Democratic Reform  Mr. Speaker, I am thankful for the opportunity to speak to the issue raised by the member for London—Fanshawe back in October, which is why we are here this evening. That is the issue of non-resident Canadian citizens voting in federal elections. I would like to start by saying t

Democratic Reform  Mr. Speaker, I want to be very clear. This government fundamentally believes that more Canadians should have the ability to vote. We are committed to enhancing participation by Canadians in the democratic process, as evidenced in the updated mandate letter for the Minister of Dem

Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada Awards  Mr. Speaker, today we are joined on Parliament Hill by the recipients of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada's top research award. It is my distinct pleasure to note that this year's winner of our country's highest award for science and engineering res

Democratic Reform  Mr. Speaker, our government believes that electoral reform, indeed all democratic reform, should be about pursuing the most broad public interest possible. We believed and we continue to believe that potential reforms must be judged by how they will help Canadians. This is why th

Democratic Reform  Mr. Speaker, the platform included many elements of electoral reform, and it certainly also included engaging with Canadians to make such important decisions. Engaging as many Canadians as possible in the conversation around electoral reform is something that we have taken very s

The Environment  Madam Speaker, it does in fact bring me joy to rise in the House today to talk about our government's plan to put a tax or price on carbon pollution and to speak about how it will help Canada's middle class. It is not conjecture, but rather we know that pricing carbon pollution

The Environment  Madam Speaker, after a decade of inaction and years of lost opportunities, we are finally taking the steps required to protect our planet for our children and grandchildren. Under our plan, each province has the flexibility to decide how to implement the price on carbon, based

Order of Canada  Madam Speaker, this morning at Rideau Hall, the Governor General will invest a group of accomplished Canadians into the Order of Canada, one of our country's highest civilian honours, and I am so proud that one of those Canadians is from Halifax, Nova Scotia. Bruce MacKinnon is o

Business of Supply  Mr. Speaker, I applaud my hon. friends for their concern for Canadians of lower and modest incomes, including seniors in Canada who fit into that category. Of course, the carbon pricing the government has put forward is intended to be cost neutral, and as such, the provinces are

Atlantic Canada Innovation  Mr. Speaker, today on Parliament Hill we are joined by representatives from four Atlantic Canada universities: the University of New Brunswick; Memorial University of Newfoundland; University of Prince Edward Island; and my own alma mater and yours, Mr. Speaker, Dalhousie Univers

Daffodil Month  Mr. Speaker, I am sure you have noticed the prevalence of the colour yellow in the halls of Parliament this month as MPs adorn themselves with daffodils, like the one I am wearing today. That is because April is Daffodil Month, a chance for Canadians to show solidarity with the m

World Press Freedom Day  Mr. Speaker, today we celebrate World Press Freedom Day because journalists have a critically important role to play in Canada, and in any democracy. Their stories and investigations expose injustice, unfairness, and prejudice. Their work can hold the powerful to account, and can

Halifax Public Gardens  Mr. Speaker, I was fortunate to grow up only steps from the iconic wrought iron gates of the Victorian public gardens in Halifax. Now what Haligonians have known for 150 years, since the gardens first opened in 1867, has been made official: the Halifax Public Gardens have been na

Committees of the House  Madam Speaker, I would like to thank my hon. colleagues opposite for their remarks today and for their dedication to this matter. Mention has been made of election promises, and absolutely, our government made a promise during the election campaign to look at a whole range of i

Committees of the House  Madam Speaker, I am rising today to discuss the motion moved by the member for Skeena—Bulkley Valley. I want to begin by thanking all the members of the special committee on electoral reform for their excellent hard work in producing this report. The committee held 57 meetings