Lieutenant Governor of Newfoundland and Labrador  Mr. Speaker, I am extremely honoured to recognize the stellar career path of the Honourable Judy Foote, a colleague and a friend to many of us in this House. As she is leaving her position as Lieutenant Governor of Newfoundland and Labrador, I would like to thank her for her dedicated service to Canadians for over 30 years in politics.

Sam Russo  Mr. Speaker, earlier this year, my family and I, along with all those in my riding of Humber River—Black Creek, lost a close friend in Sam Russo, the husband of Louise Russo. Sam is survived by Louise and their children. Sam was always a vital member of our community and played an integral role in supporting Louise's advocacy against violence and gun control after being shot in a random shooting.

Eye Care  Mr. Speaker, as I have been working on the eye care bill, Bill C-284, I have learned that many people take their eyesight for granted. Today I want to recognize Dr. Steve Arshinoff, the president of the Eye Foundation of Canada, a remarkable ophthalmologist from my very own riding who improves the lives of many Canadians.

Canada-Ukraine Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act, 2023  Madam Speaker, every agreement that goes forward must have all of those requirements. I would like to see that entrenched as much as possible in every piece of legislation that we do. Any work that we do with other countries around the world should be concerned with what the human rights impacts are and how we protect the environment, as well as the indigenous communities.

Canada-Ukraine Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act, 2023  Madam Speaker, every time a free trade agreement is set up, there are always challenges to move things along. Certainly with the war in Ukraine and the terrible things that have been going on there, it is crucially important that we get this right. A number of discussions have been ongoing in order to make sure that Bill C-57 is accurate.

Canada-Ukraine Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act, 2023  Madam Speaker, I believe we will continue to negotiate on behalf of Canada. My Canada includes Quebec, now and forever.

Canada-Ukraine Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act, 2023  Madam Speaker, we all want these agreements to be successful. We want to make sure that everything has been put in place. There have been extensive discussions and negotiations for a long time on this agreement, as with other agreements. I am quite confident, given the importance of this agreement, that the right steps will be in the legislation and that it will move forward as quickly as it possibly can.

Canada-Ukraine Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act, 2023  Madam Speaker, I am pleased to be here today to speak to something that I think is very important to all of us here in the chamber, the legislation for the modernized Canada-Ukraine free trade agreement. It is my honour to rise in the House today in support of legislation to implement, as quickly as possible, the modernized Canada-Ukraine free trade agreement, or CUFTA, as it is often referred to.

Canada-Ukraine Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act, 2023  Madam Speaker, I listened intently to my colleague, as I try to do most of the time when he is speaking on the floor. I am quite surprised. Given what is going on in Ukraine and the desire of everyone to get this agreement through properly, faster and effectively, I am surprised.

National Strategy for Eye Care Act  Mr. Speaker, I would like a recorded vote.

National Strategy for Eye Care Act  Mr. Speaker, it is an exciting day for me, as the presenter for this bill. From the beginning, I dedicated this bill to my grandmother, who was blind when she passed away; to my aunt, who had macular degeneration and was blind when she passed away a few weeks ago; and to my mentor, Paul Valenti.

Community Imam Award Recipient  Mr. Speaker, last week, the Canadian Council of Imams hosted its annual gala dinner. Founded in 1990, the council has been a unifying forum for Canadian imams and chaplains. At this fifth annual gala dinner, a member of my constituency, Chaplain Imam Imran Ally, received the well-deserved Community Imam Award in recognition of his continuing service to society.

International Day for the Eradication of Poverty  Madam Speaker, October 17 is the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty. This day is a moment to reflect on the amazing strides we have made as a world in reducing poverty, but also to recognize that there is still much to do. Between 1990 and 2014, the world made remarkable progress, with Canada being a leader in helping more than a billion people to move out of extreme poverty.

Day of Defenders of Ukraine  Mr. Speaker, this past Sunday, on October 1, Ukraine celebrated the Day of Defenders of Ukraine, a day that honours the bravery, sacrifice and resilience of the men and women who are defending their homeland against Russia's aggression. Defenders of Ukraine have faced numerous challenges and threats, yet they have remained steadfast in their commitment to safeguarding their nation's sovereignty, freedom and democracy.

National Strategy for Eye Care Act  Madam Speaker, as I indicated earlier, it takes all of us to make a difference in this country. The national eye strategy was started by you, Madam Speaker. You were the one who started this several times through different motions that you tried to move forward. I suspect that if I had not had this opportunity because my name got picked out of the hat first, you would have been the one moving forward on this issue.