Canadian Heritage committee  Thank you for this opportunity. For the record, I am appearing as a private citizen and I'm not a member of a political party. I worked in the newspaper business for close to 30 years and served as a CRTC commissioner for almost 10 years. I am familiar with how things work. I care deeply for good journalism, which, unfettered by favours owed to politicians—no offence to present company—the privileged and the powerful, can play a helpful role in a liberal democracy.

Canadian Heritage committee  On a point of order, Madam Chair, this isn't relevant to you, but there is a box of Purdys chocolates in the room. People should feel free to have a chocolate during the break.

International Trade committee  Indeed, the joint economic commission will put us on a more level playing field with other foreign countries active in the Philippine market. It will meet every two years intersessionally with the joint overall foreign policy consultations that we have every two years with the Philippines.

International Trade committee  In the case of the Philippines, there's a free trade agreement negotiation just beginning. Our major interests are agriculture and agri-food. The country cannot feed itself. Our meat exports, particularly pork and beef, were way up during the pandemic because of African swine fever, but there is a tremendous need for potash fertilizer at the moment.

Business of Supply  I can also not imagine that anyone would walk away from that night not thinking that a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan was anything other than the number two threat to world order. This is our eleventh largest trading partner, and fifth largest trading partner in Asia. It shows that this is a threat that we think is kind of over there, but in fact it is quite relevant to us. I just point out as an illustration the speed with which the independence of Hong Kong was simply rolled up, regardless of the millions of Hong Kongers who took to the street to protest their rights and their freedoms, which have now effectively been lost.

Emergencies Act  Madam Speaker, it does not make any difference to me whether it is a confidence vote or not. I am sure it is the best decision we can make as a government to protect Canadians and to help the City of Ottawa and the Province of Ontario, which both declared a state of emergency on their territory.

Resumption of Debate on Address in Reply  We know it is possible to work with our energy sector to lower emissions while providing jobs and opportunities at home, and while supplying sustainable and ethically resourced products to developing countries and our democratic allies, who should want to source their energy from a country like Canada to transition to a lower-carbon future. Liberals want their coffee to be fair trade. They should want their energy to be fair trade as well. We can lower emissions. We can promote green technologies, and we can generate emission-free electricity through nuclear, hydro, carbon capture and sequestration, all while protecting jobs in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario, Newfoundland and Labrador, and in fact, in all parts of this country.

Resumption of Debate on Address in Reply  Free trade brought us together, but I can tell members about that another time. She has supported my lifelong journey to this place like no other. I acknowledge my parents Rosemarie Borgald Perkins and William Perkins, who instilled in me the belief of possibilities and the need for hard work to achieve those possibilities.

Budget Implementation Act, 2021, No. 1  Madam Speaker, I am speaking from the traditional, unceded territory of the Qayqayt First Nation and of the Coast Salish peoples. I am rising today in the context of the final days of Parliament. This is perhaps the final speech that I will make in this Parliament. The Prime Minister has made no secret about his deep desire to go to elections as quickly as possible, and the rumours appear to show that by the end of the summer we will be in an election.

Finance committee  Thanks very much, Mr. Chair. This should not be controversial at all. It would oblige the Minister of Finance to prepare a report on proposed measures to: (a) prevent publicly traded companies and their subsidiaries from paying dividends or repurchasing their own shares while receiving the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy, for the period that is after the tabling of the report under subsection (32.2); and recover wage subsidy amounts from publicly traded companies and their subsidiaries that paid dividends or repurchased their own shares while receiving the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy, for the period that is before the tabling of the report under subsection (32.2).

Finance committee  Thanks, Mr. Chair. My question will go to Mr. Kucheran or Mr. Strickland. Here's a shout-out to building trades members across the country, including my niece Hannah. She has just started her apprenticeship training and is excited to become part of the building trades across the country.

Business of Supply  Madam Chair, we are seeing that the ultrarich are getting a free ride with the government, and yet Canadians are suffering incredibly. Of course, the fact that people with disabilities are getting no supports except a three-year consultation while Canada's big banks got an unprecedented $750 billion in liquidity supports within days of the pandemic hitting, that contrast is clear to all Canadians to see.

Business of Supply  Madam Chair, I will continue on the theme of a free ride for the ultrarich. The federal government, within four days of the pandemic hitting, as the finance minister well knows, offered an unprecedented $750 billion in liquidity supports to the banking industry. That was within just a few days.

Finance committee  Thanks, Mr. Chair. Thanks to all of our witnesses for coming forward, and we hope that you and your families continue to be safe and healthy during this pandemic, particularly with the third wave that is crashing on our shores. I want to address Mr. Neumann. I know, Mr. Neumann, you announced that you will be retiring as national director of United Steelworkers in Canada this year.

United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act  Madam Speaker, the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples speaks to free, prior and informed consent. The same government is trying to ram through the Trans Mountain pipeline at nearly $20 billion despite the fact that there is strong opposition from first nation communities.