Budget Implementation Act, 2017, No. 2  Mr. Speaker, as the parliamentary secretary mentioned, an incredible investment has been made in the employment insurance program. When investments like that are made across the country, it will in fact be a benefit that accrues to all Canadians, as the economy as a whole is raised up by that.

Budget Implementation Act, 2017, No. 2  Mr. Speaker, I find it highly ironic that the question is coming from the member. Under his government, there was a 10-year period where the poor in Canada became poorer, the rich became richer, and the middle class were ever more squeezed with a flat or negative income growth. I can understand the opposition party's obsession with such reports, as he referred to today, given the tremendous economic success our party is having in Canada right now.

Budget Implementation Act, 2017, No. 2  Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise in the House to speak to Bill C-63, which would implement certain provisions of the budget tabled in Parliament in March, 2017. Before I get to the crux of Bill C-63, I would like to set the broader context in which it has been introduced, because it is important for all of us to understand how our government's actions to date have impacted the Canadian economy.

Democratic Reform  Madam Speaker, Bill C-50 was reported back from committee to the House this week. I want to thank the members of the procedure and House affairs committee for their hard work and sound advice. Canadians want greater transparency with respect to how their political leaders fundraise.

HMCS Kootenay Day  Mr. Speaker, in Nova Scotia and in Halifax, October 23 is HMCS Kootenay Day. The HMCS Kootenay was a Restigouche-class destroyer in the Royal Canadian Navy. Forty-eight years ago, in 1969, the Kootenay was passing through the English Channel, headed home to Canada after exercises in the United Kingdom.

Access to Information Act  Mr. Speaker, it is hard to imagine anything that creates more cynicism than being chastised for doing the right thing. We are very proud to be doing the right thing. It is overdue. We are taking a very good, fundamental step toward increasing openness and transparency through this bill and through many actions across the mandate of the government.

Access to Information Act  Mr. Speaker, as I said, this is part of our massive effort across government to increase openness and transparency, not just through this act but through amendments to other acts that are on the Order Paper as well. We are fundamentally increasing the openness and transparency of our government and are increasing the ability of Canadians to have less cynicism and more trust in what we are trying to do here.

Access to Information Act  Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the Centre for Law and Democracy for the concept of the RTI and for its contribution to the bill, through its advocacy, as it stands now. Our government is raising the bar and enshrining a culture of openness and transparency across government. The legislation will require a proactive disclosure of mandate letters, question period binders, travel and hospitality expenses, and contracts over $10,000.

Access to Information Act  Mr. Speaker, I will be splitting my time with the member for Vancouver Quadra. I am proud to rise in the House to speak to Bill C-58, an act to amend the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act. Our government was elected on a promise to reinforce public trust in our democracy, and over the course of our time in office, we have put action behind our words.

Democratic Reform  Mr. Speaker, our government takes the protection of the personal privacy of Canadians extremely seriously, which is why we proactively reached out to the Privacy Commissioner to answer any questions he might have had. We thank him for his very thorough report and we accept those recommendations unconditionally.

International Day of Democracy  Mr. Speaker, last week, nations around the globe observed the United Nations International Day of Democracy. Now in its 10th year, the International Day of Democracy has sparked important dialogue about strengthening our world's democracies since 2008. Here in Canada, we are lucky to have one of the most vibrant and healthy democracies on earth.

Democratic Institutions  Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 32(2) , I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the report “Cyber Threats To Canada's Democratic Process”.

Canada Elections Act  Mr. Speaker, Bill C-50 is exactly about transparency and openness in how all parties are undertaking fundraising in Canada right now. I want to underscore again that the Prime Minister has made himself available at no cost to tens of thousands, perhaps hundreds of thousands, of Canadians.

Canada Elections Act  Mr. Speaker, the member is quite right. This is about standards that would apply to all members of this House and all parties. The standards that are being put forth in Bill C-50 would ensure that fundraising events would be advertised ahead of time, that those who attend would have their names and postal codes reported, that the dollar amounts would be reported, and so on.

Canada Elections Act  Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Saanich—Gulf Islands for her excellent question and for her devotion to this place and this work. As I dwelt on in the opening part of my earlier speech, this government feels, and I personally feel, that political fundraising is a fundamental part of our democracy.