COVID-19 Pandemic  Madam Chair, first of all, I thank the member for paying that moving tribute. All members in the House join him in this sorrow. Many of the questions I have heard today have been very helpful. I have particularly been grateful for the questions where people have asked about specific issues, either in their ridings or specific issues in the areas in which they are a critic.

COVID-19 Pandemic  Madam Chair, perhaps in the bipartisan spirit of the Aileen Carroll tribute we have just heard, I will quote the premier of Ontario, who was rightfully very passionate in denouncing anyone who would seek to price gouge, who would seek to be fraudulent or who would seek to profit off of the pain and suffering of Canadians today.

COVID-19 Pandemic  Madam Chair, I was due to speak with the minister about this today but she is understandably very much engaged in her response to the tragedy in Nova Scotia. I also want to take this opportunity, and was looking forward to a chance, to answer a question from the member for New Brunswick Southwest because I wanted to take this opportunity to highlight the remarkable thing that a New Brunswick company, LuminUltra, is doing.

COVID-19 Pandemic  Madam Chair, I thank the member for her question. Even before the coronavirus crisis, we understood the importance of having high-speed Internet, especially for rural communities. I think that everyone, the members here in particular, is aware that the coronavirus has and will continue to completely change the economy.

COVID-19 Pandemic  Madam Chair, I want to commend the member because people in her region understand that this is a priority for our government. We have already announced an investment of $500 million in this project. The fact that people in the member's region have already submitted an application is a step in the right direction.

COVID-19 Pandemic  Madam Chair, I do aspire to be deputy government House leader to work closely with our House leader on managing questions on this side of the House. He is laughing, and it shows that it is true. I would ask the member opposite to please share those reports with me and the Minister of Public Safety.

COVID-19 Pandemic  Madam Chair, the agreement did not in any way change the original agreement. It simply rolled it over for 30 days. As we approach the end of those 30 days, and indeed every day after, we will continue to have a very friendly, very neighbourly conversation with our American neighbours about what to do next.

COVID-19 Pandemic  Madam Chair, today of all days is a day that we should all be very grateful for the service of the RCMP across the country. I will leave it at that.

COVID-19 Pandemic  Madam Chair, I have been very happy with the team Canada approach of all Canadians. I would like to particularly single out the premiers. First and foremost, health care is a provincial responsibility. The premiers and provincial and territorial governments have had the first-line responsibility of dealing with this crisis.

COVID-19 Pandemic  Madam Chair, indeed, as all of us are rightly focused on the front-line health care battle against the coronavirus, we do have to remember that this is a time when our information systems are particularly important and vulnerable. Our government is very focused on that. Both the Minister of National Defence and the Minister of Public Safety are working with the provinces and are very aware of the fact that we need to monitor our cybersecurity.

COVID-19 Pandemic  Madam Chair, the issue of federal correctional institutions and the coronavirus is another really important one. We have seen some worrying outbreaks in federal correctional institutions and have been working particularly closely with the Province of B.C. on the institutions there.

COVID-19 Pandemic  Madam Chair, as my colleague has said, the government has been closely tracking the incidents of the novel coronavirus and its spread. The Public Health Agency of Canada alerted all provincial health authorities on January 2, and on January 14 the Public Health Agency convened a meeting of the Canadian Council of Chief Medical Officers of Health.

COVID-19 Pandemic  Madam Chair, the member opposite is quite right. In our conversations with the premiers of Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut, the need for support for small northern airlines has absolutely been emphasized. As the member opposite knows, some of these communities are fly-in, fly-out communities and are dependent on airlines for their food.

COVID-19 Pandemic  Madam Chair, those duties are indeed a real issue for the softwood lumber industry, which is going through a very difficult time. The member is right to point out how much we need that industry for its raw materials for PPE and toilet paper. It is great that Canada produces it.

COVID-19 Pandemic  Madam Chair, that is another excellent question. One of the things I would say has been happening in recent days and weeks as we have been working with our North American partners on the border relationship has been a heightened appreciation on both sides of the border of the extent to which the security of Canada and the United States is dependent on our working together and our NORAD relationships.