Meriem Boundaoui  Mr. Speaker, last week, a horrific crime was committed in my riding. Meriem Boundaoui, a 15-year-old girl, was the victim of a bullet intended for someone else. This tragedy serves as a reminder of an insidious pandemic that is slowly spreading through our cities and towns. Gun violence is a real and urgent problem that we need to address.

Points of Order  Mr. Speaker, during my statement earlier, I believe some parts were cut off because of technical difficulties. With the unanimous consent of the House, I would like to repeat my statement.

Points of Order  Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleagues. The pandemic has definitely contributed to the larger number of consumers shopping online, which in turn has fuelled growth in parcel delivery. I would like to take a moment today to highlight the important work and tireless efforts of Canada Post employees across the country.

Canada Post Employees  Mr. Speaker, the pandemic has certainly helped drive consumers toward online shopping, which means more parcels are being shipped. I would therefore like to take a moment to talk about the difficult and important work that Canada Post employees all across our country have been doing.

Families, Children and Social Development  Madam Speaker, I was very excited about the throne speech promise of a Canada-wide child care system. Parents have been calling for affordable, accessible child care—

Families, Children and Social Development  Madam Speaker, I was saying how excited I was about the throne speech promise of a Canada-wide child care system. Parents have been calling for affordable, accessible child care for decades. My constituents were also impressed by the investments announced in the 2020 fall economic statement.

International Day of Persons with Disabilities  Mr. Speaker, tomorrow is the International Day of Persons with Disabilities. Unfortunately, persons with disabilities often have the hardest time accessing health care, education and jobs. They are at high risk of poverty, violence and neglect, and are often the most marginalized individuals in communities in crisis.

Women and Gender Equality  Mr. Speaker, today is International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, which marks the beginning of the 16 days of activism against gender-based violence. It is an opportunity to reflect on the devastating effects gender-based violence continues to have, and to renew our commitment to end violence against women, girls and people of all gender identities and expressions.

The Environment  Mr. Speaker, today is an important day. Our government kept a promise we made to Canadians and is taking measures to protect our environment. The science is clear: we need to achieve net-zero emissions to stave off the worst effects of climate change. Can the Minister of Environment and Climate Change explain to the House how this law will enable the current government and future governments to achieve net-zero emissions?

Firearms  Mr. Speaker, I speak today in recognition of the countless lives that have been lost to gun violence. In my own province of Quebec, no one will ever forget the horrors of the École Polytechnique massacre, in which victims were targeted solely because they were women. We were tragically reminded of these horrors again when, at the Quebec City mosque, the lives of six innocent people were taken solely because they were Muslim.

Regional Economic Development  Mr. Speaker, since last spring, business owners and small and medium-sized businesses have been hard hit by the economic impact of COVID-19, particularly given the current situation in Quebec this month. I met with business owners and families from my riding who shared their concerns about the Canadian economy with me.

Proceedings of the House and Committees  Mr. Speaker, since March 13 the House of Commons has met on multiple occasions with reduced numbers of MPs in order to respect the advice from public health officials. A quick look at the Hansard makes one realize that it is often the same MPs who take part in the House proceedings.

Proceedings of the House and Committees  Mr. Speaker, this is a notion that should be negotiated between our respective House leaders. The work we are doing here and the work we are all collectively and individually doing within our constituencies, such as answering questions, looking into various programs and looking at the territory we represent to see what the needs of our constituents are, is beneficial.

Proceedings of the House and Committees  Mr. Speaker, it is indeed our contention that we cannot just switch the light back on. It takes time. That is why our government has put in place various programs and measures to give Canadians the opportunity to settle in, to respond to their immediate needs, so when we are ready to relaunch the economy and build it back better, we will be ready.

Proceedings of the House and Committees  Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for her question. Tourism has indeed suffered during this pandemic and will continue to suffer even more. I just want to tell the member that our minister responsible for tourism has spoken with industry stakeholders many times. She has implemented measures to help them, using the three Rs, in order to lighten the burdens of these businesses.