Tackling Contraband Tobacco Act  Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the member's comments on Bill S-16. I think it is an important bill, moving forward. However, what is it about the NDP members that, whenever they agree with the pith and substance of a bill, they always say there was not enough consultation? The member for Northumberland—Quinte West said today that this issue has been before committees.

Tackling Contraband Tobacco Act  Mr. Speaker, in regard to this bill, obviously there are provisions that are currently within the Excise Act that are being added to the Criminal Code. He mentioned how the federal and provincial attorneys general could work better to fight against organized crime to tackle some of these joint jurisdictional issues.

Persons with Disabilities  Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise in support of this motion by my colleague from Brant. There are times in the House when we as members of Parliament can work together for the common benefit of our constituents. In this instance, there are in excess of three-quarters of a million Canadians who have a disability.

Tackling Contraband Tobacco Act  Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the minister speaking on these very important matters. I must be frank. I am a little disappointed, particularly with the members of Parliament from Quebec. When it came to our megatrials legislation, they quickly came on board because they saw that the government was taking comprehensive action on dealing with organized crime.

Safe Drinking Water for First Nations Act  Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for asking for questions, particularly on the subject. First of all, does the member acknowledge that first nations, particularly Indian band reserves, are federally regulated, not provincially regulated? That is the first part. The second part is that Dr.

Safe Drinking Water for First Nations Act  Mr. Speaker, I have learned a lot on this subject from today's debate. I would like to go back to the previous member's comments. When we talk about these things, most of the time the devil is in the details. I remember reading the bill the member spoke of, which called for all affordable housing, a provincial responsibility, to be up to LEED standards.

Criminal Code  Mr. Speaker, I rise in the House today to speak on Bill C-489, a bill that proposes to amend the Criminal Code and the Corrections and Conditional Release Act. I would like to begin by recognizing the member for Langley for his hard work in bringing this important bill forward.

Safe Drinking Water for First Nations Act  Mr. Speaker, one of the things I have heard in the debate today is that with over 600 different first nations, we have non-treaty, treaty, rural and urban areas. This is a wide, encompassing topic. One thing I have heard time and again from members is that the government is collaborating and the approach is on a case-by-case basis.

Main Estimates 2013-14  Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague across the way for adding some very important points to the debate. The previous speaker pointed out that the Senate is one of the institutions of Parliament. The founding of Canada was partly based on the fact that there would be regional representation that would allow some of the smaller areas, such as the Maritimes, to feel that they had adequate representation.

Respecting Families of Murdered and Brutalized Persons Act  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak on Bill C-478. I would like to begin by recognizing the member for Selkirk—Interlake for his considerable efforts in bringing this important bill forward. I would also like to share with all the members of this place why Bill C-478 is of great importance to the citizens of Okanagan—Coquihalla.

Captain Jonathan Snyder  Mr. Speaker, David Snyder was one of my favourite teachers in high school. He was more than an impassioned English teacher and author. He was also a husband to Anne and a father to Adam and Jonathan. It was five years ago this week that his son, Captain Jonathan Snyder, tragically lost his life while on night patrol in Afghanistan during his second tour of duty.

Telecommunications  Mr. Speaker, my constituents want honest billing practices and reasonable contracts from their cellphone and wireless providers. Our government has taken concrete steps to protect consumers and today, the CRTC has unveiled a new wireless code of conduct. Could the President of the Treasury Board update the House on the great work that is being done to help protect Canadian consumers?

British Columbia General Election  Mr. Speaker, a general election was held recently in British Columbia that introduced many new faces to the legislative assembly of British Columbia and a record amount of female MLAs will be heading to Victoria. In my area, I would like to congratulate first-time MLAs Linda Larson in Boundary-Similkameen and Jackie Tegart in Fraser—Nicola, along with Penticton Mayor Dan Ashton being elected to the provincial level for the first time and Ben Stewart also being successfully re-elected in Westside-Kelowna.

Safer Witnesses Act  Mr. Speaker, what the members opposite keep talking about is funding for municipal and provincial programs. I want to remind the member that places such as British Columbia do not choose to have those kinds of programs. If the federal government starts giving money to certain provinces and not others, that is to the detriment of everyone.

Safer Witnesses Act  Mr. Speaker, this is strong legislation, and I am happy that the NDP and the Liberals have decided that they will join with us to support it moving forward. One thing I do know is the member consults with Canadians on a regular basis. This set of legislation took time to review and consult with both the provinces and a wide variety of individuals to ensure these witnesses were protected.