Amici  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Amici, a Canadian charity that sends kids from low-income families to overnight summer camps. Established in 1966 by staff members at Kilcoo Camp, a magical place that nourished my growth from boy to man, Amici has provided children with over 1,500 unforgettable summer experiences.

Infrastructure  Mr. Speaker, I will begin by congratulating my colleague, the Minister of Finance, on his announcement of $2 billion over the next 10 years for rural communities across Canada. This $2 billion in infrastructure funding demonstrates how our government is committed to a promising future for Canada's small towns and villages.

Regional Economic Development  Mr. Speaker, on October 3, a socio-economic forum was held in Maniwaki for the riding of Pontiac. It has become clear that the development of our rural regions in the Outaouais depends largely on the prosperity of the cities of Ottawa and Gatineau, but the converse is also true.

Paris Agreement  Mr. Speaker, I must say that it is refreshing to hear the member for Bow River speak to the reality and severity of the issue of climate change. I agree he is not a Conservative dinosaur. In fact, I have gotten to know him quite a bit more over the past several weeks and appreciate tremendously what he brings to the House and to the issues of climate change and conservation more broadly for the entire country.

Paris Agreement  Mr. Speaker, it is quite clear that the Government of Canada has been consulting and negotiating directly with indigenous peoples from coast to coast to coast for many months now. Inuit peoples, first nations, and other indigenous populations have been participating in these talks, which have been taking place as part of a pan-Canadian strategy currently being negotiated with the provinces, with the four working groups.

Paris Agreement  Mr. Speaker, I appreciate that this is a national debate. The voices of the provinces must be heard, and they are being heard. This is a great debate for us to continue to have. Looking internationally, we need to be honest. This is not about Canada getting away with doing less because other countries emit more.

Paris Agreement  Mr. Speaker, the scientific evidence is unequivocal: the earth's climate is warming. Climate change is real and Canadians are already feeling its negative effects. Whether it is the increase in the frequency of droughts or coastal flooding, or the accelerated melting of sea ice in the Arctic, the large-scale repercussions of climate change are pushing Canada to take appropriate action.

Business of Supply  Mr. Speaker, the notion that the loyal opposition is the only party that cares about Atlantic Canada is laughable. More than that, it is sad. The reason it is sad is that it is engaging in the politics of demagoguery. It really is. It is politicizing the judicial selection process, a transparent process that has been articulated wonderfully by our Minister of Justice, and it is inserting this regionalist division that is totally unnecessary.

Business of Supply  Mr. Speaker, that is a very important issue for the Pontiac. I am very pleased that my colleague from Surrey Centre mentioned the agricultural aspect. It is very important to people in the Pontiac to be able to sell their products in Ontario, whether they raise cattle or make alcoholic products.

Budget Implementation Act, 2016, No. 1  Mr. Speaker, it is sometimes challenging to listen to such hyperbole, with all due respect, moving from attacks against the Ontario government, which have little merit or place in the House. Let us set that aside for the time being and focus specifically on the issue of gold. The member suggested that the government is somehow engaging in inappropriate practices by selling off gold assets.

Budget Implementation Act, 2016, No. 1  Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the intent behind the member's speech, which is to fight for lower- and middle-income Canadians. However, I would ask the hon. member what she thinks about the measures taken by the government in the budget to establish the Canada child benefit and provide $6,400, tax free, to families earning $30,000 less for each child under the age of six and $5,400 for children between the ages of six and 18.

Parks and Conservation Areas  Mr. Speaker, I met today with a group of paddlers who are joining me on a four-day canoe trip down the Dumoine River, a renowned wilderness destination. The Algonquin Anishinabe call it the Aginagwasi Sipi and it is located on their traditional territory. Located two hours west of Parliament on the edge of Pontiac riding and flowing into the Ottawa River, the Dumoine watershed contains one of the largest areas of unfragmented southern boreal forests in Quebec.

Réjean Lafrenière  Mr. Speaker, I want to offer my condolences to the family of my assistant, Françoise Lafrenière, whose father, Réjean Lafrenière, recently passed away. Réjean was passionate about politics. He was the mayor of the municipality of Lac-Sainte-Marie for 22 years, and then served as the warden of the RCM of Vallée-de-la-Gatineau for six years.

Budget Implementation Act, 2016, No. 1.  Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to rise to ask a question of my colleague, whose politics I have admired for a long time. She is a very authentic politician from Vancouver Quadra. Having lived in her riding, and having cycled and taken the bus in that riding many times as a graduate student at UBC, what are her constituents saying about the proposed investments in public transit, and also in active transit, which is so important to our country?

International Development  Mr. Speaker, last week, we learned that a Canadian-funded Syrian hospital was bombed. Such acts are clearly unacceptable and an assault on the rights of every woman and man in the world. Can the Minister of International Development tell the House what our government has done in response to this despicable act?