Oil Tanker Moratorium Act  Mr. Speaker, I am proud to stand in the House on behalf of the residents of my riding of Davenport to support Bill C-48, the oil tanker moratorium act. The environment is very important to the residents of the riding of Davenport, so I stand to support this bill. For anyone who does not get a chance to watch this live, I want to review very quickly what the oil tanker moratorium act would do.

Points of Order  Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. On September 20, I introduced my private member's bill on Portuguese heritage month, and there is a correction and clarification I would like to make for the record. I misspoke at one point, and I would like to correct that. At around 12 minutes and 45 seconds into my 15-minute speech, I said, “There is no Portuguese fundraiser that is not supported by Local 182 and Local 506.

Housing  Mr. Speaker, today is designated by the United Nations as World Habitat Day, and this year's theme is affordable homes. I was pleased to accompany the Canadian delegation for the UN Habitat III in Quito, Ecuador last November. Based on the unprecedented investments in housing in our past two budgets, we know this government shares the important goal of providing Canadians with affordable homes.

Portuguese Heritage Month  Mr. Speaker, I love the story of Portuguese Joe. I love it because there is this connection between the Portuguese community and the first peoples of our country. I also love the statue. I have only seen pictures of it. I have not been blessed to see it, but I know it is a beautiful statue.

Portuguese Heritage Month  Mr. Speaker, I probably could have spent 15 minutes just talking about Portuguese food, because the porchetta sandwiches are very popular. These pork sandwiches are famous within the Portuguese community. I have just returned from a month in Portugal and was blessed to taste a lot of its fresh fish.

Portuguese Heritage Month  moved: That, in the opinion of the House, the government should recognize the important contributions Canadian Portuguese have made to building Canada and to Canadian society in general, the cultural diversity of the Portuguese communities in Canada, and the importance of educating and reflecting upon Portuguese heritage and culture for future generations by declaring June 10 as Portugal Day and the month of June as Portuguese Heritage Month.

Mexico  Mr. Speaker, on September 8, shortly before midnight, the largest earthquake in 100 years struck the Pacific coast of Mexico. The magnitude of the earthquake registered at 8.2 on the Richter scale and was felt by approximately 50 million people across the country, as far away as Mexico City.

Arts and Culture in Davenport  Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure for me to rise in the House today to promote and pay tribute to the rich arts and culture community in Davenport. From theatre, film, dance, publishing, visual arts, song writing, musicians, designers, writers, to gaming, we have it in Davenport. Earlier this year, I welcomed the Minister of Heritage in my riding.

Business of Supply  Mr. Speaker, as our Right Hon. Prime Minister said the other day in question period, all Canadians strongly support concrete actions toward nuclear disarmament. We believe that the step-by-step approach where we are engaging with those states with nuclear arms is the best way forward for us to move toward a world that is free of nuclear arms.

Business of Supply  Mr. Speaker, this is an issue that, as soon as I heard it was coming up for debate in this venerable House, I wanted to make sure I was a part of it. I personally am very passionate about nuclear disarmament. I feel very proud when I read about the former UN Secretary-General's five-point plan and about Canadian leadership in each of the areas of the plan.

Business of Supply  Mr. Speaker, I will be sharing my time with the very hon. member for Glengarry—Prescott—Russell. It is an honour to rise in this venerable House to speak on a topic of great importance, not only to the residents of my riding of Davenport, but to Canada, and indeed the world. Before I give my prepared speech, I want to say that on the surface, by the government not supporting this NDP motion, it seems that the government is saying we do not support nuclear disarmament, that this is not an issue of great importance to the government.

Portugal Day  Mr. Speaker, in honour of June 10, Portugal Day, I would like to pay tribute to nine Portuguese leaders who have been recognized in the community over the last couple of months. They are not only Portuguese leaders but they are Canadian leaders. They have made their community proud as they have made significant contributions that have made Canada a better country.

International Development  Mr. Speaker, there is a serious food crisis in Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan, and Yemen. At present, more than 20 million people are at risk of starvation as a result of severe drought and ongoing conflicts. Today, our government made an important announcement in that regard. Could the minister explain to the House how Canada plans to increase its contribution and further help the most vulnerable populations, who are the victims of this terrible crisis?

Petitions  Mr. Speaker, it is a privilege for me to rise in the House today to present an e-petition that was initiated by Ken Robertson, an urban aboriginal autism activist and a constituent of mine in my riding of Davenport. This e-petition calls on the federal government to gather data on urban aboriginal children with autism and the length of the wait list for support for off-reserve children.

Infrastructure  Mr. Speaker, a historic $180 billion has been committed to building much-needed infrastructure in communities right across Canada. Residents in my downtown Toronto riding of Davenport are looking forward to public transit projects, such as the relief line. They are also looking forward to more bike infrastructure, such as the further expansion of the West Toronto Railpath and the creation of the green line.