Budget Implementation Act, 2021, No. 1  Madam Speaker, this pandemic has really highlighted the need to support the most vulnerable, and many would argue, the most vulnerable in this pandemic have been young people and women. It was definitely time. People have been fighting for child care for many years, and I thank the member for his advocacy on this issue.

Budget Implementation Act, 2021, No. 1  Madam Speaker, if I did not say it, I definitely meant to say that I will be sharing my time with the member for Nepean. However, it goes without saying that women who have this sort of arrangement and who stay at home may experience poverty as seniors, and many of them, as they are not financially independent and are financially dependent on their husbands, may not flee abusive relationships and situations, because they are unable to do so without any money.

Budget Implementation Act, 2021, No. 1  Madam Speaker, I would like to thank the House for allowing me to speak about the 2021 budget and explain why I support its implementation. First of all, I need to thank our very first female finance minister for putting forward a budget that should make all women and all parliamentarians proud.

Youth and Mental Health  Mr. Speaker, Canadians across the country have been feeling the impact of COVID-19 for the past year in many ways. The pandemic has indiscriminately affected a lot of Canadians' mental health, and this is especially true for young people. The psychosocial effects of COVID-19 disproportionately affect youth.

Quebec Teachers  Madam Speaker, this week Quebec teachers were on strike, fighting for better working conditions so they can provide their students with a higher-quality education. Their working conditions deteriorate every year. Things have gotten a lot worse because of the pandemic. Teachers have one extra hour of work without any additional pay.

Canada Labour Code  Mr. Speaker, I am thankful for the opportunity to speak on this very important bill. Bill C-220, an act that would amend the Labour Code regarding compassionate care leave is one that, if passed, would make a major difference for so many Canadians at one of the most difficult moments of their lives.

Greek Independence Day  Mr. Speaker, today, March 25 marks 200 years since the Greek war of independence began, the start of the revolution which would allow the people of Greece to regain their freedom after 400 years of Ottoman occupation. On this day in 1821, the words eleftheria i thanatos, freedom or death, became the slogan of the nation, and brave men and women fought courageously for a better future for their country, for a liberated Greece.

Maurice Cohen  Madam Speaker, today I wish to pay tribute to Maurice Cohen, a great Saint-Laurent man who passed away on March 5. Maurice Cohen was a man of the people and loved by all for his availability, his congeniality and his sympathetic ear. I will be forever thankful for his support and kindness.

Black History Month  Madam Speaker, February is Black History Month. This month is an opportunity for all of us to celebrate and honour the legacy of Black Canadians and their communities. It is a time to reflect on how far we have come as a society and what more we can do to improve. Instead of focusing on the shortcomings of our society and what we have not yet achieved, I choose to focus on my vision for the world that I want to continue to help build, a world where we can all feel safe, a country where we are all treated equally and with respect and dignity.

Economic Statement Implementation Act, 2020  Madam Speaker, this is something that I am concerned about as well. I am going to be working with the government to see how we can move forward in order to help solve this problem and make Canada a fairer place for everyone.

Economic Statement Implementation Act, 2020  Madam Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague from the Bloc québécois for her question. I am entirely in agreement that Canada should address this question and find ways of producing vaccines here. Of course, the COVID-19 pandemic is the first major pandemic our generation has faced.

Economic Statement Implementation Act, 2020  Madam Speaker, I agree that homelessness is a major problem, and it has only been highlighted because of the pandemic. More people are on the streets now than there were before. Our government was the first in decades to propose the national housing strategy, where $40 billion was to be invested in housing.

Economic Statement Implementation Act, 2020  Madam Speaker, I wish you a happy 2021. I am pleased to be able to speak today about Bill C-14, an act to implement certain provisions of the economic statement tabled in Parliament on November 30, 2020 and other measures. Bill C-14 is an essential step to implement measures from the fall economic statement that would provide assistance to families with young children, support students and invest in resources to protect the health and safety of Canadians as we continue our fight against COVID-19.

Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act  Madam Speaker, I thank you for giving me the opportunity to rise today to speak to Bill C-206, an act to amend the Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act to extend the exemption for qualifying farming fuel to marketable natural gas and propane. The bill before us attempts to alleviate potential costs borne by Canadian farmers.

COVID-19 Emergency Response  Mr. Speaker, we are now in the second wave of the pandemic and, especially in my beautiful province of Quebec, a very large number of businesses have had to close because they are located in red zones. For months, these businesses have been struggling financially because of the new reality we are in, and we know that the pandemic will be with us for many more months to come.