International Trade  Mr. Speaker, if the goal is to substantively improve the health of Canadians, then the Minister of Health must become an advocate for health in all policies. Major health organizations, like the Canadian Medical Association, have endorsed the view that health outcomes are primarily social in origin.

International Trade  Mr. Speaker, my question to the Minister of Health on February 4 addressed the potential rise in pharmaceutical costs in Canada as a result of the signing of the trans-Pacific partnership, and in fact other trade deals. As I stated in my question, a recent study has put that figure at around $600 million annually.

Blood Supply  Mr. Speaker, on February 18, a private, paid-donor, for-profit blood plasma collection clinic opened in Saskatoon after receiving an operating licence from the current government. After the tragedy of the tainted blood scandal, which saw 30,000 Canadians receive diseased blood, Canada learned a clear lesson: blood is a public resource and profits must never be permitted to compete with safety.

Business of Supply  Mr. Speaker, one thing that is unhelpful in this place is the practice of wedge politics, where the purpose of the legislative initiative is not to advance dialogue or make better policy for this country, but rather to embarrass or wedge people into positions that are simplistic.

Business of Supply  Mr. Speaker, I thank the sponsor of the motion, and I appreciate that one of the essences of the debate that has arisen today is that it allows us to focus on the issue of racism. That is something that every member in the House, from all parties, of course, deplores. One of the essences of racism is stereotyping.

Business of Supply  Mr. Speaker, I often like to say that all people are democrats when they win, but the true test of democrats is how they act when they lose. It is easy to support free speech with which we agree, but the true test of whether we actually believe in the right to free speech is how we act and react to speech with which we disagree.

Business of Supply  Mr. Speaker, I listened with interest to my colleague's passionate expression of his opinion, and I fully respect that opinion. There are many people on this side of the House and in our party who share his view that BDS is not an appropriate response to Israel's activities in the Middle East.

Health  Mr. Speaker, if the minister supports the Canada Health Act, she should enforce it. The tainted blood scandal of the 1980s affected 30,000 Canadians and infected them with HIV and hepatitis. It cost billions in compensation. The Krever inquiry found that for-profit, paid blood collection puts the safety of Canadians at risk, yet today, a private for-profit plasma clinic is opening in Saskatchewan, directly contrary to the Krever findings.

Canada Labour Code  Mr. Speaker, prior to being elected I was fortunate to work for 16 years with a major Canadian union, the teamsters union, and I represented workers and went to many union meetings. In fact, I went to monthly meetings for 16 years. I represented workers in many certification drives when they tried to get organized before the Canada Industrial Relations Board.

Canada Labour Code  I hear the Conservatives laughing. I spent 16 years at the labour board fighting those very complaints where workers would get fired. They would get intimidated. Families would lose pay cheques because employers tried to intimidate workers against unionizing. My question is this.

Request for Emergency Debate  Mr. Speaker, I rise pursuant to Standing Order 52(2) to seek leave to propose an emergency debate on Canada's response to the Zika virus in the western hemisphere. An emergency debate is required in order to allow parliamentarians to address national and international implications of the outbreak of the mosquito-borne Zika virus; its potential linkage to the birth defect known as “microcephaly”; and the implications for the Public Health Agency of Canada, the Department of Global Affairs, and Canadian Blood Services.

International Trade  Mr. Speaker, prescription drug prices in Canada are already the second highest in the world, and the trans-Pacific partnership will increase the cost of prescription medicine even more. A new study released this week estimates that TPP will add over $600 million to drug costs in Canada.

Petitions  Mr. Speaker, I have three petitions to present today. The first one is signed by hundreds of residents of Vancouver, calling on the government to adopt the New Democrat plan to help live-in caregivers in the country. It calls on the government to permit live-in caregivers to receive permanent residency immediately upon landing or within 24 months, to bring their spouses and children with them at the time of entry, to live outside the employer's home, and to pass only one medical examination for the entire family.

Petitions  Mr. Speaker, the second petition is signed by many people across the country. It calls on the government to stand up for stable, guaranteed, adequate funding for Canada's national broadcaster, the CBC, to make sure we have strong public broadcasting in Canada for the years ahead.

Petitions  Mr. Speaker, the third petition calls on the government to adopt a national child care strategy in line with the New Democrats' proposal to make sure every Canadian has the right to access quality, accessible, universal, affordable, $15-a-day child care.