Finance  Mr. Speaker, this week the government tabled the supplementary estimates (A), seeking Parliament's approval for important investments in Canadians and their communities. These estimates raised the bar once more on openness, transparency, and accountability. Will the Parliamentary Secretary to the President of the Treasury Board please tell this House about the steps the government is taking to allow Canadians to more easily track how the government spends its money?

Business of Supply  Madam Speaker, I am not sure I am that great a hockey player, although that is what my colleague here says. We have a proven record in terms of negotiating with the dairy sector for compensation when free trade agreements are signed and ratified. We are talking about CETA. We have engaged with the dairy sector.

Business of Supply  Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for the question. The dairy sector is important to me. In my riding, there are more than 300 dairy farmers. We promised to consult the farming sector and dairy farmers on compensation in the Canada-European Union trade agreement, and that is precisely what we are going to do in three weeks' time.

Business of Supply  Madam Speaker, at the time, we were not sure where we would go with the committee, but the committee on international trade decided to embark on a cross-Canada consultation, and they have already met with the Saskatchewan Cattlemen's Association, the Alberta Wheat Commission, National Farmers Union, British Columbia Cattlemen's Association, Canadian Agri-food Trade Alliance, Manitoba Beef Producers, Cereals Canada, Manitoba Pork Council, and more.

Business of Supply  Madam Speaker, I will be sharing my time with the member for Hull—Aylmer. I am pleased to speak today to the considerable benefits of international trade for Canada's agriculture and agri-food industry. This sector accounts for more than $60 billion of Canada's exports, generates more than $100 billion, or almost 7% of Canada's GDP, and creates jobs for more than two million Canadians.

Canadian Heritage  Madam Speaker, to ensure greater transparency and efficiency, and in keeping with this government's approach, the Minister of Canadian Heritage recently delegated significant authority for the funding of various organizations. Can the minister share with us the purpose of this delegation of authority and the results to date?

Business of Supply  Mr. Speaker, I listened to a good speech. In Wonderland, the budget could be balanced and our dairy producers could be compensated. However, in reality, the NDP's decision to go with balancing the budget would have made it impossible for it to ever compensate Canada's dairy producers.

Business of Supply  Mr. Speaker, my colleague is absolutely right. The official opposition says that we need to act right now, but for five years now, the Conservatives have been asleep at the switch and doing nothing. That is why we are now facing this problem today. The NDP talks about compensation, and its former leader said that he wanted to balance the budget at all costs.

Business of Supply  Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Berthier—Maskinongé. That is what we are doing here. This motion is nothing but empty rhetoric. It will not help dairy producers. Yesterday, we had the opportunity to hear from the Dairy Farmers of Canada at the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food, but my colleague from Berthier—Maskinongé did not stop talking in order to keep us from hearing them.

Business of Supply  Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for the question. When the house is destroyed, it takes a lot more time to renovate it. This is exactly the situation we are in. We have been caught with our pants down, as they say. This has been a longstanding issue. However, I did not hear my colleague speak as strongly, when he was in government, to defend the interests of dairy farmers with respect to diafiltered milk.

Business of Supply  Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Guelph for his question. Yesterday I was truly saddened by the state of our politics. I have only been in politics for six months. Prior to that, I was in the private sector, and in the private sector this would never have happened. In front of witnesses, both the official opposition and my colleague from Berthier—Maskinongé kept talking and talking, rather than hearing about the dairy producers of Canada.

Business of Supply  Mr. Speaker, I will be sharing my time with the member for Avignon—La Mitis—Matane—Matapédia. I am very concerned about the importation of diafiltered milk because it affects many people in my riding. I have the honour of representing the people of Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, a large region with a vibrant and active agricultural industry.

Business of Supply  Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his speech. I, too, have a good memory. I remember that, during the election campaign, his leader said he would balance the budget no matter what. That makes me wonder how he can advocate for compensation, which would have been impossible under a balanced budget.

Business of Supply  Mr. Speaker, I listened closely to my colleague’s speech. Yesterday, in the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food, we had an opportunity to hear from Canada’s dairy farmers. However, because the opposition members would not stop talking, we did not have the opportunity to listen to what Canada’s dairy farmers had to say.

Franco-Ontarian Community  Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate the Province of Ontario and Premier Kathleen Wynne for apologizing to Franco-Ontarians on Monday. With that historic gesture, Ms. Wynne recognized that Ontario violated the rights of the Franco-Ontarian community and threatened its long-term survival.