Natural Resources committee  Great. Thank you for that response and the update. I think it will bring some relief to British Columbians to know that we are working with the provincial government, other organizations, first nations and others to prepare for this upcoming fire season. Staying with the British Columbia theme, I'd also like to talk about a recent announcement and investment in Maple Ridge.

Indigenous Affairs  Speaker, continuing on the theme of indigenous-led project development, I would like to highlight some of the many exciting projects that are taking place across this country. In Ontario, the Six Nations is developing one of the largest battery storage projects, called Oneida Energy Storage. In New Brunswick, the Tobique first nation is delivering the Burchill wind project near Saint John, one of the largest in my region of Atlantic Canada.

John Allen Fraser  I was honoured to speak at his piping-out ceremony from the Seaforth Highlanders during my tenure as associate minister of national defence. I note that his bride of 59 years was Cate Findlay, not a family member but the right clan. John was a UBC-trained lawyer, minister of the Crown and the first Speaker to be elected by secret ballot.

Fisheries and Oceans  Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to rise and speak on behalf of the people of my riding. However, it is 8:20 on a Thursday night, and I really do not want to be here, actually. I am here because of the mess that is being created in Union Bay, in my riding. We have an outfit that is ship-breaking and that is not in a proper facility.

National Strategy on Brain Injuries Act  Madam Speaker, it is a huge honour today to rise and stand in solidarity in support of Bill C-277, a national strategy on brain injury. It is a bill that I have had the fortunate honour to be the seconder of. It was tabled by my good friend, the member for Cowichan—Malahat—Langford.

Petitions  Mr. Speaker, first, I want to thank my colleague for the kind words and for his advocacy. It is an honour to present a petition on behalf of constituents of mine from Tofino, Ahousaht and Clayoquot Sound. They are citing concerns around migrating juvenile wild salmon stocks, which are under serious threats from pathogens, pollutants and sea lice originating from open-net cage farms.

Transport committee  I'll jump in on that one to start the ball rolling. When we talk about the way we look at services in Canada, if there is one part of the population in Canada that really is getting the short end of the stick when it comes to air services, it's the north. The north has been served by carriers that are subsidized by various levels of provincial governments over the years, and the first nations themselves are subsidizing some of that traffic.

The Budget  I agree that bigger numbers sound good within one's own bank account, but not so much when they add to the public debt. Former Liberal Finance Minister John Manley said that, while the Bank of Canada was trying to press on the brakes of inflation with higher interest rates, the Prime Minister was pressing on the inflationary gas pedal with his spending, which had ballooned interest rates in the first place.

The Budget  The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. After nine deficits and doubling the national debt, Canada is less fair and Canadians are worse off. Now the finance minister says that what Canadians really want is a stronger government to make things fairer. By making government bigger, the Liberals have made citizens weaker.

The Budget  Next year, nine million uninsured Canadians will have dental coverage. We have also introduced legislation to deliver the first phase of national pharmacare, which will provide universal coverage for many diabetes medications and make contraceptives free—ensuring every Canadian woman can freely choose the contraceptive that works best for her, not just the only one she can afford.

Pharmacare Act  Speaker, I was not sure I would get the opportunity to speak this afternoon, so I am glad to be able to join in debate on a very important bill, Bill C-64, an act respecting pharmacare. Bill C-64 represents the next phase of our government's commitment to establishing a national universal pharmacare program. It proposes the foundational principles of the first phase of national universal pharmacare and our intent to work with provinces and territories to provide universal, single-payer coverage for a number of contraception and diabetes medications.

Health committee  Ms. Huggins, we've not had a summit on the toxic drug crisis, yet we've had a summit on the auto theft issue. Do you believe that the toxic drug crisis deserves to have a national summit at a first ministers meeting, and do you believe we should reinstate the expert task force on substance use?

Health committee  Sir, the definition of “widespread” is “distributed over a wide region, or occurring in many places or among many persons or individuals”. Assistant Commissioner John Brewer is on the record as saying, “there is currently no evidence to support a widespread diversion of safer supply drugs in the illicit market in BC or Canada.” We know from testimony as well as from reports of these investigations and, indeed, from these arrests that it is taking place in Prince George, Campbell River, Victoria, Nanaimo, Kamloops, Kelowna and, indeed, first nations across our area and in Alberta.

Public Accounts committee  To that, I would say that I will ask that question again. I will come back the next time you're before this committee to see what progress has been made specifically on that. I want to follow up with regard to a 2022 survey that Indigenous Services Canada undertook. Fewer than 10% of first nations communities actually responded.

Public Accounts committee  Thank you, Mr. Chair. I want to open with a comment that is mainly directed to the CMHC. I don't want to sound glib, but “do better”. That's my comment to the CMHC right now, specifically on first nations housing and the fact that you're using data from two decades ago. Come on: Do better.