Petitions  Mr. Speaker, my second petition calls upon the House to consider the needs of communities and members of those communities who do not have access to pharmaceuticals. As members know, one in five people are unable to fill their prescriptions. People struggle to have the money to pay for prescription drugs.

Petitions  Mr. Speaker, I rise to present a petition in support of free prescription birth control. The petitioners draw the attention of the House to the fact that, with respect to sexual activity among heterosexual Canadians, 15% have no access to contraception and 24% of Canadians do not have access to a subsidized drug plan, which means they have to pay a great deal out of pocket.

Petitions  Mr. Speaker, I have a second petition from petitioners who want to draw the attention of the House to VIA Rail and its management. VIA Rail does not have a long-term plan or direction approved by government and can unilaterally end services, or a route, and affect thousands of Canadians.

Fisheries Act  Mr. Speaker, I have a question for my colleague in regard to this fishery contract. In light of Shawinigate and the sponsorship scandal, I am a little concerned that the governing party is back to its old tricks. I would like my colleague to please explain how this consortium that he described was able to get around the requirement that indigenous people be involved.

Canadian Jewish Heritage Month  Mr. Speaker, I am proud to have this opportunity to stand in support of Bill S-232 which would establish May as Jewish heritage month. In 2006, a similar bill was passed in the United States to celebrate the contributions of the American Jewish community and Ontario established May as Jewish heritage month in 2012.

Postal Banking System  Madam Speaker, on a point of order, I request that since the member has made a point of talking virtually in her entire speech about the 2016 report of the task force, that she table it, unredacted, in both official languages.

Postal Banking System  Madam Speaker, the only false impression was the one the government created when it led people to believe that if they voted for this government, they would get their home mail delivery back. Sure, they put on a moratorium, but 800,000 people, including seniors and people living with handicaps, cannot access the community mailboxes when the snow is piled high.

Postal Banking System  Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for a question that is pertinent and that actually illuminates how important postal banking is for smaller communities. As I said in my remarks, there are communities where people do not have access to government support because government support comes in the form of direct deposits.

Postal Banking System  moved: That a special committee of the House be appointed with the purpose of conducting hearings and proposing a plan for a postal banking system administered under the Canada Post Corporation; that this Committee consist of ten members of which six shall be from the government party, three from the Official Opposition, and one from the New Democratic Party, provided that the Chair is from the government party; that in addition to the Chair, there be one Vice-Chair from each of the recognized opposition parties; that the Committee have all the powers of a standing committee as provided in the Standing Orders; that the members to serve on the said Committee be appointed by the Whip of each party by depositing with the Clerk of the House a list of his or her party’s members of the Committee no later than a week after the adoption of the said motion; that the quorum of the Committee be as provided for in Standing Order 118, provided that at least one member of each recognized party be present; that membership substitutions be permitted from time to time, if required, in the manner provided for in Standing Order 114(2); and that the Committee report to the House no later than 12 months after the adoption of this motion.

Petitions  Mr. Speaker, I have a petition from Canadians who wish to bring the attention of the House to the fact that the Canadian government at one time issued a Canadian volunteer service medal, a volunteer service medal to recognize Canadians who served voluntarily in the Canadian Forces, the volunteerism of our veterans, and our troops.

The Budget  Madam Speaker, some time ago, the status of women committee did a study on the barriers that young women face in regard to entering the trades, for example, jobs that women are not usually seen in. One of the biggest barriers was the absence of child care. A young woman might very well qualify for a position in a business or a company, but because she cannot access child care, she could get the position and could not get the training needed to remain in that position.

The Budget  Madam Speaker, today, on my way into Ottawa, I was stopped at the airport. A young single mom told me that her life was not getting any better, that she kept hearing these promises about how they were going to help her and my children, but their lives were no better, that she was constantly scrambling for money.

The Budget  Madam Speaker, if the economy is doing so well, why did the government delay action on affordable housing and significant infrastructure until well after the next election? It is kind of like a prize way out there that maybe someday we will see in our own backyards. Why is there no action on tax havens, pension protection, pay equity, real child care, or pharmacare?

Petitions  Mr. Speaker, I have a petition asking the Government of Canada to reinstate the Canadian volunteer service medal, which was given to recognize Canadians who serve voluntarily in the Canadian Forces, and to acknowledge the volunteerism of our veterans and troops. You may or may not recall this, Mr.

Petitions  Mr. Speaker, I have two petitions today. The first is in regard to seniors poverty and the real and determined need in this country for a policy to protect seniors so they do not slip below the poverty line. The petitioners ask that there be a committee set up to ensure that the provinces, territories, and the federal government come together to ensure that seniors have access to high-quality health care and that their income security is guaranteed.