Business of the House  We are discovering that this is the case. Clearly, whatever new face those Liberals thought they were voting for in the last election, they were not looking for the higher taxes and the deficits that the Liberal government believes is its mandate. Those constituents are, however, correct in at least one regard.

Canada's Contribution to the Effort to Combat ISIL  The threat imposed by their presence has undeniably held back further advances by ISIS. The Liberal Party will argue that our CF-18s have had minimal impact because of their numbers relative to some of our allies, but this is not a justification for stepping back. Does the government believe that our Dutch allies should remove their six F-16 fighter aircraft from this theatre of operation because they are not contributing enough aircraft to be effective?

Citizenship Act  Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure today to be able to speak about Bill C-6. The government is committed to a Canada that is both diverse and inclusive. Canadians know and our government recognizes that historically we are strong because of our diversity, not in spite of it. The Prime Minister and the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship have been clear from the outset: flexibility and diversity are going to be crucial to our future as a country and in what we offer the world.

Citizenship Act  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak in the House to the important changes, proposed by the government, relating to the Citizenship Act. These changes would go a long way to encourage immigrants to take the path to full membership and permanent belonging in Canadian society. Obtaining Canadian citizenship more quickly would ensure the best transition possible for newcomers into Canada.

Jim Hillyer  Mr. Speaker, I rise with a great deal of sadness, given the tragic news of the passing of our colleague Jim Hillyer. I want to add my voice to those of colleagues who have spoken and express my sympathies to his wife and children. We have had discussions among the parties, and it is my hope that we can dispose of two quick procedural matters before we adjourn the House.

Status of Women committee  Sorry, but I'm going to go a little off script here. I actually compare the Status of Women agency to running a homeless shelter. It's in the same category, it really is, in terms of funding. We do an incredible amount with very little money, and I want to acknowledge the incredible work they do on such a small budget.

Social Development  Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to respond to the member for Hochelaga and I share her concern for low-income households. One of the most important roles of government is to support vulnerable Canadians, including those who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. We are committed to strengthening the middle class and lifting more Canadians out of poverty so they are able to join the middle class.

Citizenship and Immigration  We have reduced hospitality spending by over a third. Travel costs are down by over 15% compared to those of the former Liberal government. We are taking action to reduce the cost of government.

Business of Supply  Madam Speaker, on behalf of the Prime Minister and the entire government, I will begin by saying that the government will be supporting the motion by the official opposition. We will support it because we agree with the substance of it, although we do have some reservations about its form and about the Conservative Party's real intentions.

Transport committee  I will. First of all, thank you so much for inviting me to speak with you. I would like to extend my congratulations to you, Chair, as well as to Luc Berthold and Linda Duncan on their recent elections as vice-chairs. I have been asked to appear today to speak with you about my role in the development of a 10-year Canadian infrastructure plan and the delivery of a refocused new building Canada fund.

Points of Order  I have a document from the Department of Finance, from the 2006-07 year-end budget, that identifies a $13.8 billion surplus under the last Liberal government, which the Conservative government turned into a $150—

Business of Supply  Mr. Speaker, the other point is that the Conservatives keep talking about this being a cost-free proposal. The reality is that it is going to cost $1.2 billion to squeeze an airport the size of the Ottawa International Airport into one-seventh of the land mass. One of the criteria for the City to study this, which the port authority had to agree to, was that it would pick up the cost for the expansion.

The Economy  Mr. Speaker, the Montreal Economic Institute had this to say this morning: “The Federal Government’s Deficits Will Not Stimulate the Canadian Economy”. After inheriting an operating surplus for this year, the Liberal government is now predicting an $18.4-billion deficit. I know that the Liberals do not like numbers, but those are the facts.

Health committee  From these discussions, culture emerged as a foundational component. Community innovation, partnerships across government, collaboration and coordination across sectors, and linkages between programs and services were also identified as being crucial for moving forward. This framework has been ratified by the Assembly of First Nations' chiefs of assembly and was released by the AFN in January 2015.

Information & Ethics committee  You said that several recommendations have been made to amend the Privacy Act over the past 30 years, but there really hasn't been anything substantial done. That certainly goes beyond whether it was a Conservative government, a Liberal government, NDP, or whatever. I'm looking for your opinion as to why there haven't been changes to the act.