Government Appointments  Mr. Speaker, our government has adopted an appointment process that supports the recruitment and selection of high calibre candidates, that is open and transparent, merit-based and reflects Canada's diversity, including gender balance. These are eminently qualified individuals from legal, financial, community and academic backgrounds, and we are very pleased they have accepted these appointments.

The Environment  Madam Speaker, this plan will create a world-leading marine safety system, including new preventive and response measures to better protect our waters and coasts; restore and protect marine ecosystem and habitats; and strengthen partnerships with indigenous communities. For example, we are going to ensure the Canadian Coast Guard has the equipment and tools it needs to better protect our waterways.

The Environment  Madam Speaker, as I said earlier, improving marine safety and formalizing an oil tanker moratorium are indeed priorities of this government. The minister and his officials travelled across the country from Haida Gwaii to Iqaluit to St. John's to hear Canadians' perspectives in their own communities and territories on an oil tanker moratorium and improving marine safety.

The Environment  Madam Speaker, improving marine safety and formalizing an oil tanker moratorium on British Columbia's north coast are indeed priorities of this government. On November 7, 2016, Prime Minister Trudeau announced the oceans protection plan. This comprehensive national plan is an investment of $1.5 billion over five years in long-needed coastal protections.

Operation UNIFIER  Mr. Chair, I would like to thank my hon. colleague for his question, because it is absolutely key to how we address situations like this in the future. It is not good enough just to talk about defence or just to talk about development or just to talk about diplomacy; we need all three pieces of the puzzle.

Operation UNIFIER  Mr. Chair, as I mentioned during my speech, there are advantages to being part of a team, to having a coordinated long-term vision and the idea that a team can work together to maximize and rationalize all the support and effort that it is putting forward. That is why this kind of teamwork approach, a multinational approach, is exactly the right one going forward to make sure that all of the effort is not just in one sector, that it is equally shared, and that each nation gets to provide those pieces of that puzzle that they are most efficient at.

Operation UNIFIER  Mr. Chair, I would like to reiterate that from the experience and training I have had in the past, I know that one of the keys to providing long-term stability in a country is to understand the networks of women. That is one of the reasons that a great deal of our developmental aid is focused on women.

Operation UNIFIER  Mr. Chair, I would like to thank the member for Montarville for generously splitting his time with me tonight. I will build upon what he has already spoken this evening. To assist Ukraine in driving its ambitious reform efforts forward, Canada helped the Government of Ukraine develop key reform plans, following the revolution of dignity, including constitutional, electoral, judicial, social policy, and health plans, under the rubric of the multinational joint commission.

National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians Act  Mr. Speaker, we have missed having a committee that could do this kind of parliamentary oversight in terms of national security. What we have proposed is a committee that would be effective in being able to review and oversee national security. It is balanced. It is responsive to the security situation.

National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians Act  It is always a balancing act, Mr. Speaker. It is about finding that best compromise, about trying to build that consensus. The member is right that people do not get everything they want, but what we came up with is a compromise that would best suit Canada, that would best balance the need for national security oversight with rights and values and freedoms.

National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians Act  Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise during this report stage to continue our review of Bill C-22, which would create a committee of parliamentarians on national security matters. I am pleased to see that today this bill has not only been through committee scrutiny, but thanks to all of that work, the advice of experts, many stakeholders, and the voices of Canadians, we have landed on a version that balances all those concerns.

Railway Safety Act  Madam Speaker, I am pleased to have the opportunity to speak to Bill C-322, which would amend the Railway Safety Act and provide the Minister of Transport with an authority to order a railway company to construct a road crossing. I will explain the reasons why the government will not support the bill.

Railway Safety Act  Madam Speaker, I would like to start by thanking the hon. member for her initiative and her speech this morning. I am very pleased to have the opportunity to speak about Bill C-322, which would amend the Railway Safety Act to provide the Minister of Transport—

The Environment  Mr. Speaker, we are committed to delivering on a mandate, and we are putting significant money, $1.5 billion, into an oceans protection plan. We need to manage our natural resources, all of our resources, and we need to spend taxpayers' money responsibly. In support of the Canadian transportation sector, it will be about building new markets and new gateways, providing better service to Canadians.

Air Transportation  Mr. Speaker, any decision about Canada's transportation system will be in the best interests of Canadian travellers and Canadian gateways. We will make strategic investments in trade and transportation projects that build stronger more efficient transportation corridors to international markets and help Canadian businesses to compete, grow, and create more jobs for the middle class.