Elections Modernization Act  Madam Speaker, I find the comments of my colleague across the way interesting. First, a Statistics Canada survey in 2016 showed that 170,000 people were not able to vote because of measures brought in by the former government. That shows that the Conservatives did not want Canadians to vote.

Elections Modernization Act  Madam Speaker, I thank the hon. member for his passion on this file. With regard to privacy, the minister has said that more needs to be done. We believe there are a lot of concerns around privacy about how our system is structured. There are studies that are going to be done through committees, and we look forward to seeing what those privacy suggestions are.

Elections Modernization Act  Madam Speaker, let me remind members of this House that in a democracy, voting is a fundamental right. Unlike the Conservatives, we believe our democracy is stronger when more Canadians, not fewer, vote. I now want to touch on the amendments that official opposition members put forward at report stage.

Elections Modernization Act  Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise in the House today to speak to Bill C-76, the elections modernization act. This legislation represents a generational overhaul of the Canada Elections Act and will allow it to better address the realities facing our democratic system in the 21st century.

Elections Modernization Act  Madam Speaker, every entity, every individual who is not a candidate, or an EDA, or a political party is a third party. I would like the member opposite to tell me this. Is it her position that any individual who wants to engage in topics that matter to them should have to register and report to the government?

Elections Modernization Act  Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for his comments today on Bill C-76, a bill we think will strengthen the ability of Canadians to vote that was taken away by the party opposite. One of the amendments that was accepted at committee was to add additional punishments for third parties that are found guilty of offences related to the use of foreign funds.

Elections Modernization Act  Mr. Speaker, my hon. colleague is very well versed on this subject. He is very passionate about electoral reform. The member kept talking about privacy and how important it is and yet on his party's website the privacy policy was so woefully inadequate that it was not until the introduction of Bill C-76 that the NDP updated it and made sure it was posted in a way that was more transparent.

Elections Modernization Act  Mr. Speaker, I have one question in particular, although I have a number because there are a number of flaws in my colleague's speech. The member said that the bill had spent months at committee, and she is right. It did. The bill was taken to committee in April and just got through PROC last week.

Democratic Reform  Mr. Speaker, I would also like to say a few additional words about the time allotted for debate on Bill C-76. The Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs studied Bill C-76 for a lot of hours, heard from 57 witnesses, including multiple appearances from both the Chief Electoral Officer, Elections Canada and the Minister of Democratic Institutions.

Democratic Reform  Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to rise in the House tonight to respond to the question from the hon. member for Vancouver East. I am pleased to speak to Bill C-76, the elections modernization act, which the government introduced on April 30. This legislation represents a generational overhaul to the Canada Elections Act, which will improve transparency, fairness, integrity and participation in Canada's electoral system.

Employment Insurance  Mr. Speaker, we understand how important Canada's employment insurance program is in providing income security for families and for workers during periods of unemployment. The improvements our government has made to our EI program have strengthened Canada's social safety network for all workers right across the country, including the seasonal workers that my hon. colleague referred to.

Employment Insurance  Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot for raising the issue of employment insurance. I am proud to stand before the House and remind my hon. colleague about the good work our government is doing on this front. Our EI program delivers approximately $18 billion in benefits to nearly two million Canadians annually.

Corrections and Conditional Release Act  Mr. Speaker, as I mentioned yesterday, I sat on the status of women committee. We did a study on indigenous women in corrections. It is particularly challenging to hear the stories of intergenerational trauma and of incarcerated women who are struggling with generations of problems from growing up in difficult situations.

Corrections and Conditional Release Act  Mr. Speaker, I am pretty sure I heard my hon. colleague say he agreed with one part of the bill. I know he said that corrections officers must have training. That is what the bill is doing; it is providing mental health supports. He says the one part of the bill he agrees with is the part dealing with scanning, but he is not saying he agrees that we need to provide for better health.

Corrections and Conditional Release Act  Mr. Speaker, I sat for quite some time on the status of women committee, and we did a study on indigenous women and their access to the justice and criminal justice system. One of the things we heard over and over again was the intergenerational trauma and how women in corrections, particularly indigenous women, are strongly affected by what has happened to them and their families over a number of years.