Canada's Contribution to the Effort to Combat ISIL  Mr. Speaker, I will be splitting my time with the member for Don Valley East. I am proud to rise in the House today to endorse a motion that supports the government's decision to broaden, improve, and redefine Canada's contribution to the effort to combat ISIL. This decision will help better leverage Canadian expertise and complement the work of our coalition partners to ensure maximum effect.

Operation Provision  Mr. Speaker, last month constituents throughout Fredericton, New Maryland, Oromocto, and the Grand Lake region were proud to welcome home troops serving in Operation Provision. On January 12, in the wee hours of the morning, 58 soldiers arrived at 5th Canadian Division Support Base Gagetown after working in Beirut and Amman to process Syrian refugees destined for Canada.

Canada Labour Code  Madam Speaker, it is great to be back in the House. I spent a week in my riding, where I had the opportunity to speak with individuals and families who have been negatively affected by the previous government's bills. I had the great pleasure of spending some time in the riding this past week, talking with individuals and families in Oromocto, family members of civilian employees at Canada's largest military training base, Base Gagetown.

Canada Labour Code  Madam Speaker, not only is it the financial contribution that organized labour adds to communities, but physical support, support for charities, for community building endeavours, for those less fortunate in our communities. It is, by and large, the labour movement that is always leading or very much active in all sorts of different activities that take place, throughout Fredericton, New Maryland, Oromocto, clear across the Grand Lake region, which I have the honour of representing.

Canada Labour Code  Madam Speaker, this is about restoring and resetting the relationship with the labour movement across the country, as we are set to do with many other stakeholder groups in communities who have been left hung out to dry by the previous government. At the end of the day, we need to ensure that we are fair in our deliberations, that we listen, that we come with evidence to support the decisions we are making, but that we be open to considering alternative views from what we may initially think is the case.

Canada Labour Code  Madam Speaker, I agree with the member opposite that accountability is paramount in all our actions. That is why we are undertaking to repeal the bills. We are holding ourselves accountable to the commitment we made to Canadians in the election to reintroduce fairness into Canada's Parliament and the way we work hard for people in our community.

Canada Labour Code  Madam Speaker, the government is repealing two laws that have changed the way unions operate. Bill C-377 has created unnecessary red tape and has put organized labour at a disadvantage in the collective bargaining process. Bill C-525 makes it more difficult for employees to unionize and easier for a bargaining agent to be decertified.

Canadian Heritage  Mr. Speaker, Canadians know that our nation's audiovisual and arts and culture promotion sectors are important to our economy. Yesterday the Minister of Canadian Heritage signed an audiovisual coproduction treaty with the Ambassador of Ireland to Canada. Can the minister explain how that will benefit Canada's audiovisual industry?

Income Tax Act  Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague from Skeena—Bulkley Valley. I think it is okay that expectations are high. After 10 deplorable years, certainly in my region of the country, people made a decision on October 19 that they had had enough. I think the member would agree that he had had enough of those 10 years as well.

Income Tax Act  Mr. Speaker, the words just delivered by my friend on this side of the floor speak volumes. I will say that providing the space of $5,500 is adequate to ensure that average Canadians can save, while also ensuring that we provide support where it is needed most. Many of the people graduating from university in the next number of years—again, from those fine institutions in my riding—will be looking to secure employment and pay down debt.

Income Tax Act  Mr. Speaker, my colleague across the way must have missed the part in my speech where I mentioned how we are going to lift hundreds of thousands of children out of poverty with the new Canada child benefit that will support nine out of ten Canadian families, giving them more each month than what they currently receive under the former Conservative government's scheme.

Income Tax Act  Mr. Speaker, it will come as no surprise when I say that Canada is going through tough economic times. However, along with this real challenge, we also have a real opportunity for establishing the conditions needed for long-term growth, which in turn will create good jobs and contribute to the prosperity of the middle class, the lifeblood of our economy.

Income Tax Act  Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague, who has had a long and distinguished career in the House. I have a great deal of respect and admiration for him. He spoke about the middle-class tax cut as one plank in an ambitious agenda that would provide economic and social support to Canada's middle class and those in more vulnerable situations struggling to join the middle class.

Income Tax Act  Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for his excellent speech this Monday afternoon. I was disappointed to hear that the member does not agree with the idea of delivering upwards of hundreds of dollars, on average, to nine million Canadians, but I was pleased to hear that he agreed with our rolling back of the TFSA.

Resumption of Debate on Address in Reply  Mr. Speaker, it is clear that after 10 years of having all of our eggs in one basket this government is prepared to diversify its approach to economic growth. That means looking at all different sectors of the economy to ensure that families, professionals, and people who go to work each day have an opportunity to share in the socio-economic wealth of our great country.