The Budget  Madam Speaker, there is much I want to say and it really is my honour to rise as the representative of the people of the great riding of Aurora—Oak Ridges—Richmond Hill to address budget 2023, a budget that will benefit those living in my riding and all Canadians. It is a budget that defines the middle way.

World Autism Day  Mr. Speaker, April 2 is World Autism Awareness Day, an annual opportunity for dedicated conversations about autism spectrum disorder. Autism touches more than 70 million people globally, and in Canada, one in 66 people is diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. While each individual with autism is unique, they all face challenges in social communication, behaviour and sensory processing.

Criminal Code  Madam Speaker, it is heartbreaking to hear what is happening. I was recently at an Nowruz event with thousands of Afghan women, and the stories we heard about what is happening were beyond belief. One thing I wanted to ask about was the human rights programming aspect. The parliamentary secretary mentioned that in addition to humanitarian aid, we will now be able to help with human rights programming.

Forest Stewardship Award  Mr. Speaker, today, I rise to congratulate Dr. Isobel Ralston and Dr. Jan Oudenes for receiving the prestigious Forest Stewardship Award from Forests Ontario. This award is presented in recognition of outstanding support for forestry conservation and education. MapleCross, founded by Isobel and Jan in 2017, invests in and protects ecologically sensitive land and areas of significant biodiversity.

Nowruz  Mr. Speaker, today, March 20, marks Nowruz, the festival of new beginnings and rejuvenation. Observed on this day, the spring equinox, Nowruz is celebrated by numerous cultures around the world, including Persian, Afghan, Bahá'í, Ismaili and Kurdish peoples. This past week, I had the pleasure of hosting a Nowruz celebration in my riding, which has one of the largest populations of Iranian Canadians and Afghan Canadians in the country.

International Women's Day  Mr. Speaker, yesterday, March 8, marked International Women’s Day. Last week, I had the privilege of hosting York Region women to gather, celebrate and listen to the words of several women. Our York Region Liberal caucus joined together to recognize the importance of International Women's Day not only in celebrating women but also in recognizing the need for ongoing efforts to reach gender equity.

Business of Supply  Madam Speaker, my translation was not working, but I believe I understood the question sufficiently. We have made a historic announcement. We are bringing forward almost $200 billion over the next 10 years, including almost $50 billion in new spending. The point here is that it is not only about the money; it is about ensuring that we get outcomes for Canadians.

Business of Supply  Madam Speaker, I agree with my colleague on this, as I do on many things. This is a priority for the government. Foreign credentialing, as we all know, is not the province of the federal government. I believe that during these ongoing bilateral negotiations with provinces and territories, this will be a key part of those negotiations, as we know that bringing all of those trained professionals into our health care system is essential to get the support of all the workers we can.

Business of Supply  Madam Speaker, once again I was having trouble with translation, but I caught the last part of the question. I appreciate the fact that the member said that I have been saying lovely things. However, I would say that it is more than that. The changes that are being made through this historic amount of money that is being transferred will in fact make a huge difference in our health care system, and there are quotes from many organizations to back that up.

Business of Supply  Madam Speaker, of course we want all health care workers to be working in our system. This government is committed to that. It is up to the provinces and territories to license and ensure that they can work in the system. The system is set up. We have now reduced the Canadian work experience requirement from 24 months to 12 months so that more workers can get in and help.

Business of Supply  Madam Speaker, before I start, I would like to say that I will be sharing my time with my colleague from Kingston and the Islands. I am pleased to rise today to discuss the shortage of health workers in Canada and the actions the government is taking to address the issue. First and foremost, our government supports our national health care system, which is central to Canadian identity.

Human Rights in Iran  Mr. Speaker, I am both honoured and saddened to still be speaking about the tragic situation in Iran. It has been almost six months since Mahsa Amini was killed while in custody of the morality police, and it has been 44 years since an authoritarian government took over the country.

Petitions  Mr. Speaker, I rise to present a petition on behalf of the residents of my riding of Aurora—Oak Ridges—Richmond Hill, principally Iranian Canadians, who are urging the Government of Canada to expedite the implementation of the sanctions that it placed on the Iranian regime and the IRGC and to continue to support the fight for human rights for Iranian women, children and political prisoners.

Business of Supply  Madam Speaker, I do not pretend to know where to draw the line. I trust our court system for this. We have established case law. I believe, in cases like that, the wisdom of the court would see the beneficial effect of that. Why use the notwithstanding clause? Why not put this forward and see if there is a challenge?

Business of Supply  Madam Speaker, I do not believe we are suspicious of the intentions of the Bloc Québécois. I believe that the distinct culture and history of Quebec is something that has added greatly to our nation and it is something I value greatly. I believe that having laws that work for Quebec is very important, but I do believe that the fundamental rights and freedoms of Quebeckers and all Canadians should be respected, and that the notwithstanding clause should only be used in very exceptional circumstances.