Budget Implementation Act, 2021, No. 1  Madam Speaker, I would say to my hon. colleague that I am quite disappointed that the Bloc will not be supporting the budget. There are a lot of very important investments that matter to Quebec and, of course, to his constituents as well. Although it does not come as a surprise, it does come as a disappointment.

Budget Implementation Act, 2021, No. 1  Madam Speaker, it is great to see some of my colleagues having a good laugh, some good discourse and a level of levity, despite the challenging circumstances. I am very pleased to have the chance to speak to Bill C-30, which is the budget implementation act. I had the chance a couple weeks ago to speak to the budget writ large, and I am going to use my time here today to highlight some investments that may not be the headlines, but which I think are extremely important to what the budget represents in terms of major proposed programs.

Do More Ag Foundation  Mr. Speaker, it has been a difficult year for the mental health of Canadians across the country because of COVID-19, and that includes the men and women who work in our agriculture sector. Last week, I had the opportunity to speak with Kim Keller, a canola farmer from Melfort, Saskatchewan, and Amy VanderHeide, a farmer from my riding in Kings—Hants, about the Do More Ag Foundation and its work to ensure there are mental health supports in place for Canadian farmers and their families.

The Budget  Madam Speaker, there are a couple of things that my hon. colleague from Lethbridge said that I want to address before I get to my question. She talked about investments and Canadians' footing the bill. I was disappointed that she was not recognizing that those investments were, indeed, for the benefit of Canadians.

The Budget  Madam Speaker, I, like the member opposite, understand the importance of agriculture, but I want to correct the record. There were almost $400 million in the fall economic statement for greening initiatives in agriculture to support the work that is already going on, and there are almost $400 million more in the budget, so I was a little disappointed in his remarks.

Governor General's Act  Madam Speaker, I would like to thank my hon. colleague for Mirabel for bringing forward this legislation. Of course, as was articulated just before he finished his speech, that very well could have been his last speech in the House, so I would like to congratulate him for his time and his service on behalf of his constituents and, indeed, his family for the sacrifices they have made to allow him to be in this place.

Criminal Code  Madam Speaker, I take issue with a couple of things in my hon. colleague's remarks. At the onset of his speech, he talked about this being an undemocratic exercise of the government's discretion. Then he just talked about using a national tragedy as a rationale for bringing this policy forward.

The Budget  Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question. I am sorry to have to reply in English, but my French is fair to middling. Regarding support for seniors, I was very pleased to see the 10% increase in old age security for seniors who are over age 75. I will be honest: I would have liked to see a bit more emphasis on the guaranteed income supplement.

The Budget  Madam Speaker, I would reject the premise that our government has not been doing anything to help individuals suffering from energy poverty or anything along those lines. From day one, we have increased taxes on the 1% and lowered taxes for middle-income and lower-income Canadians.

The Budget  Madam Speaker, my hon. colleague opposite hit on the point of regulatory reform. I do not know if she is aware, but in September 2020 I talked about the importance of regulatory reform as a mechanism in addition to the necessary spending the government is taking on. That is certainly the line of thinking I support.

The Budget  Madam Speaker, it is a pleasure to join all of my colleagues here today to talk about a historic budget delivered by our first female Minister of Finance and, of course, our Deputy Prime Minister. Let me take a moment at the start of my remarks to compliment her on her tremendous work.

2020 Shootings in Nova Scotia  Mr. Speaker, a year ago today, Nova Scotians began to realize the gravity of the horrific events of the Nova Scotia shooting, which began in Portapique and impacted communities across the province, including the communities I represent in Kings—Hants. There were 22 innocent lives lost, including an expectant mother, in a senseless and cowardly act of violence that words simply cannot properly describe.

Criminal Code  Madam Speaker, it is always great to see my colleague across the way, and we do enjoy a great relationship on the agriculture committee. The member opposite is bringing up issues from far in the past as opposed to focusing on the issue at hand around the servicing of Canadians who could benefit from this type of aspect.

Criminal Code  Madam Speaker, I think that this type of legislation is taking a progressive step in terms of recognizing petty drug possession as a health issue as opposed to a justice issue. However, I cannot speak to the member that she quoted in terms of his comments around politics. I can say that, ideologically, I do not know myself, as a parliamentarian, if I am completely on the basis that decriminalization of all drugs is the best public policy approach despite the fact that there have been some experts suggesting that is the way forward.

Criminal Code  Madam Speaker, I would agree with my hon. colleague opposite that housing is a key issue right now. That is why we put in place the rapid housing initiative, $1 billion to help support individuals and marginalized communities across the country. I do not have a crystal ball on what our Minister of Finance will have on Monday, but I suspect there will be additional supports that focus on ensuring we have affordable housing to have basic shelter in place.