Resumption of Debate on Address in Reply  Madam Speaker, yes, I did vote against the budget, and there is one big reason I voted against it. Just the other day, Bill Curry in The Globe and Mail said there was $600 billion of money that has not been accounted for. To function as a government, the government needs to be transparent and it is not, with more money spent ever than in the history of Canada.

Resumption of Debate on Address in Reply  Madam Speaker, that was a unanimous consent motion. All I can say is that we talk a lot about Quebec jurisdiction. We also need to talk about British Columbia jurisdiction. British Columbia only has six senators. I do not think there is a Supreme Court judge from British Columbia right now.

Resumption of Debate on Address in Reply  Madam Speaker, it is a true honour to stand here once again. My thanks to the hon. member for Brantford—Brant who may have just had his first speech in the House of Commons. I think that all of us Parliamentarians do better when we have more Crown prosecutors in the House of Commons to teach us about our justice system.

House debate  Mr. Chair, I would like to thank the new member for Aurora—Oak Ridges—Richmond Hill for probably one of her first speeches. Right now, forestry workers in my riding do not want to hear rhetoric about a win-win because this has already been a loss-loss. They have already lost the jobs, the mills are already closing and forestry companies in B.C. like West Fraser are looking to go south of the border.

House debate  Mr. Chair, it is a real pleasure to stand this evening and talk about timber, to talk about softwood lumber and the impact it is having across rural Canada. I appreciate the member for Timmins—James Bay raising the plight of workers. In my riding, workers have lost their jobs. They have lost their livelihoods and the ability to provide for their families because of government policy and government inaction in not reaching a softwood lumber agreement.

Infrastructure  Mr. Speaker, twice in as many weeks, my constituents in the Fraser Valley and the Fraser Canyon have been impacted by widespread flooding. Washed-out highways, flooded fields and swamped barns have impacted agricultural production. Canadians are incurring huge losses across the board.

Flooding in British Columbia  Mr. Speaker, yet another atmospheric river is hitting B.C. We are bracing for and actively experiencing even more flooding. I will be pushing the recently formed federal-provincial B.C. flood recovery committee for the critical infrastructure small communities cannot afford, dike repairs and a revamp of our emergency response policy to learn from our mistakes.

Forestry Industry  Madam Speaker, I will mention to the hon. member that reaching a deal is very important for British Columbia. When you move forward in the coming weeks and months, there should be a degree of transparency that lets industry know that the government is on their side and that you are giving a clear timeline about the actions you are taking when you are taking them.

Forestry Industry  Madam Speaker, the news last week that the Americans were doubling duties on softwood lumber for Canadian producers is yet another blow to B.C.'s economy. The communities I represent continue to be hammered by either natural disasters or now a failed trade policy. We simply cannot seem to catch a break.

Forestry Industry  Mr. Speaker, sometimes the lessons we do not like are the best lessons learned. It was over six years ago that the hon. member for Abbotsford negotiated the last softwood lumber agreement we had in Canada. Now, due to Liberal inaction, the Biden administration has doubled the tariffs, and the workers in my riding, where mills have been shut, are wondering when the Liberal government will give them a step-by-step process, a plan of assurance, to keep them in their homes, to give them a job, to give them a way to protect their families and provide for them.

Flooding in British Columbia  Madam Speaker, the other day I had a meeting with Chief Patrick Michell. He is a very dynamic individual and has worked really hard to get the federal government out of the way so Kanaka Bar Indian Band can build housing. Right now, as part of its infrastructure plan, I think the federal government needs to get housing built.

Flooding in British Columbia  Madam Speaker, the answer is absolutely yes. I worked hard with the member for Vancouver East on a study and it is very clear, especially in rural and northern communities, that indigenous people are not getting a fair shake from the federal government in terms of equal access to government programs.

Flooding in British Columbia  Madam Speaker, I owe my colleague from Vancouver East an apology, because during my caucus meeting today I missed our panel on CBC Radio in Vancouver. I apologize to her for that. I hope she stood up for the opposition. Regarding my colleague's question, I spoke with the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion about the supports the Government of Canada is going to provide to those who have been impacted by the floods, but to her specific question about how those benefits relate to people's income taxes and the income one is claiming at the end of the year, I think it would be helpful to receive some clarification from the minister.

Flooding in British Columbia  Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Saanich—Gulf Islands for keeping it real with respect to the impacts people are feeling right now. A friend on Facebook who I went to high school with said, “My house is flooded, but I can't leave my dogs.” For many people, and those of us who door-knock, basically one in three Canadians has a pet that is considered a part of the family.

Flooding in British Columbia  Madam Speaker, I agree with the member for North Okanagan—Shuswap. I have already been pushing the Minister of Infrastructure in this House since we have been here together. I had the most productive hour of my month on Monday when everyone was in the House of Commons and I could go from minister to minister, impressing upon them the need to take action for British Columbia.