Business of Supply  Madam Chair, I am going to ask a third time. The minister is perpetuating a stigma here. She is the one who can act. She is the one who can deliver. She is the one who can put an end to this. Does she not feel comfortable, with me being a gay man, taking my blood?

Business of Supply  Madam Chair, this is not funny. This is not what she promised gay men: to end the stigma over five years ago. Here is the part that makes it worse. There is an easy, science-based and fair solution that could end the stigma and the discrimination against gay men. The Canadian Medical Association has said it, and the All Blood is Equal campaign has said it.

Business of Supply  Madam Chair, let me get this straight, no pun intended. The minister does not even know what the simple answer is to end this discrimination. It is simple. We can change our blood donation policy in this country by not basing eligibility on sexual orientation, but rather on sexual behaviour.

Business of Supply  Madam Chair, Canadian Blood Services is begging Canadians across this country to donate blood this holiday season in the midst of a second wave. I want to donate and make a difference, but I cannot because I am gay. In the year 2020, why is that?

Business of Supply  Madam Chair, here is the problem. The minister in the Liberal government made the promise to end the discrimination and stigma that gay men face in this country. She had no problem during the election campaign telling gay men this would end. Now, she is hiding behind a bunch of bureaucrats and organizations.

Business of Supply  Madam Chair, the minister tonight has used the buzzword a robust portfolio. Let me tell her that there is a robust portfolio of gay men in this country who want to step forward, make a difference and donate blood. They want to give blood like you promised you would allow us to do.

Business of Supply  Madam Chair, this is going to be a long seven and a half-minute exchange, and very painful for the minister because she did not promise to study or review or fund or do anything. She promised to end it. It was in the Liberal Party platform. If she could commit to doing that, she needs to back up and put her words into action.

Business of Supply  Madam Chair, I am frustrated too and it is personal for me. The minister had no problem during an election campaign, alongside the Prime Minister, to end the stigma and end the discrimination against gay men in this country. To hear that answer and the waving all over the place, I hope gay men watch this and see what is actually happening.

Renovations on Parliament Hill  Madam Speaker, for generations, Canadians have been proud to visit and showcase Parliament Hill, with our House of Commons, the Peace Tower and the Centennial Flame. However, with the ongoing work taking place here to renovate these historical assets, Canadians are becoming increasingly concerned with their cost in an accountability process that continues to spiral out of control.

Income Tax Act  Mr. Speaker, I agree. We needed to have a quick response to get assurances to businesses as quickly as possible. Having said that, the one thing I have always said is to spend the extra hours here debating, scrutinizing and going back and forth and to spend some time at committee hearing from stakeholders.

Income Tax Act  Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure to rise here this afternoon as one of the final speakers on Bill C-9. It is a key piece of economic legislation with much-needed support programs for businesses, not only in eastern Ontario where I reside but in every part of the country. I have said this before during debates, particularly ones where we are dealing with economic measures for small businesses.

Criminal Code  Madam Speaker, I want to begin acknowledging the work that the hon. member has done in his time in Ottawa and the leadership he has shown, to pave the way for people such as myself to follow in his shoes as we talk about LGBTQ issues in legislation. A fundamental building block of the Conservative Party of Canada is free votes on these types of issues.

Criminal Code  Madam Speaker, I have been a member of Parliament for one year and I am getting the legal hang of things bit by bit, but I will not presuppose what may happen if the amendment is not there. My focus right now is working with my colleagues who are on the justice committee, as we get to second reading, and talking about it.

Criminal Code  Madam Speaker, I think this legislation would correct for the future subjecting children to this dangerous practice. So, it would eliminate and go there. I also think, as I said in my comments, this is a testimony and a tribute to those who have been victims of conversion therapy.

Criminal Code  Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for the kind words. After I came out, I had a Facebook post to thank everyone, and the line that I have used many times since to talk about it is that every person who shares their story opens up new hearts and new minds. This is where I believe we have made a lot of progress in our country in the last 10 or 15 years.