Business of Supply  Madam Speaker, I thank my neighbour for that question. From a geographic perspective, I would say that she is practically my riding cousin because our two ridings have the same type of population and the same type of businesses in the tourism, forestry and fishing industries. The RRRF was extremely well received in very rural areas such as Avignon—La Mitis—Matane—Matapédia and Madawaska—Restigouche.

Business of Supply  Madam Speaker, I am pleased to participate in the debate on the motion moved by our colleague from Calgary Rocky Ridge. I also want to inform the House that I will be sharing my time with our esteemed colleague from Richmond Hill. Today's motion deals with an important matter. I want to give a little context to the motion by giving an overview of what Canada's six regional development agencies are doing to support small businesses get through the COVID-19 pandemic and tackle the challenges the pandemic is leaving in its wake.

Points of Order  Madam Speaker, I am rising on the exact same point of order as my colleague. We can see our opposition colleagues, the member for Mission—Matsqui—Fraser Canyon and, in particular, our colleague from Edmonton Manning deliberately turning off their mute function so that they can interrupt the sound in the House.

Madawaska—Restigouche  Mr. Speaker, as we go through this pandemic, I have to say how proud I am of the people of my riding, one of the most beautiful in the country, as you can imagine. In the midst of the health crisis in the spring, before the second wave even arrived, officials all over Madawaska—Restigouche remained in constant communication with our offices.

Business of Supply  Madam Speaker, I have been listening with great interest to the comments made by my esteemed colleague from Montarville. It is odd that the Bloc Québécois, whose main talking point is that the federal government must avoid interfering in Quebec's affairs as much as possible, is now asking why the federal government will not intervene regarding the blockades in the interest of public safety in the province of Quebec.

Business of Supply  Mr. Speaker, I was listening to what my two colleagues were saying, and I completely disagree, especially with the comments made by my colleague from Mégantic—L'Érable who claims to have been a mayor. All of the mayors in my riding and all of the mayors listening this evening would say the exact opposite of what he said.

2019 General Election  Mr. Speaker, in 2015, Canadians placed their trust in us to put an end to 10 years of austerity. Four years later, our numbers do not lie. Our policies have lifted over 825,000 people out of poverty, including 100,000 seniors and more than 278,000 children. We now have the lowest level of poverty in Canadian history.

Liberal Party of Canada  Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives want to govern, but Canadians have not forgotten their record from the last time. Here are a few of the Conservatives' highlights. The previous Liberal government left them a $13-billion surplus, and the Conservatives turned it into the worst accumulation of debt in Canadian history: almost $150 billion in 10 years.

Criminal Records Act  Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question. I will give just one real-world example. In the past, when describing a sentence for drug possession, the type of drug involved was typically not specified. There may be a difference between possession of cannabis and possession of cocaine.

Criminal Records Act  Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question, which is based on the premise that systemic discrimination might exist based on the background of the individual applying for a pardon. My wife and I practised law together for 23 years. We had a small law office in a very rural region.

Criminal Records Act  Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his excellent question, to which there is a simple answer. The Canadian pardon system has a proven track record. I know all about that, having been a lawyer and helped clients get a pardon. The Canadian experience is a success story. The United States, like every sovereign country, has their way of doing things.

Criminal Records Act  Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to answer my colleague's question. Before I answer, I would like to note that I have been involved in the justice system, since I am a lawyer by training. I did a lot of volunteer work in my community and I saw the damage caused by having a criminal record, even for simple possession of cannabis.

Criminal Records Act  Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to participate in the debate on Bill C-93 at second reading. This bill will make things fairer for Canadians and their families. There was an ineffective prohibition of cannabis for far too long and, as a result, many Canadians ended up with a criminal record after being convicted of simple possession of cannabis.

Canadian Heritage  Mr. Speaker, today, May 3, is World Press Freedom Day. As we celebrate media independence, let us not forget that a free press is a cornerstone of our democracy. Let us pay tribute to the journalists who keep doing their excellent work and remember those who have given their lives for their profession.

International Day of La Francophonie  Mr. Speaker, today is the International Day of La Francophonie, and it is an honour for me, and all Acadians, to talk about official language minority communities across this big, beautiful country. The Minister of Tourism, Official Languages and La Francophonie recently announced consultations on plans to modernize the Official Languages Act, which just makes sense, since this act is now 50 years old.