Business of Supply  Madam Speaker, the hon. member's colleague rose to regale us with tales of Aesop's fables. He acknowledged the variations of his stories, but he did not express the compassion and charity of Aesop's fables, nor did he acknowledge that a variation of this story is with the dung beetle, which is an improvident insect that finds that the winter rains wash away the dung on which it feeds.

Infrastructure  Mr. Speaker, Hamilton's light rail project is a rare opportunity that has the shared support of city council, big business and organized labour in the community. It is a much-needed investment in public infrastructure and mass transit. It will create jobs, help the environment and uplift the economy.

Business of Supply  Mr. Speaker, we have heard the compelling arguments on the half-measures by the Liberal government. We know that incrementalism kills in this regard. We heard it from various previous speakers. We also know that we must prevent the situation that occurred under the Conservative government in 2010, when it pilfered $57 billion from the EI fund.

Petitions  Madam Speaker, it is my pleasure to present a petition on Motion No. 1, a green new deal, on behalf of dozens of residents from parts of Canada. They are joining their voices to thousands of Canadians who have signed petitions thus far, all of them calling on the Government of Canada to address this climate emergency with the ambition and urgency required on behalf of present and future generations.

Public Safety  Madam Speaker, the Liberals propped up the Conservatives' draconian Bill C-51, which essentially included economic disruption as a form of domestic terrorism. The Prime Minister ran and was elected to amend Bill C-51 and protect Canada's civil liberties, but he broke that promise.

Royal Canadian Mounted Police Act  Mr. Speaker, while I applaud Bill C-3 on its civil liberty enhancements, the Preclearance Act, Bill C-23 under the previous government, allows U.S. Customs and Border Protection agencies to detain and question people indefinitely, without allowing them representation or the ability to leave pre-clearance detainment while on Canadian soil.

Black History Month  Mr. Speaker, I am honoured to rise on behalf of my caucus colleagues in the NDP in celebration of the black excellence and contribution to Canada of the African diaspora and her descendants. To those who blazed the trails we followed, I would like to personally thank the likes of the Hon.

Public Service of Canada  Mr. Speaker, the Liberals promised that they would stop the former Conservative government's practice of outsourcing public sector jobs and wasting money on private corporate contracts. However, a new report from the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada shows that contracting out has doubled over the past decade.

Canadian Heritage  Mr. Speaker, when asked about the constructive dismissal of senior anti-racism expert Manjot Bains for her work on, and wait for it, anti-racism, the minister said that employees worked under a specific code of conduct. Ms. Bains said that she would have had been required to take loyalty training in order to keep her job.

Resumption of Debate on Address in Reply  Madam Speaker, the former city councillor will know that under this current national housing strategy, the money does not really flow until 2024. Therefore, if Toronto had the capacity to build now, it would be building now. However, the member is quite right. In our platform, it actually does not specify one-third, one-third, one-third.

Resumption of Debate on Address in Reply  Madam Speaker, not only will New Democrats advocate for it, but let us look at the amount of money that is put into the subsidies for oil and gas. Let us imagine a compelling alternative for transit to shift to a carbon-free economy. We only have to look to the NDP national transit strategy that would offer predictable and sustainable operational funding to public transit that would be expanded, not just east and west but also north and south.

Resumption of Debate on Address in Reply  Madam Speaker, I rise in humility, humbled by the confidence my constituents and neighbours placed in me to be here today to carry on the working-class values of Hamilton Centre that were brought to this House by my predecessor, the always honourable Mr. David Christopherson. He exemplified the nobility of public service, which I hope to emulate and pursue in my work in this House.

Resumption of Debate on Address in Reply  Madam Speaker, I thank my friend across the way for being alive to the impacts of environmental racism. Having an equity and diversity lens throughout all of our decision-making is very important. We have heard the government talk repeatedly about guns and gangs. What kind of analysis will the member bring to the root causes of violence in our communities as it relates to indigenous people and persons of colour across the country?

Government Policies  Mr. Speaker, yesterday the finance minister announced that the Liberals are prioritizing tax giveaways to the wealthy instead of help for those who are most in need. They are handing over $6 billion and giving the biggest benefits to folks who are already making between $100,000 and $200,000 a year.

Address in Reply  Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate you on your preferment and congratulate my friend, the hon. member, on her speech. I can appreciate the member's exuberance, although I do not share it. Canadians need action and they need it right now. We have heard these words before.