Economic and Fiscal Update Implementation Act, 2021  Mr. Speaker, I thank my Bloc Québécois colleague for her question. I have been really impressed over the past two months with the Bloc Québécois's reminders about federal versus provincial areas of jurisdiction. I would be happy to have a follow-up conversation. We need all levels of government working together, which includes the leadership we are seeing from the cities of Vancouver and Toronto with respect to a vacancy tax.

Economic and Fiscal Update Implementation Act, 2021  Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to rise this morning to offer some reflections with respect to Bill C-8. I would like to start with some points I appreciate in this bill. Specifically, I think we can all agree that, in the midst of a pandemic, adding more ventilation and more supports is a good thing.

Economic and Fiscal Update Implementation Act, 2021  Madam Speaker, I appreciate the comments from the member for Winnipeg North. I appreciate his comments with respect to housing in particular. I know he has a shared interest in addressing the cost of housing. As he knows, in Kitchener Centre the cost of housing has gone up 35% in the last year alone.

Economic and Fiscal Update Implementation Act, 2021  Madam Speaker, many members in the House might have questions and comments for the hon. member. Many of us are waiting until the question and answer period for that. I would ask you to consider the importance of ensuring that those who are speaking have a chance to do so, and that those who ask questions have a chance to do so after the speech is done.

Resumption of Debate on Address in Reply  Mr. Speaker, it is devastating. In my community in the Waterloo region, the number of people who are living rough, living unsheltered, has tripled. There are a variety of ways they are impacted, not only with respect to housing but also when it comes to mental health as well. I look forward to working with the hon. member to address the reality of Canadians living across the country without access to safe and quality housing.

Resumption of Debate on Address in Reply  Mr. Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague from Beauport—Limoilou for her important question. I will switch to English so that I get the words just right. It is so important that we talk about not only the investments but also the policies required for not just affordable housing, but dignified and quality housing.

Resumption of Debate on Address in Reply  Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Elmwood—Transcona for the question and for his advocacy in this place, particularly for seniors. To the questions the member asked around housing, and I did not have a chance to mention this in my speech, but seniors across the country, who are often living below the poverty line, are looking at the rising cost of housing with anxiety.

Resumption of Debate on Address in Reply  Mr. Speaker, I am thankful for the opportunity to speak with respect to some reflections on the Speech from the Throne. I would like to focus on our priorities where there is the opportunity to work constructively with the governing party and, in fact, with all parliamentarians to make progress.

Natural Resources  Mr. Speaker, earlier this month, over 400 climate scientists and scholars co-signed a letter calling on the federal government to step back from its plan to introduce another fossil fuel subsidy, a new tax credit for carbon capture and storage. As stated in their letter, despite decades of research, carbon capture is neither economically sound nor proven at scale.

Indigenous Affairs  Mr. Speaker, back in 2015 the Liberals promised to end all boil water advisories in first nations communities within five years, yet today 42 advisories remain in 30 communities. A recent Parliamentary Budget Officer report calls out a significant gap: $138 million more is needed in annual operating spending.

Criminal Code  Madam Speaker, the member mentioned his support for the independence of the judiciary at a time when we know that mandatory minimums contribute to systemic racism and that the TRC has called for departing from them. Why is he not more supportive of trusting in the judiciary in cases like this?

Government Program  Mr. Speaker, Canadians with disabilities are disproportionately living in poverty across the country. It does not have to be this way. Last summer's election call put a halt to Bill C-35, which would have created a Canada disability benefit, a guaranteed basic income for Canadians with a disability.

Economic and Fiscal Update 2021  Madam Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague from Joliette for his comments. Knowing we have had incidents of climate-fuelled weather events across the country, and in Quebec as well, over recent years, my question specifically concerns climate adaptation. Noting that in this fiscal update there is only one mention of climate adaptation, and it is for a strategy to be developed by the end of next year, I am wondering if the member would comment on the need for the federal government to be doing more in climate adaptation.

Criminal Code and Controlled Drugs and Substances Act  Madam Speaker, again, the point I was making is that for all mandatory minimum penalties, when they are repealed, sentencing judges would still be required to impose a sentence proportionate to the degree of responsibility, and I trust in the judiciary to follow through appropriately.

Criminal Code and Controlled Drugs and Substances Act  Madam Speaker, that is why I am so glad to have members like the hon. member for Nunavut in this place, so that the voices of indigenous peoples are increasingly being heard directly in this place. I included citations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the national inquiry, because this place is better served when the voices of indigenous people are heard directly and their calls are answered appropriately, as they should be.