Federal Framework on Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Act  Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to rise today in the House to lend my support to Bill C-211. Post-traumatic stress disorder is a difficult challenge for many Canadians and their loved ones. We need to do more to help Canadians from all walks of life living with this condition. I want to thank my colleague from Cariboo—Prince George for bringing this very important bill forward.

Transportation Modernization Act  Mr. Speaker, I also want to second the comment from the member for Oshawa, in terms of the member for Windsor West and the great knowledge he shares around consumer rights and protections. He has fought for capping merchant fees, for a gas ombudsman, and wireless competition to lower fees for consumers.

Fisheries and Oceans  Mr. Speaker, after weeks of pressure from the NDP, yesterday the Liberals announced that they were reversing their plans to eliminate two important marine programs. I want to thank all those across B.C. who reached out and spoke up. Together we were able to turn the tide. However, there is much more we can do and need to do.

Criminal Code  Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for Kootenay—Columbia for speaking to this important bill, and for speaking about the important role men play in standing up for victims of sexual violence, making sure we have laws to protect the most vulnerable. It is often women who are subjected to acts of violent crime today.

Criminal Code  Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the member for North Island—Powell River for her concerns, especially around legal aid for victims of sexual assault. I would like to ask the member to speak about the importance of the federal role with respect to legal aid for victims of sexual assault.

Petitions  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to table a petition initiated by my constituent, Lois Eaton, which has garnered 579 signatures from my riding of Courtenay—Alberni on Vancouver Island, and across Canada. On this same day of last year, June 13, 2016, Lois Eaton's cousin Robert Hall was beheaded in the Philippines after being held hostage for nine months.

Fisheries and Oceans  Madam Speaker, I really appreciate the Government of Canada signing on to international treaties but the problem is that it is missing in action. It is great to talk about an oceans protection plan and $1.5 billion but when a spill happens, a marine debris spill of the magnitude that we saw on Vancouver Island, and the government is invisible, it is really hard for people to have faith in the credibility of the Government of Canada and its oceans protection plan.

Fisheries and Oceans  Madam Speaker, by now everybody in the House and beyond are well aware of the crisis facing the planet with respect to the plague of plastic in our oceans. It is of concern to all of us. Soon we could see plastic outweigh fish. I have risen in the House on numerous occasions to urge the government to act in response to a spill of 35 shipping containers from a Korean tanker off the coast of Vancouver Island last November.

Business of Supply  Madam Speaker, I know the parliamentary secretary is working hard and that he cares deeply about this, but people are desperate right now. We know that the forest sector is very complicated. It may seem that sometimes laid-off workers are affected by softwood lumber and others are not affected, but because this industry is interconnected and interrelated, I want to make sure that any forestry workers laid off because of the situation affecting our trade relationship with the United States will get the extended EI benefits that the Liberal government has talked about.

Business of Supply  Madam Speaker, this is not the time to be nimble. We need urgency. In my community alone, one mill has closed and the other mill has been reduced to one shift. On top of that, the sockeye fishery has closed. We are not going to have a sockeye fishery, which is going to affect indigenous fishers, commercial and recreational fishers, and sports fishing.

Business of Supply  Madam Speaker, today we have heard a lot of finger pointing while we are trying to get a softwood lumber agreement in place. I understand the frustration from everyone. Coming from a community where mills are closed, where we have seen raw log exports go up tenfold in 10 years, we need investments in retooling our industry.

Business of Supply  Mr. Speaker, today I have been calling on the government members to address certain questions that are in the motion, asking them what they are doing about creating sustainable jobs for the Canadian forest industry. I come from a community where raw log exports have gone up tenfold in 10 years.

Business of Supply  Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Central Nova. It is actually a huge relief to have a member from the government benches not just speaking rhetoric and government lines but coming up with original ideas. I share his passion to tackle climate change, and he identified specifics.

Business of Supply  Mr. Speaker, when members speak about the economy, I caution them to ensure they understand that some areas of the economy are not doing so well. To give members a breakdown, my riding of Courtenay—Alberni has an unemployment rate of around 10%, which is the highest unemployment rate in southwestern British Columbia.

Business of Supply  Mr. Speaker, I find this to be a very difficult discussion. The Conservatives put forward a motion calling on the government to do more for forestry workers. In 2006, in my community, 82,272 tonnes were shipped out of the Port Alberni harbour. In 2016, it was up to 783,381 tonnes.