Irish Heritage Month  Madam Speaker, I am honoured to speak in support of recognizing the month of March as Irish heritage month, a month in which we are encouraged to go green on St. Patrick's Day. I would first like to thank my friend and colleague from across the aisle, the member for Etobicoke—Lakeshore, with whom I have the pleasure of working on the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights, for moving this motion to highlight the many contributions Irish Canadians have made to our country and to celebrate Canada's Irish heritage.

Petitions  Madam Speaker, I am presenting a petition today that seeks to shine a light on the very dark and tragic days being lived by those in the Tigray region of Ethiopia, where there are credible reports of gross and egregious human rights abuses. These horrific reports include allegations of widespread sexual violence, extrajudicial executions and indiscriminate gunfire.

Canada—United Kingdom Trade Continuity Agreement Implementation Act  Madam Speaker, times were very different then, I have to say, because we embarked, in the former Conservative government, on an aggressive trade agenda. We understood that we needed to open up markets around the world to Canadian businesses, Canadian exporters and Canadian importers.

Canada—United Kingdom Trade Continuity Agreement Implementation Act  Madam Speaker, when it comes to protecting supply management, Conservative governments and the NDP have stood up for it and the Liberals are standing up for it now. It is very important that certain sectors in Canada are protected. When the CETA was being negotiated, it was a hard and fast bottom line for the Conservative government that we would not compromise on supply management.

Canada—United Kingdom Trade Continuity Agreement Implementation Act  Madam Speaker, in my speech I addressed the fact that this is a placeholder agreement. It should have been negotiated specifically for the new entity, which is the United Kingdom, separate from the EU. We have a certain amount of time to negotiate, but there is no sunset clause.

Canada—United Kingdom Trade Continuity Agreement Implementation Act  Madam Speaker, I rise today to debate Bill C-18, an act that seeks to implement the Canada-U.K. trade continuity agreement. Since the Canada-United States Free Trade Agreement was negotiated and signed by the Mulroney-led Conservative government in the 1980s, free trade has played a vital role in the Canadian economy.

Canada—United Kingdom Trade Continuity Agreement Implementation Act  Madam Speaker, to allow more voices to contribute to this debate, I would first like to seek the unanimous consent of the House to split my time with the member for Calgary Midnapore.

Airline Industry  Mr. Speaker, the aviation sector employs hundreds of my constituents and is a key economic driver. This sector is hemorrhaging, and B.C. residents are concerned that remote communities will lose the airports they rely on to transport people and critical supplies. Canadian airlines need a consistent and transparent recovery framework from the government.

Petitions  Mr. Speaker, I rise virtually today to present two petitions submitted by mothers in my riding of South Surrey—White Rock whose families have been affected by opioid addiction. Linda tragically lost her beautiful son Justin to a fentanyl overdose. Brenda worries for her son who has struggled with addiction in the past.

Petitions  Mr. Speaker, I would also like to present a petition calling on the Liberal government to apply Magnitsky sanctions against 14 officials from the Chinese Communist Party for various and serious human rights violations, including the persecution of the Falun Gong. As a lawyer and former administrative law judge on the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal, I have been a lifelong advocate for human rights at home and abroad.

COVID-19 Emergency Response  Mr. Speaker, fewer than 1% of Canadians have received their second dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. Forty-second is where Canada ranks on the world stage in terms of vaccines administered per capita. This is not the team Canada I know. This means more loved ones getting sick and more restrictions keeping us apart.

Public Safety  Mr. Speaker, cross-border Peace Arch Park in my riding is a U.S.-Canada border loophole. For Mike, Charlaine and their neighbours, who live next to the park, this is intolerable. Since Washington State reopened its side in May, visitors from across Canada and the U.S. are constantly meeting in the park and returning home, with no tracing, no quarantines.

Economic Statement Implementation Act, 2020  Madam Speaker, I know my colleague to be a very caring member of Parliament in high regard and of long-standing. This is where we should never have one-size-fits-all policies like this. We have to take into account specific circumstances. I agree that this seems like a huge bill for people who can ill afford it and who may have been put in that situation.

Economic Statement Implementation Act, 2020  Madam Speaker, it is unfortunate that the hon. member did not really listen to what I was saying, so I will repeat it. I said that I was in favour of helping Canadians, as my Conservative colleagues are. As he knows, we took a team Canada approach and supported many measures to help Canadians.

Economic Statement Implementation Act, 2020  Madam Speaker, actually, I am a great optimist. That is my personality. I really believe that Canada and Canadians will build their way out of our present situation through Canadian innovation and ingenuity, and through being responsible with spending and programs. We need to help, but we cannot do it without transparency.