Petitions  Mr. Speaker, I am presenting this petition today on behalf of the students of Forest Run Public School and residents of Ontario who have brought to my attention the plight of Kiska, the orca whale, who has been held in solitary confinement, in poor health, in a concrete tank since 2011 at Marineland in Niagara Falls.

Ending the Captivity of Whales  Mr. Speaker, the plight of a 45-year-old female has been brought to my attention by Judith Goldberg, a principal in my riding. Teachers and students at Forest Run school are passionate and determined to do something about this situation. They have created art and a website, and ultimately circulated a petition.

National Indigenous History Month  Madam Speaker, Aurora—Oak Ridges—Richmond Hill is situated on the traditional territory of the Wyandot, Haudenosaunee and Anishinabe peoples. It is covered by Treaty 13 and the Williams Treaties. We are privileged and grateful to share this part of Turtle Island. The actions of many, including our government, have been revealed under the bright light of truth.

Persons with Disabilities  Mr. Speaker, “We don’t give people with developmental disabilities enough credit. You never know what is possible until people are given the opportunity.” This quote from a business owner who hired persons with disabilities could not better describe my cousin, Gwen, who we lost in May of 2021, just over a year ago.

National Nursing Week  Madam Speaker, in 1954, my mother, Kate Taylor, a newly graduated nurse, worked in Moose Factory on James Bay. In 1979, my sister, India, began her nursing career in the north, in Hay River, Northwest Territories. Now, as then, nurses are the backbone of patient care. Nurses step up and work very long hours when needed, and at no time was this more true than during the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Violence Against Muslims  Madam Speaker, in two days, Muslims in Canada will break the fast of Ramadan and celebrate the feast of Eid-al-Fitr. During Ramadan, I had the honour of attending Iftars and learning more about the religion of Islam. I am now more appreciative of the compassion at the heart of Ramadan.

The Budget  Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to rise in the House today with the privilege of serving the constituents of Aurora—Oak Ridges—Richmond Hill to speak on the budget: A plan to grow our economy and make life more affordable. Before I discuss this very solid and progressive budget, I would like to begin by commending all the members in the House who unanimously supported the COVID measures our government brought forward in 2020.

International Development  Madam Speaker, while COVID-19 remains a significant issue in the global south, my question has to do with tuberculosis. Last year, more than 4 million people globally were diagnosed with tuberculosis. There were diagnoses where it was missed by health services, fuelling preventable deaths.

Economic and Fiscal Update Implementation Act, 2021  Mr. Speaker, I would like to address a few things that have been said by the member opposite both now and previously. We have been throwing out numbers on the debt, which the member disagreed on, one being $1.2 trillion and one being $1.4 trillion, but it is done in isolation without looking at the percentage to GDP and without looking at what is happening in the rest of the world.

Emergencies Act  Madam Speaker, I would like to address the question the member just asked: Will we continue to pretend that we are living in the past? It seems that the member opposite and his Conservative colleagues are, in fact, living in the past as they continually reference the War Measures Act and comments Tommy Douglas made about that act in 1970.

Emergencies Act  Madam Speaker, I would like to begin by adding my thanks to yours for the people who are here supporting us today.

Emergencies Act  Madam Speaker, I will do that. I would like to begin by thanking all of the people who are here supporting us this morning and the men and women in uniform who have been working tirelessly all weekend to apply the law we have invoked. In particular, I would like to thank the York Regional Police, which was here and which serves my riding of Aurora—Oak Ridges—Richmond Hill.

Emergencies Act  Madam Speaker, my answer would be both. We need to look at what has happened here in Ottawa, why it happened and what threats are here. The larger question of foreign influence and how it is affecting political movements in Canada should be looked at in a broader context.

Emergencies Act  Madam Speaker, as there was no question, I did not feel a need to reply, but I appreciate the opportunity.

Emergencies Act  Madam Speaker, I am not a lawyer, but I do believe there will be a precedent set by enacting this legislation, and I think it is an appropriate precedent. Just because the act has not been enacted since its inception in 1988 does not mean that it should not be enacted now. We have clearly made the case for why this legislation is needed, and I am quite confident that the precedent set will ensure that it will only be used judiciously in the future.