Post-Secondary Education  Mr. Speaker, this year, the one millionth child received the Canada learning bond, meaning one million Canadian families have had a head start for their child's education. Making post-secondary education more affordable for Canadians is critical to helping them find a good job in their future.

Employment Insurance  Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to ensuring that Canadians get support when they need it. The series of changes that we have put into place to improve the EI program are benefiting Canadians across the country. More flexibility, more fairness, and a better service are what Canadians elected us for, and we are delivering.

Employment  Mr. Speaker, we know that harassment and sexual violence are simply unacceptable. This week our government took the very first step toward making our workplaces and federally regulated industries and Parliament Hill free from harassment and sexual violence. No government, however, can eradicate harassment and sexual violence alone.

Canada Labour Code  moved for leave to introduce Bill C-65, An Act to amend the Canada Labour Code (harassment and violence), the Parliamentary Employment and Staff Relations Act and the Budget Implementation Act, 2017, No. 1. (Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)

Budget Implementation Act, 2017, No. 2  Mr. Speaker, my hon. colleague raises an important part of my mandate. Of course, it is on the mind of the Prime Minister that we need to make sure that those who are most vulnerable, often those who are young or working at low wages, have the best possible scenario in their workplaces.

Budget Implementation Act, 2017, No. 2  Mr. Speaker, the member obviously has compassion for women living in violent situations. The leave that is included in this act is intended to address just that. We know that oftentimes one of the prohibiting factors for a women fleeing domestic violence is whether she will be able to take leave and return to the job as she sorts out the details of her life that have to be sorted out when leaving a partner, especially in very urgent situations.

Budget Implementation Act, 2017, No. 2  Mr. Speaker, my colleague is absolutely right. Part of my summer was spent meeting with students all across the country in the various communities I had an opportunity to visit to talk to them about how that experience was transforming their lives, not just in terms of their ability to earn a bit of money to put toward either school or their other expenses, but also often to gain that tangible first-time job experience.

Budget Implementation Act, 2017, No. 2  Mr. Speaker, it is a great pleasure to rise in this place and talk about the budget implementation act. Before I talk about that bill, I would like to talk about the measures that the government has taken to date to give all Canadians, particularly the middle class and those working hard to join it, the opportunities they need to succeed.

The Economy  Mr. Speaker, the investments we are making in child care, skilled trades, training, and infrastructure will put more Canadians on the path to success. Since our government first took office, the Canadian economy has created over half a million jobs. We have seen 11 consecutive months of job growth, the best in a decade.

Employment  Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for Don Valley North for his incredible advocacy for young people in his riding and all across Canada. As a former nuclear chemist, he knows that Canada's prosperity depends on young Canadians getting the skills and experience they need to prepare for the jobs of today and tomorrow.

Workforce Development and Labour  Mr. Speaker, we have taken concrete to steps to correct the temporary foreign workers program. Part of that is strengthening the LMIAs, the labour market impact assessments, that ensure employers are doing a thorough job of hiring Canadians first and then proving the need for temporary foreign workers.

Labour  Mr. Speaker, we agree with the member opposite that it is tragic whenever a worker loses their life in the workplace. That is why we are taking action to make sure that the health and safety of Canadian workers is first and foremost in what we do. Everyone has the right to a safe workplace and a healthy working environment.

Employment  Mr. Speaker, as the job market evolves and changes, young Canadians often need this support to get that first good-paying job. We are investing over $45 million to help over 5,000 youth in British Columbia get the skills they need. For example, our investment that helps Pathfinder's youth centre work with over 300 youths with mental health challenges will mean they gain skills and confidence along the way, and some valuable work experience with it.

Taxation  Mr. Speaker, we inherited a tax system from the Conservatives that encourages wealthier Canadians to incorporate and pay lower tax rates than middle-class Canadians. We do not think that is fair and we are going to fix it. Parental leave benefits apply to all self-employed Canadians.

Taxation  Mr. Speaker, our existing tax rules let the wealthiest Canadians pay less taxes than millions of middle-class Canadian women and men. We inherited a tax system from the Conservatives that encourages wealthier Canadians to incorporate and pay a lower tax rate than middle-class Canadians.