The Budget  Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to stand in this place to discuss the budget that is before the House. I only have a few minutes, so I would like to divide my remarks into, first, some general comments specifically relating to seniors, second, to speak to the health aspects of it, as I am the official opposition health critic, and third, to focus on British Columbia and the city of Victoria, which I represent.

Ethics  Mr. Speaker, evidence from the trial of former Conservative senator Mike Duffy has given rise to new questions about the Prime Minister's Office and its involvement in unreported lobbying and communications between Mike Duffy and Enbridge executives. Why did the Prime Minister ask Mike Duffy to send him a note on “Enbridge Line 9 problems” on February 17, 2012?

The Environment  Mr. Speaker, yesterday the finance minister openly admitted the budget would put a burden on future generations, which is just unacceptable. However, the irony that a budget that does not even mention climate change was introduced a day before Earth Day is not lost on British Columbians.

Business of Supply  Mr. Speaker, the word “urgent” is used in the motion before us, and there is no doubt that is the correct word. I would like to begin by quoting from Kai Nagata, who wrote in the Dogwood Initiative blog the following: One week ago Vancouver residents woke up to the news that a grain freighter at anchor had leaked bunker fuel into English Bay.

The Senate  Mr. Speaker, the unelectable, unaccountable, under investigation Senate is at it again. There is news today that at least 40 current and former senators have been asked by the Auditor General to account for questionable expenses. Sources have told the CBC that at least one Liberal senator has been unwilling to co-operate.

Parliament of Canada Act  Mr. Speaker, I should say the member for Winnipeg Centre. I stand corrected. I had the pleasure of speaking on that bill, and I found that it was a fascinating bill because it would have addressed the changes required to the access to information regime in a very specific way. What it did was call for the changes that the government had suggested when it was seeking a mandate from the Canadian public.

Parliament of Canada Act  Mr. Speaker, it is hard to say a lot in six minutes on an area as important as access to information, but let me do my best. Today, was a historic day. After two hard years of deliberation, our Information Commissioner, Madame Legault, brought forth a whole variety of recommendations to improve the Access to Information Act.

Health  Mr. Speaker, the reality is that federal leadership has never been so badly needed, yet the government has totally abandoned the field. Today marks the sad anniversary of the Conservatives' total abandonment of health accords. They failed to work with the provinces and territories to address the real challenges faced by our cherished public health care system.

Petitions  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to table a petition on behalf of thousands of Canadians who are calling on the Prime Minister and the Government of Canada to work with the premiers to ensure quality health care. Tomorrow is a sad day. It marks the first anniversary of the expiry of the 10-year federal-provincial health accords.

Citizen Consultation Preceding Natural Resource Development  Mr. Speaker, that is a difficult act to follow, but I will do my best. Motion No. 533 is very specific in what it requests. It talks about how the federal government, in exercising its jurisdiction, should be submitting natural resource development projects to a broader consultation with first nations and citizens in communities and urban areas.

Tougher Penalties for Child Predators Act  Mr. Speaker, I wish to advise you that I will be sharing my time with the hon. member for Châteauguay—Saint-Constant. I support Bill C-26 to amend the Criminal Code to do a number of things to deal with the scourge of child predators. It would amend the Sex Offender Information Registration Act and create a high-risk child sex offender database, as well as make a number of changes to the Criminal Code, which I will discuss during my remarks.

CBC/Radio-Canada  Mr. Speaker, yesterday's CBC layoffs will have a huge impact on western Canada. In British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, another 76 jobs will be lost. Conservative cuts are simply destroying our public broadcaster. I hear it every day. Canadians understand the importance of quality local news and why we need a strong CBC.

Military Contribution Against ISIL  Mr. Speaker, of course I agree that military involvement of this sort can go awry, to use her phrase. What we will be doing is joining a very small contingent of nations in going into Syria. Right now only America, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Qatar, Bahrain, the UAE, and Morocco have launched strikes on Syria.

Military Contribution Against ISIL  Mr. Speaker, I thank the minister for his questions. I think there were five or six of them, and I am expected to answer them in, I suppose, one minute or two. The first question I think was about what the mission is and whether it was clear. The Minister of Foreign Affairs initially said on Wednesday that our commitment is to degrade ISIS, and that will be the focus of our operations in the region.

Military Contribution Against ISIL  Mr. Speaker, it is a very sobering responsibility that we all have as parliamentarians in addressing this issue this evening. It is an issue that will involve sending brave men and women into harm's way. Therefore, I wish to say from the outset that I will be speaking against this motion, but wish to do so in a context and with a spirit of concern for the individuals that the government is prepared to send into harm's way in this quagmire.