Budget Implementation Act, 2017, No. 1  Mr. Speaker, today I will be sharing my time with the member for Sackville—Preston—Chezzetcook. As the member of Parliament for Markham—Thornhill, I am honoured to stand in this House today to speak in support of the budget bill, Bill C-44, which, if passed, would see important measures for helping the government meet the commitments it has made to Canadians.

Business in Markham—Thornhill  Mr. Speaker, recently I participated in round tables with the Markham Board of Trade and industry leaders from high tech, digital, automotive, clean tech, and higher education. We discussed how to ensure that Markham continues to be a leader in our national economy. I learned about GM's new autonomous and connected cars centre, about IBM's innovation space and Markham convergence centre that are helping businesses take their technology to global markets, Icon Digital's state-of-the-art production facility, and Pond Technologies' commercialization of its research to fight climate change.

Students of Markham—Thornhill  Mr. Speaker, it is with great pride that I rise today to recognize the outstanding work done by the students in my riding of Markham—Thornhill. Thornlea Secondary School has partnered with Nubian Book Club and the HarryCares Foundation to support an ethical book drive. This book drive was organized to send much needed school and pleasure reading books to Nigeria.

Public Service Labour Relations Act  Mr. Speaker, we agree that a management rights clause should be in the bill. The government is proposing to adapt a more targeted management rights clause than that adopted by the Senate to focus on the authorities the commissioner needs to ensure effective police operations. The adoption of a management rights clause for the RCMP is consistent with the labour relations regime that applies to the rest of the federal public service and with that of other police forces across the country.

Public Service Labour Relations Act  Mr. Speaker, our government believes that we will bring some fairness back to the collective bargaining regime for members of the RCMP. We are rejecting the amendment for secret ballots because it is at odds with Bill C-4, which would restore a fair and level playing field to labour relations.

Public Service Labour Relations Act  Mr. Speaker, I will be splitting my time with the member for Mississauga—Lakeshore. It is my pleasure to rise today to speak in support of the government's proposed response to amendments made by the Senate to Bill C-7. I applaud this bill and the process that has led to where we are today.

Markham—Thornhill  Mr. Speaker, it is with great pride that I rise before this House as the newest member of Parliament for the dynamic and diverse riding of Markham—Thornhill. I wish to thank John McCallum for his great service over many years to that community. For 30 days in March, I met with thousands of families who shared their ambitions and their goals with me.

Public Transit  Mr. Speaker, my constituents of Markham—Thornhill know that public transit is critically important to reducing congestion, getting to work on time, and getting home to their families after a long day. Could the Prime Minister please update the House on the investments the government is making in public transit across the greater Toronto and Hamilton area?