Persons with Disabilities  Mr. Speaker, I was encouraged to hear two days ago in the chamber the Minister of Sport and Persons with Disabilities declare she was fully committed to implementing the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and that she was working toward ratifying its optional protocol.

Business of Supply  Madam Speaker, I would like to ask the hon. member's opinion about moving forward instead of positioning ourselves in a way that does repulse ordinary Canadians. Since we do have ordinary Canadians at heart here in this whole issue, how we can move forward enthusiastically is a little ambiguous.

Business of Supply  Madam Speaker, I do not know if I should start with a rant as a crazy cat lady. I respect my hon. colleague so much for the work he has done, the thoughtfulness he has put into his speech, and his understanding of the environment. I have family members who were highly traumatized by the losses they experienced in the Fort McMurray fire.

Persons with Disabilities  Mr. Speaker, New Democrats believe that any legislation resulting from the government's accessibility tour starts with the full implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The measures resulting from consultations must deliver more than voluntary standards and awareness-raising activities.

Lawrence Costello and Don Field  Mr. Speaker, on Valentine's Day, I rise to commemorate the lives of two inspirational people in my riding who loved their community, and their community loved them back. Larry Costello was a powerful advocate for fellow veterans and the profound importance of honouring them in our country.

Business of Supply  Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my hon. colleague for stressing the issue of a solemn promise that was broken. It was not just a solemn promise that was broken. It was a declaration in a throne speech. It has led to a deep dissatisfaction that is already causing people to come to us in office.

Job Losses in the Energy Sector  Mr. Speaker, the main thing I want to ask right now is about jobs in the energy sector, and jobs in Alberta. I have family in Alberta, including children, who are trying to make a livelihood, and they make observations. People look at the energy sector, young people who are risk-takers and entrepreneurs, and I celebrate them.

Job Losses in the Energy Sector  Mr. Chair, it is intriguing to hear some of the comments tonight. Some of them are just purely provocative enough to provide some good literature down the road. This debate has been very narrow-minded if all we are thinking about is the here and now at this moment. The member for Calgary Shepard talked about my area that was devastated after some of the effects of NAFTA and the auto jobs.

Canada-Ukraine Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act  Madam Speaker, this is a very healthy trade agreement that sets an example for us on the merits of bilateral agreements. New Democrats always are told we dwell on the negatives with respect to trade agreements. One of the positives is the addressing of labour standards in the Ukraine.

Canada-Ukraine Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act  Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my hon. colleague for championing the best interests of all Canadians and, indeed, of all our trade partners when we negotiate bilateral agreements. We can see how far superior they are. We can see that when, as she mentioned, the NDP shares the very concerning shortcomings of agreements like CETA and the TPP, which take advantage of people, we know labour standards will be improved with the Ukraine under CUFTA.

Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement Implementation Act  Mr. Speaker, I do not know why I should take the hon. member's question seriously if all he can come up with are cheap and repeated jokes about what the NDP actually stands for. If people were informed, they would look at our platforms. They would look at the Vanguard economists who are the ones who have developed the arguments that we have taken into our platform.

Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement Implementation Act  Mr. Speaker, with all due respect, my hon. colleague's arguments are ones that have been made in the past when people are making excuses in bringing forward these corporate interests. Why are we making this easier for them? If we have systems in place now that are serving the purpose, why do we then need a trade agreement like this?

Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement Implementation Act  Madam Speaker, I am grateful to rise once again in the House to speak to Bill C-30. These trade agreements have the potential to cause great damage to communities and to whole regions, as our experience with NAFTA has clearly demonstrated. We, in the NDP, believe that they should be undertaken with scrupulous attention to all potential consequences.

Persons with Disabilities  Mr. Speaker, the Canadian National Institute for the Blind must lobby each year for funding in the form of government grants. Given the crucial services provided by the CNIB, like making sure literature is available in accessible formats, stable, predictable, and ongoing funding is required.

Black History Month  Mr. Speaker, on this first day of Black History Month, I stand before the House as a proud representative of a treasured area that was a destination on one of the southwestern Ontario routes of the Underground Railroad and that has been home to many pioneers, past and present, of civil rights and human rights in Canada.