The Budget  Madam Speaker, I want to thank the hon. member for acknowledging the $4.3-billion investment that has been earmarked for the indigenous community. I agree with the hon. member that we need to do better, and we will continue to do better. I continue to be an advocate very much the same as the rest of my colleagues on this side of the House.

The Budget  Madam Speaker, this is a great question that I pondered at the dinner table with my children as we were exploring how we can make sure they can afford a house. This is part of a bigger puzzle, and that includes our first-time homebuyer partnership with the Government of Canada, which means, if the hon. member recalls, that an individual will get 5% to 10% of a down payment depending on the type of home they are buying.

The Budget  Madam Speaker, it is my pleasure to rise today to speak in support of budget 2022: a plan to grow our economy and make life more affordable. Let us talk about the budget, finally. What is this budget all about? It has become apparent that fiscal prudence and economic growth serve as two major themes throughout this plan, and there is a clear reason for that.

Housing  Mr. Speaker, in my riding of Richmond Hill we have numerous organizations that work tirelessly to provide housing for vulnerable populations. The staff at Blue Door, an emergency housing provider in York Region, have played an instrumental role in supporting individuals experiencing homelessness in our community.

Economic and Fiscal Update Implementation Act, 2021  Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague. We have the honour and privilege of being on the OGGO committee together. I would like to make a point on a comment my colleague made. She said, “ad hoc”. I do not think our measures, as they relate to COVID-19, have been ad hoc, especially the ones that dealt with the safety and health of Canadian citizens.

Economic and Fiscal Update Implementation Act, 2021  Madam Speaker, as we all know, eight dollars out of every $10 that was spent on COVID-19 was provided by the federal government. Our government has been at the forefront of COVID-19 from day one. We also talked about how broad and how strategic this expenditure has been. As it relates to working with the provinces and territories, we are always there, in lockstep with the provinces and territories, to make sure that the health and safety of Canadians are made a priority.

Economic and Fiscal Update Implementation Act, 2021  Madam Speaker, housing and affordable housing have been the focus of our government since 2015. There has never been the amount of investment we have made in housing initiatives through our national housing strategy. Over $75 billion has been invested, or is planned to be spent, over the next three and a half years at least.

Economic and Fiscal Update Implementation Act, 2021  Madam Speaker, as today marks the first time in the 44th Parliament that I am exercising my privilege to rise to speak on a government bill, I want to take a brief moment to acknowledge those who have helped to get me here to stand alongside my hon. colleagues and once again represent the people of Richmond Hill.

Nowruz  Mr. Speaker, yesterday, on March 20, my family and I joined all who celebrate the joyous occasion of Nowruz, also known as the Persian new year, in gathering around our haft-seen table. As we marked the beginning of the spring by basking in the fresh smell of sabzeh and sonbol and the sweet aroma of samanu, and enjoying the delicious traditional meal of sabzi polo mahi, I began to reflect on how far we have come since Nowruz 2020.

International Women's Day  Madam Speaker, 43 years ago, on this date, I arrived in the great country of Canada as an international student, feeling excited for new opportunities but also alone. Today, I want to acknowledge the challenges faced by all who are compelled to leave their country of origin just like I did.

Lunar New Year  Mr. Speaker, representing Richmond Hill has given me the privilege to learn about different cultures, join in their celebrations and, most notably, enjoy a lot of delicious foods. I am delighted to rise today to acknowledge the beautiful celebration of lunar new year taking place today on February 1, as many Canadians with roots in a variety of Asian cultures, such as those with Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese and many more backgrounds, will mark the start of their calendar year.

Yalda  Mr. Speaker, [Member spoke in Farsi] [English] These lines are from noble Hafiz, a Persian poet whose renowned work, The Divan of Hafiz, is engaged for telling fortunes during the celebratory occasion of Yalda. On December 21, I will join fellow Persians within Richmond Hill and around the globe in Yalda festivities when we mark the winter solstice by enjoying good company, the delight of traditional foods and the divinity of poetry.

Ukraine International Airlines Flight PS752  Madam Speaker, the downing of flight PS752 has struck a chord with my constituents and the Iranian Canadian community. The long road to have full accountability, justice and reparation has been challenging, with little transparency on the part of the government of Iran. Throughout this painful journey, the Canadian government and the strong community voices continue to lead on this fight.

Ukraine International Airlines Flight PS752  Madam Speaker, the downing of flight PS752 has struck a chord with my constituents and the Iranian Canadian community. The long road to have full accountably, justice and reparation has been challenging, with little transparency on the part of the Government of Iran. Throughout this painful journey, the Canadian government and the strong community voices continue to lead on this fight.

Copyright Act  Madam Speaker, I am thankful for the opportunity to virtually rise in the House today to speak on this important bill. However, before I begin, I would like to acknowledge the tragic news we heard last week of the discovery of 215 children's bodies at the Kamloops Indian Residential School.