Canada Pension Plan  Mr. Speaker, I recognize that the bill can always be improved, and I hope that the finance minister, in his next meeting with his provincial counterparts, will look into some of the shortcomings of the bill and that they will be addressed in the future.

Canada Pension Plan  Mr. Speaker, I think the hon. member forgot the number of problems faced by seniors today. The hon. member seems to indicate that everything is so good that we do not need this bill. I have to completely disagree with him. Today, in Ottawa alone, there are 10,000 people on the waiting list for affordable housing.

Canada Pension Plan  Mr. Speaker, it is a great honour and privilege to speak to Bill C-26, which I agree is one of the most important bills of this government, not just for the people of my generation but also for the next generation. There are 11 million working Canadians without a workplace pension plan.

Criminal Code  Madam Speaker, I have been very clear that I am against mandatory minimum sentences. The punishment side of the bill, amending subsection 430(4.1) of the Criminal Code, reads, “imprisonment for a term not exceeding ten years; or” if the person “is guilty of an offence punishable on summary conviction and liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding eighteen months.”

Criminal Code  Madam Speaker, I have been in touch with the Minister of Justice, and I hope, and am fairly confident, the government will back the bill. I am open to amendments to further strengthen this bill so it will survive the whole process.

Criminal Code  Madam Speaker, the hate crimes in Ottawa likely have been solved and the culprit caught. The men and women in uniform are doing a great job in protecting the community and the individuals. They, too, are looking forward, when the bill can expand the definition of a hate crime and cover the scope of crimes against what properties.

Criminal Code  moved that Bill C-305, an act to amend the Criminal Code (mischief), be read the second time and referred to a committee. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise today to speak to my private member's bill. Bill C-305 seeks to amend a subsection of the Criminal Code which deals with damages to property due to crime, motivated by hate, based on religion, race, colour or national or ethnic origin.

Innovation  Mr. Speaker, during my stint in a small high-tech defence technology company in the manufacturing sector, I witnessed the excellent federal government funding for innovation and research and development through programs such as the scientific research and experimental development program, the industrial research assistance program, and the strategic aerospace and defence initiative.

Canada Pension Plan  Mr. Speaker, 11 million working Canadians do not have a workplace pension plan. It is also a fact that today many go to the food banks. As for the executives there, they say more and more working families are coming to food banks for support. When we combine these two facts, we know, going forward, a lot of these 11 million working Canadians will retire directly into poverty.

Canada Pension Plan  Mr. Speaker, I commend the hon. member for her thoughtful words. There are 11 million working Canadians who have no workplace pension plan. If we ask the food banks today, they will say that more and more working families are coming to them for support. When we combine these two facts, working Canadians without a workplace pension plan and working families accessing the food bank, we can understand that in the very near future a lot of these working Canadians will retire directly into poverty.

Small Business  Mr. Speaker, Canada is a trading nation. We need global trade to sustain the prosperity we enjoy in our wonderful country. We need to promote more bilateral and multilateral trade agreements. We need to honour our trade commitments. Like every other government in the world, the federal Government of Canada is the biggest buyer of goods and services in our country.

Canadian Veterans  Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this moment to recognize two of my constituents who live at Stillwater Creek Retirement Community, each of whom are veterans who proudly served our country. Rear Admiral William Christie was a chief engineer in the Royal Canadian Navy and is currently the oldest living Canadian admiral.

Criminal Code  moved for leave to introduce Bill C-305, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (mischief). Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce my private member's bill, which seeks to amend subsection 430(4.1) of the Criminal Code of Canada. Hatred based on race, colour, religion, ethnic origin, gender identity, and sexual orientation are some of the worse things in our democratic society.

National Public Service Week  Madam Speaker, this is National Public Service Week, with the theme “Proudly Serving Canadians”. I have had several meetings with public service unions, including PIPS, PSAC, and others, to discuss and better understand their issues. This kind of dialogue is critical to revitalizing our government's relationship with the federal public service.

Komagata Maru  Mr. Speaker, namaskar. Sat Sri Akal. As–salaam alaikum. My hon. colleague, the member for Kitchener Centre, joins me in sharing this message. Yesterday marked the closure of a dark chapter in Canadian history. The right hon. Prime Minister, on behalf of the Government of Canada, apologized for the treatment of those on board the Komagata Maru.