Canada Labour Code  Mr. Speaker, it is rare to have the opportunity to support a bill that deals with an issue that affects so many people across the country and throughout the world. That is why I am proud to rise today to speak to Bill C-65. As a feminist government and one that cares deeply about Canadians, we are committed to taking action on workplace harassment and sexual violence in Parliament and in federally regulated workplaces.

Expungement of Historically Unjust Convictions Act  Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for his work on behalf of LGBTQ2 Canadians. I would like to ask him about the process. As he knows, an applicant will identify someone who has been given a criminal record that is historically unjust. They may be members of the public service, they may be military service members prosecuted under the National Defence Act, and the schedule of eligible offences for Bill C-66 accounts for both.

Expungement of Historically Unjust Convictions Act  Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my hon. colleague for her heart and her commitment. It is truly an honour, as a fellow Albertan, to stand in this place and hear those words. I would like to share for my hon. colleague a comment that I shared with my caucus colleagues a while back after the Orlando shootings.

Expungement of Historically Unjust Convictions Act  Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member across the way for his leadership on LGBTQ2 issues and the work that he has done in his caucus to get us to this stage. What is important to understand is that at this stage the bill is speaking to offences related to buggery, anal intercourse, and gross indecency.

Expungement of Historically Unjust Convictions Act  Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the hon. member's work in this area and her commitment to human rights. She will understand well that the 2005 Supreme Court decision on Labaye took a lot of the teeth that were in the legislation pertaining to bawdy house laws out of the legislation. What is important to note is the fact that in its current state, there is no jurisprudence that indicates that the current state of the law post-2005 Labaye would violate charter provisions.

Expungement of Historically Unjust Convictions Act  Mr. Speaker, I thank the member across the way for her support and the work she has done in her caucus and on matters related to the LGBTQ2 community. It is a good question. It is a question we will look into. The provisions in the legislation right now are that family members can apply posthumously on behalf of their family members, and we will go through that process.

Expungement of Historically Unjust Convictions Act  Mr. Speaker, it is an honour for me to rise on this particular bill. Today Canadians who were unjustly convicted because of who they love are one step closer to clearing their names and moving on with their lives. They were victims of past federal policies and practices that under no circumstances would hold up in Canada today.

Petitions  Mr. Speaker, no one should be paid less due to gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression. While we have legal equality in Canada, we still have not reached economic equality. I firmly believe in the principle of equal pay for equal work. I am proud to rise today to present an e-petition calling for equal pay legislation in Canada.

Senate 150 Medal  Mr. Speaker, I rise in the House today to recognize an outstanding elder and community leader from Enoch First Nation in Alberta. Irene Morin has advocated tirelessly for important community causes for the past 56 years. Despite her official retirement in 2016, Irene still shares her considerable talents with organizations such as the Alberta Council of Women's Shelters and the 23rd annual Aboriginal Role Models of Alberta Awards, which she chairs.

LGBTQ2 Canadians  Mr. Speaker, yesterday was a historic day for equality and human rights as all parties joined together to apologize for Canada's history of discrimination against the LGBTQ2 community. To those who were criminalized for loving someone or simply being themselves, for those who were purged from the public service, the military and the RCMP, nothing can erase the pain they have experienced.

Cannabis Act  Mr. Speaker, I have heard Edmontonians on the doorsteps ask me to get this done, because they see that the current legislative framework against cannabis makes it a gateway drug into the use of harder substances. They simply do not want to have a criminal record for having access to cannabis.

Cannabis Act  Mr. Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague for his question. Obviously, we live in a democracy that has political parties. Our government takes the health and well-being of Canadians very seriously. This is something we in the Liberal Party have been talking about for years. Members of our party who are very well informed about this issue have made it clear that the current system has resulted in Canadian youth having one of the highest cannabis consumption levels in the world.

Cannabis Act  Mr. Speaker, it is clear we have work to do with the provinces and cities to make sure we get this right. It has been clear in our conversations with the provinces and cities that we want to do this in a timely manner to protect the lives of Canadians. Our job as a federal government is to protect the health and safety of Canadians.

Cannabis Act  Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure to continue my remarks on Bill C-45. As I shift into my discussion and the details of the legislation, I would like to take a moment to pay tribute to the former deputy prime minister of Canada and former member of Parliament for Edmonton Centre, the hon.

Report Stage  Mr. Speaker, I am honoured to rise to speak in the House today in support of Bill C-45, an act respecting cannabis and to amend the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, the Criminal Code and other acts. In my remarks today I would like to focus on why a new approach to cannabis is needed in this country and why we need to act now.