Supplementary Estimates (A), 2019-20  Madam Chair, I would now like to ask about the international operations of the Canadian Armed Forces. Our military always punches above its weight when it deploys and it does great work abroad. Could the minister provide more details on the important work our military personnel have been doing around the world, working closely with our allies and partners?

Supplementary Estimates (A), 2019-20  Madam Chair, as this is the first time I am formally addressing the House, I would like to thank the residents of Davenport for placing their trust in me once again and electing me for the second time. I am pleased to rise in the House this evening to speak about the ways National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces are partnering with Canadians to enhance our national security.

Supplementary Estimates (A), 2019-20  Mr. Chair, I also want to thank the minister for his excellent speech and for his leadership on national defence. We know that Canada is a world leader in terms of the proportion of women in its military and the areas in which they serve. Can the minister please inform this House as to what the forces are doing to promote women as an integral part of the Canadian Armed Forces?

Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement Implementation Act  Madam Speaker, I do not quite agree with everything the hon. member mentioned, but I agree that our small businesses are the heart and soul of our economy. Our government has spent a lot of time trying to do everything it can to support our businesses. We have reduced small business taxes from 11% to 9% in the time we have been in office over the last three and a half years.

Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement Implementation Act  Madam Speaker, I talked about the environmental benefits, as well as the labour benefits, of the new USMCA. I mentioned how we have provided some additional protections around the environment and labour, and we are very proud of those enhancements. It does not mean that moving forward, we will not continue to improve on those areas among our respective countries, or that we should not try to improve on them as we move forward.

Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement Implementation Act  Madam Speaker, we all know that for over a year Canada negotiated hard to modernize our free trade agreement with the United States and Mexico, because we knew how important it was to get a deal that was good for Canadian workers, Canadian businesses and communities across Canada.

Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement Implementation Act  Madam Speaker, indeed the softwood lumber industry is absolutely important in Canada. I did slightly mention it in my over 17 minutes of speaking today. I mentioned it when I was talking about chapter 19. As everyone in the House knows, when we were deep in negotiations, our Minister of Foreign Affairs was adamant about keeping chapter 19, which we had in the original NAFTA.

Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement Implementation Act  Madam Speaker, I will be sharing my time with the member for Joliette.

Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement Implementation Act  Madam Speaker, while we are figuring that out, I will speak to the bill. It is an absolute pleasure for me to be speaking, on behalf of the residents of my riding of Davenport, to Bill C-100, an act to implement the agreement between Canada, the United States of America and the United Mexican States.

Government Policies  Madam Speaker, it should come as no surprise that the Leader of the Opposition has discredited economic views to match his discredited social views. Recently he stated that the government had no role in helping lift people out of poverty. While this explains the terrible Conservative track record on poverty reduction, it ignores that the Liberal government has helped lift more than 820,000 Canadians out of poverty, achieving the lowest level of poverty in Canada's history.

Portugal Heritage Month  Mr. Speaker, for the second year, June is celebrated nationally as Portugal Heritage Month. As the member of Parliament for Davenport, home of the largest Portuguese community in Canada, I am inspired every day by the hard-working Portuguese whose passion for their families, church, community and soccer is second to none.

Health  Mr. Speaker, thalidomide was used off-label in the 1950s and early 1960s to treat morning sickness in pregnant women. The drug had devastating consequences and led to miscarriages, birth defects such as missing organs and stunted limbs, and premature death. Our national government has taken action in launching a new, more compassionate support program: the Canadian thalidomide survivors support program.

The Environment  Mr. Speaker, I think there have been some questions within my riding. I am not afraid of these hard questions and hard discussions within my riding. Here is what the conversation was about a few nights ago. We talked about how the move to a low-carbon economy is not going to happen overnight.

The Environment  Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the member for his question, and I also want to say welcome and congratulations to him on being here. One thing I mentioned at the top of my speech is one of the reasons I am very excited about this particular motion. Liberals have indicated that not only do we feel we are doing a lot in terms of combatting climate change, but I also think we recognize that we need to do more.

The Environment  Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure to be speaking to the motion today on behalf of the residents of Davenport. Climate change, transitioning into a low-carbon economy and finding ways to live sustainably are key issues for my riding. Before I go any further, I am very pleased to be sharing my time with the member for Cloverdale—Langley City.