Anti-terrorism Act, 2015  Mr. Speaker, oversight is an important question that I think we have addressed, in that any measures in the new act would certainly be subject to oversight from a judicial perspective and would require judicial approval before any warrants were issued. With regard to amendments, this debate is for the purpose of a vote at second reading and the bill would go to committee, which will do a very robust review of it.

Anti-terrorism Act, 2015  Mr. Speaker, when drafting the bill, our legislators and ministers anticipated exactly that question. That is why I will again refer to the bill and read it verbatim: “For greater certainty, it does not include lawful advocacy, protest, dissent and artistic expression”. The question was anticipated.

Anti-terrorism Act, 2015  Mr. Speaker, it is an honour for me to stand in the House today to speak on Bill C-51, our government's anti-terrorism act, 2015. I am pleased to be here today to discuss this legislation that would protect Canadians from the evolving threat of terrorism and keep our communities safe.

Public Safety  Mr. Speaker, my constituents strongly believe in keeping our communities safe by ensuring that our borders are safe and effective. Many dangerous foreign criminals find their way into Canada and terrorize our communities. Could the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness please advise the House on what our government is doing to get tough on foreign criminals?

Entrepreneurs  Mr. Speaker, in my riding of Provencher, we are blessed to have strong, healthy, vibrant communities. Much of that growth can be attributed to an incredible entrepreneurial spirit. I would like to take a moment to recognize some of the local businesses that have recently received awards for their superior products and services.

Consumer Protection  Mr. Speaker, our government committed to taking actions to ensure that Canadians are not paying higher prices simply because of where they live. The unexplained and often significant price gap between Canadian and U.S. prices for the same products is a frustrating reality for Canadian consumers.

Taxation  Mr. Speaker, our new family tax cut and enhanced universal child care benefit will help 100% of families with kids. Families will receive nearly $2,000 annually per child under the age of six. That is nearly $12,000 over a child's first six years. It is $12,000 for mom and dad to spend how they see fit.

Economic Action Plan 2014 Act, No. 2  Mr. Speaker, Lindsey Jill Nicholls disappeared in 1993 on her way to meet friends in Courtenay, B.C. This is a tragedy that far too many families have had to face. With the support of missing persons advocates, police groups, and other families of missing persons, Judy Peterson, Lindsey's mother, has worked enthusiastically to change Canadian law to allow DNA matching of missing persons, known as Lindsey's law.

Harvest Festivals  Mr. Speaker, in the past few weeks I have had many opportunities to attend harvest festivals throughout my riding, also known as fall suppers. As I drive around my riding, I see that the harvest for the most part is complete. Now is the time to celebrate and thank God for the abundance he has blessed us with.

Telecommunications  Mr. Speaker, many residents living in my riding live in rural communities that do not have access to telecommunications that many of us enjoy, expect and take for granted, like high speed Internet. I am pleased that our government has introduced the connecting Canadians program and I am sure that will address many of the issues, not only in my riding of Provencher but across Canada.

Economic Action Plan 2014 Act, No. 1  Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the member for asking that question because it is something I did address in my speech. Our government has created an enhanced program for matching employers with employees. That will be useful for matching up the skills out there that are being underutilized with employers that require services of employees in areas where labour is hard to get.

Economic Action Plan 2014 Act, No. 1  Mr. Speaker, seasonal workers are all kinds of workers. I have a business myself that employs many seasonal workers in heavy construction and mining. Many of these people are Red Seal apprentice type people. They qualify for $4,000 per period of training. If they get that training in the off season, they can better utilize it in the on season.

Economic Action Plan 2014 Act, No. 1  Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to supporting families, whether they be first nations families or otherwise. We have enhanced the flexibility and access to employment insurance and sickness benefits. We have increased the adoption expense tax credit. We have removed the GST on more health care products and services.

Economic Action Plan 2014 Act, No. 1  Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure to rise in the House today to speak to Bill C-31, an act that will implement important measures contained in economic action plan 2014. It is a pleasure to speak to the budget this evening, since the provisions it contains would bring us to our long-term goal of balancing the budget.

Economic Action Plan 2014 Act, No. 1  Mr. Speaker, for the last 10 minutes, I have listened to the hon. member make some disparaging comments and complain about his inability to comment on the bill before us, Bill C-31. For 90% of the time, he complained about the process instead of commenting on the bill. However, I did hear him make one comment about the bill.