Order Respecting the Business of the House and its Committees  Mr. Speaker, this is my first intervention in the 44th Parliament, so I would like to thank the people of Berthier—Maskinongé for their renewed trust. I would also like to congratulate you on your re-appointment. With respect to the matter before us, our hon. colleague said the Bloc Québécois has demonstrated goodwill and a willingness to collaborate from the start.

Budget Implementation Act, 2021, No. 1  Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for New Westminster—Burnaby for his speech. As with the previous speaker, we agree with the NDP on many things. Quite honestly, I have to tell my esteemed colleague that I am disappointed we have not been on the same page more often. I would like to talk about health transfers.

Budget Implementation Act, 2021, No. 1  Madam Speaker, we can certainly reconcile the two. I thank my colleague, who I dare not name, for his good question. Sometimes what the opposition parties and often the government seem to fail to grasp is that we are a party of propositions. There are two ways to be the opposition in life.

Budget Implementation Act, 2021, No. 1  Madam Speaker, I thank my esteemed colleague from Drummond for his question. My answer will be mixed. There have indeed been actions taken to support farmers, but often they are inadequate one-offs, involving meagre amounts that, I just said earlier, are used to make “mini-announcements” rather than bring in anything permanent.

Budget Implementation Act, 2021, No. 1  Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for his excellent question. It is all in how these things are handled. The important thing is making sure support measures incentivize people to work. We have hammered that point home constantly over the past year. Let us help people. Rather than reducing benefit amounts, let us create an incentive for people to get jobs.

Budget Implementation Act, 2021, No. 1  Madam Speaker, it is because this man's name is etched on my heart. The name of his riding is Bécancour—Nicolet—Saurel. I was saying that members need to remind themselves of their commitment. I invite them to think of the people who call their riding office to tell them how they are struggling to put food on the table.

Budget Implementation Act, 2021, No. 1  Madam Speaker, I thank all my colleagues for giving me their consent; it was very nice of them. This morning, it seems to me that I will be repeating things we have been saying for a while now. Evidently, it takes a lot of repetition for the message to sink in. I will start by talking about health transfers.

Budget Implementation Act, 2021, No. 1  Madam Speaker, before I start my speech, I seek unanimous consent to split my time with the hon. member for Shefford.

Budget Implementation Act, 2021, No. 1  Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for his speech. We do not often agree, but it is a pleasure to work with him, especially in committee. I really like the part of the Conservatives' discourse on effective spending and the need to target the right people. My colleague spoke of big companies that sought out financial aid, while small businesses, especially travel agencies, did not receive adequate support.

Budget Implementation Act, 2021, No. 1  Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for his speech and for speaking at length about agriculture. I understand that he wants us to turn our attention to what comes after COVID-19, but I would like him to speak to what happened during the pandemic. In question period today, I asked why support for mandatory quarantines was cut in half a few days ago when the war on COVID-19 is not over and our farmers need support.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship  Madam Speaker, on Wednesday, the federal assistance that farmers are receiving to cover the costs of quarantine for their temporary foreign workers was cut in half. Ottawa was giving farmers a reimbursement of up to $1,500 to apologize for forcing them to cover the costs of quarantine.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship  Madam Speaker, when the minister announced $1,500 to help cover the cost of worker quarantines, she gave farmers her word. She said, “This program will be available as long as the Quarantine Act is in force”. Quarantine is still mandatory. There is no logical reason for her to cut this financial assistance in half.

Business of Supply  Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate my colleague from Shefford on her speech. I would like her to tell me what she thinks about the fact that the minister is holding on to his position. What message does that send to women who want to pursue a career in the Canadian Armed Forces?

Business of Supply  Mr. Speaker, I have been listening to the minister, and I will get right to the point. I understand that he might be feeling bitter about being the subject of a Conservative motion, since the Conservatives are the ones who made all kinds of cuts to defence and veterans affairs.

High School Graduates in Quebec  Today, I want to congratulate the graduates of the various high schools across Quebec. The very important last years of their journey, when people build bonds and friendships that often last a lifetime, did not go as planned, but humans are resilient. I am sure these students found a way to make the most of the situation.