Mr. Speaker, this is a deeply emotional moment for me as I rise for the first time as a member of the House of Commons.
I owe this privilege to the people of the riding of Saint-Jean, home of the international balloon festival. Our largest city, Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, will be celebrating its 350th anniversary in 2016. I thank my constituents from the bottom of my heart for this opportunity to serve them once again after my time as mayor and MNA. I can assure them that I will spare no effort in my quest to be worthy of their latest vote of confidence.
I will work hard to deliver on my two main commitments to the region: addressing the armed forces' request to create an undergraduate social sciences program at the military college in Saint-Jean and completing—