Mr. Speaker, at the G20 summit, the Prime Minister talked about the so-called social impacts that male construction workers have on rural areas. He suggested that hard-working blue-collar men are dangerous and a threat to the well-being of our communities.
I have a lot of these men in my riding. Therefore, I would like to talk about the impacts they have. They leave tips at our restaurants, at barber shops and with our drivers. They fill up their trucks at gas stations. They buy coffee from local Tim Hortons. They sleep in our hotels. They take care of their families. They pay their taxes. They build the roads, bridges, schools and hospitals that we use each and every day.
If the Prime Minister wants to talk about men who have a negative impact on rural communities, he should look no further than the person in the mirror. My riding and indeed all of Canada would benefit greatly if he addressed the problem staring back at him.