Budget Implementation Act, 2016, No. 2  Mr. Speaker, my colleague talked about the child tax credit and all the things being done for youth. Can he explain to the House why removing the tax credits for arts programs, sports programs, and text books for students is actually helping our youth?

Budget Implementation Act, 2016, No. 2  Mr. Speaker, I was going to pose a question in terms of the mounting deficit. As we heard yesterday, another $32 billion on top of what is already there, and no plan to pay it back. Could the member comment on how he feels that is going to affect the next generation?

Infrastructure  Mr. Speaker, the minister is taking $15 billion away from communities, money that has already been announced for public transit, for green infrastructure, and for rural and northern communities. This is a betrayal. The communities across this country have been waiting and planning for this money to build important infrastructure projects and to create much-needed jobs.

Infrastructure  Mr. Speaker, according to reports, job creation over the last year was half of what it was over the five previous years, and no full-time jobs were created. The Liberals have increased the debt, and yesterday the finance minister announced that he will borrow yet another $32 billion.

Finance  Mr. Speaker, a report that the Minister of Finance commissioned is recommending that the Liberals spend $40 billion to set up an infrastructure bank. Is it the minister's plan to take that $40 billion away from infrastructure projects already promised to communities, or is it his plan to burden working Canadians with yet another tax?

Bing Thom  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute on behalf of my constituents in the riding of South Surrey—White Rock and all of those who knew Bing Thom as a friend, father, husband, and extraordinary architect. Bing was greatly admired not only in my community but across Canada and around the world.

Paris Agreement  Mr. Speaker, I guess my question would be why they adopted our plan if it is, frankly, not something that the member would appreciate or support. I am going to say this. We worked on the international climate change adaptation with the World Bank. We did a number of things, actually: established 19 new clean-tech projects under the Asia-Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate; invested heavily in carbon capture technology; protected a record amount of parkland; made historical investments in wetland and boreal forest restoration; established a clean air regulatory agenda; introduced regulations for cars and heavy-duty trucks; worked with the U.S. on vehicle emissions, sulphur and gasoline; began to work on any number of fronts; provided supports on the development of carbon capture technology; removed tax breaks for oil sands producers.

Paris Agreement  Mr. Speaker, I would say that there were a number of things done. We introduced new regulations to reduce emissions from the coal-fired electricity generation, working to phase that out, as I have heard. I think there is a lot that can be done, I think there is a lot that is being done, and I think there is an opportunity, on all sides of the House, to do what we need to do to protect the environment.

Paris Agreement  Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise in the House today to speak to the Paris climate change accord, which was signed by Canada in April of this year. This agreement confirms that the climate change targets set by the former Conservative government were the right ones for this country.

Paris Agreement  Mr. Speaker, talking about sustainability and ensuring that wetlands and ecosystems are protected, are you aware that many cities across the country have sustainability charters in place to address those issues, and have been addressing them for quite some time, as does the FCM and provincial organizations that deal with cities and municipalities?

Infrastructure  Mr. Speaker, speaking of infrastructure, last night the Liberals passed a motion that before making any decision on infrastructure spending an analysis and new implementation plan would have to be developed regarding greenhouse gases. The motion means that all federal infrastructure projects are now on hold until they go through a not-yet-established analysis, and jobs that Canadians desperately need are not going to be created.

Infrastructure  Mr. Speaker, he did not answer the question, so I am going to try it again. Communities are getting mixed signals. The minister has issued community infrastructure project lists. Communities need to know where they stand. People need jobs and they need them now. We need a clear answer.

National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians Act  Madam Speaker, it does state here “after consulting the chair of the committee”, who is appointed by the Prime Minister, and then it goes into a litany of things that he could exclude from the report and then submit to the Prime Minister a revised version. I think everybody is well aware that there is certain information that should not be publicly disclosed for security reasons or national security intelligence; however, there has to be an oversight of what that looks like.

National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians Act  Madam Speaker, I was not here during that time and do not have intimate knowledge as to why that was not set up. However, I know for a fact that many members of Parliament in government were working on that exact principle in terms of looking at oversight of intelligence agencies.

National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians Act  Madam Speaker, that is what I am saying. That precise move undermined the confidence of the general public. How can a chair be appointed, when the Prime Minister said that it should be an elected chair, before the mandate of the committee is even put forward? That, in itself, has undermined the entire process.