Resumption of Debate on Address in Reply  Madam Speaker, I will be sharing my time with the member for South Shore—St. Margaret's. I am extremely humbled and honoured to stand here as the first member for Scarborough—Rouge Park. I want to thank my constituents for entrusting me to represent them. I want to congratulate all of my colleagues for their election or re-election, and I wish to congratulate you, Madam Speaker, on your selection as Assistant Deputy Speaker.

Resumption of Debate on Address in Reply  Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate my friend on his election. The issue of refugees is very important to Canadians. Our government has taken very responsible steps to ensure that those with the highest risk of vulnerability are permitted to come into Canada. I am very confident of the work of the United Nations Human Rights for Refugees and I am confident that the people who are coming here are those with the highest level of vulnerability, as defined by the UN.

Resumption of Debate on Address in Reply  Mr. Speaker, the cost of resettling the refugees and bringing them here has already been spelled out by our Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship. I am quite confident that the entire program has been costed out and we are doing it in a very responsible way. What is important is that refugees are given the opportunity to succeed here because any cost that we may incur today will be repaid to our country over their lifetime.

Resumption of Debate on Address in Reply  Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate my friend on his election. The middle-class tax cut, as announced by the Minister of Finance yesterday, is a very important part of our platform. I am very confident that this will give direct benefit to thousands of families in the riding of Scarborough—Rouge Park and across the country.

Resumption of Debate on Address in Reply  Madam Speaker, I would like to thank my friend for his submissions and congratulate him on his re-election. Investment in infrastructure is a critical component for Canadians. As we know, our roads are broken, our transit system is in dire need of a boost, and the economy is in tatters.

Human Rights Day  Mr. Speaker. today is international Human Rights Day, a day to celebrate the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The declaration outlines the basic rights of each and every citizen of this world. We have collectively agreed that certain rights need to be protected, yet we have failed to give life to these rights.

Resumption of Debate on Address in Reply  Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate my friend on his victory in October. My friend spoke about a business plan. The Canadian public has given us a mandate to put together a business plan, and the throne speech delivered by our government last month speaks to that. It speaks to the volume of work that needs to be done in order to get the country back on track.

James Loader  Mr. Speaker, I rise today with some sadness to recognize the life of a Scarborough icon. James Loader was a staple in our community. He was a fixture at Morningside Cinemas and other theatres in the area for over 55 years. For generations, James greeted moviegoers with his friendly smile.

Resumption of debate on Address in Reply  Mr. Speaker, I congratulate my friend on his election, and also on his new granddaughter. As I listened to the speech of the member, it occurred to me that infrastructure played a very important role in the city, as it does across the country. I would like to get a sense from him as to how the $60 billion infrastructure fund that our government has proposed will assist his riding, and the important infrastructure needs that he talked about, particularly the arena.

Canada's Contribution to the Effort to Combat ISIL  Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my friend for the very passionate discussion this afternoon. I know he is an educator, and has been an educator for a long time. I would like to get a sense from him of what Canada could do in supporting the local community and educating and training the population toward anti-radicalism, as well as to ensure that they are able to engage in a proper process toward peace.

Small Business  Mr. Speaker, nine in 10 Canadians in the private sector are employed by small businesses across this country. Small businesses are key drivers of the Canadian economy, and a vital part of our growth. Could the Minister of Small Business and Tourism explain what this government is doing to encourage and support gender balance among Canada's entrepreneurs and small businesses?

International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. While we have made great strides in advancing racial equality, we must recognize that much work lies ahead as we strive to eradicate racism in Canada and around the world. Today I want to highlight the systemic failures of our criminal justice system toward racialized groups, particularly our youth.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship  Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship for his incredible achievement in bringing in 25,000 refugees by February 29. I am particularly proud of his commitment to bring in an additional 10,000 refugees by the end of this year. I would like to ask the minister about housing for the new arrivals, and how the minister has progressed in helping government-assisted refugees move into permanent housing.

University of Toronto Scarborough Campus  Mr. Speaker, great things are happening at the University of Toronto Scarborough campus. In less than two years, UTSC has added two new amazing facilities that students will be able to enjoy over the coming years. Last summer, UTSC hosted the Pan Am games at the newly built, state-of-the-art Pan Am Centre.

The Budget  Mr. Speaker, I am sharing my time with the member for Sackville—Preston—Chezzetcook. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to speak this morning in support of our government's budget. I want to start by congratulating our finance minister and our Prime Minister for delivering not only on our election promises, but on building a visionary budget, one which I am confident will irreversibly change the lives of millions of Canadians for the better.