Youth in Office Day  Mr. Speaker, today we are happy to welcome over 100 young Canadians to Ottawa for the third installment of the Youth in Office event. This incredible initiative, championed by the Boys and Girls Club of Canada and the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Canada, allows young Canadians to

Budget Implementation Act, 2016, No. 1  Mr. Speaker, my hon. colleague from across the aisle used words like “cryptically”, and referred to “fine print”, with respect to some parts of the budget. She even used the word “arrogance” to describe the budget from the government. She referenced our government's decision to i

Testicular Cancer  Mr. Speaker, April serves as testicular cancer awareness month. Having been diagnosed with, and treated in 2008 and again in 2011, I am grateful to be here today. I am grateful to my wife Paula, who is visiting Ottawa today, for being there for me during the treatments. I am th

The Budget  Mr. Speaker, the Canada child benefit will be transformational in what it will do for young people and their future in our country. My hon. colleague asked me what it would do for young people. I stand here today as the son of a single mom who raised my brother and I on a secret

The Budget  Mr. Speaker, when we looked at the budget, we considered how we could help the most vulnerable seniors living across the country. We felt strongly about about ensuring money was in the budget to invest in social housing for those seniors who needed it most. Over a quarter of a m

The Budget  Mr. Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague from Salaberry—Suroît. To answer her question regarding what we are doing, we are investing in the future of our young people to help them find jobs. We want to invest so that young people who are struggling to go to school because of their

The Budget  Mr. Speaker, I will be sharing my time with the hon. member for York South—Weston. First, I would like to point out how honoured I am to be able to talk about the historic budget tabled by the government on March 22. I am proud that this budget reflects the hopes and expectation

Youth  Mr. Speaker, I am proud to answer the question posed by my hon. colleague from Salaberry—Suroît. One thing I can say is that we are incredibly proud of what we are doing as a government for our youth. Keep in mind that the previous government did not have a minister of youth. K

St. Patrick's Day Parade  Mr. Speaker, a sure sign that spring has officially arrived in Vaudreuil—Soulanges is the start of all the festivals and events that are so vital to our communities. On the weekend, I had the honour of participating in the 7th annual St. Patrick's Day parade in Hudson, an event

Kenneth Lefrançois  Mr. Speaker, I would like to take a moment to pay tribute to a noteworthy Canadian from my riding, who would have celebrated his 71st birthday yesterday. Mr. Kenneth Lefrançois was a husband, a father, a friend, a Rotarian, and a mentor to many. Ken was born in Newfoundland in

Gérald Laniel  Mr. Speaker, today it is my sad duty to report to my colleagues that a former federal MP has died. Gérald Laniel represented the people of Beauharnois—Salaberry from 1962 to 1984. He passed away on February 2 in Salaberry-de-Valleyfield. His career was admirable. During his 22 y

Income Tax Act  Mr. Speaker, I would like some clarification, because I am somewhat confused. In my colleague's remarks, he spoke about the fact that many Canadians across the country are having a hard time making ends meet. It is something that all of us in the House recognize and understand. Y

Meritorious Service Decoration  Mr. Speaker, today I would like to highlight the accomplishments of one of my constituents. This past December, Marc Balevi of Hudson, Quebec was awarded the Governor General's Meritorious Service Decoration. As we know, this decoration is awarded to recognize remarkable contri

Resumption of debate on Address in Reply  Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague from across the aisle for his question and accolades. We have put in place many measures that will help lower-income families, many of which would have helped my mother when she was raising my brother and I on her own, particularly a significa

Resumption of debate on Address in Reply  Madam Speaker, health care is an issue that is of personal concern to me. I have been diagnosed with cancer twice in my life and I understand all too well the wait times that some of face in the various provinces across the country. One of the things that I am very proud of is t