Government Programs  Madam Speaker, last week I was in my constituency and I met three Canadians who shared with me some issues that matter to them. The first was Mohamed, a cab driver. He told me how grateful he is for the Canada child benefit, because now he can afford after-school programs for his three kids.

Employment Insurance  Mr. Speaker, the time has come when we should study the full parameters of this idea. Many people in my area of Calgary Centre, as well as some of the organizations there such as Spinal Cord Injury Alberta and the MS Society, have long advocated for a more flexible, more fair and more responsive employment insurance program that looks at sickness, not as how long one takes his or her benefits but how long one takes to recover, and puts that compassionate lens to the intersection of disability and work.

Indigenous Languages Act  Madam Speaker, I am from Calgary, and I am aware that in that city, on September 22, 1877, we came together and we became treaty people, with the settlers as well as the Blackfoot, the Stoney-Nakoda and the Sarcee people. I am proud to say that we share the land with them today.

Sien Lok Society of Calgary  Mr. Speaker, gong hey fat choy. The year 2019 is not only the Year of the Pig, but it is also the 50th anniversary of the Sien Lok Society of Calgary. It is my honour to congratulate it on 50 years of making real change in our community. Its initiatives include Sien Lok Park, establishing a scout troop, hosting events and more.

Business of Supply  Madam Speaker, I appreciate the member's intervention regarding the need for housing in Calgary. I think that is what our national housing strategy is hitting on. We know that in Calgary right now, there are over 18,000 people on a wait list at Calgary Housing alone for people who are in need of affordable housing, people who right now are in vulnerable situations, people who do not have a place to live.

Business of Supply  Madam Speaker, as the hon. member is well aware, the federal government has been absent from this field of being supportive of affordable housing for 25 years. For 25 years, the federal government was absent from leadership on providing affordable housing and moving the nation forward in this regard.

Business of Supply  Madam Speaker, I will be sharing my time with the member for Don Valley East. It is an honour to have this opportunity to talk about the progress our government is making to put more safe, affordable housing within the reach of Canadians, especially our most vulnerable populations.

Natural Resources  Mr. Speaker, Canada is investing in renewable energy technologies to reduce carbon emissions and create good middle-class jobs for Canadians. Could the Minister of Natural Resources provide the House with an update on the solar energy project he recently announced in Suffield, Alberta?

National Housing Strategy  Mr. Speaker, there was a time when some people and even some governments believed the best way to help those who struggled, who were poor, sick, disabled and homeless, was simply to leave them to those struggles. Sooner or later they would simply pull themselves up by their proverbial bootstraps and magically all would be solved.

Horizon Housing  Mr. Speaker, I have some good news to share with everyone. Because of our national housing strategy, kids with disabilities are finding places to live in their communities to build their lives. As members are aware, one in seven Canadians has a disability. However, many of these Canadian kids are growing up in hospitals because they do not have the supports they need.

International Day of Persons with Disabilities  Mr. Speaker, Monday was the International Day of Persons with Disabilities. We celebrate the contributions that persons with disabilities made to our society. We know that many people continue to face numerous barriers to inclusion. That is why our government introduced the accessible Canada act, to transform the way the government and federally regulated sectors remove barriers to accessibility in Calgary and across Canada.

Calgary Centre  Mr. Speaker, last week, I announced a $21-million investment in 16 Alberta businesses, with 11 in Calgary alone. The money will help them scale up, create jobs, and get their products to market faster both at home and abroad. The Calgary companies receiving support are: Aimsio, ATTAbotics, Enersoft, FLYHT Aerospace Solutions, Kent Imaging, Nanalysis, PK Sound, QuirkLogic, Recover Energy Services, Userful Corporation and Veerum.

Canada's Oil and Gas Sector  Mr. Speaker, there is no doubt that in the 21st century we have to move forward with indigenous consultation and environmental protection. We saw clearly much of the failure in the Harper Conservative era with their disregard for both of those approaches. That is where we are, stalled project after stalled project after stalled project.

Canada's Oil and Gas Sector  Mr. Speaker, with the deepest of respect to the hon. member, I think he may have lost track of his senses during that long list that he must have got from The Rebel Media. How can he even say that? Our government is so committed to the people of Alberta that we invested $4.5 billion in a pipeline.

Canada's Oil and Gas Sector  Mr. Speaker, the decade of failure by the Harper Conservatives to move forward one inch of pipeline toward new markets gives me confidence in what we are doing. We are investing in Trans Mountain to ensure that pipeline goes forward in the right way and that it will ensure access to new markets.