a business owner in Aylmer in the machining sector who felt the combination of taxes, regulations, red tape and, yes, the carbon tax made it so unaffordable to do business in his own community that he would be better off to just shut down and retire or move to another country, like the United States. That was before the threat of tariffs. We were already on a weakened economic footing because of the last 10 years of the Liberal government.

    I met one couple in London that did everything right. They worked, saved what they could and supported their children, but now their landlord is selling the house they rent. They were convinced, with the prices of rent and the unaffordability of a home, that they were going to be homeless. This is not what should happen in a country that has as much to offer as Canada.

    These are the stories that stay with me. These are the stories that are etched on my heart as I enter this chamber. These are the stories that motivate the work I seek to do here as a member of Parliament. However, these struggles and these stories did not disappear on election day. These people are still out there. Their struggles are still out there and they deserve action. That is exactly why it is incumbent on us in this House to provide and deliver.

    I got into politics to serve these people. I got into politics to serve these constituents. I also got into politics to make Canada a freer place. In the last decade, the Liberals have put freedom in their crosshairs in more ways than I could list in the time I have here.

    The Liberals have tried, in their paternalistic fashion, to censor what Canadians see and say online. The Liberals have told parents how to raise their children. They profess to support press freedom while banning independent journalists from even reporting on them, something that is a fundamental charter right in this country.

    The Liberals have threatened the charitable status of houses of worship and have at the same time turned a blind eye to rampant vandalism and the arson of churches. For some, turning a blind eye was not enough. They actively or tacitly condoned such actions. This is a party that has imposed Laurentian elite policies on communities that never asked for them and that I can tell members, having gone through this election, do not want them.

    I am here to tell the Liberals that their assaults on freedom will not stand. I am putting them on notice right now. I am here because I love my country. Unlike the Prime Minister, who picks whichever passport is most convenient in a given moment, I actually love Canada. Canada is the only country I have ever called home. It is the only country that I have any desire to be a citizen of. It is an honour and a privilege to be a Canadian.

    I have always been proud of my country. I have always stood for my country. Unlike Liberals, who wrap themselves in the flag when it is politically convenient, I am not a fair-weather patriot. We will always, on this side of the aisle, stand up for Canada, be proud in our Canadian identity and be proud of our country. This means being proud of the institutions of this place, being proud of our history, being proud of the people who built this country and standing for those who seek to celebrate and preserve Canada. That is what brings me here. That is what I will do as a member of Parliament.

    I do not like the fair-weather patriots, those with their new-found celebration of Canadianism, with their flags still creased and wrapped in plastic, practically, as they seek to lecture Canadians on what it means to be an elbows-up Canadian. I will always wave and have always waved the Canadian flag proudly, and I will not stand by while those who were denigrating people for doing that years ago claim to have the moral high ground on what it means to be a Canadian now.

    This is a chamber that gives those who sit in it a tremendous honour to be part of the direction this country is going to take. I do not enter into that lightly. I am honoured to be here. I am grateful to my constituents and pledge to serve them and all Canadians. May God bless the work we do in this House and may God bless Canada.

    Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the fact that the member is new, but I still find it somewhat shameful for him to try to imply that members of the Liberal caucus are not strong nationalists, do not feel very proud and do not have a great deal of pride in our country.

    In fact, I think Canadians spoke very loud and clear. When it comes to protecting the interests of our nation, they turned to the Liberal Party and the Prime Minister we have today because of the high level of comfort we were able to express in the policy positions that we were taking. Those are the results. Never before has a political entity received as many votes from Canadians as this Prime Minister and this party did in the last election.

    I will quote from a mandate letter: “Spending less on government operations so that Canadians can invest more in the people and businesses that will build the strongest economy in the G7.” Does the member not believe that this is a goal worth achieving?

    Mr. Speaker, I am actually proud to say I agree with the member that building a strong economy is incredibly important. Where I differ from the member is on whether the Liberal Party, with all the carnage it has unleashed on Canada, is capable of doing that or is committed to doing it.

    Mr. Speaker, this is an interesting debate. Yesterday, I heard my leader ask the Prime Minister several questions about the throne speech. I also heard my colleague from Drummond ask, as my leader did yesterday, whether the Liberals or the Conservatives can offer any assurances that the measures resulting from the throne speech will be implemented with proper respect for the jurisdictions of Quebec and the other provinces.

    Although I listened to the ensuing procedural arguments, I did not hear an answer. Could we have that answer?

    Mr. Speaker, while I would love to be sitting here as a government member of Parliament, I cannot address the member's question in terms of what the government will do, but I can say, and it is a very important point, that the breakdown in federalism in Canada, especially for the last several years, has been a consequence of the Liberal government, in which I do not believe there has been anything but continuity, to get to where we are today. What the government has done to provinces has actually created points of friction that do not need to be there.

    I can say that when the Conservatives move over to that side of the aisle, which I hope for the sake of Canada will happen quite soon, we will absolutely respect provincial jurisdiction. More importantly, we will stand up for measures that support what Canada and Canadians deserve.

    Mr. Speaker, let me start by congratulating you on your new role. I hope you will succeed in bringing integrity and decorum back to the position.

    I want to read for my colleague a heading in the throne speech from the government: “Building Canada Strong by spending less and investing more”. The government tabled the estimates yesterday with a 30% increase in spending for management consultants, giving an extra $6 billion over last year, which was a record year, for Liberal friends at McKinsey and scoundrels such as those at GC Strategies. I am wondering whether my colleague considers spending $6 billion more, $2,400 per household in Canada, as actually spending less.

    Mr. Speaker, I congratulate my hon. colleague on his re-election.

     One of the things we put forward during the campaign, as part of the measures we need to take to get our books back in order as a country, was taking aim at the consultants who are getting rich off the taxpayer's back. I have been through a household budget in my own home, and if I ever saw a line item for $2,400 for McKinsey or other consultants, that would be the first thing to go.

     I do not know why the government is applying a different standard to every Canadian's books than those Canadians would be providing themselves. I think this speaks to the broader point, which is that, despite the plan of having a plan, and the proclamation that it was going to get things in order, this is not a government that is following through on that, from its very first communication in this Parliament.

     Mr. Speaker, I will be sharing my time with the member for Taiaiako'n—Parkdale—High Park.

    Since this is my first time speaking in the House of Commons, I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate you on your election to the Chair. I would also like to congratulate all my colleagues here in the House of Commons on being elected. I am proud to join them as a member of Parliament in the 45th Parliament.

    Before I begin, I would like to acknowledge that the Parliament buildings are located on the unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinabe people. My riding of Prescott—Russell—Cumberland is on the traditional territory of the Haudenosaunee, or “People of the Longhouse”.

    I have the privilege of rising here today thanks to the trust of more than 39,000 voters in Prescott—Russell—Cumberland. I am deeply grateful to them. I want to assure the House that I will represent all the people in my riding, which covers 3,000 square kilometres, to the best of my ability.

    I would to thank my husband, Brandon Lee; my family, including my mother, Jean Anderson; my father, Angelo Mingarelli; my brothers and sisters; my many relatives; volunteers; and campaign team, including the former members of Parliament for Prescott—Russell—Cumberland, Francis Drouin and the Hon. Don Boudria, who have supported me throughout this journey.

    I am proud to have made history this election by being the first woman ever elected in federal history in Prescott—Russell—Cumberland in the 75 years of the riding's history. I would like to acknowledge the late Marlene Catterall, a Governor General's award-winning women's rights activist and former member of Parliament for Ottawa West—Nepean. Marlene brought me into politics on Parliament Hill when I was in my teens, as a co-op student. She taught me the importance of always treating people with dignity, respect and kindness. Marlene passed away last year, and the final conversation we had before she died was that I would be running to be the candidate in Prescott—Russell—Cumberland. She was very proud.

    Since my time on the Hill, I have had the honour of working with members of Parliament from all stripes on multipartisan issues relating to women's and youth political, economic and social empowerment. For example, I have been very active in the global kindness movement. Canada is consistently ranked as one of the kindest countries in the world. We are in fact the only country to recognize Kindness Week, which is the third week of February, and that is something I think we can all unite around.

    With that said, I am delighted to contribute to the debate of this week's throne speech. I must acknowledge what an honour it was to be present during the royal visit of King Charles and Queen Camilla and the reading of the throne speech in the Senate chamber by the King.

    I would like to speak to the importance of the sovereignty message the King brought to Canadians this week in the throne speech. It could not have been timelier, given the challenges our country is facing in a world that is more divided and dangerous than any point since the Second World War.

    The King reminded Canadians that his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II, opened a new Canadian Parliament in 1957 at a time when the Second World War was still dominant in people's minds and the Cold War was intensifying. Freedom and democracy were under threat then as they are now. Democracy, the rule of law and freedom are values Canadians hold dear and are values our government is determined to protect through these challenging times. These are persistent themes throughout our government's throne speech.

    The speech specifically cites the work under way between our Prime Minister and the President of the United States in defining a new economic and security relationship between Canada and the U.S., one that is “rooted in mutual respect and founded on common interests, to deliver transformational benefits for both sovereign nations.” It is a powerful message from the King and one that Canadians welcome in these difficult times.

    This message is particularly important for farmers, for steel workers and for the many businesses and families in my riding, Prescott—Russell—Cumberland, that depend on the close economic ties between our two countries to make a living.

    Our government is determined to maintain supply management, a system that ensures our country's food security. This is great news for dairy farmers like the Patenaude family and their 450 Holstein cows at the Gillette farm in Embrun, as well as thousands of other dairy and poultry farmers in my riding and across Canada.

    Then there are the hundreds of steelworkers at Ivaco Rolling Mills in L'Orignal. Almost 70% of its steel is sold to the United States. People are legitimately concerned about the unfair steel tariffs imposed by the United States. These tariffs have already done a lot of damage to the company, which announced that it is laying off 104 workers. Its employees' livelihood is in jeopardy. Our government will vigorously defend workers and Canadian steel.

    We are getting rid of internal trade barriers to create a single Canadian economy out of our 13 provinces and territories. This will make it easier to sell steel and countless other products within Canada. These barriers to trade and labour mobility cost the country up to $200 billion a year. A bill will be introduced to eliminate all federal barriers to internal trade and labour mobility by Canada Day.

    Our government is working closely with the provinces, territories and indigenous peoples to develop projects of national importance that will unite the country, strengthen our ties with the world and create well-paying jobs for generations to come.

    In the throne speech, the government committed to building a more affordable Canada, because the economy is only truly strong when it serves everyone. The average income in Prescott—Russell—Cumberland is approximately $56,000. Like many Canadians, my constituents are struggling to get ahead. That is why the government is responding by reducing middle-class taxes, which would save two-income families up to $840 a year. It would cut the GST on homes sold at or under $1 million, for first-time homebuyers, delivering savings of up to $50,000. It would lower the GST on homes between $1 million and $1.5 million and provide significant financing to builders of affordable homes.

     The government will also protect the programs that are already saving families thousands of dollars every year, such as child care and pharmacare. In addition to these programs, the government has recently expanded the Canadian dental care plan to cover about eight million Canadians, saving the average person more than $800 per year.

    As a trilingual Ontarian who speaks English, French and Italian, I am honoured to represent the beautiful riding of Prescott—Russell—Cumberland, which has a proud and diverse cultural heritage. I would like to point out that 60% of my constituents speak French as their mother tongue. In fact, it is the only riding with a francophone majority in the entire province of Ontario.

    Protecting our cultural heritage begins with our public institutions and ensuring adequate services in both official languages. I am proud to be part of a government that understands and respects this reality. That is why our government will support CBC/Radio-Canada with an annual increase in funding and will encourage the use of Canada's two official languages by investing in Canada's cultural and creative industries. It is essential for Franco-Ontarians, and for all francophones outside Quebec, to preserve their language and their cultural heritage.

    The throne speech presents a vision for Canada that renews a sense of national pride, unity and hope while recognizing our historical foundations as we continue to work towards truth and reconciliation as a country.

     I look forward to working with all my colleagues in the House. We will not always agree, but, as our new Speaker said during his speech to the House, it is possible to skilfully and convincingly refute an argument without resorting to personal invective or intimidation. We must work to find the balance between respect and order on the one hand and vigorous debate that clarifies issues on the other. I personally commit to treating every member of the House with dignity, respect and kindness.

     Again, I have striven my entire professional career to work across party lines to achieve results. I commit to continuing that work and to doing whatever is required in our shared goal, together, to improve the lives of all Canadians, including every resident of Prescott—Russell—Cumberland.

    Mr. Speaker, I congratulate the member for Prescott—Russell—Cumberland on her maiden speech in the House of Commons.

     During the election, there was much consensus on the fact that Canada needs to build. We need to build energy infrastructure. We need to build more homes. We need to do a lot more than we have seen in the last 10 years. However, the Liberal candidate in my riding spoke about Liberal ridings' getting more. He said, in fact, that voting Liberal in Mission—Matsqui—Abbotsford would get the riding more federal dollars. I do not believe that is the case.

     I would like the member to clarify her vision for the allocation of infrastructure dollars. Should Liberal ridings get more than Conservative ridings, or should decisions be made on a needs-based approach?

    Mr. Speaker, I believe that all provinces and communities are treated with equal respect and that the intention is to deliver services as required.

    Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the voters of Rivière-du-Nord for their renewed trust. I assure the House, as I assure my constituents, that I will do what it takes to be worthy of it.

    I would also like to congratulate my colleague on her recent election, and you on your election and appointment as Speaker of the House. I am confident that it is a wise appointment.

    The throne speech talks about creating a single Canadian economy. I heard my colleague talk about the people of Prescott—Russell—Cumberland. I wonder if these people support the fact that the economic authority of the Government of Ontario might one day come under that of the federal government.

    Are her constituents comfortable with this declaration giving the federal government some sort of precedence over their provincial government in Ontario?

    Mr. Speaker, I did talk a lot about the importance of a Canadian economy during the campaign, and the voters of Prescott—Russell—Cumberland are convinced that a Liberal government will treat them with respect and protect not only the national economy, but also the local economy of Prescott—Russell—Cumberland.

    Mr. Speaker, I would like to begin by congratulating you on your much-anticipated ascension to the Speaker's chair. As a former occupant of that lucky seat, as we have talked about many times, it was absolutely bound to happen. It has, and that is a good thing.

    This is my first time on my feet in this Parliament. I would also like to thank the good people of Charlottetown for sending me back to Parliament for the fifth time, with the largest majority in the history of the riding.

    I would like to congratulate and welcome the member for Prescott—Russell—Cumberland on her maiden speech here in Parliament. I was particularly impressed with how she spoke on a range of topics: supply management, bilingualism, the importance of Radio-Canada and civility.

    While I would very much like the member to expand further on that last point, I think it has been broached pretty thoroughly in recent days. Could she talk a bit about the importance of supply management in her riding, its place in the upcoming trade war and the possible resolution of it?

    Mr. Speaker, indeed, supply management is very important, especially to the farming community in Prescott—Russell—Cumberland. We have dairy farmers, poultry farmers, egg farmers, etc. They are deeply concerned about supply management because it directly affects their ability to sell their products across Canada.

    The Prime Minister has been clear that supply management is off the table in any future negotiations with the United States. In fact, it is such a high priority for me that my first act of business as a member of Parliament, after my swearing-in last Friday, was to visit a dairy farm and meet with all the farmers who supported me in Prescott—Russell—Cumberland, along with our Minister of Agriculture, Minister Heath MacDonald. The farmers were very happy about that. It was a further demonstration of how seriously our government is taking supply management.

    Just a reminder before we continue that we cannot refer to members of the House by proper names. It is through the Speaker that we must address other members.

    The hon. member for Taiaiako'n—Parkdale—High Park.

     Mr. Speaker, I am thankful for the opportunity to rise in this House for the first time as the newly elected member for Taiaiako'n—Parkdale—High Park.

    We come here representing different regions and communities; having different ethnic, religious or sexual identities; and carrying different ideologies and styles. However, I believe, in this Parliament, we come here for a common purpose: a stronger Canada, a more sovereign Canada and a stronger voice for our constituents in that Canada.

     As we all know, we do not get here alone. I would like to thank those who helped put me in this chair, the people's chair: our campaign team, led by Christopher Knipe, James Janeiro and Maha Jawass.

    I thank the members of the House who believed in me, even before my team and I did the hard work. Special thanks go to the Minister of Transport and Internal Trade, as well as the members for Fredericton—Oromocto, Toronto—St. Paul's, York South—Weston—Etobicoke and Spadina—Harbourfront.

    I thank my family, my wife, my daughter and my son. Their love and support makes all this effort worthwhile, even if it also causes them grief. Most of all, I thank the volunteers and voters. They recognized what was at stake in the election. I will talk about that a little later.

    I thank my family, my wife, daughter and son. It is thanks to their love, support and belief in me that I can do this work, work that makes their busy lives busier and takes a toll on them, all of their families and our families. This includes those members of our families who gave us love but are no longer here with us. I thank the volunteers on my campaign, from all parties and no party, and all the constituents of Taiaiako'n—Parkdale—High Park. They saw, with great clarity, what was at stake in this election, that we needed to put new energy, new focus and new determination into this project called Canada, and they responded in record numbers.

    I would like to pay tribute to my predecessor, Arif Virani, for his 10 years of service to our riding. Arif was and is a tireless, fierce defender of our community for justice and human rights. He helped make our judicial system more responsive and representative. He championed safer spaces online. His achievements on behalf of the riding and its people are many: making sure there was enough federal funding for Dunn House in Parkdale, the first hospital-led supportive housing initiative in Canada; speaking out against Russian aggression in Ukraine, making sure Canada was there to support Ukraine's cause for freedom; and the cause of self-determination for Tibet. Let us also honour his service in the House and its community here, whether it was for the Canadian Parliamentary Friends of Tibet internship program or the House soccer league. I hope we will continue this work or continue to emulate it in our own ways.

    I will tell everyone a bit about Taiaiako'n—Parkdale—High Park. It is small geographically, a little more than four kilometres by four kilometres nestled among railway tracks, the Humber River and Lake Ontario in west Toronto, but it contains multitudes. Taiaiako'n was a Haudenosaunee village on the banks of the Humber River and part of the Toronto Carrying Place trail linking Lake Ontario to the Upper Great Lakes, inhabited from at least 6000 BCE, near what is now Baby Point.

     Parkdale was first a village, then a country retreat and, for decades since, a home for waves of people coming from all over the world to find community and opportunity in Toronto. High Park is the site of 57 Iroquois burial mounds, and it is the lungs and beating heart of our community. It is a home to cherry blossoms, baseball leagues and birders and a host to visitors from all around the world.

    Many of us came from away, and many had a tough journey, fleeing communist regimes in Poland and Tibet, Ukraine and Vietnam, the Balkans and the Baltics. Immigrants from around the world, people in distress, have discovered our precious little corner of west Toronto to find and build community, to be just a bit freer.

     Something very special happened in the last six months in Taiaiako'n—Parkdale—High Park, and perhaps this experience was shared by other members of the House: People of all parties and of no party woke up to the threat to Canada's freedom, and they came together for Canada. It is a different kind of threat to freedom than the member for Elgin—St. Thomas—London South was talking about, because in the threat to freedom, they chose to connect. They chose to build bridges, to bridge divides. They chose, in fact, to consider not just their own interests but the interests of others in their riding, the national interest, because they saw that everyone's freedom was on the line. They saw what the Prime Minister described so well, that we are at a hinge moment in our history.

    That hinge point woke people up to the fact that many in our community were already not free enough, that we need to build a stronger, more secure Canada for and with them. People woke up to the fact that in our community, there are people who fear persecution for their religious, ethnic or racial identity; their country of origin; or their sexual or gender identity. They woke up to the fact that even if they were not in one of those communities, their fight was our fight. They woke up to the fact that the fight of artists and creators of our community, who have been yearning for support for their work and to assert Canadian cultural sovereignty, is our fight.

    They woke up to the fact that auto workers and resource sector workers are under threat, and even if they did not work in those sectors, even if they drove a European car, a Tesla or no car at all, their fight was our fight. They woke up to the fact that in terms of action on the existential threat of climate change, even if they will never live to see the worst of it if we do not act, this fight was our fight. For the people in our community with addictions, on fixed incomes and with multiple needs, even if that was not them or a family member, their fight was our fight. For the people, especially young people in our community who are yearning to live and stay here, their fight for housing was our fight.

    When the throne speech speaks to one economy, it is because people in Taiaiako'n—Parkdale—High Park have woken up to the fact that, for too long, the parochialism that occasionally slips into this chamber and into public policy across Canada has made us weaker. When the throne speech speaks to affordability, it is because we all need a focused, common approach to relieve our financial burdens. When it speaks to housing, it is because people need the freedom of an affordable place to live. When it speaks to a united Canada, it is because we have woken up to the fact that we need a new awakening, a new era of nation building. As the throne speech points out, that means our national institutions, such as the CBC, our national parks and Via Rail, need to be made stronger, and we need new nation building infrastructure to connect our electricity and energy systems and our economies from coast to coast to coast. When it speaks to the strongest economy in the G7, it is because people have woken up to what the Prime Minister said so well just a few minutes ago: We need a strong economy to support the strong social programs on which we rely, which are such an important part of our national identity. When the throne speech reasserted Canadian sovereignty, with the King on the throne in the Senate chamber a few days ago, it did so with a chorus of people in Taiaiako'n—Parkdale—High Park who yearn for an alternative to American domination.

     People are waking up to the fact that bridging these divides is quite simply what we must do to make ourselves free, that freedom comes from interconnection, not from retreat. The people who taught me this more than anything are the people who got involved in our campaign from all parties and from no party, people bridging divides. There were volunteers like Mark Bhadwar, who last got involved in Brian Mulroney's leadership campaign and was awakened to the opportunity for Canada to diversify its economy. There were people like Brenda McLaughlin, the uber volunteer of our riding in the Runnymede area, a stalwart in her community, who came out early on so many mornings to speak to voters at subway stations across the riding. There were people like Soroush Zinsaz, a recently arrived dentist from Iran, who worked in his bakery. He spent his shifts not yet practising his profession but selling baked goods to the people in the Bloor West Village. There were people like Amy and her twin sons, Louis and Felix, in grade 7, who took their first big steps in civic engagement by talking to people of all ages and stages.

    All of these volunteers were motivated to talk to their fellow Canadians, or in Soroush's case, the people he plans on having as fellow Canadians. All of them chose to connect across difference. The easier choice was to disconnect. The easier choice was to doomscroll, but they chose to connect, as did Canadians from coast to coast.

    In this election, Canadians turned out in record numbers to assert Canadian sovereignty and Canadian freedom. Freedom is on the march, and we are here to champion it in this caucus, and I hope in every seat in this House, to protect it and uphold it. Let us get to work.

    Mr. Deputy Speaker, let me be the very first to congratulate you on your new role. I note for everyone that the current Deputy Speaker used to sit beside me in the House, and I think he went out of his way to become the Deputy Speaker just so that he would not have to sit with me anymore.

    I would like to thank my colleague for his speech and congratulate him on winning and on his maiden speech.

    Yesterday, at CANSEC, which is basically the defence contractors conference, the Minister of Defence spoke glowingly about the need to find money to spend on defence. This is wonderful, but he gave an example of another country that cut 22% of its public service; he spoke glowingly of another country that eliminated national holidays.

    Could my colleague comment on the Minister of Defence's comments? Is that their plan here, and if not, how are they going to find money for all the added defence spending the government has planned?

    Mr. Speaker, I was not at that particular event, so I cannot comment on it specifically. However, I can tell the member that in this caucus, as he will see in the platform, we need to do a lot at the same time. We need to act with speed and with urgency.

    The commitment around defence spending is robust and has a lot of elements to it, and we are going to work very hard towards that. I look forward to hearing more from the Minister of National Defence on that.

    Mr. Speaker, I commend my colleague and thank him for his speech.

    In the Speech from the Throne, the government says it wants to build affordable housing through the “build Canada homes” program. The French name of the program was changed during the campaign after the government had been negligent, verging on careless, with the French language.

    I have a simple question for my colleague. In his riding, what would it cost to build affordable housing?

    Mr. Speaker, as I pointed out, we have already had a lot of success with the rapid housing initiative, which delivered results for the citizens of Taiaiako'n—Parkdale—High Park with Dunn House. A second project will be developed on the former LCBO site on Brock Avenue.

    As members of Parliament, we represent our communities, and it is good to see ambitious programs being implemented. We need to look at how we can get these programs off the ground.

    Mr. Speaker, I want to begin by thanking all of my constituents who gave me the opportunity to be here today to bring their voices to Ottawa. I want to thank my team, the volunteers, my family, and all of my fellow members of Parliament who are here today and who have supported me at the start of the 45th Parliament.

    My question is this. The first measure taken by the new Prime Minister was to lower income taxes, which will put millions of dollars in the pockets of Canadians. Could the member tell us what impact he thinks this measure will have?

    Mr. Speaker, there is more poverty in my riding than in other ridings. Even a small reduction in the cost of living is good for taxpayers. That measure is set to take effect in July, and it will have an immediate impact.

    Many people in Taiaiako'n—Parkdale—High Park are living on the margins. Every effort we make to recognize that and make life a little more affordable will bring immediate relief.

    Mr. Speaker, let me congratulate you on taking the seat in the Speaker's chair as Deputy Speaker.

    We saw in the throne speech that there was a lot of discussion about the threat towards Canada from the Trump administration, and rightfully so. Canadians and, I believe, every member of the House will be very focused on taking that issue to heart and on protecting Canada and our sovereignty.

    At the same time, we also have another threat, and that is the issue of foreign interference. We knew that, heading into the election, our democratic institutions were under threat from foreign interference actors, yet the Liberal government, in the previous administration, did not put in place Bill C-70. We did not have that during the election, and there has yet to be any mention of that anywhere from the government bench, including from the Prime Minister.

    Why was that not mentioned in the throne speech?

    Mr. Speaker, we are a new Parliament. Part of being a new Parliament means bringing in new voices. In my past life at a think tank at the Dais at Toronto Metropolitan University, we worked a lot on this issue, and I am looking forward to working with the member on this issue if she is interested.

     Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate you on taking the chair as Deputy Speaker. That is a fantastic thing, and it is well deserved.

    I rise in the House today with humility and purpose. I stand here with a promise. It is a promise that shaped my family across generations, which is that if we work hard, raise our family and love our country, we will be free to live in dignity and peace. I am the great-grandson of a pioneer who broke the untamed fields of what would become Alberta before there was power and pavement. I am also the son of a farmer who survived Communism with nothing but his hands, his family and the hope that Alberta would be a place where his children could speak freely, live safely and never bow to a state that hated them.

     My father did not come to Canada in 1953 for a handout. He did not arrive on a student visa or as part of some bureaucratic temporary foreign worker program. No, Hubert Bexte came to Canada to build. He came to build a farm, a community, a country and, most importantly, a family. He paid back his own passage from Europe by labouring in Alberta's sugar beet fields, on the southern edge of the very riding I represent here today, with no welfare, no hotel rooms and no Liberal-sponsored welcome package. There was just sweat, sacrifice and a belief that what Canada could be was what we should aspire to be.

     I chose to raise my own four children in the Alberta countryside because that is where promise still lives. It lived with my great-grandfather's hands. It lived in my father's footsteps, and it now it lives in my children. Let me say this: I would not be here without the support of my wife Lorelei; my children Kyle, Keean, William and Annalise; my mother Nadine; and the rest of my extended family.

     I also want to thank the many people of Bow River, from Grassi Lakes to Tilley, from Gem to Beiseker, from Conrich to Siksika Nation, Arrowwood, Milo, Carmangay and Barnwell, and everywhere in between. They are my neighbours. They are who I aspire to be, and I hold this seat for them.

     I also owe a debt of gratitude to 4-H Alberta, a program and a community that shaped me early. I joined when I was nine years old, and it was there that I learned how to speak with confidence, work with purpose and serve my neighbours. It is where I first lived the motto I still carry with me today, which is to learn to do by doing.

    I also want to recognize the young people watching today. In Alberta's grade 6 curriculum, students learn about our political system, and many are watching these proceedings live. One of those classes is taught by Dr. Brian Jackson of Lyalta, and these students are paying attention. They are learning not from sound bites but from how we carry ourselves in the House.

    The riding that sent me here is called Bow River. It is not just a place; it is a people, a home and a promise. Much like the people who rely on it, the Bow does not ask Ottawa's permission to flow. It carves through rocks, sustains life and cuts a path forward, whether or not anyone in this chamber notices. The Bow runs past oil wells that were shut down by people who have never set foot on a rig. It flows past farms that were taxed by bureaucrats who could not grow a weed. It flows past churches that were left to burn. While politicians offer excuses instead of justice, the river flows past the homes of the veterans, seniors and families who have been forgotten by the system but not by me. The beautiful thing about the Bow is this: Even when the government grinds to a halt, it keeps flowing.

    When politicians hostile to Alberta try to strangle our economy, the Bow River keeps flowing. When bureaucrats in glass towers write the rules that cripple our farms, it keeps flowing. When unelected judges rewrite our rules and call it progress, it keeps flowing. When they shut down our churches, our rigs and our rodeos, it keeps flowing. The Bow does not care about trendy acronyms or performative politics. It cares about feeding cattle, watering crops and quenching the thirst of a working land. It fuels an ecosystem and an economy, and it helps feed the world. It does not wait for permission. It flows where it needs to flow.

    If it has not been clear, I am not just talking about the river. I am talking about the people, because just like the Bow River, we move with purpose, and we are done with waiting for the rest of the country to catch up. We do not need a national strategy; we need Ottawa to get out of the way. I ran to represent the people who built this country and who are now watching it be dismantled by people who do not understand it and, worse, do not even like it.

    This week, the Prime Minister stood before the country and promised more of the same: a new housing bureaucracy, a new set of buzzwords instead of a budget, more red tape instead of results, and not a single word about oil and gas pipelines or the workers who drive our economy.

    Let us be honest with Canadians. We do not need to renew the consensus on immigration, the one that has fuelled the Liberal political ambition for a decade. We need to rebuild this country for Canadians. We do not need to gaslight working families into accepting out-of-control immigration while wages stagnate, house prices explode and services collapse. We need to restore common sense and put Canadians first in their own country. We do not need more empty promises. We need paycheques we can raise a family on, homes we can actually afford and streets we feel safe walking down. We need less gatekeeping, less government and a whole lot more grit.

    I come from the part of Canada that feeds the country and fuels its economy, so I will speak plainly. Where I come from, words matter, but work and deeds matter more. I am here to fight for the honest worker, the family farmer, the rig hand, the rancher, the welder, the widow, the worshipper and every kid who still believes this country can be worth something. I come to the House with one of the strongest mandates in the nation. I earned it by promising to rip this place down to the studs and start rebuilding a country we can recognize again.

    This week, the Prime Minister showed he is here to do the opposite. Behind the pageantry and parades, he disrespected the Crown by using the King to deliver a tired and empty speech, meant to distract Canadians from a simple truth, which is that he is still stumbling forward on the heels of Justin Trudeau's failed record. I have a deep respect for our institutions, but what Canadians needed this week was not ceremonial flourishes. They needed substance, not sentiment. They needed solutions, not more speeches from elites in suits. They needed action for the people in coveralls, including the farmers, the builders and the rig hands, and for the parents wondering how to afford groceries and heat at the same time.

    Canadians are tired of being lectured. They are tired of being told everything is fine when they can see with their own eyes that it is not. This country has a proud and noble history. It was built by pioneers, sustained by families and defended by those willing to risk everything for the promise of freedom and prosperity. However, after a decade of mismanagement and division from the Liberal front bench, that promise is fading.

    Alberta separatism is no longer a fringe idea. I heard it at the doors more times than I can count. I can tell members plainly that Alberta staying in the Confederation is not up to me, and it is not up to the Liberal government. It is up to the people of Alberta, and Albertans know they have options. If the House continues to insult, abuse and neglect Alberta, if it refuses to treat our people and our industries with the respect they have earned, then the future of this country is not guaranteed.

    None of us should assume we will have this job here tomorrow. At any moment, the government could lose the confidence of the House. When that moment comes, Canadians will remember who has stayed with them and who stood in their way. When the system stalls, the Bow River keeps flowing. When the government offers platitudes instead of a plan, the Bow keeps flowing. When it forgets who built this country, we remember, and we keep moving.

    I want to thank the people of Bow River for one of the strongest mandates in this nation. I am thankful to my family, my friends and my neighbours for trusting me with this duty. I will not let them down. I did not come here to rub shoulders with royalty. I came here to fight for the families, farmers and energy workers who built this country. I will keep fighting until the Liberal government gets the message, because that promise still lives, and I intend to keep it.

     Mr. Speaker, I suspect that, going forward, there might be disagreements on a lot of things between that member and me. I, for one, feel very confident in believing that Canadians want a national health care system. They want a national child care system. They want a government that truly cares and can actually deliver. I have listened to the Alberta premier, and I think she might be further to the left than that particular member. When I listen to the member opposite, I am not too sure what side of the issue of separation he is on.

    Does the member opposite not believe that Canada, working together, can have a positive outcome for everyone in all regions of the country, and that the federal government does have a very important role in society?

    Mr. Speaker, I take some offence to the member opposite's allusion to my patriotism. Canada is the country that my family came to by choice, for a future. It was very deliberate. It was Canada or Australia, and they chose Canada, and that is the blood that flows through my veins.

    I think the problem is that the government is failing on the promise to deliver to the people. We want a society that is good for everyone; we have compassion. We want a society that thrives and survives and develops, but the Liberal government has failed in that promise over the last nine years, and there is nothing in this current circumstance that shows otherwise.

    Mr. Speaker, I would like to start by congratulating you and telling you how relieved I am that you are in the chair. You are a diligent member of Parliament and a formidable opponent when asking or answering questions as a member. I am glad to see you in the chair because it will save us from having to go up against you as a colleague and adversary.

    I also want to congratulate the new member for Bow River. I was very fond of his predecessor, my good friend Mr. Shields. I would ask my colleague to pass on my best regards at the earliest opportunity. It was a pleasure serving with him, particularly when it came to heritage matters. Mr. Shields and I both sat on the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage, and I really appreciated him as a colleague.

    I listened to the speech by my new colleague from Bow River. He talked about the Alberta independence movement stemming from Albertans' dissatisfaction on a number of fronts. It is not for me to judge whether that feeling is justified. However, it got me wondering. The independence movement has existed in Quebec for decades, but it has not always been treated with the respect we think it deserved over the years.

    As Alberta begins to consider independence, is it not time to have a serious discussion about the future of this country? Perhaps the various regions of Canada should reflect on the best way of tackling the future and its challenges. For our part, we believe that Quebec should be an independent nation. We have been saying that for a long time. What is happening in Alberta leads me to believe that all of Canada should be involved in this process of reflection.

    Mr. Speaker, I am a little remiss in not thanking former MP Martin Shields for all his support and the duty and the service that he gave in the seat that I now occupy. I will pass on the wishes from the member.

    Let me be clear: I want a strong and united Canada. Albertans want a strong and united Canada. However, unity is not something that can be enforced from the top down; it has to be earned through respect, fairness and equal treatment. Right now, Alberta is not feeling much of that and is not seeing much of that.

    This House has the opportunity to forge a nation and bring it all together to show all the provinces what the promise of Canada is. If this House wants national unity, then it starts by giving western Canadians a reason to believe in that again.

     Mr. Speaker, thank you for this opportunity to rise in the chamber today. Let me begin by congratulating you on your new role and congratulating all members who got elected or re-elected to the 45th Parliament.

    Today, I rise in the chamber to thank the residents of the great riding of Brampton West for giving me the honour and the incredible privilege to serve as their member of Parliament. I recognize and greatly appreciate that I am here today because of the efforts of countless individuals, from family and friends to mentors and neighbours, who have supported me, guided me and inspired me along my journey.

    I would like to thank the wonderful team that ran my campaign and committed countless hours of their time and efforts: the volunteers, the supporters, the donors and the staff. Running in the election also required a lot of sacrifices from our families. I would like to take this opportunity to thank my wife, Amandeep Gill, and my son, Rajvir Gill, who sacrificed a lot of time and gave me the unconditional support and encouragement to run in the election and serve the residents of Brampton West.

    I am thankful to the Brampton West residents for the faith and trust they have put in me to serve them. I am committed to discussing the priorities that matter to them and hold the government accountable not only to the residents of my riding, but to the whole city of Brampton. With humbleness, I carry the great responsibility of representing Brampton West and representing their values, concerns, hopes and dreams of a bright and uplifting future for themselves and their children in this beautiful country of ours that we all feel proud to call our home.

    After completing my post-secondary education in engineering and political science and an MBA, I immigrated to Canada in 1998. I am personally very grateful to be able to call Canada my home. Like many of the Brampton West residents, I come from humble beginnings. I come from a family of service, as my grandfather and father both served in the armed forces during World War I and World War II, respectively. Because of their sacrifices, I experienced first-hand that freedom and opportunities are gifts of dedication and selfless service passed from one generation to the next. Their legacy of duty and courage reminds me that I must also work diligently out of these values of hard work, determination and perseverance to contribute toward a life of freedom and opportunities for the next generation.

    While my father gave me the discipline and commitment to duty and service, my mother gave me the values of care and compassion. Through her example, she taught me the importance of taking care of each other with patience and understanding and nurturing growth and togetherness in our families and our communities. It is with these values of service, hard work, dedication and commitment toward excellence for the benefit of all that I stand here today on behalf of the residents of Brampton West.

    Brampton has been my home for over 20 years. I am grateful that, as a newcomer, my efforts and hard work were rewarded by the Canadian promise, and I received opportunities that allowed me to advance my professional career with diverse experiences: from quality assurance in the automotive, industrial and aerospace sectors to a distinguished tenure as an adjudicator at Tribunals Ontario, all while raising a family in a safe and prosperous city.

    Today, I rise not just as the member of Parliament for Brampton West to express my gratitude, but as the voice of a community that has been promised much and delivered far too little.

    The Speech from the Throne spoke of ambition, inclusivity and recovery, but for my constituents, those words ring hollow. They ring hollow to families that can no longer afford groceries, residents afraid to walk down their streets, and young people watching their dreams of home ownership slip away. The throne speech does not reflect the reality faced daily by the people of Brampton.

    Let me paint a picture of what the reality is for Brampton residents regarding the key issues of safety, cost of living, employment, housing, immigration and business opportunities, or lack thereof.

     On public safety, while the government claims it is strengthening public safety, the people of Brampton are living in fear. Violent crime is up 50%; auto theft is up 50%; extortion is up 400%. Soft-on-crime Liberal policies, Bill C-5 and Bill C-75 have unleashed the crime waves in Brampton. This is part of the worst crime wave this country has ever seen. The Peel Regional Police even had to launch Project Warlock, recovering vehicles and solving violent home invasions. It is for these reasons that the Peel Regional Police Association endorsed the Conservative Party, including my candidacy. I look forward to working closely with those police officers.

     The throne speech mentioned more tools for law enforcement, but after eight years of inaction, communities like mine know the truth: There is no safety in a press release. What is needed is real funding, tougher bail reform and support for local police, not recycled announcements.

     On affordability and the cost of living, the throne speech spoke about affordability, yet in Brampton the average home price in April 2025 stood at just under $950,000, a dream slipping further out of reach for working families. The cost of living is almost $2,900 per person per month. Grocery prices have surged. Rents are up. Interest rates are punishing mortgage holders, and still the government added more carbon taxes and deeper deficits. There is no clear plan to cut wasteful spending or to put money back in Canadians' pockets.

     On jobs and the economy, the throne speech promised economic growth, but the numbers tell the truth. Brampton's unemployment rate is up. Canada's unemployment rate is up. Small businesses are struggling, choked by red tape and high taxes. We need policies that lower taxes, encourage investments and get Canadians better paycheques.

     On immigration, I am an immigrant and I know first-hand the value that newcomers bring to this country, but I also know that growth without planning leads to strain. In Brampton, over 52% of the population are immigrants, a testament to our multicultural strength, but this rapid growth has outpaced housing, transit and health care.

    Housing was mentioned in the throne speech, but the crisis has worsened under the Liberal government. Brampton has one of the fastest-growing populations in Canada, but building permits and completion lag far behind demand. Promises to work with municipalities have not delivered enough shovels in the ground. Where is the federal leadership on zoning reform, infrastructure investment and rental construction? We need action now to build homes fast and to put the dream of home ownership back within the reach of Canadians.

    On small businesses and opportunities, the throne speech says that Canada is open for business, but for entrepreneurs in Brampton the reality is burdensome paperwork, rising costs and policy uncertainty. Business owners in general are begging for tax relief and streamlined licensing. Instead, they get more red tape and rising payroll costs. The Conservative vision is clear: cut the red tape, incentivize innovation and support the backbone of our economy that is small businesses.

    Brampton West elected me because they are tired of promises and now they want to see the results. They are tired of headlines without substance, slogans without strategy, and speeches that speak of ambition without any road map to achievement.

    Brampton West residents resonated with the values of the Conservative Party: fiscal responsibility, public safety, economic opportunity, and respect for families and businesses. While the government celebrates headlines, I will fight for families, seniors and young Canadians trying to build a life.

    I hear the people of Brampton West, and I stand with them. I will continue holding the Liberal government to account until their voices are truly reflected in the decisions made in this House.

    Mr. Speaker, Brampton is a wonderful, beautiful community in Canada. Many of my constituents have relations and family in the community of Brampton.

     Having said that, the member spent a great deal of his efforts and time on the issue of crime. I am very sensitive to that issue, as I know that my colleagues, in particular my colleagues in the Brampton area, are very much concerned about crime.

    I am sure the member recognizes that when it comes to the issue of crime, there is jurisdictional responsibility. The provincial government, the federal government and the municipal government all have a very important role to play. In looking at dealing with crime in our communities, would the member not agree that the province needs to step up, that the city needs to step up and that the federal government also has to step up?

     That is one of the reasons why the Prime Minister of Canada indicated today that we can anticipate more issues and legislation dealing with things such as bail reform. Does the member not see that as a good thing? Can we anticipate the member's support?

    Mr. Speaker, that is a wonderful question. I know that he is concerned about crime as well, and this gives me the sense that if we work together, we will achieve certain things.

    Let me tell members who is not strengthening the laws. The leadership has to come from the top to the bottom. We are in a position where we can strengthen the laws. We can ask our provincial counterparts and our municipalities to implement those laws once we have strict laws and the bail reforms are there. In my opinion, and I always say this, repeat violent offenders should be in jail, not out on bail. I also hear, time and time again, that these things are taking time.

    Let us work together to eliminate crime in cities and across Canada.

    Mr. Speaker, I salute my colleague and congratulate him on his election.

    He spoke on a very important topic, namely immigration, which was also addressed in the Speech from the Throne. More specifically, it mentions plans to cap temporary immigration. It even mentions rebuilding public trust in our immigration system. In recent years, however, since the Liberal government took power, the Liberals have been utterly obsessed with managing the immigration system.

    Canada's population growth is among the highest in the world. My colleague from Brampton West mentioned it in his speech when he pointed out that newcomers have certain needs, like infrastructure and public services.

    For a long time now, Quebec has been asking for control over its own immigration so that it can take its capacity to receive and integrate newcomers into account and protect French, its national language.

    Does my colleague agree with that approach?

    Mr. Speaker, I said in my speech that I came as an immigrant. I understand the importance of immigration for the country. I know what immigrants bring to the country. I also agree that we have to be united and strong together. Once we are united and strong, we can have immigration policies that benefit all of Canada. We are in a position where we can be the envy of the world when we start unleashing our resources to build our economy and build our strengths.

    I always believe in one thing: that immigration should be on a skills basis. If we need people, we have to bring them in. I am in favour of a united and strong Canada, and we will work toward that.

    Mr. Speaker, it is great to see you in the chair. Congratulations on your new role.

    I also congratulate my colleague from Brampton West, in particular for his advocacy on crime.

    On car thefts and auto thefts, we have seen them in my community. We see them in his community and across the GTA, yet there has been no serious action from the government in terms of bail reform or what is seeping out of our ports in terms of stolen cars. Would the member comment a little on auto theft and the importance of that issue in Brampton?

    Mr. Speaker, crime was the number one issue when I was campaigning in Brampton West. People are really living their lives in fear. People are not going out. When they come to their driveways with their cars, they look left, right and centre before they enter their houses. This is a very big problem, and the Liberals have not done anything to make it better. Let us start working on that issue, and let us eliminate crime from the country and from Brampton West.

    Mr. Speaker, first off, I want to congratulate you on your new role as Deputy Speaker. I also want to congratulate the Speaker of the House. Bad habits are hard to break. Given the respect that all members have for you, I am confident that you will be able to maintain order and decorum in the House.

     I will be sharing my time with the member for Don Valley West.

    I would also like to congratulate all re-elected and new members, especially the members for Compton—Stanstead and Brome—Missisquoi. We form a strong Eastern Townships caucus focused on the needs of our beautiful region.

    I would also like to take a moment to thank the voters in my riding of Sherbrooke. Earning their trust for a third term is a great privilege, and I can assure them that I will always represent them with the same commitment, attentiveness and tenacity.

    After an election campaign in which all voices were heard, Canadians gave us a mandate that comes with certain obligations and expectations, as always, and that is demanding and deeply realistic. To fulfill this mandate, we must now present an ambitious plan.

     The first part of the vast transformation we are undertaking for our economy consists of three measures.

    First, we are cutting taxes for nearly 22 million Canadians, saving two-income families up to $840 a year. This middle-class tax cut will promote economic growth and help families feel financially secure. To provide them with a little more relief, we are keeping programs such as the child care program and the Canadian dental care plan, which now covers even more Canadians. These programs are having a real impact on people's lives.

    Second, we are eliminating the GST on homes at or under $1 million for first-time homebuyers and lowering the GST on homes between $1 million and $1.5 million.

    Third, we are getting rid of consumer carbon pricing. Carbon pricing for large industrial polluters continues to apply. It is part of our emissions reduction plan, which seeks to flatten the curve and meet Canada's greenhouse gas emissions reduction target for 2030.

    Canadians have called for change, for a concrete plan to deal with the rising cost of living. The government is answering that call.

    At a time when the entire planet is facing unprecedented challenges relating to global peace and stability, the economic situation and climate change, we are proud to look to our communities, which have all the know-how and determination needed to find solutions.

    In this context, the government's role will be to act as a facilitator to attract new investment and create wealth. It must create the conditions that will enable our entrepreneurs to use their energy and ideas to drive economic growth.

    Our business people have shown great resilience in the face of tariffs, both actual and potential. When I visit businesses in Sherbrooke, I am always impressed by their ability to adapt and the fact that they are constantly looking for solutions.

    They are ready to diversify their markets, innovate and pursue a green transition.

    We must offer them a clearer, longer-term vision. We must provide them with the tools they need to continue to grow and remain competitive. I will address three points in that regard.

    First, we need to leverage our strengths and skills. In Canada and in Quebec, we have outstanding expertise in clean technologies, like Hydro-Québec, as well as substantial natural resources and unique digital technologies, including quantum computing and artificial intelligence.

    With its Quantum Institute and the scientific ecosystem surrounding it, Sherbrooke is a world leader in quantum science and technology. The Quantum Institute works with internationally renowned partners such as IBM and Pasqal. C2MI in Bromont continues to expand by focusing on manufacturing superconducting quantum microchips to ensure that Quebec companies are at the forefront of this booming industry.

    These are two examples from the Eastern Townships, but there are many other centres of expertise and leadership across Canada that need our support in order to maintain our position as a leader.

    Let us talk about labour. Faced with the aging workforce and the labour shortage, business owners are turning to foreign workers. I hear about that a lot. Sherbrooke's business community is mobilizing and looking for solutions, particularly when it comes to temporary foreign workers.

    The government is listening. It continues to monitor labour market conditions and provides employers with training programs to improve the skills of their current workers. We will take steps to build trust in our immigration system and restore balance.

    We will also remove barriers to interprovincial trade and labour mobility. In times of crisis, such as the one we are experiencing with the United States, we need to be open to changing our approach. Change can be destabilizing, but it also presents opportunities. Working together with the provinces, territories and indigenous peoples, the government will create a nationwide free trade system by Canada Day.

    According to the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, the CFIB, strengthening strategic ties and reducing trade barriers could benefit hundreds of thousands of SMEs. Currently, juggling the different rules and standards that exist from one province to the next adds costs and hinders internal trade in practically every sector. Tax measures, duplication, when it comes to inspections for example, and issues related to transportation and logistics are the primary barriers.

    Eliminating interprovincial barriers by harmonizing regulations will help increase GDP, inject $200 billion into the national economy and reduce the impact of U.S. tariffs. Seizing this historic opportunity to eliminate interprovincial trade barriers, the government started by abolishing 20 of the 39 federal exemptions. The provinces and territories are obviously invited to follow suit and take similar measures. Some already have, in fact.

    This is a fitting time to implement an industrial strategy. Now is the time for major projects that will strengthen our national economy and create well-paying jobs. With the establishment of a major federal project office, projects will be completed more quickly. In the wake of these major changes, we are taking a series of measures to help double the rate of home building while creating a housing industry that will use Canadian technology, our skilled workers and our lumber, all while meeting our climate challenges.

    With the “build Canada homes” program, we will accelerate the development of new affordable housing, invest in the prefabricated and modular housing industry and provide significant financing to affordable home builders. In fact, we have already begun work utilizing the programs put in place during our previous mandate, and projects such as La Grande Vie in Sherbrooke have been completed.

    The desire to build a better and stronger Canada is at the heart of the government's agenda. Canadians are rallying with renewed national pride. This is an opportunity to think big. This is an opportunity to work together to achieve great things. Let us put aside empty slogans and fruitless debates.

    The Prime Minister talks about leadership in action. That is what we are putting into practice. It is time to take action.

    Mr. Speaker, congratulations to you on your role.

    I want to pose a question regarding a budget. The new Prime Minister was elected with the promise that he would be the man with the plan to take on the United States and get our economy back on track, but a key part of that plan is bringing forward a budget. We now know that this will not happen this spring, if at all this year, and I am wondering if the member can explain why the government would make the irresponsible decision not to bring forward a budget this spring.

    Mr. Speaker, the fact is, this is a choice we have to make today and in the few weeks remaining before this session ends. We have already announced tax cuts and the elimination or reduction of the GST based on a new home's value. We have measures to put more money back in people's pockets.

    People have told us that the cost of living is an important issue for them, and that is what we are addressing.

    Mr. Speaker, I salute my colleague and congratulate her on her re-election.

    The government says it wants to defend the economic sovereignty of Canada and Quebec through the back door. However, the Speech from the Throne does not mention the words “aluminum”, “forest”, or “aerospace”, which are three important economic pillars for defending economic sovereignty, among other things.

    The question I would like to ask my colleague from Sherbrooke is very simple. Does this silence mean that defending Quebec's economic interests is just not a priority for the current government?

    Mr. Speaker, I too congratulate my colleague on his re-election.

    As I mentioned in my speech, we need to focus on the strengths, the leadership and expertise hubs in Canada and Quebec. The three sectors that the member mentioned are obviously pillars of the Quebec economy and the national economy. That is why the government is always there to support these sectors, especially in the current context of the tariff crisis with the United States.

    Mr. Speaker, I would first like to congratulate my colleague on her re-election in Sherbrooke and thank her for her help and leadership in our region.

    I would like to come back to what she said about working closely with her Eastern Townships colleagues. How does she intend to develop and continue her work with her colleagues so that the Eastern Townships are stronger and the wishes of the regions are heard in Ottawa?

    Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for her question and congratulate her on her election and her first question in the House.

    Our Eastern Townships caucus is incredible. There are three of us, one re-elected member and two new ones with big shoes to fill. There is no shortage of projects in our region. We also have great strengths. I talked about the Quantum Institute and the C2MI in Bromont. All these people and all businesses can count on us to continue supporting their projects and being their strong voice here in Ottawa.

    Mr. Speaker, I congratulate you on your appointment and also the member opposite for her election.

    She mentioned the importance of innovation and technology in our great country. The previous government, the Trudeau Jr. government, introduced Bill C-27, which had the Artificial Intelligence and Data Act. It is putting forth very vague rules that will cause small innovators, particularly in the AI space, to consider their options. It is hard to get venture capital in Canada, and now these vague rules will push those innovators to the United States.

    Does the member understand the difficulties the previous government placed on that particular part of our economy? Will she work toward fixing it and opposing the old legislation?

    Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague and congratulate him on his re-election.

    I will always be a staunch defender of new technologies in my region. As I mentioned in my speech, the Quantum Institute and all new technologies are very important, not to mention economic drivers. Canada is a leader on this and must continue to be there, to support them so that we can continue to have good jobs in these sectors.

    Mr. Speaker, I want to congratulate you on your appointment as Deputy Speaker. I have great confidence in you in the chair; the chair becomes you. I am really looking forward to it. The support will not be unconditional, but I offer my sincere best wishes.

    I also want to begin by thanking the electors of Don Valley West for their support in sending me back for the fifth time to this place. They sent me back with a really good mandate, and it is one that I take on not only with humility but also with empowerment. With the platform our party presented, confidence was expressed in our new Prime Minister, and the thought that Canada's sovereignty may be threatened, which needs strong leadership, is very real for the people in Don Valley West.

    I also want to thank the people who did not vote for me. I want to thank the people I met at many doors who have concerns about this country and who expressed those concerns. When we knock on thousands of doors, it is as important to listen to those who may challenge us as it is to listen to our supporters.

    I want to talk particularly about some young people who talked to me about affordability and housing costs and about how their lower incomes were not meeting the challenges they faced every day to pay their rent or get a mortgage. I listened particularly to young people in the Yonge and Eglinton area who are paying other people's mortgages and want a chance to own a home themselves. I have listened and our government has heard them, and I believe in the Speech from the Throne we heard Canada's most ambitious housing project ever. I will continue to work on that.

    I also want to talk about people who have been worried about crime. Particularly in the Don Mills area, I heard regularly that people are worried and that our government needs to take stronger steps to ensure their streets and homes are safe and that they are personally safe as well. Again, we have listened, and our government will continue to take strong steps against crime to make sure appropriate punishments happen while we continue to build a safer society all around us.

    I also want to talk to newcomers. Some newcomers in my riding are very concerned about the ongoing issue of professional accreditation, getting ahead without Canadian experience and making a living in their own communities. I have listened to this as well and will continue to work on that project.

    I also want to speak very specifically to the Jewish community and to Jews in my riding who have great concerns about the rise of anti-Semitism and about their personal safety as they gather or even as they walk down the street. I will continue to support zero tolerance for any anti-Semitic comments and slurs or any attacks on either the Jewish community or Jews themselves in my riding, across this country and around the world.

    I also want to talk about those who raised the issue of Gaza and Canada's support for the Palestinian people. I will continue to be a strong advocate for peace in the region and for the aspirations of the Palestinian people to eventually have their own state and to find a way to express their statehood in the world. Canada needs to help rebuild Gaza as we bring back a peaceful solution to an ongoing conflict.

    All of these concerns were echoed by fiscal Conservatives in my riding. They are worried about our overspending. They are worried about not investing enough. I believe that our new Prime Minister and this new government will be the biggest problem the Conservative Party has. We have listened to those words and have heard them. Our Prime Minister, through the Speech from the Throne, talked about spending less and investing more, and we will continue to do that so Canadians can regain confidence in our ability to manage their money, because it is not our money.

    Going to those doors has been extremely important to me. The people have given me a strong mandate, the largest mandate I have had in five elections, and I hope I will continue to earn the trust of those who did not vote for me.

    One part of the throne speech I want to draw attention to today in the House is on page 8, which says:

     The reason I want to focus on that part of the Speech from the Throne, which the King so eloquently delivered in the Senate earlier this week, is that just before the election, in the early part of March, I was able to launch, on behalf of the government, Canada's new strategy related to Africa. It is called “Canada's Africa Strategy: A Partnership for Shared Prosperity and Security”. It was two years in the making, with over 160 consultations with groups, individuals, academics, business groups, Africans in their own continent and African Canadians here. Extensive conversation and extensive consultation have led to what I believe is a new approach to Canada's working for and working together with Africans: the whole continent, regional economic communities and individual governments.

    The strategy itself is based on “The Africa We Want”, which is Agenda 2063, the strategy of the African Union. It took years to develop Africa's strategy, and Canada has listened to it and taken it to heart to say that the primary concern we need to have in our relationship with Africa is a mutually beneficial partnership. We need to absolutely have a way to look eye to eye with African partners to recognize that the future of Canada rests in a strong social, economic, cultural, trade relationship with the African continent.

    Canada has an aging population. Africa has the youngest population in the world. Africa has tremendous opportunities for Canadian markets. We need to find a way to continue to invest in Africa to develop the middle class, to take the burden of having one principal trading partner, which may not be reliable for us, away and to allow ourselves to have trading relationships around the world. We can easily go to Europe. We can easily go to the Asia-Pacific and Indo-Pacific regions. We can go to Latin America and the American states. We also need to go to Africa.

     We need to listen, and this strategy has five principal points. It is about people-to-people ties. It will absolutely engage with the African diaspora in Canada as our cultural, linguistic, trade and economic partners to help us interpret Africa and understand it better. We will begin with a formalized mechanism to do that in our government to ensure that African Canadian voices are heard in every decision we make.

    Those people-to-people ties will continue to be important as we expand our diplomatic footprint in Africa to ensure that Canadian businesses have vehicles and mechanisms to get into and understand African markets, which are there for them to engage with. We will continue to work with academics, trading groups, unions, schools and universities to ensure that we have partnerships that will continue to not only benefit Africa, but benefit Canada.

    Canada's future is tied to a successful Africa, so we will be involved in peacekeeping and reconciliation of past difficulties. We are going to engage with Africa in such a way that it will say Canada is its preferred economic partner, its preferred trading partner and its preferred partner in agri-food businesses, energy, transportation and small manufacturing. That way, we can help build the African economy, not as a charitable exercise, but as an exercise that will benefit Canadians.

     Young Canadians are looking for opportunities. Those opportunities may be found in engaging in business with African countries. We will continue to work with them to ensure that their voices are heard on the international stage. African voices should never be silenced. They should be encouraged.

    Canada is in every club that is important: the G7, which is meeting very shortly; the G20; the United Nations; the Organization of American States; La Francophonie; and the Commonwealth. These are groups of countries that Canada needs to help welcome the African Union and African countries into so that they become our strategic partners, our key allies and those with whom Canada can engage with every day, always faithfully, to ensure that our future and their future are tied together.

    Mr. Speaker, it is nice to see you in the chair. I am sure your wealth of knowledge will serve us well. I am looking forward to that.

    I congratulate the member opposite on his re-election. It is nice to see him back here again. I do have a quick question. I was listening to your words and speech, and you mentioned that at the doors, you heard concerns about overspending, Liberal overspending, over many years. We heard this morning, confirmed by your own leader, the Prime Minister, that there was going to be an increase of 8% in spending.

    How do you reconcile that increase in spending with what you were hearing at the doors about what you had been currently overspending?

     Before I go to the member for Don Valley West, I just encourage members to address their comments through the Chair.

     Mr. Speaker, what I heard overwhelmingly at the door was that the taxpayer needs to know that his or her money is being well used. Taxpayers do not want more spending; they want more investing. They want to invest in projects that are of a national character, that will build the identity and character of this country. They want us to continue the social safety net to make sure all of these programs continue, like the Canada child benefit and the dental benefit.

    To do that, we need a strong economy. We need to invest in the energy sector. We need to continue to invest in artificial intelligence. We need to invest in small manufacturing in Ontario. We need to continue to invest in all these ways, in infrastructure and housing, to make sure that we build our country.

    We will never apologize for spending money when it leads to good investment.

    Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague and congratulate him on his re-election. He talked about the importance of having social programs. We know very well that the Liberal government became an expert in interfering in the jurisdictions of Quebec and the provinces. After drawing inspiration from and copying Quebec's child care programs that have been around for more than 25 years, it then came up with the dental care program. Now there is talk of the pharmacare program.

    How can the federal government improve on what the Government of Quebec has mastered for about 20 years now? I would like my colleague to explain that to me.

    Mr. Speaker, I think we need to look at all of Canada's realities. We need to learn from Quebec when it comes to things like that.

    I hope my words about Africa are not lost. Once again, people of the House will dismiss our need to recognize Africa. Half my speech was spent talking about Africa, yet neither of the opposition parties actually wants to engage in this discussion. It is to our benefit that we all engage on it, quit the petty politics of the place and actually talk about some real topics, such as engaging with African countries and with the African diaspora in this country for the betterment of Canadians, so we can pay for the social programs that Quebeckers want us to engage with.

     Mr. Speaker, I offer congratulations to you and to all hon. colleagues.

    The hon. member for Brampton West mentioned that the Canadian people voted for innovation, among other things, equating that to a Conservative value, while their platform stated that they would cut spending on AI.

     Does my hon. colleague not think, however, that the election of the government and the Prime Minister's focus on emerging technologies show that innovation is a Liberal value and what Canadians voted for?

    Mr. Speaker, I want to congratulate the member on her recent election. I know that she brings an engineering background to the position. She brings an expertise in robotics and artificial intelligence that I think we desperately need in the House of Commons. It is the kind of capacity, the kind of intelligence and the kind of creativity that we will need.

    Canada's economy is changing. Not only are we under siege from a threat from the Americans, the American government, at this particular time, but we also need to retool to address the issues of the 21st century. Those sorts of programs about innovation, creativity, increasing productivity, and using and capturing artificial intelligence are critically important for the success of every Canadian.

     I wish the member very well in the coming Parliament.

    Mr. Speaker, I would like to take a few seconds to appreciate this moment, which I will remember for the rest of my life.

    I rise in the House today because I have the immense privilege of being one of the 343 people chosen to represent 41 million Canadians. Ours is a weighty responsibility; we have a big job to do, and it is up to us to deliver results. This is a privilege we must earn every day.

    For the past nine years, I had the privilege of serving as the member for Arthabaska-L'Érable in the Quebec National Assembly. I always said that it was a privilege to be my constituents' eyes, voice and ears in Quebec City. Today, I am making that same commitment to the people of Richmond—Arthabaska here in the House of Commons. I would like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank them for their trust. I took on this mandate with humility and determination. I would like to remind the House that I have been the member of Parliament for all the people of the riding of Richmond—Arthabaska since the day after the election.

    I won the election on April 28 because of my team, and I want to thank the key players. I am grateful to Pierre-Luc, Denis, Francis, Yannick, Isabelle, Richard, Pierre, Martin, Brigitte and Brian. I am grateful to all of the ambassadors who agreed to get out there in support of my candidacy. I am grateful to all of the volunteers. Over 100 of them went out and put up signs in the rain, wind and hail. Mother Nature was raging, but people were out there putting up signs in 39 municipalities. I am also grateful to all of the other volunteers who got involved. I want to thank my children, Laurence, Rosalie, Amora and Marie-Éden, who are experiencing both the downsides and the upsides of politics. Lastly, I want to thank my wife, Geneviève, who was by my side for the nine years I served as a member of the National Assembly and who will continue to be by my side while I serve as the federal member for the magnificent riding of Richmond—Arthabaska.

    I would also like to acknowledge the political commitment of Alain Rayes, my predecessor. Alain served as mayor of Victoriaville for six years and was the member of Parliament for Richmond—Arthabaska for nearly 10 years. He has had a full political career serving his constituents. I thank Alain and wish him all the best in the future. I would like to sincerely thank my leader, Pierre Poilievre, for believing in me and for asking me to join the great Conservative family, which is committed to putting money back in the pockets of Canadians by cutting taxes, creating an energy corridor, developing our natural resources, reducing bureaucracy and shrinking the size of government.

    Over the past 10 years, the Liberals have maxed out our credit card. They have maxed out our children's credit cards, and we will be there to make sure that they do not max out our great-grandchildren's credit cards. How are we going to do that? We are going to start by expecting a budget from the Liberal government. How can the Liberals govern rigorously and responsibly if they run our country blind? What are the real planned expenditures? What are the real projected revenues? What is the real projected deficit? Canadians have the right to know. It is their money, it is their country. I expect the Liberal government to defend supply management tooth and nail. I expect the Liberal government to be there for our business people affected by the tariff crisis. I hope that the Liberal government will continue to steal good Conservative ideas and put them to work for Canadians.

    Now I would like to highlight a few of the attractions in my magnificent riding. Mont Gleason, in Tingwick, has a lot to offer winter sports enthusiasts, like downhill skiing, snowboarding, hiking and tubing, all at top-rated facilities on a magical site.

    Marie-Victorin Park in Kingsey Falls is a garden bursting with 60,000 annuals and rare conifers, giant mosaicultures and seven themed gardens. Kingsey Falls is also where the Lemaire brothers and their family founded Cascades, a company that is a point of pride for Quebec, Canada and my riding.

    I also invite members to come visit the Ulverton Wool Mill and stay for a cup of tea. There, they can learn all about Quebec's industrial past. Built in 1840, the wool mill has since been given a new lease on life as a window to a bygone manufacturing era.

    The historic Windsor Powder Mill is another star attraction. A former black powder manufacturing plant, it now serves as an interpretation centre focused on explaining the history of black powder production at the plant and offering up interesting facts. For instance, back then, the more dangerous the occupation, the higher the wage. It is a little like the job of Speaker of the House. Visitors can also go for a hike any time of year. They might even want to climb 713 metres above sea level to the top of Mont-Ham, hiking along 18 kilometres of trails, surrounded by spectacular views.

    Why not stop by Place de la Traversée in Val‑des‑Sources, which has an incomparable lookout point over a mine? It is one of the largest open-pit mines in the world. In the summer, there is also a farmers' market there.

    Speaking of local products, I would be remiss if I did not mention the Balade gourmande, an October event that promotes food trails with stops at farms, vineyards, cheese factories, microbreweries and apiaries. It offers a chance to taste and buy local Quebec products.

    I invite my colleagues to come watch the Victoriaville Tigres play in the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League. I was the team's trainer in the late 1990s, and the new member for Beauce, Jason Groleau, was a star player. There are, of course, many other attractions in my riding. I hope to have a chance to talk about them.

    The riding of Richmond—Arthabaska is home to caring, committed, determined and passionate people spread across 39 municipalities. These people are our farmers, our health care workers, our construction workers, our teachers, our police officers, firefighters, paramedics and all other workers. These people are the lifeblood of our municipalities, the driving force behind our regions, our province and our country. I sincerely believe that together, we can make change happen.

    As MPs, we must work together to help our young people achieve their dreams. We have a duty toward the founders of our society, the men and women who built our country and contributed to its development. However, we have an obligation to look ahead and be agents of change, to give our children and grandchildren a prosperous, safe and ambitious country to live in, a country that lives up to their dreams, a country that will make them proud.

    Young people deserve a chance to dream of owning a home and having a job they love that makes them proud and happy. They deserve a chance to dream of living in a safe city where they can raise a family if they so desire. They deserve a chance to dream of simply being happy.

    My biggest dream is to be a grandpa. I truly hope I have the opportunity and privilege to get to know my future grandchildren and to spend time with them. Today, my promise to them and to all Canadian children is that I will work tirelessly with my colleagues from all parties in the House to give them a country that lives up to their dreams and ambitions, a country they will be proud of.

    I would like to remind hon. members that they cannot name members and that they must use the riding name.

    The hon. member for Compton—Stanstead.

    Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague from the Eastern Townships for his speech, and I congratulate him on his election.

    Given his party's sometimes flexible positions on supply management, I would like to know my colleague's position on supply management for producers in the Eastern Townships.

    Mr. Speaker, I want to make it clear that supply management will not be just for the people of the Eastern Townships. We will defend supply management for all farmers. We will ensure that supply management is not part of the negotiations with the United States.

    Mr. Speaker, it is my turn to congratulate you on your appointment. You are doing a superb job in that chair, except maybe for that little slap on the wrist for the member for Richmond—Arthabaska, who named one of his colleagues in the House. However, he will get used to it now that he is in the House. I think he will become a seasoned parliamentarian, coming off nine years at the Quebec National Assembly.

    The member for Richmond—Arthabaska is my riding neighbour. Evidently, he was not my preferred candidate in the race. I want to acknowledge my friend Daniel Lebel, who ran a great campaign in Richmond—Arthabaska. However, the voice of the people and democracy have spoken. I welcome this new colleague, but we will not be carpooling despite living so close to each other, because we have very different political opinions.

    My colleague mentioned microbreweries, but I want to remind him that there are two iconic companies in his riding that he did not name: La Grange Pardue and Fromagerie du Presbytère. I want to recognize Jean Morin, an amazing man making amazing products. I invite my colleague to check them out. Maybe he will return the favour someday and promote products from Drummond.

    Getting back to supply management, I would like to hear him clearly state that the Conservatives will indeed vote in favour of the bill.

    Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Drummond for his kind words, especially his praise for some of the small businesses in my riding. As the member said, we have a number of microbreweries, some wonderful cheese factories and many exceptional entrepreneurs in the riding of Richmond—Arthabaska. Once again, I invite everyone to visit my beautiful riding.

    To answer the member for Drummond's question, supply management is definitely one of our priorities. We will take the time to read the Bloc Québécois bill.

    Mr. Speaker, I want to begin by commending the excellent work of my colleague from Richmond—Arthabaska, who is also one of my neighbours.

    I can say that his list of fun things to do in the beautiful region of central Quebec and Victoriaville could have been much longer if he had been given more time. There are so many great things to do in central Quebec that my colleague would have had to filibuster to cover everything that is going on and all the beautiful things in our region.

    I would like to hear my colleague's thoughts on the fact that, despite the throne speech and the plan it outlined, the government did not really identify any concrete measures in that speech. There will be no budget this spring.

    Is that the right way to run a country? Does my colleague think the government should table a budget this spring?

    Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague from Mégantic—L'Érable—Lotbinière, with whom I had the privilege of sharing a riding when I was its MNA and he was its MP.

    As others have said, Quebec is lucky to have a strong entrepreneurial spirit. Quebec is home to some top-notch entrepreneurs. All these entrepreneurs prepare budgets. They use budgets to find out what their revenues are, what their expenses are, what investments will be made and what they must plan for in the short, medium and long terms, on a three-year and a five-year basis. That is what an entrepreneur does.

    Here, we have a Government of Canada that does not have a budget. We apologize to Canadians. We will do everything we can to get the government to present a budget as quickly as possible.

     Mr. Speaker, we are seeing double digits in unemployment for youth, yet in the throne speech, there is no mention of programs such as the youth climate corps, which would ensure that a new generation of young people would get employment opportunities building Canada's infrastructure.

    Will the member support a youth climate corps for Canada?

    Mr. Speaker, we said that on this side of the House. The important thing is to plan ahead for future generations, so that we can have a prosperous country that our young people will be proud of.

    Mr. Speaker, I had hoped to have the opportunity to wish the Deputy Speaker my warmest congratulations on his new role. He is someone I worked with on the immigration committee. I am sure many people will have appreciated his work and will very much miss him on that committee. We are very proud of him, and I send him my greatest congratulations.

    I would also like to thank the people of London West. I am rising for the first time in the House of Commons post my second re-election. I want to thank them for their confidence in me and for allowing me to represent them again as their member of Parliament. That being said, I also want to take the time to thank my family, my mom, whom I know is watching today, my son Noah, my brothers, my entire extended family and my cousins, who continue to support me to be the member of Parliament for London West. I also want to thank my amazing team, my volunteers and the London West Federal Liberal Association, which worked really hard to make sure that I could be here today and be a strong voice for London West and for London.

    It is with gratitude that I rise today to respond to the Speech from the Throne and to reflect on what it means for the people of London West, as well as for all of southwestern Ontario.

     In London West, I saw the largest vote share in the history of the riding, and for that I am very grateful. That means we are ready to go to work. London West sent me so that I can fight for them on issues like housing, fight for our families, our workers and our small businesses, and make sure that their voices are heard in the House.

    Southwestern Ontario is not unique in facing intense economic disruption, housing instability and the pressures of a rapidly changing world, but we represent something uniquely Canadian. We are resilient. We are diverse. We are honest and we have hard-working people. We have innovation and a deep-rooted commitment to one another. The throne speech calls this a moment of renewal and an opportunity to build a bold, ambitious and more inclusive Canada, and I could not agree more. I believe that London West stands ready to be a leader in this national renewal.

    The government's promise to build one Canadian economy by removing internal trade barriers across the country and investing in national infrastructure will directly benefit southwestern Ontario.

    In London, we know how interprovincial bureaucracy can delay job-creating projects and limit labour mobility in certain sectors and trades. I can say that because I used to be a city councillor. Now, as a member of Parliament, I understand the issues that lead to these challenges for people in London and northern Ontario.

    To remove those barriers, we are going to provide new opportunities for businesses and workers in my riding.

    London is home to advanced manufacturing, health sciences, education and a growing agri-tech sector. These industries are eager to grow, and they need stable supply chains, regional infrastructure and policies that reflect their role in Canada's economy. The commitment to double homebuilding and invest in Canadian materials and talent aligns perfectly with the capacity and ambition of our region.

    We welcome the launch of “build Canada homes” and the focus on affordable, modular and prefabricated housing. In London, housing demand continues to outpace supply. Young families, students and new Canadians struggle to find secure and more affordable places to live. Cutting the GST for first-time homebuyers and municipal development charges for multi-unit homes will have a direct impact on our families, and it will have a direct impact on affordability in our city. These initiatives build on the over $108.3 million that the government has already invested toward housing projects in London West, but success in housing also depends on speed. The promise to reduce project approval times from five years to two could be transformative in our community. London West has shovel-ready projects waiting, and we will do just that with our new government, which is ready to deliver for Canadians.

    Almost 9,000 families in London West have already felt the impact of the national dental care program, and we have seen the positive impact of the child care program. These are not abstract policies. They save families thousands of dollars every single year. With the expansion of the Canadian dental care program to cover up to eight million Canadians, more of our neighbours will be able to access preventative care without sacrificing any of their essentials. That means there will be more money for parents to do more things with their children. Continuing to fund and protect these programs is not just good policy; it is building a healthier and more equitable Canada by building healthier cities.

    Now I move to the big challenge. Tariffs and trade volatility have shaken southwestern Ontario's export-based industries. Agriculture, auto parts and advanced manufacturing have all felt the impact, and that is why the throne speech's commitment to strengthening trade relationships and building new ones is absolutely essential. London West needs consistent, fair access to global markets, but we also need a government that understands that when trade disruptions hit, our workers and small businesses are the ones that bear the biggest brunt. The proposed reforms and domestic investments are a welcome sign of support.

    We know that building a resilient economy means that we have to invest in skilled trades. London's skilled trades programs have long been leaders in training the next generation of workers, but right now, they need support. They need continued support, especially in attracting young people and under-represented groups, and we must invest in restoring the jobs that are being lost right now in places like Fanshawe College in order to train the next generation of skilled workers.

    We also welcome the commitment to make Canada a hub for innovation. Our region is home to world-class researchers and start-ups that will benefit from simplified approvals, stronger intellectual property protections and better access to capital. We need support for our small businesses, which are the backbone of London West's economy, from local shops in Byron and Hyde Park to tech start-ups and social enterprises. These entrepreneurs need access to capital, support in navigating government programs and relief from inflationary pressures.

    Just as importantly, workers whose jobs are being transformed or lost right now need to be able to retrain, be protected and have new pathways into new industries. Relief for workers cannot be a footnote. It has to remain a top priority for our entire region of southwestern Ontario. As AI, automation and climate policies reshape our economy, we have to invest in people along with technology. What I am saying is that southwestern Ontario is a place that many call home, and we want to keep it that way.

    Southwestern Ontario is not just a collection of ridings; it is a powerhouse of innovation, agriculture, industry and community. We need policies that reflect our strengths and challenges, not a one-size-fits-all solution. That is why I welcome the idea of deeper engagement with the region. Southwestern Ontario should be at the table when we talk about infrastructure, immigration, rural connectivity, climate adaptation and mid-sized cities.

    I look forward to engaging with my colleagues on both sides of the House to get this work done.

    The Speech from the Throne is more than just a plan. It is a challenge, calling on us to meet the moment with clarity, courage and ambition. That is why we are back in government today. In London West, as in all of southwestern Ontario and across Canada, we recognize both the urgency of the issues and the opportunities before us. We cannot afford to slow down progress, whether we are talking about addressing the housing challenge, growing our economy or developing new industries.

    To build Canada strong, we have to stay focused. We have to be collaborative, and we have to stay connected to the people who sent us here. That is why I am excited to be back in the House of Commons, speaking for the people of London West and making sure that their voices are not left behind.

    Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate my colleague on her speech. It is always very nice to hear colleagues express themselves so clearly and fluently in French. I would also like to congratulate her on her re-election.

    There are several items on the agenda. This morning, we debated, and are still debating, the Bloc Québécois amendment to the Conservatives' amendment to the Speech from the Throne. Our amendment is quite simple. It simply asks that the areas of jurisdiction of Quebec and the provinces be respected.

    I have not yet heard a formal commitment to respecting the areas of jurisdiction of Quebec and the provinces. I would like to know if my colleague can reassure me on this point.

    Mr. Speaker, I congratulated you earlier but you missed it, so I will offer my congratulations again. I would also like to congratulate my colleague on the other side of the House on his re-election.

    As we know, there are francophones all over Canada. It should come as no surprise that I can speak French. I am a proud Franco-Ontarian. Once again, as we know, there are francophones all over Canada.

    In the Speech from the Throne, our government clearly said that communication in French, francophones and francophone culture across the country are very important. That was included in our plan. We will continue to ensure that we respond. As my colleague opposite just learned, there are francophones outside Quebec. We will continue to work together to increase francophone immigration to ensure that everyone in Canada can express themselves in the language of their choice.

    Mr. Speaker, as the member knows well, the Prime Minister was actually in the chamber earlier this morning. He highlighted the importance of the throne speech in setting the stage that all Canadians can buy into. It has a high sense of co-operation with provincial governments, territorial governments and indigenous communities, all in an attempt to send a very strong message of building one Canadian economy, estimated to potentially be somewhere in the neighbourhood of $200 billion, that could benefit from moving in that direction. The Prime Minister also highlighted the tax break; giving the tax break to Canadians was one of the very first initiatives he has taken as Prime Minister.

    Could the member provide her thoughts on those two very important issues?

    Mr. Speaker, I welcome my colleague's question and want to congratulate him on being re-elected. He is one of the most precious members of the House of Commons.

    As the Prime Minister laid out today, we need a tax break for families. We need to make sure we are taking care of Canadians. That is the mandate they gave us. Southwestern Ontario, like the rest of Canada, is an important part of that.

    I am here to be a strong voice for young families in London West and all young families in southwestern Ontario. When there are pressures in our economy, our workers feel it most. They are the people in southwestern Ontario we are targeting with the tax break that we are talking about. It is creating opportunities for young families. It is creating a future for young people who are going to leave school and go into the workforce.

    I appreciate the member's question and look forward to continuing to work with him, as he is a strong member of our team.

    Mr. Speaker, I congratulate my colleague on her re-election.

    I know that these issues are near and dear to her heart as the former minister of democratic institutions. What I heard in the campaign during the election period from Vancouver East constituents was the need for electoral reform. Many people wanted to make sure their vote is respected and counted so they do not have to be pressured to vote strategically, so to speak, but can actually vote with their heart.

    My question to the member is this: Will she champion electoral reform, one member, one vote, for our Canadian democracy and bring in proportional representation?

     Mr. Speaker, I also want to extend congratulations to my colleague. I have had the opportunity to work with her on a number of issues. I look forward to continuing that collaboration.

    I also appreciate the member's nod to the short-lived position I was in as minister of democratic institutions. From while I was there, I can confirm for her that our institutions are strong. Our elections went really well, and as Canadians, we should trust our institutions.

    I have long been a strong advocate of electoral reform and will continue to be so. I hope to continue to work with the member.

    Mr. Speaker, I will be splitting my time with the member for Victoria.

    It is a true privilege to address the House for the first time as the member for Madawaska—Restigouche. In carrying out my duties, I will strive to always honour the trust that the people of my riding have placed in me. I will make sure that they are effectively represented in this place.

    I want to offer my heartfelt thanks to all the volunteers who generously donated their time to support me during my campaign. They helped put me in the seat I hold today. I also want to acknowledge the important support I received from my family. I want to say how much my wife Stéphanie, who unfortunately is no longer with us, was a constant source of inspiration to me since this new chapter of my life started. Finally, I would like to thank my predecessor, René Arsenault, for all the work he accomplished for Madawaska—Restigouche over the past 10 years.

    Madawaska—Restigouche has one of the highest proportions of francophones in Canada outside Quebec, at nearly 80%. It is home to dynamic communities of Acadians and Brayons. I myself am from Kedgwick, a rural community where we proudly celebrate our Acadian identity.

    It is therefore important to me to remind the House that our official languages and the francophonie are distinctive Canadian features and a powerful symbol of our Canadian identity. Canada is a country where we respect and celebrate our official languages and our indigenous languages.

    As the Speech from the Throne rightly points out, during this time of great change, Canadians are uniting behind what makes Canada unique. We must preserve our fundamental conviction that we are stronger together. Our official languages represent this unity. As a powerful symbol of our shared history, they foster cohesion and cultural vitality while enhancing our country's international image.

    Key to our identity and culture, French is also a language of knowledge, diversity, creation, business and education. As our government presents an ambitious and bold plan to transform our economy, it is important to point out that one of Canada's greatest strengths is our ability to research, innovate and excel in many fields in French.

    Last month, people in my riding and across the country called for a lower cost of living. We heard them, and we are acting on our firm belief that the economy can only thrive if it works for everyone. Our new government is taking concrete action to make life more affordable for the middle class.

    We are going to provide a middle-class tax cut that will save families up to $840 a year. We are also going to eliminate the goods and services tax on the purchase of a first home. As we speak, we are expanding eligibility for the Canadian dental care plan. We are also going to ensure the sustainability of existing programs like affordable child care and pharmacare.

    During the election campaign, a resident of Tide Head in Restigouche told me how important the Canadian dental care plan is to him. Our announcement to expand the program's eligibility for the first time in over a decade means that he will have access to urgent dental care when he needs it. This example reminds us that the measures we vote on here can be life-changing for the people we represent.

    During the election campaign, citizens and municipal officials from across my riding also told me about the housing shortage in their communities. That message has been heard. Our government will introduce a series of measures to help double housing construction and create affordable housing. In my riding, a number of housing units have already been built or are being built thanks to federal funding, including in Edmundston, Campbellton, Saint-Quentin and Eel River Bar. I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the presence in the gallery of Edmundston's mayor, Mr. Marquis, city councillors and members of the city administration. I am pleased to welcome them to Parliament today.

    With our new government's ambitious housing plan, we will see an acceleration of housing starts across the country. We will have to make sure that all regions of Canada benefit from this plan, because there is a pressing need, both in urban areas and in rural areas like mine.

    We will also thoroughly revitalize the residential construction sector by leveraging Canadian technology, our skilled workers, and Canadian lumber. Promoting the use of our lumber will certainly have economic benefits in regions such as mine, where the forestry industry plays an important role in the local economy.

    The Speech from the Throne also highlights our government's commitment to protecting those who give us access to fresh, healthy, and high-quality food, namely our agricultural producers. The Liberal plan to protect and strengthen the Canadian agri-food sector is especially important for regions with many farms and agri-food businesses, such as Grand Falls, Drummond, and Saint-André, in New Brunswick. I would also like to take this opportunity to point out that I got a visit this morning from Mr. Beaulieu, the mayor of Grand Falls Regional Municipality.

    We are also determined to keep Canada's commitment to supply management and the sectors governed by it, including dairy products, poultry and eggs. This system helps protect Canadian jobs and ensures the stability of our food supply as production costs fluctuate, while guaranteeing that farmers get a minimum price for their products. The supply management system is especially important to my riding where, for example, poultry farms are at the heart of the Upper Madawaska economy. There is a reason Saint-François-de-Madawaska is known as the chicken capital.

     Our government is committed to being a reliable partner for indigenous peoples and upholding its core commitment to advancing reconciliation. I am honoured to represent, here in Ottawa, two indigenous communities from my riding: The Eel River Bar First Nation and the Madawaska Maliseet First Nation. I want to sincerely thank the members of both communities for their strong support in the last election.

    I am committed to continuing to strengthen the collaborative relationships we have built over the past few months, and I want to be a true ally in support of their various projects. I am especially pleased with our government's commitment to doubling the funding for the indigenous loan currency program, from $5 billion to $10 billion, so more indigenous communities can become owners of major projects.

    The cornerstone of our plan is to transform, strengthen and unify the Canadian economy. Our new government's goal is to build the strongest economy in the G7. To do so, we will remove barriers to internal trade and labour mobility, as well as the duplication that delays the completion of projects. We will take a “one project, one assessment” approach, working closely with provinces and territories. We will also take targeted action to catalyze private investment and boost productivity.

    The transformation of our economy will have a significant impact on workers and businesses across the country. During the election campaign, entrepreneurs in Bois-Joli, Baie-des-Hérons, Vallée-des-Rivières and many other municipalities in my riding told me about innovative projects that hold a lot of potential for our region's economic development. I have no doubt that Madawaska—Restigouche will definitely contribute to transforming and strengthening the Canadian economy.

    In closing, I would like to mention that, as the representative of a rural riding with a francophone majority, I feel very much at home in our Liberal caucus, which has more Acadian and francophone members from Ontario, western and northern Canada as well as Quebec than any other party in the House of Commons. This is in addition to my many colleagues who have worked hard to learn French as their second official language. We are the party that provides real representation to francophones from coast to coast to coast.

    Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate my colleague from Madawaska—Restigouche. I had the privilege of working with his predecessor, Mr. Arseneault, and I hope that member will be as passionate about official languages as he was.

    I read the Speech from the Throne, and unfortunately there is nothing in it to reassure francophones. My colleague talked about how many francophones there are in the Liberal Party of Canada. However, they must be worried about what they read in the throne speech.

    What does my colleague find reassuring? What might make francophones across Canada believe in the future? What might stop the decline of French across the country?

    Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague for his excellent question.

    The Liberal Party was the party of choice for me as a francophone and as an Acadian. The Liberal Party was in power when the first Official Languages Act was passed in 1969, and it was the party that made French one of our country's two official languages. It is also the party behind the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, section 23 of which guarantees the right to education in French throughout the country.

    It was also the Liberals who undertook an ambitious modernization of the Official Languages Act. I would like to acknowledge the work of my colleague from Moncton—Dieppe; my predecessor, Mr. Arseneault; several other francophone members from across the country; and my colleague across the floor as well. They did excellent work on this file.

    Our new government is planning concrete measures for francophones. For example, during the election campaign, we committed to increasing the francophone immigration target to 12% by 2029. This is a concrete measure that will contribute to the vitality of French.

    As we know, French has been in decline in Canada outside Quebec since 1969. Under the Official Languages Act, we are required to restore the demographic weight. With a 12% target, we are putting the demographic weight of francophone communities outside Quebec back on track to grow.

    Mr. Speaker, I congratulate my colleague on his great speech. I also want to thank his predecessor, René Arseneault, who I had the privilege of working with. I also commend him for his passion for protecting and promoting French.

    On that note, I would like to know what he thinks we can do to protect CBC/Radio‑Canada, especially in the regions.

    Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for her excellent question.

    The Liberals have always been clear: We are committed to CBC/Radio-Canada. We understand how important Radio-Canada is for francophone culture and francophone communities outside Quebec. Along with French-language community media, Radio-Canada is a major source of quality local news. At a time when we are seeing a lot of disinformation, it is essential to have access to quality news in French across the country.

    I want to acknowledge the work of all French-language community media outlets across Canada, as well as the work of Radio-Canada. That is why, for the Liberals, there is no question: We support CBC/Radio-Canada's mandate and want to strengthen it.

    Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his speech and congratulate him on his election.

    The member talked about the protection of languages and how important that is. An essential part of reconciliation is addressing the harms indigenous peoples have experienced, including the devastating loss of language and culture.

    In British Columbia, the First Peoples' Cultural Council has been highlighting to the federal government that significant cuts to language revitalization funding is causing harm to indigenous peoples, to the Nuu-chah-nulth people in my riding and the Coast Salish people. They are calling on the federal government to reinstate that funding.

    Will my colleague, his caucus and his government reinstate that funding to protect indigenous languages, particularly in British Columbia, where the cuts are significant, causing harm to indigenous peoples in our communities?

    Mr. Speaker, as I mentioned, Canada is a country that celebrates both its official languages and its indigenous languages. I am proud to have the opportunity to represent two indigenous communities in my riding of Madawaska—Restigouche. They are the Madawaska Maliseet First Nation and the Eel River Bar First Nation, two communities I have a great relationship with. They gave me their support, and I want to thank them once again for backing me during the election campaign. I hope to be an ally in the development of their projects.

    Mr. Speaker, I would like to say hello to you and all my colleagues in the House. It is a great honour for me to be here today. I am very proud to have the opportunity to represent my community of Victoria.

    First and foremost, I thank my wife, Carolyn, and our daughter, Eleanor, without whom I would not be the person I am today. I love them both more than I can say, and I am so grateful for their support and sacrifice as we undertake this new political journey together.

    My gratitude and love extend to all my many Greaves, Thomson, Mendez and Cornford relations spread across Canada and around the world. I am indebted to all of them, and I know that they join me in thinking of our loved ones who are no longer with us but would be so very excited today: my grandparents, Wilf and Peggy; my Abuela Maria; and my mother, Sherry, whose son I am so proud to be.

    I also owe a debt of gratitude to the incredible team of Liberals in Victoria. Not only did the members of the Victoria EDA give so much time, energy and passion to our recent campaign, but, for many years, they also did the hard, unglamorous and often unrecognized work of maintaining a functioning organization. Victoria Liberals kept the lights on, the engine warm and the bank account full over the two decades since our party last won this seat.

    That hard work was recognized last year with the award for the best Liberal riding association in British Columbia, and it set up our campaign for unprecedented success. Led by my extraordinary campaign manager, adviser and friend, Naomi Devine, I am proud to say that our efforts resulted in the second most votes of any candidate in B.C. and the most votes for any Liberal candidate west of Ontario.

    I also thank the voters of Victoria, without whose support I would not be here today. They have sent me to Ottawa to support a strong Liberal government and to represent our west coast and island values, interests and priorities. Indeed, being all the way to one side of this great country, we know a few things about being far from Ottawa. I commit to ensuring that the voices of my constituents on southern Vancouver Island are heard and respected in Parliament.

    Victorians and Vancouver Islanders are proud Canadians who want to build up an even stronger Canada. Unlike some, we do not threaten to dismember our country to score cheap political points. In Victoria, we believe in a strong, free and united Canada.

    Governing this remarkable country is hard and requires common ground, common sense and common adherence to some basic truths. Truths are not always easy to accept, but that is the point. They are true regardless of how we may feel about them, and our success or failure hinges on whether we can come to terms with them. As some of my hon. colleagues opposite have been fond of saying in the past, facts do not care about our feelings.

    Fact: Canada is one of the oldest and most successful constitutional democracies in the world. Our tradition of parliamentary government reaches back well before Confederation, evolving through generations of change, struggle and hard-won progress. I am deeply honoured to carry that legacy forward.

    Before there was a Parliament, before there was a Canada, this land was home to vibrant and self-governing indigenous nations. Their cultures, languages and legal systems shaped these territories for millennia before the expansion of colonialism brought profound harms that continue to shape the lives of indigenous peoples to this day. Our shared history includes settlement, immigration, trade, conflict and transformation. It has made Canada a diverse and peaceful country, one admired around the world. However, that story is incomplete if we fail to acknowledge that the prosperity many of us enjoy was built unevenly and, too often, at the expense of others.

     I am grateful for the stewardship of the Lekwungen-speaking peoples on whose traditional territories Victoria is built; this is where my family is so fortunate to reside. Ours is a country where pride in our past must walk hand in hand with the courage to face its shadows so that we may build a future worthy of all who call this land home today.

    That includes the founding agreement between the French and English peoples, which is the basis of the Confederation and sets us apart in the world. Bilingualism and multiculturalism are at the heart of Canada. I am the proud son of a Canadian mother and a Dominican father, the grandson of an English-Canadian grandfather and a French-Canadian grandmother, and the product of a history of peoples in Canada, Europe and the Caribbean.

    As an academic and professor who has lived and worked across Canada and around the world, I have seen how fortunate we are and understand the work it takes to build a just society and maintain a robust democracy. We are bound to our past, not defined by its mistakes but guided by its lessons: resilience, progress and a deep well of national purpose.

    I want to be clear: Canada will never be another country's 51st state. We are not a footnote in anyone else's story. We are a sovereign nation with a voice, a vision and a vital role to play in the world, and we are stronger than those within our borders who would seek to divide us for their own political gain. They have tried before and failed. They may try again, but they will fail again, because Canadians are rightly proud of what we have built and clear-eyed about what we must still do together.

    One thing we must do together is combat climate change. Climate change is not a debate; it is a fact: undeniable, unrelenting and already shaping the lives of Canadians from coast to coast to coast. In my riding of Victoria, we do not have the luxury of denial. As a coastal island community, we are surrounded by the evidence of rising sea levels, intensifying storms, smoke-choked skies—

    I greatly apologize for interrupting the member's speech, but it is two o'clock. The member will be able to continue his speech; he will have about three minutes left after question period.

    Mr. Speaker, I rise in this House for the first time, deeply honoured by the trust the people of Mississauga Centre have placed in me. I thank my family, friends, team, volunteers and dear constituents. I also want to acknowledge the Hon. Omar Alghabra for serving our beautiful riding for over 19 years, whether as MP or community member.

    I pledge to serve Mississauga Centre with purpose and humility, knowing we must never lose sight of those among us who struggle.

    If one Canadian is struggling, we are all struggling.

    As the first Palestinian Canadian elected to this House since Pierre De Bané, I understand the weight of the responsibility I hold and want to remind every member to put humanity above politics, always and in any context.

    As Canadians, we know that solutions can only begin when we come together with the courage to name injustice for what it is: unacceptable, undeniable and unequivocal. I take pride in elevating the voices of marginalized communities, the oppressed and others whose stories deserve to be heard, as well as youth across the country.

    I thank Mississauga Centre for that privilege.

    Mr. Speaker, as this is my first statement in our new Parliament, I would like to take a moment to sincerely thank all the good people of Okanagan Lake West—South Kelowna for their support in this past election.

    While on the topic of the many good people from my riding, I would like to recognize many of the local mayors, members of city council and regional directors who are in Ottawa for the Federation of Canadian Municipalities convention. I know from my own time as a city councillor how challenging and demanding local government can be. This is especially true right now in British Columbia, where we face intertwined crises of crime, homelessness and opioids that severely impact local government, whose citizens ultimately bear the burden of ill-conceived provincial and federal policies.

    I have greatly enjoyed my working relationships with the mayors, councillors and regional directors from places like Summerland, Peachland, Greater Westside, West Kelowna and Kelowna. I look forward to continuing our work together on behalf of our constituents, and I would ask that we all make them feel most welcome here in Ottawa.

     Mr. Speaker, it is a privilege to rise in the House today and highlight the remarkable contributions of Dr. Joss Reimer. Dr. Reimer is a force in Canadian medicine: a trailblazer, a change-maker and a proud Manitoban.

     Before stepping into her current role as president of the Canadian Medical Association, Dr. Reimer served as the medical lead and official spokesperson for Manitoba's provincial COVID-19 vaccine task force, where she played a pivotal role in guiding our province through the largest and most successful vaccine campaign in provincial history.

    Dr. Reimer also served as the medical director of public health for Winnipeg, where she focused on critical areas such as drug-related harms, infectious diseases, sexually transmitted infections and health equity.

    Now that her term as president of the Canadian Medical Association comes to an end, we thank her for the lives she has changed. Manitoba is proud of Dr. Reimer.

     Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize two outstanding athletes from my riding of Vernon—Lake Country—Monashee: the Hladik brothers. Not only have Ben and Bradley Hladik made remarkable strides in Canadian football; they are brothers united by blood and bound by a shared commitment to excellence both on and off the field.

     Ben is an outstanding linebacker with the BC Lions, drafted in 2021 following an exceptional career at the University of British Columbia. His younger brother Bradley, a versatile fullback and long snapper, was recently drafted by the Edmonton Elks.

     From Vernon minor football to the VSS Panthers, both brothers have embodied the values of hard work, integrity and community pride. Their journey is a testament to their family, their coaches and the vibrant football culture of the Okanagan.

     On Saturday, June 7, they will face off for the first time in the CFL at BC Place. Congratulations to the Hladik brothers. Vernon is proud.

    Mr. Speaker, congratulations on your election to this well-deserved new position. Tanti auguri.

    For my first statement in the 45th Parliament, I want to thank the people of Alfred-Pellan from the bottom of my heart for placing their trust in me for a fourth term. I am deeply moved by their loyalty and trust, which fill me with humility, pride and a greater sense of duty. Their engagement inspires me on a daily basis. I will continue to dedicate myself to working for the families, young people, seniors, organizations and businesses of Alfred-Pellan with conviction and respect.

    People of all ages rolled up their sleeves and worked tirelessly to make sure Canada remains a strong, united country that reflects who we are. I am honoured to represent the big, tight-knit family of Alfred-Pellan.

    Mr. Speaker, what was meant as a celebration of culture and heritage turned into a moment of unspeakable sorrow. On April 26, the Lapu-Lapu Day festival in Vancouver, a symbol of Filipino unity and pride, was shattered by an act of senseless violence.

    Many lives were taken, many more injured. Families were torn apart. Dreams were cut short and a community was left grieving, but in the face of all this darkness, we see the Filipino community being strong and resilient, coming together, grieving together and sharing with each other.

    Today we stand in solidarity. To the Filipino community, we see them. We mourn with them and we stand with them. We know they will continue to celebrate the richness of their culture, traditions and history, as they should. I thank them for bringing the best of the Philippines to Canada and making it part of our Canadian cultural fabric. Together we are Canada, the true north strong and free.

    Mr. Speaker, it is with profound gratitude and humility I rise today as the first member of Parliament for the new riding of Pickering—Brooklin, a vibrant community that unites the entire city of Pickering, the northern part of Whitby and the thriving heart of Brooklin.

    To the people who placed their trust in me, I thank them. To the tireless volunteers who gave their time and hearts and to my family who stood beside me every step of the way, their support means everything.

    Ours is a riding within Canada's most populous region. We are nestled along the shores of Lake Ontario, and people from all over the world are choosing to call Pickering—Brooklin home. With that growth come unique challenges, from housing and infrastructure to protecting our environment and building inclusive communities.

    I proudly support the Liberal government's “build Canada homes” plan to ensure affordability and meet the unprecedented housing demand and opportunities of the next generation. I am ready to stand up and—

    The hon. member for Portneuf—Jacques Cartier.

    Mr. Speaker, a throne speech gives the government an opportunity to outline its policy and objectives and to specify how it will achieve them.

    When it comes to official languages, francophones have every reason to be very concerned. Here is the entire passage stating the will and intentions of the Liberals:

    That is some wishful thinking from the government. It believes that CBC/Radio-Canada alone is the saviour that will halt the decline of French. During the election, we committed to maintaining Radio-Canada, but much more needs to be done to halt the decline of French.

    Unfortunately, the Prime Minister has shown us once again that he does not understand French or recognize the importance of the various francophone cultures that are alive and well in the 10 provinces and three territories that make up our great nation, Canada.

    Mr. Speaker, it was a stroke of genius to ask Johanne Régimbald to join the Bloc Québécois's little team on the Hill. That is how the member for Montcalm, the former member for Repentigny and I ended up securing the services of a multi-talented woman with an unparalleled sense of values and responsibilities.

    Every party boasts about having a rare gem on their team. I am sorry for the other political parties, but the rarest gem on the Hill is our Johanne. Obviously, inevitably, we lost her to the leader's office, where her expertise once again served everyone's interests. Aside from professionalism and efficiency, the word that first comes to mind when we think of Johanne is “kindness”. She took the entire team under her wing and, for 10 years, we have felt confident at all times.

    I thank Johanne for everything she has given to the Bloc Québécois and for everything she has given to each and every one of us. I hope she gets to go back home to the Laurentians but comes back to see us often. I wish our friend a happy retirement. We miss her already.

     Mr. Speaker, I rise today with deep gratitude to the people of Surrey Newton for once again placing their trust in me. Being elected for a sixth term is a tremendous honour, and I remain fully committed to serving our community with dedication and integrity.

    I sincerely thank my family and friends for their constant support, my campaign team for their tireless efforts and all the volunteers and supporters who believed in me and our party's vision.

    I am proud to stand with our Prime Minister and the Liberal government as we continue working to build a stronger, more resilient Canada.

    Together, we will keep moving Surrey Newton forward and ensure it remains a place of opportunity, growth and hope for everyone.

    Mr. Speaker, I would first like to congratulate you on your recent promotion. I look forward to working with you, as well as my colleagues in this coming Parliament.

    It is an honour today to rise for the first time on behalf of the constituents of the beautiful riding of Yellowhead, Alberta. I, too, would like to recognize some of my town and county councillors in Ottawa today.

    Considering that this week's throne speech made no mention of Canadian oil and gas, no mention of Canadian pipelines and no mention of the necessity of getting Alberta's world-class energy to new markets, it is clear that the current Liberal government is no different from the last. Canadians need a government that works for powerful paycheques, not a government that continues to support job-killing laws. When will the current Liberal government repeal the “no more pipelines” bill, Bill C-69, cut the red tape and finally give Canadian energy workers the respect and recognition they deserve?

    Mr. Speaker, it is with deep gratitude that I rise today to thank the residents of Brampton South for once again placing their trust in me. I am also deeply grateful to my family, volunteers and supporters for working day in and day out during the campaign.

    At the doors in Brampton South, the message was loud and clear: Canadians are feeling the strain. While affordability remains our top priority, public safety is also a leading issue in my community. Public safety builds confidence in our institutions, which is why we must continue to take this issue seriously at all levels of government.

     I remain committed to working with all partners to ensure safety and prosperity for all Canadians. As we begin this new Parliament, I promise to continue working hard for Brampton South, alongside our Prime Minister, to tackle affordability, keep our communities safe and build the strongest economy in the G7.

    Mr. Speaker, I rise today on behalf of the constituents of my hometown in Kitchener South—Hespeler, and I am grateful to them.

    Let me tell members something about the folks in Kitchener South—Hespeler. They are honest, hard-working people who do not like a tax cheat. They remember how, back in 2016, Donald Trump shockingly refused to release his tax returns to the public. Thousands of news stories were written about it. There is no law that leaders must disclose their tax returns, but the public expects that someone who seeks to lead a nation would go above and beyond the bare minimum legal requirements.

    I am sad to say that we now face a similar situation in our country. The new Prime Minister refuses to give Canadians a public disclosure of his conflicts of interest. Even Justin Trudeau gave such a disclosure prior to becoming the Liberal Party leader.

    Conservatives implore the Prime Minister today to look inside himself. Why is he taking another page out of Donald Trump's book? Why will he not disclose his conflicts? Does the answer have to do with offshore tax havens?

    Mr. Speaker, this week is National Accessibility Week. It is a time to recognize the achievements of persons with disabilities across our beautiful country.

    Over eight million Canadians currently live with a disability. Accessibility is vital to financial stability and to our future.

    Our government is focused on improving accessibility in key areas like infrastructure, employment and financial security. Also, payments to the Canada disability benefit are beginning this July.

    In 2019, our government introduced the Accessible Canada Act. We have come a long way.

    However, our work is far from done. This year's theme for National Accessibility Week is “Breaking barriers together: Paving the way for an inclusive future”.

    Together, we can achieve our goal of a barrier-free Canada by 2040.

     Mr. Speaker, today I rise for the first time to represent my Cambridge community. This week, the Liberal Prime Minister introduced his first spending bill. It is worse than Justin Trudeau's. He inherited a bloated Liberal government and promised to spend less, but this first spending bill spends 88% more than Trudeau did in his last year. It is a half-a-trillion-dollar spending spree, with no budget. Single moms, seniors and small businesses must budget before they spend. Why can a supposedly brilliant banker, a man with a plan, not do the same? No, this is not about investments. Consultants alone get a record-breaking $26.1 billion, costing every household in Canada $1,400. He promised to cap spending at 2% in his throne speech. The same afternoon, he introduced a bill boosting overall spending by 8%.

    Is this why the Prime Minister did not table a spring budget, to hide his broken promise to rein in his out-of-control spending?

    Mr. Speaker, in my constituency of Davenport, we recently celebrated the 100th anniversary of the Alexander G. Muir building, currently the home of the Alexander Muir/Gladstone Ave Junior and Senior Public School, also fondly known as AMG. It is named after the Scottish-Canadian poet and educator, Alexander Muir, who composed the lyrics to the The Maple Leaf Forever and served as the school's first principal.

    Educating generations of family members, AMG fosters a strong learning environment where all students are valued and respected. Evolving with the community and the times, AMG is a reflection of the dreams and aspirations of our nation, where education is the key to prosperity and where, no matter what one's background is or their financial situation, one can achieve one's potential.

    It was a true honour to join students, staff and community members of AMG to celebrate this historic anniversary. I wish them a happy 100-year anniversary.

    Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister said that he would be guided by a new fiscal discipline. He said that he would limit operational expenditures to no greater than an increase of 2%, yet he has presented a bill of half a trillion dollars to Canadians. Single mothers, seniors and small businesses all make a budget before they spend. One would think that a highly esteemed banker would know that and would do that.

    Is he really committed to a new fiscal discipline, or is he just like the last guy?

     Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure to be back in the House, and it is a pleasure to deliver for Canadians.

    We are delivering on our plans to make life more affordable in Canada. The first measure we introduced was a tax cut for 22 million Canadians. There are Canadians in her riding who are going to benefit from the tax cut. We are eliminating GST for first-time homebuyers for their new house, and we are removing the consumer carbon price from law.

    Together, we are going to build Canada strong, and I hope the Conservatives will join us in that.

    Mr. Speaker, Liberals never learn, and they never keep their promises.

    The Treasury Board president said in the last Parliament that she would find savings of $7.1 billion on high-paid consultants. Instead, the government is now spending another $6 billion on high-paid consultants. The Prime Minister said that he would limit increases in operational spending to no greater than 2%, yet he has presented a half-trillion-dollar bill to Canadians.

    Who is the Prime Minister going to choose: Canadians or his friends?

     Mr. Speaker, it is very clear we have already chosen Canadians, and Canadians have chosen us to lead this nation, build a more ambitious Canada, build a strong Canada and build the best economy in the G7.

    Together, on this side of the House, we are going to build a Canada of the future.

    Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister said that he would be guided by a new fiscal discipline.

    He promised to rein in spending, yet here he is bringing in a bill that includes $500 billion in expenditures with no budget. Single mothers, seniors and small businesses make a budget before they spend. Why in the world would a banker not do the same?

    Is he really committed to an new fiscal discipline or is he no different than his predecessor?

    Mr. Speaker, as my colleague can see, we are presenting an ambitious plan for Canadians.

    The very first measure we introduced was a tax cut for 22 million Canadians. Some of the people in her riding will benefit. Next, we said that we were going to eliminate the GST for first-time homebuyers.

    These are concrete measures for Canadians that will help us build a strong, resilient economy, the best economy in the G7.

    Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister is asking Parliament to approve almost half a trillion dollars in spending, up 8% from last year. Nothing says spend less and invest more like spending more money on high-priced consultants and contractors. That is going up to $26 billion a year, which is more than a 35% increase.

    Is the kind of change the government is trying to deliver to push civil servants out to bring their friends and high-priced consultants, such as McKinsey, back in?

    Mr. Speaker, we are focusing on the results.

    The first measure we introduced this Parliament was to help 22 million Canadians, which includes people in every riding. Canadians are watching at home and are wondering if the Conservatives are going to support them. Are they going to support the government? Canadians know that we have their backs and that we are going to fight for them every step of the way.

    Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister said he wants to spend less and invest more, but this week his government tabled a half-trillion-dollar spending bill with no budget.

    While 15,000 people are using Loaves & Fishes, the food bank in my riding, the government has increased spending on consultants by a jaw-dropping $6 billion, a massive increase of 36%. Consultants will get a $26.1-billion gift that makes every household in Canada $1,400 poorer.

    Is the Prime Minister's reckless spending the real reason why there is no budget this spring?

    Mr. Speaker, I am very proud to be part of the new government, which is fighting for Canadians, from day one, with a proposed bill that would make life more affordable for 22 million Canadians. That is an average of $840 per family in income tax reductions. This is giving real help to Canadians, and I am very proud that we are delivering on day one.

     Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister claims he is different from his predecessor, but the numbers tell a different story. In his own first spending bill, consultants get a record-setting $26.1 billion, up more than 36% in one year. The government talks about restraint, but this is half a trillion dollars of spending without a budget.

     Single moms, seniors and small businesses must budget before they spend. How come a brilliant banker cannot do the same?

    Mr. Speaker, the question a lot of Canadians are asking is how come Conservatives cannot get behind the idea of supporting 22 million Canadians with a tax break that would make life more affordable for Canadians and of eliminating GST on new homes, which is going to help new homebuyers.

     Our plan is an ambitious one to grow this economy and to make life more affordable for Canadians. I am hoping Conservatives will see the light and rally behind this ambitious plan for Canada.

    Mr. Speaker, some of the plans outlined in the throne speech do not bode well for Quebeckers. When the Liberals talk about one Canadian economy, not 13, what they are really saying is that they want to run Quebec's economy from Ottawa. That is why the National Assembly immediately and unanimously rejected the proposal for one economy, not 13. Quebec is and always will be in charge of its economic future, its trade and the laws that govern it.

    When the Prime Minister meets with his counterparts on Monday, will he commit to Quebec that he will respect its jurisdictions?

    Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague for that important question. I also want to thank Quebec Minister Christopher Skeete, with whom I spoke yesterday and who joined me at a meeting of provincial and territorial ministers responsible for internal trade. We have a constructive and productive relationship with the provinces and territories. We always respect provincial and territorial jurisdictions.

    Mr. Speaker, Canada is not a business, and Quebec is not a subsidiary. If there is more than one economy in Canada, it is because there is more than one nation. Quebeckers' interests will never be sacrificed in the name of so-called Canadian unity. The French-language workplace in Quebec is not a barrier to labour mobility. Employing Quebeckers when we harvest our public forests is not a barrier to trade. The existence of the Quebec nation is not a trade barrier.

    Does the Prime Minister understand that?

    Mr. Speaker, yes, as the Prime Minister said this morning, our government respects and will always respect the importance of Quebec, the importance of the Quebec nation and the importance of the French language. These are key elements for our government.

    We also understand the importance of economic growth. Our government's main objective is to create the strongest economy in the G7. We understand that this will be good for Canadians across the country and for Quebeckers.

    Mr. Speaker, in the throne speech, the Liberals reiterated that only one environmental assessment per project is necessary. In other words, for a dirty oil pipeline from Alberta to Quebec to be subject to a single assessment, the federal government would impose its own and bypass Quebec and the provinces.

    However, Quebec is master of its own house. Quebeckers and their institutions, such as the Bureau d'audiences publiques sur l'environnement, or BAPE, are the ones that must decide on projects that go through Quebec. The BAPE's primacy and Quebec's sovereignty over its territory are non-negotiable. Will the government commit to respecting them?

    Mr. Speaker, I want to take a moment to say how pleased I am to have so many Quebec members in our government. We have 44. They are the ones who will defend the interests and ideas of Quebeckers. I will always work hand in hand with Quebeckers, and I will work with our members to ensure that they are heard.

    Mr. Speaker, in his speech on Tuesday, the King was very critical of those who have mismanaged Canada over the past 10 years. He said that the government would be guided by a new fiscal discipline.

    The problem is that, just hours after that speech, the President of the Treasury Board introduced his first spending bill. It includes an 8% increase, meaning $40 billion in additional spending. I never thought these people would do worse than Justin Trudeau.

    How can the Prime Minister stand up, look Canadians in the eye and tell them that he is doing a good job, and that he is even doing a better job than Justin Trudeau? It is the exact opposite.

    Mr. Speaker, my colleague from Louis‑Saint‑Laurent—Akiawenhrahk knows that I have a great deal of respect for him.

    He will be able to look the people in his riding straight in the eye about a tax cut for 22 million Canadians. He will be able to look them in the eye and say that he did something for them and that he voted with the Liberal government, because a tax cut is one way of showing Quebeckers and the people in his riding that he is there for them.

    I invite him to vote in favour of the motion.

    Mr. Speaker, that minister should realize that the King's statement about the importance of a new approach of fiscal discipline was actually very critical.

    The Minister of Finance has a golden opportunity to do things properly, but no, he is going to spend even more on consultants. I never thought the Minister of Finance would do even worse than Justin Trudeau.

    Can he stand up, look Canadians in the eye and tell them that he, unlike Justin Trudeau, will manage taxpayer dollars properly?

    Mr. Speaker, who were Quebeckers actually critical of? This past election, they were critical of the Conservative Party, which failed to present a plan worth the paper it was written on, even though it had been demanding an election for years.

    Quebeckers chose an ambitious plan to make the government more effective, to make the economy stronger and more resilient and to make life more affordable. That is what our tax cut for 22 million Canadians will do. That is $840 per family. I hope the member for Louis-Saint-Laurent—Akiawenhrahk will support this plan.

     Mr. Speaker, our most important job is probably our first job, because it starts us on the road to our career, but after 10 years of Liberal failures, that road is blocked for one in seven Canadian young people. This is already an unemployment crisis, with 100,000 more job losses coming.

    Rather than address this crisis, the Liberals continue to waste billions on consultants, a $6-billion increase. Why are they choosing a great job market for elite Liberal insiders and consultants and a terrible job market for Canadian young people?

    Mr. Speaker, I share the member opposite's deep and profound concern over ensuring that Canadian young people get opportunities across the country, especially in their first job. That is why it is so exciting that Canada summer jobs will provide almost 70,000 jobs this summer, with great first-time jobs for young people all across the country. These are quality employers and quality jobs, and I look forward to hearing about them in my own riding.

    Mr. Speaker, the minister has sat around the cabinet table for more than 10 years, and unemployment is steadily going up. It is actually at the highest point it has been in 10 years, outside of the COVID period. We have an unemployment crisis, and the Liberals are making things worse with another outrageous spending bill. The Prime Minister wants to spend even more than Justin Trudeau.

    How can they ask Parliament for another $400-billion blank cheque with no budget, no plan for jobs and no plan to address the pain that their policies have caused?

     Mr. Speaker, we hear the member opposite talking out of both sides of his mouth. On one side, he is talking about the need to do something: to do something about unemployment and do something about youth having excellent experiences in the workforce. On the other side, he is talking about the need to reduce spending.

    We know that we can do big things together. That is what employers want across the country. They want skilled workers all across this country in every sector.

    We will be there with the provinces and territories to make sure that we have the fastest-growing economy in the G7.

    Mr. Speaker, this week, the Prime Minister introduced his first spending bill, and despite promising to cap spending during the election, the bill would increase spending by another 8% on an already bloated federal government. Half a trillion in spending was introduced the same day as he promised again to cap it, all with no budget, on the backs of hard-working Canadians and at the expense of future generations.

    When will the Liberals finally cap spending and put the financial future of young Canadians first? Will the Prime Minister give us the date for a spring budget today?

    Mr. Speaker, I welcome the member to the House of Commons.

    One thing is clear: We have the backs of young Canadians. If the member had been listening carefully, he would have known that in the very first motion we introduced in this House was the elimination of the GST for first-time homebuyers for their first house. This is a measure to help young Canadians get into the real estate market.

    Young Canadians who are watching understand that we have their backs and we will always work for them.

    Mr. Speaker, on April 5, 17, 20, 21 and 29, the Prime Minister committed to “Free trade in Canada by Canada Day”. Almost immediately after the election, the Prime Minister already broke his promise, saying instead that the Liberals would only introduce legislation to eliminate federal and provincial trade barriers by Canada Day.

    I have a simple question: Why did the Prime Minister mislead Canadians?

    Mr. Speaker, I am really delighted to get a question on internal trade from the Conservatives.

    We do not agree about a lot of things, but I think everyone in the Conservative Party and the Liberal Party agrees that free trade in Canada will make us all richer. That is why I have a question for my Conservative counterparts. Will the Conservatives vote for our legislation on free trade in Canada by Canada Day? We are counting on them. Canadians are counting on them.

    Mr. Speaker, small businesses are struggling with the complexity and obscurity of the customs notice. For a government program that was designed to help businesses, the CBSA is causing turmoil, costing time and money for many in manufacturing and its supply chains.

    On May 20, the department quietly issued an updated notice on its interpretation of the scope, narrowing the order. Why, in this time of uncertainty, should businesses be left to navigate costly and consequential red tape from the government? Does the government not understand that livelihoods and Canadian businesses are on the line?

     Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague opposite for the question. He brought this to my attention a couple of days ago, and we are looking into the situation. I look forward to responding to him in the next couple of days.

    Mr. Speaker, even with a new leader, the Liberals are spending like there is no tomorrow.

    The Prime Minister promised to limit spending increases to 2% per year, yet the main estimates show that he is going to raise spending by another 8% this year. That comes before the tax cuts and before the $200 billion in spending that he hopes to pass during this session.

    It is ridiculous to present these measures without disclosing the precise status of government finances. Is the Prime Minister going to table a budget or is he going to govern exactly like Justin Trudeau?

    Mr. Speaker, I have a lot of respect for my colleague from Berthier—Maskinongé and he knows it. However, it comes as a bit of a surprise that the Bloc Québécois is opposing a measure that will help people in the member's own riding.

    We just tabled the first motion in the House to cut taxes for 22 million Canadians. That can add up to as much as $840 for a two-income family. This measure is important for the people of Berthier—Maskinongé.

    The people of Berthier—Maskinongé expect their member of Parliament to stand up for their interests and vote for the motion put forward by this new government.

    Mr. Speaker, the people of Saint-Maurice—Champlain expect parliamentarians to draft a budget before spending the money. It is as though the Prime Minister followed Trudeau's example when it comes to spending and thought, “Just watch me”. What is next? Is he going to show up here wearing Adidas running shoes? The Prime Minister is proving that this is the fourth edition of the same Liberal government. The Liberals would still have us believe that they can continue to spend while reducing revenues, without increasing the debt or cutting transfers to the provinces.

    They need to show us in a budget how they plan to do that. Is transparency too much to ask?

    Mr. Speaker, I would first like to thank my colleague for giving me the opportunity to salute the people of Saint-Maurice—Champlain, who have sent me here for a fourth term, which I will fulfill with humility and conviction. That conviction includes presenting a fiscal framework, a budget, in early fall, as we have indicated. It is a prudent way of doing things. It will be an ambitious budget, one that will enable us to build the Canada of tomorrow. I know that is exactly what Canadians expect. We will build a strong economy, the strongest in the G7, and a resilient and strong Canada.

    Mr. Speaker, I recently talked with a young fellow who said that unless his parents die and leave him their house, he will never own one. That is a reality for many young Canadians, so imagine their shock when they heard the new housing minister say that home prices do not need to come down. Under the former mayor of Vancouver, house prices shot up 179%, rent went up 50% and homelessness went up 40%.

    If the housing minister did not fix it then and does not see a problem now, how much more expensive does he plan to let things get?

    Mr. Speaker, we are spending many days this week with mayors and councillors from across the country at the Federation of Canadian Municipalities meeting. I would caution members opposite against insulting our local government officials, who we are partnering with to deliver results on the ground.

    We will deliver cuts to the GST for first-time homebuyers. We are going to see a $50,000 savings for first-time homebuyers delivered by this new government.

    Mr. Speaker, the housing market in the GTA is descending into complete chaos. New data shows that GTA home sales are the worst since the market crash of the 1990s, falling 89% below the 10-year average, and that condo sales fell 94% below the 10-year average. Home prices are too high for buyers and too low for sellers. Sellers cannot sell, buyers cannot buy and builders are not building. The report warns that there will be a massive housing shortage in just two years.

    Can the Prime Minister tell us why he refuses to present a budget immediately to provide much-needed help for both buyers and sellers?

     Mr. Speaker, the critical piece that we need to invest in is more affordable housing across Canada right now, and we are doing that by delivering a GST cut for new homebuyers. We are doing that by reducing the cost of housing through development cost charges. We are working in partnership with local governments to deliver that. We also have to be sure we build more affordable housing for young people and those most vulnerable across our country.

    Mr. Speaker, new data out this week shows that home sales in the GTA are down 89% below their 10-year average. That is not a slowdown; that is a market stall. What is the Prime Minister's response? It is a GST proposal that industry has dismissed, saying it will not improve affordability.

    What is the Prime Minister's plan today, not in September, for buyers who cannot buy, sellers who cannot sell and builders who cannot build?

    Mr. Speaker, we have good news coming with the GST cut for first-time homebuyers. We are seeing a stall in the market as people wait for that cut. We hope the members opposite will support the cut to the GST.

    We are also going to focus on building more housing on the affordable end of the spectrum. That is what the young people of Canada need. That is what we need to deliver in this House for the people of Canada.

    Mr. Speaker, the price of the average home in my hometown of Oshawa has gone up 121% since 2015. According to Equifax, a record number of Ontarians are missing mortgage payments now, up 71.5% since early 2024. A TMU professor said, “The first thing you make sure you do in life is to pay your mortgage, but people aren’t doing that, because the whole system is so broken now.”

    The Liberal housing minister, former mayor of Vancouver, comes to us with an already broken record of sky-high prices and surging homelessness, so why should Canadians trust him to do the job?

    Mr. Speaker, again, I will caution the members opposite against insulting local government officials who are here in Ottawa this week to partner with the federal government. The only way we get housing built in this country is with alignment with the provinces, territories and local and indigenous governments. We need to work in partnership and collaboration to deliver housing for Canadians that they can afford.

    Mr. Speaker, according to new data, Ontario's homeowners are missing mortgage payments in record numbers. The 90-day mortgage delinquency rate has jumped 71% since last year. Canadians are facing 40-year inflation highs, lacklustre housing supply and skyrocketing mortgage rates. What does the housing minister have to say? He says that prices do not need to come down. As Vancouver's mayor, he oversaw rent going up 50%, home prices up 179% and homelessness up 40%.

    Can the Minister of Housing and Infrastructure tell Canadians how many more families must fall behind before his government takes action and finally tables a budget?

    Mr. Speaker, I say to the member opposite that we have real challenges with housing across this country, and we have to address the affordability. We also have to tackle the trade war we face with the United States. The tariffs are having an impact on Canadians. They are impacting affordability. They are impacting our markets. That is why I applaud the actions of our Prime Minister and our ministers in addressing the challenges we face with the U.S., growing the Canadian economy and ending this trade war.

    Mr. Speaker, after years of delays, uncertainty and economic damage, it is undeniable that Bill C-69, the no more pipelines bill, has been an absolute failure for Canadians. Industry leaders, provinces and indigenous communities have repeatedly sounded the alarm over its complex, unpredictable regulatory process that chases away investment and blocks development.

     Now that the Supreme Court has confirmed that key parts of the legislation are unconstitutional, will the Liberal government finally admit it got this wrong and scrap Bill C-69 to take real action to get Canadians back to work?

    Mr. Speaker, in trade wars, we must capitalize on every competitive advantage we have. This means working with provinces, territories, indigenous peoples and proponents to make Canada an energy superpower. We will fast-track projects, cut red tape and approve projects in the national interest within two years. These activities will build the strongest low-cost, low-risk, low-carbon economy in the G7.

     Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to rise in the House for the first time, representing the people of Brampton Centre. I want to thank my family, friends, campaign team and constituents for all their love and support. Our constituents from across Canada sent us to Ottawa to deliver to them real results.

     Can the President of the Treasury Board share with the House what we are doing to bring down the cost for Canadians?

    Mr. Speaker, I am honoured to work with the newly elected member for Brampton Centre to deliver results for our community and for all Canadians.

    Canadians elected a new government to take bold actions, and that is what we are doing with our first act: a tax cut for 22 million Canadians, new supports for first-time homebuyers and removal of the consumer carbon price. The new government is taking decisive actions to make life more affordable for Canadians and to build Canada strong.

     Mr. Speaker, when the Liberal government was first elected in 2015, it killed 16 major resource projects and chased $176 billion out of the Canadian economy. This resulted in thousands of lost jobs in my city alone, and Bill C-69 continues to make it impossible to build the pipelines needed to unleash our resources and to restore our economic independence.

     Will the Prime Minister commit today to cancelling Justin Trudeau's no more pipelines law, Bill C-69?

    Mr. Speaker, I have been clear: We will support new pipelines if there is a national consensus in favour of them. With our country's facing American tariffs, we must strengthen our energy and natural resources sectors. There is no question that energy is Canada's power. We will help build the strongest economy in the G7, create jobs for Canadians and give the best cards to our negotiators at the negotiating table.

     Canada's new government will win this trade war.

    Mr. Speaker, Conservatives and Canadians know that if people pay more taxes to the government, the weather will not get better. Conservatives have been standing up for Canadians and against the carbon tax for more than a decade. The Prime Minister made a big splash in March when he told Canadians he would axe the carbon tax. After the Conservatives pleaded for years, finally his government removed the consumer carbon tax.

    Will the Prime Minister also repeal the industrial carbon tax so Canadian companies and industries can compete in the global economy, yes or no?

    Mr. Speaker, that was an interesting question, but I am going to disagree with all of its premises. If we actually care about industries, then we are going to look at what is actually costing them right now, which is the tariffs coming from the United States and impacting their ability to do what they need to do.

    We are here standing up for Canada. We are here standing up for a strong economy. We know that is what we need to do. That is what Canadians asked us to do, and that is what we are going to keep doing.

    Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister says that half of Canada's oil needs to stay in the ground, and now he is backing that up with a production cap that the Parliamentary Budget Officer says will kill 54,000 jobs and gut $20 billion from our economy. This keep-it-in-the-ground agenda does not just kill paycheques; it also makes us more dependent on foreign oil. It weakens our economy and punishes Alberta families and Saskatchewan families that have built this country's energy sector.

    I will ask the Prime Minister a simple yes or no question: Will he scrap his job-killing production cap and finally let Canadians restore energy independence?

    Mr. Speaker, my goal is to get things built where there are proponents. Canada's new government will fast-track projects, cut red tape and approve projects in the national interest within two years. We will make Canada strong and protect ourselves from American tariffs if we work together with indigenous partners and our workers, but across party lines.

    I encourage my Conservative colleagues to join us in creating new jobs, building the strongest economy in the G7 and making Canada an energy superpower.

    Mr. Speaker, after 10 years of Liberal anti-energy policies, the devastation continues. There have already been hundreds of thousands of job losses in the industry, and thanks to the radical ministers on the front bench, the Liberal oil and gas production cap has another 54,000 jobs and over $20 billion on the chopping block. The Prime Minister campaigned on having a plan to get things built, yet he has already committed to not overturning the production cap.

    Is the Prime Minister's refusal to scrap the cap an admission that he supports this devastating policy?

    Mr. Speaker, after seeing, under the former Conservative government, nothing getting built, I think we had some lessons to learn. What we learned is that we cannot actually get results if we decide that we are not going to do any environmental assessments and that we are not going to be consulting with indigenous peoples.

    What we are going to do is to make sure that we build an effective, efficient assessment system that gets projects built. That is what we committed to do and that is what we will do.

    Mr. Speaker, when the Prime Minister was the chair of Brookfield, Brookfield registered $30 billion of investment funds in offshore tax havens in Bermuda and the Cayman Islands, all to avoid paying taxes in Canada. Now the Prime Minister refuses to come clean and disclose his assets to Canadians. Canadians deserve to know.

     Does the Prime Minister have any financial holdings hidden away in offshore tax havens, yes or no?

    Mr. Speaker, Canadians should feel very reassured that we have among the most stringent ethics requirements for public office holders in the world. The Prime Minister has not only complied with all of those requirements but has also proactively and pre-emptively filed all the information the Ethics Commissioner requires.

    Obviously, complying with the rules is something we will always do on this side of the House. Canadians can bank on that.