Dennis Marinos  Mr. Speaker, darkness stumbled upon our community last week, on November 5, as we lost Mr. Dennis Marinos. Mr. Marinos worked tirelessly for 27 years to help other people as a pioneer in volunteer jobs, as congresses, councils, associations and committees no longer had secrets for him.

The Environment  Mr. Speaker, all Canadians deserve a healthy environment and safe communities. Since the Canadian Environmental Protection Act was last reformed 20 years ago, chemicals have come to play an increasingly bigger part in our daily lives and our economy. To keep everyone safe, Canada needs an environmental protection act that addresses the problems of the 21st century with the help of modern science.

Cost of Living Relief Act, No. 2  Mr. Speaker, our colleagues on the other side are trying to blast this government by suggesting it is not helping Canadian citizens. I would like to remind all of them that once the COVID-19 pandemic started, the government took care of every single Canadian from coast to coast to coast and took care of every business in Canada to help people confront the pandemic and live in decency.

Canadian Heritage  Mr. Speaker, this weekend, the G7 culture ministers concluded their first meeting to discuss issues and challenges related to culture and media—

Canadian Heritage  Mr. Speaker, this weekend, the G7 culture ministers concluded their first meeting to discuss issues and challenges related to culture and media. This was a very important meeting, allowing the G7 countries to work together to protect and promote our cultures and democracies. Could the Minister of Canadian Heritage tell us how Canada is a world leader on these issues?

Regional Economic Development  Mr. Speaker, Quebeckers want to know what the government is doing for them. Once again this week, we see that our Bloc colleagues are trying to find fault where there is none by claiming to defend the interests of Quebec. On this side, there are 35 Liberals from Quebec who are working tirelessly to get things done for Quebec and Quebeckers.

François L'Heureux  Mr. Speaker, I rise in the House today to pay tribute to a dear friend and a pillar of the Montreal community who passed away recently. François L'Heureux was a highly respected lawyer and a well-known, passionate activist in our great Quebec nation. François was a very caring husband to his beloved wife, Marie, as well as a devoted father to his sons, Philippe and Marc, who are both living with autism spectrum disorder.

International Development  Mr. Speaker, the situation in Afghanistan is dire. For the year 2022, the United Nations estimates that 24 million people inside Afghanistan require humanitarian assistance. This represents half of the population. The rise to power of the Taliban has made the humanitarian crisis much more important, especially for women and girls who are the primary victims of this situation.

Official Languages  Mr. Speaker, the new bill to modernize the Official Languages Act would not have been possible without the participation and passion of a great many Canadians. From individual meetings to national symposia, to hearings in the House of Commons or other places, to the countless letters and phone calls, we are deeply grateful for this incredible participation.

Emergencies Act  Madam Speaker, I would like to ask my colleague if he owns a business in the downtown Ottawa area. What would he think if, for three weeks, he could not open, he could not pay his rent and he had to tell his employees that they would lose their jobs? In addition, what does he think about closing bridges that are a vital path for the commercial trade between us and the United States?

Armenian Genocide  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 34th anniversary of the Sumgait pogrom, which took place in February, 1988, when a large number of Armenians were subjected to mass killings and persecution by Azerbaijani forces as a result of their aspiration to live freely and with dignity.

74th Independence Day in Sri Lanka  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to mark Sri Lanka's 74th Independence Day, a day filled with enormous pain and anguish for Tamil people on the island. Victims of history, the Tamil people hailing from the north and east of the island have lived as second-class citizens. They have been denied education, employment and even the freedom to practise their faith.

Laval—Les Îles  Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my family, my team, all of the volunteers and the people of Laval—Les Îles, who entrusted me to represent them in the House of Commons for a third time. I thank them for putting their faith in me. I also want to congratulate my colleagues who were re‑elected and those who were elected for the first time.

Order Respecting the Business of the House and its Committees  Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for her speech, and I would like to wish the other member a happy birthday. We all know that COVID‑19 is a very contagious disease. All the peer-reviewed scientific studies show that the risk of death in vaccinated individuals is practically 0%.

His Excellency Bishop Ibrahim Ibrahim  Mr. Speaker, it is a privilege to rise in the House to talk about the crucial role of His Excellency Bishop Ibrahim Ibrahim, the eparch of the Melkite Catholic Church of Canada consecrated by Pope John Paul II to serve members of his community across Canada. As leader of his diocese for 18 years, he has worked tirelessly and with respectful openness to build bridges among all men and women of goodwill and among religions.