Committees of the House  Mr. Speaker, I listened with interest to the member's comments. I certainly like working with her on the aboriginal affairs committee. I know that she has a desire to see the lot of aboriginal people in Canada improved, as we all do. However, I do take exception to some of the statements that she made to the effect that some of us do not want aboriginal people to become educated or to succeed.

Committees of the House  Mr. Speaker, I listened with interest to my colleague's statements about post-secondary education. I certainly applaud his efforts in bettering the lives of aboriginal people all across Canada. One of the statements he made and previous speakers have made is in reference to the $308 million that is available for post-secondary education.

Committees of the House  Mr. Speaker, as a member of the Standing Committee and Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development I certainly learned a lot about the educational needs of our aboriginal students in that study. One of the statements that was made during that study was that aboriginal students who complete secondary school are as likely to graduate from a post-secondary education as non-aboriginal students.

Aboriginal Affairs  Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to addressing the economic and social challenges facing first nations, Inuit and Métis youth by helping them to pursue their dreams, increase their chances of employment and promote their full participation in Canadian society. Could the Minister of Canadian Heritage tell the House what our government is doing to provide increased opportunities for aboriginal youth?

The Budget  Mr. Speaker, Liberal senators continue to ignore their leader and openly admit that they will defy his order to pass the budget without amendment. This budget contains increased funding for science and technology research, but if this budget is not passed that funding will be lost.

Agriculture  Mr. Speaker, for years Canadian farmers have had a difficult time competing against unfair U.S. subsidies. As a result of years of Liberal inaction, our corn producers in particular have been hit hard. I know the corn producers in my riding of Kitchener--Conestoga have been battling hard to scratch out a living and to raise their families.

Budget Implementation Act, 2007  Mr. Speaker, I noted with interest some of the comments that the member opposite made. I am wondering if he would comment on how the people in his province are receiving the good news that there will be this $2,000 child tax credit, saving Quebec parents almost $300 million. Also, there is an increase in the basic spousal amount providing another almost $60 million in tax relief.

Budget Implementation Act, 2007  Mr. Speaker, I listened carefully to the remarks of the parliamentary secretary. I certainly applaud the initiatives of the budget and specifically of Bill C-52. The tax cuts for families are very well received in my riding. The improved financial security from the measures for seniors, such as pension splitting and RRSP regulation changes, is also very important.

Tourism Week  Mr. Speaker, this week we are celebrating Tourism Week. Tourism is very important not just to the good people of Kitchener—Conestoga but to all regions of Canada. Whether people are visiting the Elmira maple syrup festival or Oktoberfest, the CN tower or the Queen Charlotte Islands, tourism creates hundreds of thousands of jobs all across Canada.

Aboriginal Affairs  Mr. Speaker, I want to voice my support for the aims of the child first approach in responding to the needs of first nations children. There can be no doubt that the various levels and agencies of government are struggling with many issues, including cross-jurisdictional issues, when it comes to the health and safety of at risk first nations children.

Business of Supply  Mr. Speaker, I listened with interest to the member's comments. He said that the committee acted in a responsible manner as its members dealt with this bill in committee. The previous speaker from the Liberal Party said they gave it their best effort. I am sure this is the expectation that all of our constituents have of us as parliamentarians.

Science and Technology  Mr. Speaker, yesterday in Waterloo I had the privilege of attending an announcement made by the Prime Minister, along with the Minister of Industry, the Minister of Finance and the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs. The Prime Minister made an announcement regarding enhancing our science and technology assets and expertise.

Aboriginal Affairs  Mr. Speaker, our government is proudly moving forward with human rights protection for first nations citizens through Bill C-44, An Act to amend the Canadian Human Rights Act. However, while the government is looking to rectify this long-standing inequity, the opposition parties continue to dither and delay.

Democratic Reform  Mr. Speaker, we were elected on a commitment to eliminate the undue influence of wealthy individuals and to restore accountability in government. To accomplish this we passed the Federal Accountability Act. However, the Liberal Party of Canada managed to find a way around the rules again allowing big money to influence the political process.

Criminal Code  Mr. Speaker, I listened to the hon. member's comments. At one point she accused us of a petty partisan agenda. I can assure the member that in my riding people of all political stripes are asking us to take action on the matter of criminal offences in Canada. For a long time, people have been aware that the system is out of balance in terms of taking into account the victims' needs.