Economic Action Plan 2014 Act, No. 2  Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to speak today in support of Bill C-43, the economic action plan 2014 act, no. 2. I would like to thank the member for Crowfoot for sharing the time that he has as the Minister of State for Finance with me. Just over a year ago I was honoured to be elected to represent the riding of Brandon—Souris.

Infrastructure  Mr. Speaker, the opposition's record on infrastructure is abysmal. The Liberals did nothing in 13 years in power. The NDP has voted against every penny that we have ever put forward. That is quite a contrast from our Conservative government, which has put the building Canada plan in place and enhanced the gas tax, doubled it, indexed it, and made it permanent.

Agricultural Growth Act  Mr. Speaker, it is just as I said earlier. This bill is so important in bringing us up to the rest of the world in terms of UPOV '91. We had fallen behind. We were still in the 1950s, and this is a great opportunity for us to move forward in the world and be able to be competitive with others.

Agricultural Growth Act  Mr. Speaker, as pointed out in my presentation, there were amendments that came forward. My colleagues did put some amendments forward in regard to ensuring that farmers could grow their own seed and use it on their own farming operations, not sell it in other commercial entities.

Agricultural Growth Act  Mr. Speaker, it is a privilege to have the opportunity to explain why I support Bill C-18. The agricultural growth act proposes to modernize the legislative framework that supports Canada's agricultural and agri-food industry. This framework helps to protect the safety of the food we eat and helps our farmers and producers compete successfully in global markets.

Protection of Canada from Terrorists Act  Mr. Speaker, I referred to proposed subsection 18.1(4) in the bill. The amicus curiae is an opportunity for at least some protection with regard to having an anonymous third party. This third party would keep the people in the security system anonymous, whether offshore or here in Canada, and this would benefit the security of all Canadians.

Protection of Canada from Terrorists Act  Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague for that question. It is a very good one. Certainly if these people were not to receive the protection that is offered in this bill, their lives would be jeopardized. I think that is an untenable position to put Canadian people in when they are trying to do their very best in regard to the security of our country and all of its citizens.

Protection of Canada from Terrorists Act  Mr. Speaker, today I as well rise to speak in support of Bill C-44, the protection of Canada from terrorists act. The bill aims to make amendments to the way CSIS, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, does business. CSIS was created in 1984 in response to the McDonald commission's identifying a need for an intelligence service independent from the RCMP.

Committees of the House  Mr. Speaker, the assumption is that the infrastructure is not being built in Canada, but it is. We have tremendous infrastructure projects going on in Canada. Exactly the types of programs I outlined in my presentation today are the reason young people are able to access the trades, whether it is welding or electronics.

Committees of the House  Mr. Speaker, the member for Winnipeg North is correct with regard to the importance of the aboriginal community in our society, particularly in Manitoba, which has the second-highest rate of aboriginal growth in Canada. That is why the very programs I have outlined are so important.

Committees of the House  Mr. Speaker, it is a privilege to be here today and to speak to this issue. Our government is committed to helping young people participate in the labour market. In fact, we agree with the recommendations of the finance committee's recent report on youth employment. Canada's future success is very much dependent on the academic and economic success of our young people.

National Defence  Mr. Speaker, according to video reports, about 50 members of the Albu Nimr tribe, a Sunni clan flighting ISIL in Anbar province to the west of Baghdad, were abducted by ISIL forces. Their fate is unknown, but they are believed to be the latest casualties of ISIL who have killed hundreds in mass executions in recent days.

26th Field Regiment of the Royal Canadian Artillery  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the men and women of the 26th Field Regiment of the Royal Canadian Artillery. This past weekend, the community gathered for its 66th annual military ball, which is the longest consecutive military ball in Canada. During this special evening, the 26th Field Regiment honoured its former commanding officer, retired Colonel Don Berry.

Canadian Armed Forces  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the men and women of our Canadian Armed Forces. This week's tragic events provide yet again another reminder of the sacrifice and courage of our brave men and women in uniform. As the member for Brandon—Souris, it gives me great pride to have CFB Shilo as part of our southwestern Manitoba community.

Digital Privacy Act  Mr. Speaker, it is important that we move the bill forward as quickly as we can so that we can put in place the laws that will protect Canadians' private information in the digital world. I think that is a key to being able to move the bill. Certainly we are supporting the process of Bill S-4 coming forward.