Health  Mr. Speaker, our government recognizes the impact that Lyme disease has on Canadians and their families. I know it first-hand, because I have a cousin who suffered from Lyme disease for a couple of years. Last May, over 500 individuals came together at our conference to develop a federal framework on Lyme disease.

Controlled Drugs and Substances Act  Mr. Speaker, I outlined the reason pretty clearly in my speech, if the member had been paying attention. We have nothing against allowing those pharmaceutical options to be offered. The word “shall” in the amendment is what causes us a problem. If it were to be changed to the word “may”, that would make it acceptable.

Controlled Drugs and Substances Act  Mr. Speaker, I thank the Senate for its work. We support the first amendment because we think that when there is a need for such consultation, and it is not required that there be consultation, the consultation period would be a minimum of 45 days to allow the public to make its voice heard in such circumstances.

Controlled Drugs and Substances Act  Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. NDP member for the question and the entire NDP party for its response to the opioid crisis and all its work in committee and in the House of Commons on Bill C-37. We know that this bill will save lives. It probably should have been introduced sooner, by the previous government perhaps, but so be it.

Controlled Drugs and Substances Act  Mr. Speaker, there are different pillars, but I think it is clear that the police have an important role to play. The important thing is to stabilize the crisis that is currently affecting Canada and ensure that fentanyl does not find its way into our communities. We need to ensure that drug dealers, those who shamelessly put this drug in the hands of the young people of our community, are severely punished.

Controlled Drugs and Substances Act  Mr. Speaker, as the member pointed out when he talked about how we got here, one of the reasons we got to Bill C-37 is that initially, the Conservatives' Bill C-2 established 26 criteria, which were very burdensome for communities that need and want safe consumption sites, which science demonstrates save lives.

Controlled Drugs and Substances Act  Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to rise in the House of Commons today to speak in support of Bill C-37, an act to amend the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act and to make related amendments to other acts and to discuss the amendments adopted by the Senate. This is an important bill, as all members know, a bill that will save lives.

Health  Mr. Speaker, we are very aware of the challenges that come with the aging population. The 3% increase in Canadian health transfers is greater than inflation, the projected GDP growth, and the annual average increase in provincial health spending. We are also committed to investing $11.5 billion over the next 10 years specifically in home care and mental health care.

Health  Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot for her question and the interest she takes in these issues that are very important not just to her, but to the vast majority of Canadians, if not all Canadians, who care about and take great pride in their public and universal health care system.

Journalistic Sources Protection Act  Thank you, Mr. Speaker, for the opportunity today to speak to Bill S-231, an act to amend the Canada Evidence Act and the Criminal Code (protection of journalistic sources). Before I begin my speech, and in light of the little exchange we just heard, I still feel compelled to congratulate the member for Louis-Saint-Laurent.

Framework on Palliative Care in Canada Act  Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to be here today to express support for Bill C-277, an act providing for the development of a framework on palliative care in Canada. Our government believes that Bill C-277 provides us with a timely opportunity to take a leadership role on this issue.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship  Madam Speaker, as you know, a new executive order was issued on March 6, 2017 introducing measures restricting travel for certain nationalities. However, it seems that court orders are currently preventing the executive order from being implemented. As the situation evolves, we continue to work with our American counterparts to ensure that permanent residents and citizens of Canada can continue to travel to the United States under the same conditions that have always applied.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship  As you know, Madam Speaker, the United States issued an executive order on March 6, 2017, introducing measures restricting travel for certain nationalities. The executive order was expected to come into effect on March 16, 2017. However, it is our understanding that court orders in the U.S. are currently suspending the implementation of certain provisions of the executive order.

Indigenous Affairs  Madam Speaker, as I was saying, our government supports the mental wellness needs of first nations and Inuit youth by funding initiatives to improve access to mental health programs and services in their communities. In addition to the over $300 million provided annually to community-based mental wellness supports, our government recently announced an additional $69 million over three years to address immediate mental wellness needs.

Indigenous Affairs  Madam Speaker, I would like to thank the member for raising this important issue. It is clear that the mental wellness of indigenous youth is a critical issue. Addressing and preventing indigenous youth suicide is and must always be a priority for our government. It is for this reason that Health Canada provides over $300 million annually to support the mental wellness needs of first nations and Inuit communities.