Business of Supply  Mr. Speaker, given my remarks and the motion put forward by the hon. member, I had hoped that she would welcome our statements on collaborating in creating the special committee that she calls for in her motion. As far as her question is concerned, that Sisters in Spirit initiative was successful.

Business of Supply  Mr. Speaker, I do not think there is a member of Parliament from British Columbia, such as she and I, who is not keenly aware of how that inquiry unfolded. The results of that have come out. Although, as she correctly said, there were some criticisms made, the fact is that it attempted to dig deeper into the root causes of this tragic issue as well as to recognize where it sits today.

Business of Supply  Mr. Speaker, I welcome the opportunity today to discuss what is a very serious concern of the Government of Canada and certainly one of its priorities. Despite comments from the opposition members, we have been doing a great deal on the front lines to try to address this very concerning issue.

CBC and Public Service Disclosure and Transparency Act  Mr. Speaker, I am happy to have this opportunity to speak for a few minutes to Bill C-461, the CBC and public service disclosure and transparency act. I would first like to thank the member for Edmonton—St. Albert for his efforts to bring a higher level of openness and accountability to the CBC.

Justice  Mr. Speaker, every year we have been in government we have delivered on our promise to put victims' rights ahead of the rights of offenders. It will be no different in 2013. The government intends to bring forward legislation to further toughen sentencing of child predators. The fact is that too many children are being victimized in Canada and we will take action.

Foreign Investment  Mr. Speaker, exporting Canada's world-class goods, services and expertise to new, fast-growing markets around the world is a key part of Canada's economic action plan for jobs, growth and long-term prosperity. Our government is delivering on this commitment. In fact, the Minister of International Trade is leading a trade mission to Ghana and Nigeria this week to do just that.

Foreign Investment  Mr. Speaker, as I have said, this investment treaty will fundamentally help protect the interests of Canadian investors. I also point out, and we so assert, that it is our government that brought greater transparency to the treaty review process. It was our Conservative government that, in 2008, introduced a formal tabling policy that requires international treaties to be tabled in the House before their ratification or coming into force.

Criminal Code  Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to speak today to Bill C-444, an act to amend the Criminal Code (personating peace officer or public officer). The bill was introduced by the member for Red Deer and is virtually identical to former Bill C-576. The only difference is that in Bill C-444 the aggravating factor applies to personation of a public officer as well as a peace officer.

The Criminal Code  Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to join in the second reading debate on Bill C-452, an act to amend the Criminal Code (exploitation and trafficking in persons). I believe the bill addresses a matter of utmost importance: the criminal justice system must respond effectively to the crime of human trafficking.

Income Tax Act  Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. I believe that the member opposite was deemed to have spoken as of Friday, as motions were moved at that time. He was deemed to have spoken then. The comments he is making now are out of order.

Increasing Offenders' Accountability for Victims Act  Mr. Speaker, I listened to the member's comments with interest. However, there are many aspects of this program that she failed to mention, such as the fine option program that is available in virtually every province and territory of the country. There are other systems in place where it is not available.

Aboriginal Affairs  Mr. Speaker, this government is showing leadership in taking concrete action on this tragic issue. Unlike the opposition, who are against bills like Bill S-2 to protect aboriginal women from violence, as part of our $25 million investment over five years into our missing and murdered aboriginal women's strategy, we have taken a number of measures: implemented recommendations from the January 2012 report; established a national centre for missing persons; enhanced law enforcement; supported pilot projects to reduce vulnerability; supported victim services that are culturally appropriate; and developed a comprehensive list of best practices.

Aboriginal Affairs  Mr. Speaker, I am delighted with the question from the opposition because it allows me to go on and on about everything we are doing in this area, such as we have supported the development of public awareness materials. The truth is that I am proud to be a Canadian woman and part of this government because our record on looking after victims and standing up for law-abiding Canadians, particularly women, has no equal in this House.

Committees of the House  Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the 15th report of the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights in relation to requesting an extension of 30 sitting days to consider Bill C-273, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (cyberbullying).

Intergovernmental Affairs  Mr. Speaker, among the initiatives that we have been taking with our provincial and territorial counterparts is showing leadership and taking action on the important issue of missing and murdered aboriginal women. The ministers of justice and public safety met just last week with their provincial counterparts to further develop strategies, coordinate efforts and share expertise on this issue.