Food and Drugs Act  Madam Speaker, I would first like to address the comment about better wine. Those are fighting words. Now I will address his question on the trans-Pacific partnership. The Government of Canada is engaging Canadians from coast to coast to coast. We are maintaining an open mind.

Food and Drugs Act  Madam Speaker, I will be splitting my time with the hon. member for Thunder Bay—Rainy River. I would like to thank my hon. friend from Windsor for all his work on Bill C-221. It is an excellent proposal and I look forward to voting on it on Wednesday. Today, I am pleased to have the opportunity to talk about the organization that made the agreement on trade facilitation, known as the TFA, happen: the World Trade Organization.

Criminal Code  Mr. Speaker, the Supreme Court has been clear. It has set for us a deadline of June 6 to pass legislation. This is not a matter of whether medical assistance in dying is to be legal; it is to establish a framework. I am concerned that should we go forward there will be a vacuum in which there is no regulation.

Criminal Code  Mr. Speaker, I believe the bill is set up in an appropriate way that it would allow for the provinces to set up with their own colleges and with their own regulations on how medical assistance would be provided. As the hon. member knows, the provision of health care services in the country is the jurisdiction of the province.

Criminal Code  Mr. Speaker, the consultations have been broad. The joint committee heard from over 60 witnesses and received over 100 different briefs. Over the next week, my colleagues and I will hear from 42 witnesses. We have yet to determine the number of briefs that we will receive, but I expect it will exceed the number of witnesses who we are hearing.

Criminal Code  Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to have an opportunity to participate in the second reading debate on Bill C-14, the proposed legislative approach to medical assistance in dying in our country. This is a historic bill, and it tackles an issue that is of great interest and importance to many Canadians.

The Budget  All evidence to the contrary, Mr. Speaker, I have had the opportunity to go back after the budget and consult with municipal leaders, who are excited about this infrastructure plan. This infrastructure plan delivers on what communities are looking for on programs that are often overlooked, such as sewers, water, and things that we do not necessarily have to cut a ribbon in front of that have been ignored for too long.

The Budget  Mr. Speaker, this government campaigned on the fact that our first act would be to cut taxes for the middle class, and it is a promise delivered. We delivered tax relief to nine million Canadians as this government's first act in office. In addition, this budget provides for, as I mentioned, the Canada child benefit, which will help nine out of 10 families in this country with a tax-free, simplified benefit that will provide upwards of $2,300 more for families who need it the most.

The Budget  Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for Kingston and the Islands for having such good humour today. His Frontenacs lost in the OHL play-offs to the Niagara IceDogs. I thank him for maintaining such good humour about that. We are a government that is committed to having our municipalities as partners in this endeavour.

The Budget  Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my hon. colleague from Newmarket—Aurora for sharing his time with me today. I am honoured to rise in this place and speak on behalf of my constituents from St. Catharines, Ontario. I would like to begin today by saying that the provisions contained in budget 2016 would, without a doubt, deliver positive results for the people of my riding, the region of Niagara, and in fact all of southern and southwestern Ontario.

Fisheries and Oceans  Mr. Speaker, St. Catharines is home to the Port Dalhousie piers, which served as the terminus for the first Welland canal, on which St. Catharines very existence was at one time reliant. Under the previous government, this important landmark and popular tourist destination was abruptly closed due to safety concerns.

Black History Month  Mr. Speaker, I am honoured to speak during Black History Month on the important role that St. Catharines, Ontario played for the abolitionist movement. My riding is home to the Salem Chapel which is designated as a national historic site. The chapel served as the final stop in the Underground Railroad and a beacon of light where escaped slaves from the United States finally met freedom.

Canada Labour Code  Madam Speaker, my parents were union members. My dad was a local union president. From an early age, I knew that unions played an important role in growing strong middle-class jobs like my parents', promoting strong jobs and middle-class work that the people of St. Catharines and all of Niagara rely on.

Income Tax Act  Madam Speaker, over the last 30 years, the middle class has been struggling. My home riding of St. Catharines historically has always been strongest when the middle class is strongest, like so many ridings across Ontario and across Canada. Is a middle-class tax cut not an excellent first step toward dealing with income inequality?

Speech from the Throne  Mr. Speaker, I am honoured and humbled to be here and for my first opportunity to rise in the House. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the people of St. Catharines, Ontario for their trust, and the members of my family for their support throughout this lengthy election and transition time.