The Environment  Mr. Speaker, Volkswagen's diesel engine scandal is one of the worst environmental crimes committed in Canada, but the Liberal government's response was completely inadequate. No one from the government is able to answer questions about why they waited years before laying charges, or why the penalties were so small in comparison to what Volkswagen paid in the U.S.

The Environment  Madam Speaker, Canadians are tired of waiting for the government, tired of watching it miss every single climate target it sets. When the Liberals finally introduced climate accountability legislation, not only was it full of gaps, putting off accountability for a decade, but now the government seems to be putting off debate on the bill indefinitely.

Economic Statement Implementation Act, 2020  Madam Speaker, in response to the member's comments, a recent poll showed that three-quarters of Canadians support a tax on the super wealthy. This is an issue that could stimulate the economy, but also make sure that the people at the very top pay their fair share. What is the member's opinion on that?

Broadcasting Act  Madam Speaker, the member mentioned the layoffs we have seen over the past few weeks. In my riding of Victoria, we have seen Bell Media laying off staff at Bell-owned stations, like CFAX, CTV News Vancouver Island. Bell received $122 million in pandemic relief-related subsidies and has paid out increased dividends to their shareholders, and then it turned around this week and laid off hard-working news staff.

Small Business  Mr. Speaker, with all due respect, more loans and more debt is not the answer for these businesses. I am glad the government has made some changes, and I am proud of the work the NDP has done pushing for these much-needed improvements, but there are still too many small businesses, especially start-ups, falling through the cracks.

Small Business  Mr. Speaker, small businesses are at the heart of our local economies. They create jobs and add value to our communities. They have been doing their part during the COVID-19 pandemic by closing their doors to support public health and adapting, and the NDP has pushed the government to give these small businesses the help they need by improving the commercial rent and wage subsidy programs.

Business of Supply  Madam Speaker, the member spoke about our close economic ties with the U.S. and the opportunity to dig into the impact on climate. The Biden administration issued executive orders on climate policies, and one in particular was to eliminate fossil fuel subsidies. When I asked the Prime Minister why Canada will not immediately end all fossil fuel subsidies, he said that Canada was eliminating fossil fuel subsidies, that the U.S. was following Canada's lead and that we are on schedule to eliminate fossil fuel subsidies.

Petitions  Mr. Speaker, I have two petitions to present today. The first petition I am presenting is on behalf of over 9,500 Canadians, and I want to thank Don't Forget Students for its advocacy. Post-secondary students are taking on unprecedented amounts of debt. Student debt in Canada exceeds $36 billion, with $18 billion owed federally, and is the cause of one in six bankruptcies.

Petitions  Mr. Speaker, the second petition is from constituents concerned about the Trans Mountain expansion project. They highlight a number of important points. The cost of the project has more than doubled to $12.6 billion, and given construction delays, will likely be much higher. Canadian tax dollars are at risk, but billions of dollars yet to be spent and could be reallocated toward ambitious investments in the clean economy, which would create much-needed jobs in sectors hard hit by the pandemic and by the downturn in the oil industry.

The Environment  Mr. Speaker, last week, President Biden followed the EU by issuing an executive order to eliminate fossil fuel subsidies, saying, “I don't think the federal government should give handouts to Big Oil”. However, that is exactly what the Liberal government keeps doing: giving handouts to big oil and gas companies.

Child Care  Mr. Speaker, a few weeks ago I had the pleasure of sharing the exciting news that I am expecting my first child, and it gave me the opportunity to connect with many new and expecting parents. While welcoming a new baby is an exciting time, many parents are facing serious financial challenges.

Oil Tanker Moratorium Act  Mr. Speaker, today we are talking about the Oil Tanker Moratorium Act, which protects a region in northern B.C. from the devastating impacts of a crude oil spill. The oil tanker moratorium has overwhelming support from residents along the north coast, and represents decades of work from a coalition of first nations, unions, environmentalists and community leaders.

Canada—United Kingdom Trade Continuity Agreement Implementation Act  Mr. Speaker, I would like to hear the member's thoughts on investor-state provisions. We were supposed to see provisions that would improve transparency, but foreign companies will still have access to a special court system to challenge Canadian laws without going through domestic courts.

The Environment  Mr. Speaker, on Tuesday, President Biden held a climate day, signing a series of executive orders to take ambitious action on the climate crisis with a focus on jobs, equity and scientific integrity. His sweeping new orders included freezing new oil and gas leases on public lands, cutting fossil fuel subsidies and establishing a civilian climate corps to put people to work conserving and restoring the environment.

Religious Freedom  Mr. Speaker, today marks four years since the horrific attack on le Centre Culturel Islamique de Québec, the Quebec City mosque massacre. Fuelled by Islamophobia and hate, an armed man walked into the mosque during peaceful prayer and took the lives of six people, wounding many others.