The Budget  Mr. Speaker, on a point of order, before question period, the member for Lethbridge made a derogatory comment when she called the Prime Minister a liar. It is a function of this House that we disagree, but I would suggest that this is unacceptable and I would request, respectfully, an apology.

The Budget  Mr. Speaker, it is heartwarming to talk to a mother from Dartmouth north or east who has two children who have never been in organized sport. These are kids who are unable to do much more than shoot hoops in the local park. The Canada child benefit is going to put money in the pockets of these families that will allow them to do that for the first time.

The Budget  Mr. Speaker, we can talk about boutique tax credits, but if they do not have $680 to pay for novice hockey in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia today, that $90 tax credit means nothing. This child benefit will put the money in the pockets of those folks, who will be able to put their kids in soccer, or baseball, or hockey.

The Budget  Mr. Speaker, if nothing changed but the price of a barrel of oil going from $104 to $40, there is $15 billion in the coffers gone right there. The member has a lot more experience than I do, and I will fully admit I have a lot to learn, but what I learned by knocking on 22,000 doors was that the good folks of Dartmouth—Cole Harbour wanted change.

The Budget  Mr. Speaker, as I said, before I was an MP, I was a regional councillor for six years. I was one vote. I had to work with people across the room. All of the folks in that room wanted the best things for their communities. They knew there was hard work to be done, that there were lots of things to be done.

The Budget  Mr. Speaker, I am thankful for the opportunity to speak to budget 2016. This being my first speech in the House, I would like to thank the great people of Dartmouth—Cole Harbour for placing their trust in me as their representative. It is an absolute honour, and one that I take extremely seriously.

Purple Day  Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to stand in this place and help promote awareness of epilepsy by recognizing Purple Day this coming Saturday, March 26. Thousands of people across Canada will wear purple as they celebrate our nation's leadership in epilepsy awareness. I am proud to remind this House that it was my very good friend and yours, Mr.

Marine Transportation  Mr. Speaker, the Coast Guard patrols and protects our oceans and waterways, keeping mariners safe. In fact, on an average day it saves 15 lives. Coast Guard officers need the best tools in order to do their jobs, working in often dangerous conditions. Could the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard please tell me what the Government of Canada is doing to improve its monitoring and patrol capabilities, particularly as it applies to the use of helicopters?

National Strategy for Safe Disposal of Lamps Containing Mercury Act  moved for leave to introduce Bill C-238, an act respecting the development of a national strategy for the safe disposal of lamps containing mercury. Mr. Speaker, I am honoured to rise today to introduce my private member's bill, an act respecting the development of a national strategy for the safe disposal of lamps containing mercury.

Regional Economic Development  Mr. Speaker, it was my privilege to have the Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development visit the Halifax area during constituency week. While at Volta Labs, the minister announced over $2.7 million in funding from ACOA to seven companies and organizations, representing the ICT, clean tech, and fisheries sectors in Nova Scotia.

Bedford Institute of Oceanography  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commend the approximately 25 firefighters who responded Sunday to an intense fire at the Bedford Institute of Oceanography in Dartmouth. The fire started in the late afternoon and six crews of firefighters arrived quickly to face and extinguish the 20 foot flames.

Bedford Institute of Oceanography  My apologies, Mr. Speaker. I think I can speak for all Canadians when I thank the firefighters who put their lives on the line to protect us everyday. If it were not for them, we would have lost a very important research facility in Dartmouth.

Resumption of Debate on Address in Reply  Mr. Speaker, I was particularly enthused by the fact that the member spoke about the future. The Liberal government is concerned about the future of young people and young families like mine. That is why we are investing in our future. That is why we are investing in our youth. We are going to create thousands of new jobs for young people and fix infrastructure that frankly has been falling apart for ten years.

Resumption of Debate on Address in Reply  Madam Speaker, I would like to congratulate the member for Sackville—Preston—Chezzetcook on his fiery maiden speech and on being elected. What piqued my interest was his mention of the highway project that links my riding of Dartmouth—Cole Harbour to his riding of Sackville—Preston—Chezzetcook, what we call the Burnside expressway.

Infrastructure  Mr. Speaker, infrastructure is an important part of our plan to grow the economy, create new jobs, and build a Canada for the 21st century. Infrastructure projects like the Burnside expressway in Nova Scotia can create jobs in the short and medium term and increase trade and productivity in the long term.