An Act to Provide Further Support in Response to COVID-19  Madam Speaker, my wife and I volunteer to deliver food for the food bank, so we certainly understand the circumstances that many people are facing these days. The programs that are in place now have been a great benefit to the people who I am speaking to, and as we go forward, the targeted approach that we are planning in Bill C-2 will benefit those in the most dire need.

An Act to Provide Further Support in Response to COVID-19  Madam Speaker, I remind my colleague that during the pandemic, we provided some additional support programs and that those revenues were made available as the seniors needed them during that time. This has had some other implications and we are going to be reviewing those, but the solutions will be coming in the near future.

An Act to Provide Further Support in Response to COVID-19  Madam Speaker, I certainly appreciated having the benefit of my colleague's views at the health committee and I thank him for his thoughts. We will need to take a very targeted approach to make sure that the supports we are providing are provided to those in the greatest need. Many businesses have taken the time to set aside reserves.

An Act to Provide Further Support in Response to COVID-19  Madam Speaker, I would like to start by advising the House that I will be sharing my time with the member for Outremont. I will start by taking my first opportunity to speak in this House to give heartfelt thanks to the residents of Newmarket and Aurora for placing their trust in me a second time, to my team for its hard work in getting me here, and to my family for its continuous support.

Retirement Congratulations  Madam Speaker, for over 27 years, Rae Bowie has dedicated her career to public service and helping Canadians. Over the years, Rae has worked for many members of Parliament, at both the provincial and the federal levels. She has mentored numerous staff and provided outstanding service to constituents in several ridings.

Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion  Mr. Speaker, every day Canadians with disabilities face accessibility barriers in their workplaces and in their communities. Programs like the enabling accessibility fund are important to help communities and organizations become more accessible when costs are prohibitive. Can the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion share with the House how our government is making communities and workplaces more inclusive for Canadians with disabilities?

The Environment  Mr. Speaker, for many generations, the conservation efforts of indigenous guardians have been essential for protecting our environment for future generations. When it comes to protecting and respecting our lands and waters, all of us have a lot to learn from indigenous peoples' traditional knowledge and experiences.

Infrastructure  Mr. Speaker, York Region has over 2,400 diesel buses that travel from the Richmond Hill Viva station to the Finch subway station as part of the regular daily commuter traffic. The recent announcement on smart transit funding for the GTA, including the Yonge North subway extension, is great news for our communities.

National Nursing Week  Mr. Speaker, some heroes wear capes; others wear masks, face shields, gloves and gowns, but all heroes protect our communities by keeping them safe. Since the start of this pandemic, nurses across Canada have been at the front lines in our battle against this virus. Many have been going to work every day in conditions that could pose a threat to their health, and many have been isolating from their families so they could care for ours.

Farmers' Markets in Newmarket—Aurora  Mr. Speaker, I am happy to announce that summer is right around the corner. I know that because last weekend both the Newmarket Farmers Market and The Aurora Farmers Market opened for the season. Every weekend from May to October we can expect over 40 vendors to welcome us, from farmers and artisans to community groups.

Retirement Congratulations  Mr. Speaker, in March, Pat Noble, a remarkable individual who I had the pleasure of working with for 12 years, retired from her position as the executive assistant to the mayor of the town of Newmarket. Pat was a consummate professional, admired and respected by her colleagues and a tireless champion for the community.

Birthday Congratulations  Mr. Speaker, last Wednesday, our community celebrated the 100th birthday of George Markow, a Second World War veteran and a community hero. At the start of the pandemic, George vowed to walk 100 kilometres around his retirement home in Newmarket, and to raise $100,000 for medical research before his 100th birthday.

The Budget  Mr. Speaker, while I indicated that there was a need for all levels of government to work together, to collaborate, that includes members opposite and all members of Parliament to focus on working together, as opposed to seeding doubt and unhappiness and challenging the opportunities that are presented in the budget.

The Budget  Mr. Speaker, much of the speed in which the revenues will flow to the provinces will depend on how expeditious we are with the budget. If the member is asking what he should tell his constituents, I would tell him what our Prime Minister has been saying, which is that we have their backs for as long as it takes and for as much as it takes.

The Budget  Mr. Speaker, I had an opportunity to vote on the bill that was referenced. While the principle is still there and held by this government, and there are activities under way to support pharmacare, there were provisions within the bill that were untenable, as they did not allow for collaboration with the provinces.