Business of Supply  Madam Speaker, the previous speaker just said that the Conservatives will not support these tax measures but then said that they would like to consult for another four months. What is the point of consulting if they already know that they will not support them? My question relates specifically to the fact that the consultations that are going on right now are with respect to the passive investments.

Business of Supply  Madam Speaker, I have a great amount of respect for my colleague for Essex, but I am very troubled by what she said in her speech. The fact of the matter is that this government lowered taxes on the middle class and increased them on the top one per cent, which is something that the NDP voted against.

Business of Supply  Madam Speaker, one thing is very clear. The fact of the matter is that the average tax rate of unincorporated professionals making $230,000 a year would be 36% after it is all factored out. The effective tax rate of police officers—good, hard-working, unionized members of the police force—making $98,000 a year would be 22%.

Preclearance Act, 2016  Madam Speaker, I can recall a number of years ago when my wife and I were travelling between Seattle and Vancouver, and as we came into the train station, from Seattle into Vancouver, we were caged off in an area with other travellers as we were properly taken through the process of entry.

Main Estimates, 2017-18  Madam Speaker, I wonder if the member would enlighten us by telling us what he thinks about the current process for nominating senators versus another process we saw on the eve of the election, by the previous government, of making numerous political appointees. How does he think our new process measures up to that?

Business of Supply  Mr. Speaker, I appreciate my colleague's intervention today and making her position well known as it pertains to a price on carbon. I am wondering if the hon. member can comment a little on Canada's position globally as it relates to the price on carbon. My understanding is that Canada is actually well priced, in terms of not being among the highest and also not being among the lowest.

Excise Tax Act  Mr. Speaker, you are absolutely correct, and I thank my colleague for pointing that out. At the end of the day, municipalities ended up paying citizens through a tax that is not based on one's income, a non-progressive tax, and ended up paying more. The property taxes of seniors who lived in houses increased, and it ended up costing more for municipalities to provide those basic needs.

Excise Tax Act  Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his investment in this particular initiative, and for taking the time and thought to put this forward. However, I do want to draw to the House's attention a couple of the comments he made. The member did talk about the lowering of GST from 7% to 6% to 5%, and yes, that did happen, but what you indirectly did at the time, when you were the government, is that you stopped funding and assisting municipalities.

National Maternity Assistance Program Strategy Act  Mr. Speaker, I will not say much other than to thank everybody who participated in the debate this evening, as well as the people who have taken the opportunity to participate leading up to this point. This really is about trying to put the dialogue in place to change the discussion we are having about women in the workforce, particularly women who work in hazardous jobs.

National Maternity Assistance Program Strategy Act  Madam Speaker, my colleague actually answered the question with her comments. This is a first step, and this is about engaging with the provinces. My objective here has always been to have a dialogue, to get the discussion going. It will never be the responsibility, or no government would be compelled to have to implement the recommendations.

National Maternity Assistance Program Strategy Act  moved that Bill C-243, An Act respecting the development of a national maternity assistance program strategy, be read the third time and passed. Madam Speaker, thank you for the opportunity to speak once again to my private member's bill, Bill C-243. I would like to begin with a couple of quick thanks, and then I will address the substance of the bill.

National Maternity Assistance Program Strategy Act  moved that Bill C-243, An Act respecting the development of a national maternity assistance program strategy, as amended, be concurred in. (Motion agreed to)

Italian Day  Mr. Speaker, I rise in the House today to recognize Italian Day on the Hill. In my riding of Kingston and the Islands, we have a thriving Italian Canadian community, and I am happy to welcome 30 members of the Italo-Canadian Club of Kingston here on the Hill to help celebrate. It is a challenge to move to a new country where one does not know the language, especially when one is only nine years old.

Business of Supply  Mr. Speaker, I do find something my colleague said puzzling. He talked about the fact that China is currently in competition for the production of oil, yet ironically China is actually the world leader in renewable energy production. As a matter of fact, China produces more than twice the amount of renewable energy that the United States does.

Correctional Service of Canada  Mr. Speaker, in 2010, the former government closed prison farms throughout the country. It did this based on ideology, not sound evidence. In my riding of Kingston and the Islands, two prison farms were closed. To this day, community members continue to rally for their reopening as a productive form of rehabilitation.