Dragon Boat Festival  Madam Speaker, today marks the dragon boat festival, a traditional Chinese holiday that commemorates the life and death of famous Chinese scholar Qu Yuan. I look forward to commemorating the festival by attending the highly anticipated 36th Toronto International Dragon Boat Race Festival this Saturday, organized by the Toronto Chinese Business Association and GWN Dragon Boat.

Innovation, Science and Industry  Mr. Speaker, the world has seen unprecedented scientific and technological advancements in artificial intelligence in recent years, but this change is plagued by misinformation and disinformation targeting hard-working Canadians from coast to coast to coast. We recently saw how Conservatives, such as the member for Portage—Lisgar, intend to misuse this technology to mislead Canadians.

Lupus Awareness Month  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize May as Lupus Awareness Month. Lupus is a chronic disease characterized by inflammation that can affect anyone at any point in their life. Over one in every thousand Canadians has been diagnosed, a process that takes seven years, on average.

Dental Care  Mr. Speaker, over 1.9 million seniors 65 and older have successfully applied for the Canadian dental care plan. The Conservatives chose to vote against funding toward the CDCP. However, the numbers speak for themselves and have demonstrated Canadians' overwhelming support for this program.

Richmond Hill  Mr. Speaker, Richmond Hill has gone international. On Friday, April 26, Richmond Hill made history by welcoming the new headquarters of the United Nations University Institute for Water Environment and Health to our community. We celebrated this milestone with Minister of International Development, former ambassador Bugailiskis, Dr.

Food and Drugs Act  Madam Speaker, I am honoured to speak before the House today to discuss an issue of paramount importance to the health and safety of Canadians, which is the safety and the availability of natural health products, also known as NHPs. In order to make the natural health products market safer for consumers and support Canadians in making informed choices, last year our government expanded Vanessa's Law to include NHPs.

Automotive Industry  Mr. Speaker, our government has shown great success in attracting historic investment in our auto industry. Can the minister highlight the recent investment from Honda and what it means for building our EV supply chain and growing Canadian jobs?

Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999  Madam Speaker, I rise today to speak to Bill C-380, an act to amend the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999, regarding plastic manufactured items, introduced by the member for Saskatoon—University, whom we just heard from. If passed, Bill C-380 would remove “plastic manufactured items” from the list of toxic substances in schedule 1 of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999, or CEPA, as it is more commonly known.

The Budget  Mr. Speaker, I did not get a chance to cover part of my speech, which was focused on the public land the federal government is making available, but I will highlight that in a very short comment. In fact, budget 2024 proposes $5 million over three years, starting in 2024, to support and to overhaul Canada Lands Company to expand its activities to build more homes on public lands.

The Budget  Mr. Speaker, we are not doing the same thing over and over again. If the member looks at it, starting back in 2016, we made a historical investment, and we continue to do that. We also introduced partnerships with the provinces and territories. When it became clear that we needed other partnerships, such as the municipalities, we started working with them.

The Budget  Mr. Speaker, I have the pleasure of serving with my colleague on the HESA committee. When we talk about affordable housing and affordable rental units, we are talking about affordable housing and rental units for everyone, whether for a senior, a young couple or for an individual.

The Budget  Mr. Speaker, at the outset, I would like to inform the House that I will be sharing my time with the hon. member for Ottawa Centre. I am proud to rise as the member of Parliament for Richmond Hill to speak to the urgent action in budget 2024 that would help Canada build the homes needed to restore fairness for every generation.

Oral Health Month  Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to announce that April is Oral Health Month, featuring National Dental Hygienists Week from April 4 to April 10. This annual event is sponsored by the Canadian Dental Hygienists Association and focuses on the importance of maintaining good oral health practices and helping Canadians understand the role of the dental hygiene profession in preventing and addressing oral health issues.

Pandemic Prevention and Preparedness Act  Madam Speaker, I am thankful for the opportunity to speak to my support for Bill C-293, an act respecting pandemic prevention and preparedness. Allow me to begin by recognizing and thanking the exceptional efforts of various health centres, health care workers, and compassionate individuals and organizations in my riding of Richmond Hill to safeguard the health and safety of Canadians throughout COVID-19.

Nowruz  Mr. Speaker, as the evening approaches, marking the arrival of Nowruz at precisely 11:06:26 p.m. tonight, we gather to celebrate a tradition steeped in the renewal of the earth and the rejuvenation of our spirits. This ancient festival, rich in symbolism and joy, invites us to embrace the new year with hope and optimism.