Budget Implementation Act, 2016, No. 1  Madam Speaker, the budget is an investment for Canadians. This is an opportunity to invest when interest rates are low and we are able to create job prosperity, which will in turn allow us in a very short term to pay off our debt and come back to a balanced budget. We have to invest.

Budget Implementation Act, 2016, No. 1  Madam Speaker, it gives me great pleasure to stand in the House today and speak to Bill C-15, the budget implementation act. I am extremely happy because the budget would deliver for constituents in my riding as well as people all across Canada. It is a budget that would help all Canadians in various capacities.

Budget Implementation Act, 2016, No. 1.  Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his most interesting speech, which was resolutely focused on the economy. I have a great deal of respect for him. My father was an entrepreneur, a plumber and electrician. He often served as a municipal councillor as well. He had dealings with the community and with industry.

The Budget  Mr. Speaker, I thank my esteemed colleague. Not only is he a member in this House, but he also sits on the Standing Committee on Official Languages. I am happy that he asked this question, since it is an extremely important one. We are certainly in the process of examining the roadmap.

The Budget  Mr. Speaker, I thank the member opposite for asking the important questions and the two points in reference. There is no question that the budget is a comprehensive and impressive one, because not only does it help taxpayers with a 7% tax reduction, which is a very importance piece, but it also invests in the Canada child benefit program, which is tax-free money.

The Budget  Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pleasure to stand today before the House to speak to budget 2016. This budget is extremely important to allow growth and prosperity to the middle class. My speech will touch on three major areas: investment in the middle class; our relationship with indigenous people, which is extremely important; and of course the historic investment in infrastructure, which would see growth and prosperity in the near future.

International Day of La Francophonie  Mr. Speaker, yesterday, March 20, we celebrated the International Day of La Francophonie, which is an opportunity to celebrate our linguistic diversity and to appreciate just how closely the Acadian and French languages and cultures are intertwined with history and shared values.

Income Tax Act  Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the question. However, I must say that this is another reason why the NDP did not succeed in the election on October 19. The NDP only looks at what happens on an individual basis. As I said in my speech, they do not see that the Liberal government strategy is horizontal.

Income Tax Act  Mr. Speaker, it is funny. As the Liberals were laying out their strong platform, it was becoming more and more evident throughout the campaign, and the closer we got to October 19, that Canadians had made up their minds that this platform would ensure the middle class, young families, youth, seniors, all Canadians, would have opportunities to improve and would have many more opportunities in this country to prosper.

Income Tax Act  Mr. Speaker, when I made reference to 30%, I was talking about 30% of the people in my riding who will benefit from that tax cut. What is important to keep in mind is that nine out of ten Canadians will benefit across Canada. That is what is extremely important, that nine out of ten Canadians and over 315,000 children will be pulled out of poverty.

Income Tax Act  Mr. Speaker, I am rising for two reasons. The first is personal, and the second is to talk about Bill C-2 I would like to inform the House that this morning, my wife and I became new grandparents. Our first grandchild was born, and we are so proud. My daughter, Chantal, and her husband, Mathieu Hayley, are the proud parents of a beautiful little girl named Maëlle.

The Francophonie  Mr. Speaker, March 3, 2016, marked the launch of this year's Rendez-vous de la Francophonie all across Canada. This annual event showcases more than 2,300 activities to honour the French language and culture. Last week I took part in events at Acadian schools in Nova Scotia. I wonder if the Minister of Heritage could tell us more about the Rendez-vous de la Francophonie.

Canada's Contribution to the Effort to Combat ISIL  Mr. Speaker, that is a very important question because when we talk about education, we talk about the future. The strength of any society is through education, and it is extremely important. We need to stabilize the situation first, of course. Local training will be effective and we need to ensure a humanitarian approach when supporting families with shelter and housing and health care.

Canada's Contribution to the Effort to Combat ISIL  Mr. Speaker, this is not a one-pronged approach. This is an approach where we will be doing many facets of supporting this community. For example, I mentioned our expanded role in training, which is essential. If we are able to do that and also support families in need in that area, there is no question that once the locals are trained and continue the work we have started, then of course we will be able to contribute more in infrastructure areas.

Canada's Contribution to the Effort to Combat ISIL  Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member opposite for her question. I do not know the details, but there is a protocol for information sharing between the military and the families. We will obviously see to it that the families are updated as often as possible and given as much information as possible.