Budget Implementation Act, 2021, No. 1  Mr. Speaker, I am proud of our government, which is working with provincial governments to make sure we end this fight against the pandemic. Over the last year, we have continued to work with provinces and territories. We have made sure we provide the support they need to fight this pandemic.

Budget Implementation Act, 2021, No. 1  Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to virtually participate in today’s debate on the budget implementation act, as this is an important piece of legislation, which I believe we need to pass swiftly in order to deliver much-needed support to my constituents in Scarborough Centre.

Business of Supply  Mr. Speaker, we recognize that the measures we have taken since we came into government have not gone far enough. That is why we announced last week that Madam Arbour will conduct an independent review of the Canadian Armed Forces, which will include the creation of an external reporting system that is independent from the chain of command and meets the needs of those impacted by sexual misconduct and violence.

Business of Supply  Mr. Speaker, I suggest that our focus should be on how we can create a safer future for women and indeed for everyone who serves in our armed forces. There is much to be learned from the Deschamps report, and I look forward to Justice Arbour building on her work with her independent review of the Canadian Armed Forces, which will include the creation of an external reporting system that is independent from the chain of command and meets the needs of those impacted by sexual misconduct and violence.

Business of Supply  Mr. Speaker, I want to assure the hon. colleague that our government has absolutely no tolerance for misconduct. We need to get the politics out of this and focus on how we can change the culture in the armed forces to ensure that [Technical difficulty—editor] place so that when someone wishes to move forward with a complaint, they have confidence that their complaint will be taken seriously.

Business of Supply  Mr. Speaker, I will be sharing my time with the member of Parliament for Peterborough—Kawartha. I rise today to discuss an important issue for the women and men who serve our country, and indeed for all Canadians: how we can best ensure that members of the Department of National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces are guaranteed a safe, respectful and harassment-free work environment.

Seniors  Mr. Speaker, we know that the COVID-19 pandemic has worsened already existing challenges that seniors face around social isolation, which can be harmful both to physical and mental health. Last year, with help from the new horizons for seniors program, organizations in my riding, such as Tesoc Multicultural Settlement and Community Services, were able to run programs to help with this.

Spectrum Works Job Fair  Mr. Speaker, in 2017, I had the pleasure of hosting a job fair in my riding focused specifically on people with autism that was organized by Substance Cares. This event was not only the first of its kind in Canada but in the world. As we enter World Autism Awareness Month in April, I would like to highlight the reason for this initiative and its success.

Committees of the House  Madam Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the following two reports of the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration: the third report, entitled “Supplementary Estimates (C), 2020-21”, and the fourth report, entitled “Main Estimates, 2021-22”.

Women and Gender Equality  Madam Speaker, this week we are celebrating women and the role they play in our society. While we have made a lot of progress towards equality, we know we have a lot of work left to do. The COVID-19 pandemic is disproportionately impacting women, as well as racialized and indigenous communities.

Petitions  Mr. Speaker, today I present e-petition 3039, which has been signed by over 1,300 people, including constituents from Scarborough Centre and Scarborough—Guildwood as well as people across the country, including many Canadians of Sri Lankan origin. The petitioners call our attention to the Government of Sri Lanka's mandated cremation order for all people in the country whose cause of death is related to COVID-19.

Canadian Heritage  Mr. Speaker, a survey by the Canadian Race Relations Foundation found that racialized Canadians are three times more likely to be exposed or targeted by violence on social media. This can lead to hate crimes, which are up by 7% this year. Four years ago, six people were murdered at a mosque in Quebec City.

Women and Gender Equality  Madam Speaker, 50 years ago today, the report of the Royal Commission on the Status of Women was tabled in this place. The report called for many measures to help achieve gender equality, something our government continues to work toward. Could the Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Rural Economic Development please share some of the progress we have seen made for women in Canada since that report was tabled 50 years ago?

Business of Supply  Madam Speaker, the Conservatives want a plan, so here is the plan. To date, Canada has secured up to 429 million doses of seven COVID-19 vaccine candidates: AstraZeneca, Sanofi, GlaxoSmithKline, Novavax, Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer, Medicago and Moderna. That is the most extensive and diverse vaccine portfolio of any country in this world.

Business of Supply  Madam Speaker, I know it is very important that Canadians have the vaccine when it is ready. I know that countries producing the vaccine might have it first, but Canada is ready for the vaccines as soon as they are available. The Globe and Mail's André Picard is one of the most respected journalists covering health care in Canada.