Committees of the House  Madam Speaker, we are all seeing across Canada, and in my riding of Nanaimo—Ladysmith, a growing income gap happening. We see so many people struggling to make ends meet while ultrarich CEOs are making higher and higher excess profits every day. This is a big problem. I do see in here that a majority of parties came together and put together a recommendation I find to be quite good, and I wanted to ask the member about it.

Criminal Code  Madam Speaker, I want to first thank the member for Kelowna—Lake Country for putting forward this bill. In my riding of Nanaimo—Ladysmith and across Canada, we are losing loved ones at an alarming rate as a result of the toxic substance crisis. Since 2016, more than 30,000 people have died: 30,000 preventable losses.

Women and Gender Equality  Mr. Speaker, as we mark International Women's Day, we must address the ever-increasing coordinated and dangerous campaigns of hate targeting trans women across Canada and abroad for being who they are. Several hundred Canadian organizations and civil society groups are declaring that gender equity cannot exist without uplifting, celebrating and supporting trans women.

Fisheries and Oceans  Mr. Speaker, open-net fish farms pollute our waters and harm wild Pacific salmon. The health of wild salmon is critical. First nation chiefs across British Columbia have been calling on the Prime Minister to get these harmful fish farms out of our waters, but he is refusing to meet them.

Access to Addictions Treatment  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak about an urgent matter related to the toxic substance crisis. As we all know, this crisis has been devastating for communities, resulting in countless lives lost and families torn apart. More needs to be done to address this crisis, yet some in this House would rather use misinformation and score political points than care about the best interests of those struggling.

Public Safety  Mr. Speaker, everyone deserves to feel safe in their communities. My riding of Nanaimo—Ladysmith is a stunning coastal community full of kind, hard-working people, but more and more people are feeling unsafe. Crime is connected with people struggling, poverty, and insufficient housing and mental health supports.

Business of Supply  Madam Speaker, one thing that has been really eye-opening for me through the deterioration of our health care system is talking to parents and hearing about how they are adjusting activities for their children to ensure there is minimal risk, because they do not trust that the health care system is going to be there if something goes wrong.

Business of Supply  Madam Speaker, what we see today are two options. One option is to rebuild the public national health care system and cut wait times, or to use public health care funding to set up for-profit corporations that will poach, as we know, essential health care workers. I am curious as to which choice the member will be making of the two, and how he and the government are working with provinces and territories to ensure that the only option is one that benefits all Canadians, not privatized health care that leaves so many vulnerable people behind.

Business of Supply  Madam Speaker, I thank the member for sharing some of his experiences working as a family physician, and specifically what he has seen regarding the need for mental health supports for Canadians. I worked in mental health and addictions prior to becoming a member of Parliament, and I saw the impact on our mental health services of a two-tired system, a private-public system.

Criminal Code  Mr. Speaker, on a point of order, I would like to provide an opportunity, if I could, for the member. I realize that it was probably made in error, but just for the record, I do want to correct the statement he made of “our indigenous people.” Perhaps that was a mistake. We know that indigenous people are not our property, and I just want to offer an opportunity for the member to correct the language he used to ensure that it is on the record what he intended to say.

Criminal Code  Mr. Speaker, the bill, at this point, is necessary for us to ensure that we are protecting the most vulnerable. To me, and to many of us, as we are hearing, it speaks to a bigger issue: The government is leaving many behind. I appreciate that my colleague spoke to the importance of closing the social safety net and spoke about the importance of disability supports, appropriate mental health supports, affordable housing and a guaranteed livable basic income.

Criminal Code  Madam Speaker, I am wholeheartedly in support of the delay of expanding MAID for those who have mental disorders as the sole underlying condition. We know that people deserve to have access to mental health supports, a home and food on the table. However, the Liberals have yet to transfer a dime of the mental health transfer to provinces and territories.

Criminal Code  Madam Speaker, I thank the member for his speech this evening. I enjoy my time on the fisheries committee with him. The member spoke at length about putting into place the necessary safeguards to protect those most vulnerable. I cannot agree more. I am hearing from people who are at their wits' end; for them, it feels easier to die at this point than to keep living.

Business of Supply  Madam Speaker, my hon. colleague and I agree on one thing, and that is that people are most definitely struggling right now. I can be on board with us identifying and moving forward with practical solutions, such as those the member was speaking of. I am wondering if the member could explain why, when only certain provinces would benefit from this motion, he would not support us removing GST from all home heating, so we could look at, as he says, cutting a break for those who are struggling most.

Nanaimo African Heritage Society  Madam Speaker, I would like to shine a light on the incredible contributions made by a constituent in my riding of Nanaimo—Ladysmith, Shalema Gantt, and the organization she founded, the Nanaimo African Heritage Society, or NAHS. For over 20 years, Shalema and those in the NAHS have created opportunities to celebrate and learn African heritage and the history and culture of Black people in Canada and on Vancouver Island.