Parliamentary Speeches

Madam Speaker, I was wondering what to ask my colleague, and she actually answered my question in her speech. I recalled that before she became such an exceptional member of Parliament, she was an equally exceptional family doctor. She talked about all the programs we have put in place, including the Canada child benefit, the Canada groceries and essentials benefit, the Canadian dental care plan and a program that is particularly important to me, the national school food program. I am sure that when she looked after people in her previous life, they were grateful to receive assistance from various levels of government and from various organizations. Can she tell us whether the people receiving these supports are actually seeing any improvement in their quality of life?

Mr. Speaker, I remember very well that my colleague has visited me several times in my riding in the past. We are talking about lowering gasoline prices by 10¢ per litre and diesel prices by four cents per litre, not to mention getting rid of the carbon tax. My colleague has also talked about the many programs that our government has put in place since the beginning. Which program does he think is helping his constituents the most? Which one has the biggest impact on families and people in his region?

Mr. Speaker, since my colleague is the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Housing and Infrastructure, I am sure she will be able to tell us about a few housing-related programs. In my riding, houses are springing up like mushrooms, so to speak. Municipalities across my riding are exceeding their construction targets by more than 300%. When we talk about affordability, we mean ensuring that people can find housing at a lower cost. I wonder if my colleague can talk about the various infrastructure and housing programs in the minister's portfolio.

Mr. Speaker, today I would like to pay tribute to a true hero from my region, Corporal Sylvain Bergeron of the Lamèque RCMP detachment. On June 2, in Chiasson Office, a teenage girl in severe distress entered the icy, choppy waters and was found more than 100 feet from shore. Upon arriving at the scene, Corporal Bergeron realized she was in imminent danger. Without a moment's hesitation, he jumped into the water to rescue her. Risking his own safety, he swam out to her, kept her from drowning and brought her safely back to shore, despite the extremely difficult conditions. Sometimes, in the darkest moments, there are people who choose to act with remarkable composure. On that day, Corporal Bergeron embodied the best of what public service represents: dedication, compassion and courage. On behalf of all the citizens of Acadie—Bathurst and the members of the House of Commons, I extend to him our most sincere thanks, our deep gratitude and our utmost admiration. I also wish the young lady a speedy recovery.

Madam Speaker, I find it very funny that one member of the Conservative Party was talking about sending emails to the minister when his leader was asking the members of the Conservative Party not to send letters of support for projects under the housing accelerator fund. Can members imagine that? We welcomed the minister in New Brunswick a couple of months ago for a wonderful announcement, a $300‑million agreement with New Brunswick to be able to build up to 1,500 N.B. homes. Can the minister elaborate a bit more on this wonderful agreement we signed with New Brunswick? There are actually announcements happening right now across New Brunswick about some of those projects.

Mr. Speaker, my colleague said that he was a mayor before being an MP. There was a program that was very helpful for municipalities. It was the housing accelerator fund, just like the Build Canada Homes program. This is what their leader was telling them. This article says, “Conservative MPs frustrated after [their leader] bars them from promoting housing fund”. The Conservative leader “instructed Conservative MPs to stop advocating on behalf of municipalities in their ridings who want to obtain funds [for housing].” The member said that he was a mayor. Was he one of the members who were told not to send a letter of support for a housing project in his municipality?

Mr. Speaker, in his speech, my colleague talked a bit about diversification. In their speeches, Conservative MPs like to talk a lot about market diversification to help our economy, but the only market diversification deal the Conservatives were able to strike was when they exported their leader from a riding in Ontario to a riding in Alberta. Can my colleague talk about the investments the Prime Minister was able to bring to this country that will help his riding and our country?

Mr. Speaker, I too want to thank my riding neighbour for his speech. He talked a lot about infrastructure. There is an infrastructure fund that has been very useful for his riding and mine. The Conservatives voted against that fund. It is the rural transit solutions fund. My riding and my colleague's riding are now connected by a public transit system, which is something our ridings did not have before. My colleagues can imagine how hard it was not having public transit. Now we do have public transit in our ridings thanks to the programs that the government implemented. Could my colleague tell us how this program has helped people in his region get to other regions? Could he also tell us how even tourists to our region are now able to benefit from this new service?

Mr. Speaker, in the last Parliament, I introduced a bill in the House to create a school food program. Every Bloc Québécois member voted in favour of the bill. We now have a school food program across Canada. During consideration of the latest budget, the Bloc Québécois voted against the measure that would make this program permanent. The member mentioned seniors. The Canada groceries and essentials benefit will help some seniors get through these tough times. Why does the Bloc Québécois sometimes vote in favour of certain measures that benefit families, yet suddenly vote against other such measures when it comes time to help those who need it most?

Mr. Speaker, and I just want to thank my colleague for her speech. It is wonderful to work with her. She is a new colleague. She is doing great work. I know how good she is. She is representing a rural riding just like me. In the last spring economic statement, there was $1 billion for small craft harbours, and I know that she was a big part of this investment. She was talking about some of the amendments that are in this bill, and she was talked about mining. I had a lot of mining industry in my region back in the day, but it has closed. There were 2,000 people laid off at a mine in my region back in 2013. Now with these new amendments that are being putting forward and this new process, we see new mine projects coming into play. Can the member tell us if amendments like that would also help her riding with new projects of this kind?

Madam Speaker, it always makes me smile when I hear the Conservatives say they are interested in culture. I remember the Harper government's cuts to culture quite clearly. Some artists in my riding took to the streets to call for help, but the government of the day refused to listen. Let me once again remind my colleagues what Stephen Harper said in the beginning. He said that artists were complaining with their mouths full and that regular people were not interested in culture. Imagine saying things like that about artists. Of all the great investments that we have made in culture since 2015, the one nearest and dearest to my heart was the decision to fund National Acadian Day permanently and at double the amount. I hope that my colleague can clarify for me what support we have provided to artists over the years.

Mr. Speaker, I have had the opportunity to welcome the Minister of Finance to my riding a few times already, and I know that he has seen all the benefits that our programs have delivered for families since we were both first elected in 2015. Earlier, I heard Conservative members say that they would stand up for Canadians. However, when it came time to do so, for example on the Canada child benefit or the national school food program, a bill that I introduced in the House, they voted against those things. Those measures would have helped the families in those members' ridings, but once again, these are the kinds of things that they do to avoid helping families. I would like to ask the Minister of Finance to tell us how all these programs have benefited families in my region and in his.

Mr. Speaker, my colleague talked about helping others, helping Canadians and helping people in his riding. The Conservatives are saying that they are standing up for people, but when I presented a PMB in this room to create a school food program, the Conservatives voted against it. Can my colleague tell me how this helps kids in schools in his riding? I know he visited some of them, just like I did in my riding.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to some fabulous artists from my riding of Acadie—Bathurst. First, there is La Famille LeBlanc, a family of extraordinarily talented musicians who just won the Francophone Acadian artist of the year award at the East Coast Music Awards. For years, this family has been generously sharing the traditional Acadian music that brings generations closer together and strikes a chord deep within our communities. Their authenticity, stage presence and love of music make them true ambassadors of our Acadian culture and identity. Second, I want to applaud JP LeBlanc for winning the blues release of the year award. His exceptional gift and his passion for music are helping to put New Brunswick and Acadia on the musical map. I want to congratulate Robin, Rébecca, Charlotte, Rosalie and Mélodie LeBlanc, not to mention JP LeBlanc, on their outstanding accomplishments and thank them for shining a spotlight on our beloved Acadia.

Mr. Speaker, as the Minister of Finance would say, it is already Thursday, but we still have good news. In my home province of New Brunswick, the forestry industry accounts for 25,000 jobs and contributes more than $1.5 billion to our economy every year. The United States has imposed unjustified tariffs on our softwood lumber. To support the industry, our government has already announced $2.5 billion, but we know that it still needs help. Can the Minister of Northern and Arctic Affairs tell us about the new support measures announced for our forestry sector?

Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to get a chance to speak about Build Canada Homes. To begin with, I would like to say hello to voters in my riding of Acadie—Bathurst, who have probably tuned in to watch me this evening. I think that the Build Canada Homes bill we are discussing today is an outstanding initiative. However, before I get to what we want to do with Build Canada Homes, I would like to talk about various programs that have been extremely beneficial to my riding of Acadie—Bathurst, in collaboration with the Department of Housing and Infrastructure. My colleague spoke earlier about mayors and municipalities. Let us begin with the program known as the housing accelerator fund. It provides dedicated funds directly to municipalities. My New Brunswick riding was fortunate enough to have six such agreements. The funds go directly to the municipalities. Developers then contact them to inquire about construction projects, whether for affordable housing or for other types of housing. These municipalities far surpassed their objectives, and it shows on the ground, because there is construction going on everywhere. People can watch the housing be built from the ground up. Some of it is ready. Some people have moved in. The program has been extremely beneficial to municipalities in my region. As my colleague said earlier, the Leader of the Opposition called the mayors of some municipalities incompetent. I hope that people will remember that the mayors in my region were not incompetent. They created a tremendous amount of housing, including affordable housing, housing for young people and housing for young families. The program has been a huge boon to my region. The other program I want to talk about is the Canada housing infrastructure fund. This fund still exists, and the federal government has signed agreements through it with the provinces, including my province, New Brunswick. Once again, we had great programs to ensure that municipalities could move forward with water and sewer projects, for example, to connect new housing developments to that infrastructure. I recently had the opportunity to make an announcement with my colleague, the member for the provincial riding of Bathurst West-Beresford and New Brunswick's finance minister. To develop the former site of a mill that had been closed since the 2000s, we managed to secure funding through the Canada housing infrastructure fund, which enabled us to build more than 300 housing units there. Just recently, an announcement was made about housing for homeless people that has begun to be built on that land. This shows that these programs are working. There are also several other programs for which we want to partner with New Brunswick. In the coming weeks or months, we hope to increase our collaboration with New Brunswick to be able to build more housing. Regarding Build Canada Homes, as members are aware, we want to make sure that we build affordable housing. I know opposition members often say that we create more bureaucracy. I disagree. We are going to make things easier for developers, whether they are private developers, community associations or housing co-ops. There are many of them in our regions, especially in rural areas. Every stakeholder I have talked to about what Build Canada Homes will look like is very excited. They hope that this will spark interest among developers. In addition, we often forget about modular home developers and companies. There are two such companies in my riding: Supreme Homes and Trusko Inc. They are currently building modular housing and, once again, this type of housing is affordable. We see these homes going up day after day. People can feel it in the air, it is tangible. People are waiting for these units. Some of them have already been able to get into a home. However, as we know, too many Canadians are still having a hard time finding affordable housing. Housing costs are rising, and unfortunately, supply is not keeping up with demand. By consolidating functions that were previously scattered across several departments, agencies and programs, we will strengthen the government's ability to deliver meaningful results. As my colleagues said earlier, traditional approaches need to be reviewed. We must accelerate housing construction. For example, under other programs, municipalities have amended their zoning bylaws to speed up housing construction. That will continue. Build Canada Homes will be a developer, a funder, a facilitator and a catalyst for innovation in the housing sector. Canadians need more housing, and Bill C-20, the Build Canada Homes act, will make it possible to build faster and more efficiently at scale. The global economy has recently undergone a shift that has profoundly transformed the traditional world order. Canada can no longer count on its most important trading relationship. Because of that, we are building our capacity here at home by building stronger relationships across all levels of government, including municipal, territorial and provincial governments, as well as with our indigenous partners. We are making strategic investments to build a stronger, more sustainable and more resilient economy. We are working to cut red tape, eliminate internal trade barriers and sign new agreements that will stimulate local economies. In these uncertain times, the Government of Canada is taking decisive action now to transform our nation and make it more resilient so that it can shift from reliance to resilience. The goal is to make Canada one of the fastest-growing and most competitive economies in the world and to usher in a new era of economic security and prosperity for Canadians. The Government of Canada will achieve its goals by building on the strength of our industries and by implementing measures such as Build Canada Homes and the buy Canadian policy, which will enable it to invest in the future and stimulate economic growth. The buy Canadian policy will have an impact on our softwood lumber industry, for example. There are several companies in my region, including two major plants, that process softwood lumber. They are delighted with the amounts being invested in Build Canada Homes. It will help them diversify their markets a bit if their wood is used to build the homes we need in Canada. During my meetings with these companies, it was very clear that they were about to go through a period of uncertainty because of what is happening with the markets, mainly in the United States. If we help them through Build Canada Homes, they will be able to sell their wood, and we will be able to build homes faster in Canada. As a Crown corporation, Build Canada Homes will be funded by an initial $13-billion envelope announced in budget 2025. Build Canada Homes was created to centralize federal support for affordable housing in coordination with other departments and agencies. It will act quickly and leverage federal land, support innovative construction approaches and form partnerships across all sectors to build more housing. Build Canada Homes is a key part of Canada's new industrial strategy. It will stimulate the residential construction sector and make it more productive. Build Canada Homes will revitalize the housing industry by enabling the construction of thousands of new homes. As construction ramps up, we will ensure the growth, training and support of Canada's skilled workforce, while creating well-paying jobs. In addition to building new homes, we will also support the development of essential housing infrastructure such as water and sewer systems. With existing programs and with the creation of Build Canada Homes, I think Canadians will see that we believe in them. Canadians will see that we understand their concerns and that we understand that they need affordable housing. That is exactly why we are moving forward with a bill like this one while maintaining our existing programs. We are moving forward to build as many homes as possible for Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, if we adopt the Conservatives' plan, we would probably end up with six housing units, which is what was built when the Leader of the Opposition was the minister responsible for housing. The Conservatives like to talk about bureaucracy. We like to talk about building homes, and building homes by the thousands. The current programs we put in place are already getting it done, but with Build Canada Homes, we will do even more. The Conservatives like to talk about bureaucracy but fail to see what is good about this strategy. Their strategy is always to delay the process and delay the construction of these homes. We see things differently. We want to move forward to ensure that there are more affordable housing units for Canadians, and that is what we are going to do.

Mr. Speaker, I think my colleague knows that we have always been able to collaborate with Quebec on plenty of files, including housing. Ultimately, what we want to do is build as much affordable housing as possible for as many Canadians as possible. I think that residents of the province of Quebec will continue to benefit from these programs. It will always be a pleasure for us to work with the Government of Quebec. I even think that some discussions have led to agreements with the Government of Quebec. We look forward to continuing in this vein. Our goal is to build as much housing as possible for all Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, once again, I think my colleague is well aware that it is very important to our government to ensure that we build as much affordable housing as possible for as many Canadians as possible. As we all know, young families and young people want access to housing. With programs like Build Canada Homes and other existing programs, we will provide families and young Canadians with the housing they need. I think the Prime Minister has been clear. We want to see massive housing construction. That is what Build Canada Homes is all about.

Mr. Speaker, my dad was a fisherman all his life. I am pretty sure he is watching right now, so I say hi to him. When I look closely at the bill, I see that there are some things in it that Newfoundlanders should maybe ask questions about. Right now there is no fee of any kind on recreational fisheries. The member talked about a monitoring system, and the bill actually proposes a monitoring system for recreational fisheries, which would probably add cost to it. When I think about it, we could actually say that it would be a tax on food, or in this case a tax on fish. Did the member actually talk to his leader about this new tax on food, a tax on fish?

Mr. Speaker, I welcome my colleague to the House. Of course, I will miss the deep and powerful voice of Darrell Samson, the member my colleague is replacing. However, I am sure that my colleague's voice will be just as strong in defending his constituents. My colleague said that he knocked on a lot of doors and met a lot of people during the election campaign. Can he tell us which of the measures proposed in the Speech from the Throne will help his riding and constituents?

Mr. Speaker, I would first like to congratulate all my new colleagues in the House on their election. I am a proud Acadian and a proud francophone. When I read through the Speech from the Throne, I read this: Canada is a country that respects and celebrates its official languages.... The Government is determined to protect the institutions that bring these cultures and this identity to the world, like CBC/Radio-Canada. Will my colleague, like her leader, continue to call for the dismantling of CBC/Radio-Canada? Will she continue to ask francophone members to answer her and speak to her in English?

Mr. Speaker, I have a lot of respect for my colleague. We worked together well in the Atlantic caucus. I want to thank him again for all the great work he did in our caucus. According to my sources, my colleague and I received a number of project proposals under the housing accelerator fund in collaboration with municipalities. Members will recall that Pierre Poilievre said the fund was ineffective, and he even asked his MPs not to push our government to help municipalities interested in moving ahead with some of those projects. I would like my colleague to tell me whether he thinks his riding benefited from the fund. Does he think our new “build Canada homes” initiative will help build more housing in rural regions like ours in Atlantic Canada?

moved that the bill be read the third time and passed. Madam Speaker, I would like to welcome all of my colleagues back to the House. I also want to thank my constituents in the riding of Acadie—Bathurst for their support over the past few years. I also want to acknowledge my parents, my family, my friends and my staff. I hope that Parliament's work will go well and that we will have good debates in the House. Today, I am pleased to resume debate, if I can put it that way, on my bill. My bill proposes a national framework to establish a school food program. A lot has happened since we last debated this bill in the House. In the last budget, the government invested $1 billion over the next five years to develop a school food program. In May, I had the pleasure and good fortune to welcome the Prime Minister, the Minister of Families and Children, the Minister of Public Safety, the Minister of Veterans Affairs and my colleague from Madawaska—Restigouche to my riding for a great announcement at my daughters' school, École Marguerite-Bourgeoys in Caraquet. That day, the Prime Minister announced the first phase of the school food program. It was a wonderful day, with a lot of dignitaries and groups that have been involved for many years in preparing breakfasts, lunches and snacks for schools in my region. I would especially like to acknowledge the Fondation des petits déjeuners de la Péninsule acadienne, which provides services to many schools in my riding. Its members go into schools to provide healthy breakfasts for students. I would also like to acknowledge Alexis Légère, a young vegetable farmer who grows food at Marguerite-Bourgeoys school. A few years ago, the school gave him a parcel of land. His vegetables are used to prepare meals in collaboration with students at the school. I will talk more about that a little later. Why is this bill important? We have talked about this many times already, but here are some examples. We know that there are a lot of children who go to school on an empty stomach. I do not think that, in 2024, it is acceptable for our children to go to school on an empty stomach. We have to do something about this situation. This is not new. In the 1980s, I was in grade 1. That was many years ago. I remember that some of my friends had nothing to eat in their lunch boxes. We have to address this problem. We have to help families and especially children by setting up a program like this so that they have healthy food in their lunch box every day. To continue in the same vein, nearly one in five children say that they go to school or to bed hungry. Those are not good numbers. We need to improve those statistics. That is why a school food program will be very beneficial for these children. We know that proper nutrition during childhood is very important for maintaining health and well-being and for achieving socio-economic success. If we want to give our children every opportunity to succeed at school, it starts with a healthy diet, with basic nutrition. If we do this, we will see that, in the years to come, the young people who have benefited from these programs will be successful on the job market. They will likely do better than many other young people who did not have access to such a program. Many studies have shown that school programs act as social equalizers. We know that, today, discrimination and bullying are unfortunately part of our society. Often, we hear about kids at school who make fun of other kids who have nothing in their lunch box. Putting an end to this bullying or stigmatization will go a long way in helping our children to cope with these situations. One final point is that Canada is one of the only member countries of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development that does not have a school food program in place. A big, beautiful country like Canada cannot go without such a program any longer. Once again, I want to acknowledge the efforts of our government, which provided the funds needed to launch a program of this kind in partnership with the provinces and territories. I hope that the provinces and territories will sign these bilateral agreements as soon as possible. A program like this has many benefits. I listed some of them earlier. These benefits are not limited to children. The program is good for families, for the parents of these children. Let me talk about some of the benefits for children. A program like this is sure to significantly improve nutrition. As we know, school meals ensure that children receive at least one balanced meal a day. This could be breakfast, lunch or a snack, and it can go a long way toward offsetting the nutritional deficit that some children experience at home for various reasons. Other benefits include better concentration at school. A child who is properly fed, whose needs are met and who shows up for school with a full belly has a much easier time getting through the day. Everyone here knows what long days are like. Even as adults, when we do not have time to eat properly, our concentration suffers. Imagine how hard it must be for a child in grade 1, 2, 4 or 5 who did not get anything to eat before school in the morning, or even during the day. How hard must it be for them to concentrate, to follow the teacher's instructions or even to keep up with their friends in the schoolyard at recess? A program like this one offers a lot of benefits. Promoting healthy eating habits is another benefit. School food programs teach children the importance of good nutrition. I said earlier that I would talk a bit more about why I decided to make this announcement at my daughters' and stepson's school, Marguerite-Bourgeoys school in Caraquet. A few years ago, a young vegetable farmer decided to approach the school and ask if they could provide him with a small parcel of land where he could grow vegetables. It was not necessarily to supply the school cafeteria, but rather to show students the importance of farming, how to grow one's own vegetables and fruits, and how to eat well. One thing led to another, and this program has grown so much that the partnership between the farmer, the school and the students now provides almost 80% of all the fruit and vegetables for the meals served at the school. This is being done with the students' participation. Every day, students take classes with the farmer. They grow tomatoes, cucumbers, blueberries and so on. They also help prepare the meals. What a wonderful idea to have a program like that in the school. Imagine how having an initiative like this in every school in Canada would help educate children about the benefits of good nutrition. At the same time, it would benefit local farmers. As we know, local produce is increasingly valued, especially in rural areas like mine. It would help a lot of local producers to be able to supply our schools by growing their fruit and vegetables as part of a program like this. Reduced absenteeism is another benefit, and this has been proven. Countless studies show it. This greatly reduces the absentee rate among students. If they are not lucky enough to have a meal at home, students will go to school knowing that they will have a snack to help them get through their day. Many studies show that this is highly beneficial. It is also about equality of opportunity. We know that all children, regardless of their parents' income or their family's income, should have the same chances. I think that in our society, the stigmatization of certain groups of people has to be eliminated, and we need to create equal chances for everyone. We need to have these types of programs. Sometimes families may have a good income, but when both parents work, there may not necessarily be time in the morning to prepare lunches, snacks and so on. Having access to snacks or breakfast at school will be a big help to families and students. For parents, too, this can have major benefits, such as reducing their financial burden. Free or subsidized meals can have a significant impact on family finances. We know that the cost of living is high right now and that some families are struggling. Having a little bit of help and not having to worry about providing meals or snacks for children will be extremely helpful for these families. As I said, it will save time for parents who sometimes do not have time to prepare meals. It will provide peace of mind too, as these examples show. It will encourage education when parents see their children doing well at school. Children get better marks at school. That goes a long way toward making children feel good about themselves, and it also helps parents when they see that they no longer have to worry about this burden or about struggling to feed their children. These programs not only have a positive impact on children's health and development, they improve family dynamics and society as a whole. Many studies have shown that programs like this can be extremely beneficial. They boost nutrition and academic performance and have an impact on the local economy and agriculture. They can also come with their share of challenges. For schools, obtaining healthy food can be a costly venture. We know that food costs have gone up. That is why the government presented a plan to provide $1 billion over the next five years. This assistance will help schools and various groups buy healthy food so they can provide students with meals. The quality of the meals is also important. The fact that so many schools in Canada are located in remote or rural areas also presents a logistical challenge. That is why agreements will be signed with Canada's provinces and territories to move forward and provide them with additional funding to help them develop programs. I am very pleased that the first province has already signed a bilateral agreement with our government, and that is the province of Newfoundland. We hope that other provinces will follow suit, like my home province of New Brunswick. I hope that we will have serious discussions about the benefits of having a program like this in our schools. This bill is close to my heart. It is important to me because I have in some way experienced some of these situations and challenges. I do not come from a wealthy family. We were lucky because we always had good meals. My parents always made meals and healthy eating a priority. However, over the course of my life, I have had friends who were not so lucky. Giving every child in Canada the opportunity to have access to a program like this, to not go to school hungry and to not have to worry that their parents or families lack the means to feed them properly is a good thing. I think this will do a world of good for all those people. Once again, Canada is one of the only countries that does not have a program like this. It is time to set one up. The government has made a great deal of effort so far and has put a lot of money on the table to develop the program, but we need a framework so we can do this properly and follow the steps and look at things that are not working and things that will work a bit better. I am sure we will be able to make a lot of progress. I am calling on my colleagues to please support my bill that will benefit every child in Canada.

Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for her question and for the helpful comments she made about the bill in committee. I have been clear. I do not necessarily always agree with the Bloc Québécois's positions, but I can say that I have always been impressed by the number of programs implemented by the Quebec government over the years. I am thinking in particular of its child care program or even its school food program, which has been developed so well. It is a good example to follow. As indicated in my bill, negotiations will take place with the provinces and territories. We are aware that the Quebec government wants to sit down at the table to discuss how these agreements will be developed. Our goal is to work with all the provinces and territories, including Quebec, to see how we can design an excellent program, a great school food program for all the provinces of Canada. We recognize that Quebec already has a program like this, but we will continue to work with the province to see if the program can be improved in any way.

Madam Speaker, I would prefer not to get into a political debate when we are discussing a bill that will help so many children and families. Unfortunately, the Conservatives have repeated one thing over and over during the debates on my bill and even in committee. They keep saying that if there were no carbon tax, we would not need a program like this. They say that if we got rid of the carbon tax, we would not need a school food program. To me, that is not serious. We know that the cost of living is bit higher right now for families across Canada. The government has done everything in its power to help these families. We will continue to do that. I think it is deplorable that the Conservative Party voted against the bill. It even voted against the amount of $1 billion that we proposed for a school food program to help—

Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for her question, and I appreciate her friendship on the various committees that we serve on together. As I said earlier, we have known for years that many students are going to school hungry. We need to do something about that. I completely agree with my colleague that we need to implement a program like this one as quickly as possible. As the government announced in its last budget, $1 billion over the next five years will go a long way—

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the 24th report of the Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities in relation to Bill C-322, an act to develop a national framework to establish a school food program. The committee has studied the bill and has decided to report the bill back to the House without amendment.

Madam Speaker, it is definitely going to be difficult to summarize the two hours of debate that we have had on my bill in five minutes. I would like to thank all of my colleagues from the various parties who spoke to this very important bill, which could change the lives of the children in our society. As I said in my speech, I think that this bill is one of the most important pieces of legislation that we will debate this session. It is 2023. I would like us to just take a moment to think about these striking examples. Many children go to school hungry. They do not have any breakfast or lunch, and they do not even have a snack at school. One in five children say that they do not have enough to eat at home. Within first nations communities, 50% of households say that they struggle to feed their family. We are one of the only countries in the G7 that does not have a school food program. In some provinces and territories, there are some schools that get funding for school food programs while others do not, which means that some children are falling through the cracks. These few striking examples demonstrate why we need to have a framework, a national program in our schools, to ensure that our young people do not go to school hungry, do not have to think about being unable to learn and can stop worrying about not having anything in their lunch box. I know that some of my colleagues and some parties have concerns about their respective provincial jurisdictions. We know that education is a provincial jurisdiction, but my bill makes it very clear that we will need to work with the provinces and territories to create a national program. We are going to respect those areas of jurisdiction, and that is why we are going to engage in discussions with the provinces and territories. This morning, I was fortunate to be invited to make a presentation to the Coalition for Healthy School Food. I want to thank all these groups for their extraordinary work over the past several years to ensure that we have school food programs in our schools across Canada. This bill is also too important to politicize. I find it disappointing to hear some of my Conservative colleagues say that if there were no price on pollution, no price on carbon, we would not need school food programs. In 1982, 42 years ago, I was in grade one. There was no price on pollution, but interest rates were high. Some of my friends beside me did not have anything to eat. This is not a new problem, and that is why we need to address it. I humbly ask all my colleagues in the House to support this bill. They should not do it for me, but they should do it for our children, for our young people in our schools who need a school food program, who need to stop worrying about going to school with an empty stomach. What we are doing here is trying to make life better for these children and their families. I hope my colleagues from the various parties will support my bill. I am very pleased to have had the opportunity to introduce this bill in the House. Once again, I would like to thank everyone who spoke to it. I hope the bill can move on to the next stage.

moved that Bill C-322, An Act to develop a national framework to establish a school food program, be read the second time and referred to a committee. Mr. Speaker, before I give my speech, I would like to acknowledge the following people. First, I want to thank my constituents in Acadie—Bathurst, who gave me the honour and privilege of representing them over the past eight years. I thank them from the bottom of my heart for putting their trust in me. Second, I want to recognize my father, André; my mother, Rollande; my mother-in-law, Bernadette; my father-in-law, Hébert; my brother, Jeff; my brothers- and sisters-in-law; my Cormier-Thériault family; and my friends who are watching right now. I recognize them and thank them for their help. They know that it is not always easy to be a federal MP, and so I thank them for all of the help that they give me. Third, I want to thank my extraordinary employees: Janice, Jocelyne, Sylvie, Gilles and Léopold, as well as Vanessa, a former employee. I thank them for all they do for me. Fourth, I want to thank my good friend Greg Burn for his help with the research for my speech. Finally, I want to recognize the four most important people in my life: my daughters, Arianne and Chloé, and my stepson, Léo, who I consider to be my son. I love them and look forward to seeing them again. I want to thank my partner Isabelle, who is an MLA in New Brunswick. I love her dearly, and I sincerely thank her for all of the help she gives me every day. I miss her and look forward to seeing her again. I am honoured to rise in the House today to speak to my bill, Bill C-322, an act to develop a national framework to establish a school food program. The purpose of this bill is outlined clearly in its title: to develop a national framework for the establishment of a school food program to ensure that all children in Canada have access to healthy food. I truly believe this is one of the most important pieces of social legislation the House will debate this session. There are far too many children in Canada going to bed hungry or starting off the school day without a nutritious breakfast. Can my colleagues imagine trying to pay attention to the lesson or trying to do schoolwork while they have pangs of hunger that are gnawing at them and distracting them from concentrating on anything else? Our own studies, including the Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children Survey have shown that up to one in five young people report going to school or bed hungry, often because there is not enough food in the home. In addition, the 2021 First Nations Food, Nutrition and Environment Study found that approximately 50% of first nation households have difficulty putting food on the table. Think of that number: 50%. These numbers are heartbreaking, but we have the opportunity to do something about it. My hope is that this sad reality will serve as a catalyst for action. Canada is one of the few member countries of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development that does not have a national school food program in place. We have the power to change that, the power to ensure that fewer children in this country go hungry and that children have access to healthy food and a greater opportunity for success. In 2018, Canada introduced “Opportunity for All - Canada's First Poverty Reduction Strategy”. As outlined in the report, food insecurity is an indicator of poverty. Food insecurity is defined as “the number of Canadian households that do not have enough money to purchase or access a sufficient amount and variety of food to live a healthy lifestyle”. While this problem persists across the country, it is especially high in the north and among indigenous populations, black populations, lone-parent households, rural and remote communities, households that must rely on social assistance or employment insurance as their primary source of income, and renters. The number of children without access to nutritious food in some communities is very disturbing. In my home province of New Brunswick, food insecurity for many families, is very real, including within my riding of Acadie—Bathurst. In New Brunswick, there is great regional disparity in the number of school breakfast programs, which creates an unacceptable social inequity. The provincial government funds certain schools but not others. Why should some schools have a breakfast, lunch and snack program and not others? We know that schoolchildren without access to nutritious food are significantly disadvantaged. School meal programs can help to improve school attendance, foster better academic performance, improve health outcomes, and support students to achieve their life goals. I want to commend all the dedicated volunteers, private sector donors and community organizations that are stepping up and trying to make a difference. Many are sponsoring or supporting school breakfast programs in communities in New Brunswick and throughout the country, but the demand far exceeds the supply, and they cannot do it alone. Here are two good examples. To start, I would like to acknowledge the Fondation des petits déjeuners de la Péninsule acadienne and its president, Wanita McGraw. Over the past five years, the foundation has raised over $1.2 million and has helped provide breakfast five days a week to 5,000 students at more than 20 schools on the Acadian Peninsula. I would also like to recognize Alexis Légère, a local market gardener who runs a community greenhouse at Marguerite-Bourgeoys school in Caraquet. The school gave him a plot of land where he grows and harvests vegetables with children from the school. These vegetables are then handed over to the cafeteria to use in meals. My thanks and congratulations go out to these extraordinary individuals and groups. A comprehensive national framework geared at a school food program would make a real difference. This framework can be a road map for co-operation, bringing many stakeholders together in pursuit of this common objective. Our government also provides support for school food programs, but despite the efforts being put in at all levels, school meal programs only reach 21% of school-age children. We can do better. We cannot have a program that does not serve every school. All children who require nutritious food should be able to access in their own school. Bill C-322 also supports the development of a framework. It provides the basis for the discussions that will take place across the country with provinces, territories, municipalities, first nations, Inuit and Métis peoples, parents, volunteers, charitable organizations, teachers, students, school administrators and subject matter experts. The agriculture and agri-food sectors will also be engaged in this framework development. We can have a program that not only achieves its goal of making sure every child has access to healthy food, but one that will provide a creative blueprint for supporting farmers and agricultural producers in pursuit of that goal. Canadian-made foods are responsible for one in eight jobs in Canada. The objective of Canada's food policy is to “help guide public, private, and non-profit sectors on food-related decisions and actions that can improve people’s lives, their health, and the health of the environment and the economy.” A national school food policy will support local food production, create jobs, grow the economy and help us achieve food security and sustainability. When it is rolled out, a national school food program will also provide much-needed relief for struggling families who are often faced with difficult decisions when providing for the needs of their children. These decisions might see a family cut back on its grocery order or look at less nutritious food options, because they cannot afford what they want and need. I am proud that our government has introduced many programs to support families, such as the Canada-wide early learning and child care program, which reduces the cost of child care to $10 a day; the Canada child benefit; the Canada housing benefit top-up; and the dental care plan. These are just a few of the support programs this government has put in place. There has also been support for Food Banks Canada, community food centres, and local-level organizations serving people experiencing food insecurity, but we can do even more to help children and families, and this is the reason we need to develop a national framework for a school food program. Some children may be hesitant to participate in a school breakfast program because they are worried that other children may see them as coming from a poorer background. If school nutrition programs are widely available, there is less chance that a child who needs a nutritious breakfast, lunch or snack will feel stigmatized. This is just one of the issues that can be addressed in developing the framework. There will be many things to discuss following the passage of this bill, and considerable input will be required in the effort to design the best framework possible, but it is not an insurmountable challenge. There has already been a lot of work done to date. The consultation undertaken by Employment and Social Development Canada on building a pan-Canadian food policy has provided valuable insight and advice. It is important to have a national framework if we want to meet the goals of a high-quality school food program that is focused on health and nutrition. As we all know, school food programs that currently exist vary from school to school and across the country. This does not mean that all meal programs will look the same, but that choice decisions can be made that will ensure the objectives and goals of the plan will be met. We must also take into account our diverse cultural needs in the design of a national school food policy. All children should be able to enjoy nutritious and culturally relevant food in their schools. While the goal is to ensure that all programs focus on nutrition and health, it stands to reason that the meals will need to be appealing to students. It would not make much sense to design a meal program with food that students do not like. Again, this is something that can be addressed in the framework. This bill is very straightforward. It would empower the minister of employment and social development to consult with the Minister of Health, representatives of provincial and territorial governments responsible for health and education, other relevant stakeholders in those fields and representatives of indigenous governing bodies to develop a national framework to establish a school food program to ensure that all children in Canada have access to healthy food. As outlined in the bill, the framework will: (a) set out the criteria for determining whether a food is healthy, taking into account Canada's Food Guide; (b) indicate which meals and snacks, at a minimum, must be offered in schools under the program; (c) take into account the different circumstances in which children live, including cultural diversity, and the resulting dietary requirements; (d) take into account the rights and priorities of First Nations, Inuit and Métis; (e) provide for measures to avoid stigmatizing pupils who use the program; (f) provide for measures to foster the use of local and sustainable food systems; (g) take into account existing local initiatives and infrastructure, build on existing school food programs across Canada and use best practices from other jurisdictions; and (h) promote evidence-based healthy food education in schools across Canada. The bill establishes a timeline for the consultations and the preparation of a report by the minister setting out a national framework. The report must be completed within one year and tabled before each House of Parliament within the first 15 days on which that House is sitting. I believe this is a reasonable time frame to carry out the consultations and develop the framework. There is also provision in the bill for reviewing the effectiveness of the framework within five years after the tabling of the report. We will not achieve the goal of a national school food program overnight, but we will have set a path forward to do so. I feel passionate about this bill and what it can achieve. I know that all members of both houses recognize what this bill can do for children and families, and how transformative it can be. Politicians often come under fire and there can be public skepticism about politics and politicians in general, but I have always believed that people run for public office because they want to improve others' living conditions and help their community prosper. It was my motivation to offer as a candidate for Acadie—Bathurst. I am working to improve the lives of my constituents and fellow citizens, but more importantly, in this case, I am working for our successors and the next generation, the children. We all have the opportunity to make a real difference in people’s lives by passing this bill and ensuring that every child in Canada will have access to healthy food in every region of the country. In closing, I am calling on my colleagues to think about all the children and families who will benefit from a national school food program and support a bill that will serve as a shining example of what makes Canada such a great country in which to live and raise a family.

Madam Speaker, the bill is saying to actually have a framework. We all know those things are the provinces' responsibility, so we need to consult with the provinces and territories to make sure that we have their input when creating this framework. Of course, we will do so. Of course, we know that provinces and territories need to be part of that. We know that school food programs already exist in some provinces and territories, but maybe we can do more to help them achieve better frameworks and better programs in the future. That is why we want to make sure that all stakeholders, included provinces and territories, will be part of developing this framework.

Madam Speaker, I think my colleagues know that we are currently doing everything we can on the housing file through the various programs that are in place and that our government recently unveiled. However, I want to talk more about my bill. This is something very important. We are talking here about children who go to school on an empty stomach. I think my colleague will agree that we cannot allow this to continue. I know that the Government of Quebec and the province of Quebec have very progressive social programs like these. I am sure that we will be able to benefit from their input and support as we develop this framework. Once again, we are helping families get through these difficult times, whether with housing or the Canada child benefit. I think that one of our needs is to ensure that our children no longer go to school hungry. These children need help and support. After all, they are the future generation that we need so very much.

Madam Speaker, as I said earlier, we helped families so much in 2015 through many programs. I still think this is a bill that would, again, help children not go to school on an empty stomach. Can we do it faster? Yes, I hope that we will do it faster. There is a provision in the bill that would give us a year to have this done. However, I hope that it will take less time than that because children cannot wait any more. Children cannot go to school on an empty stomach. We need to help them, and I hope that my colleague will support this bill when the time comes.

moved for leave to introduce Bill C‑322, An Act to develop a national framework to establish a school food program. Mr. Speaker, first, I would like to thank the seconder of my bill, my colleague and friend from Madawaska—Restigouche, who is here with me this morning. This bill provides for the development of a national framework to establish a school food program to ensure that all children in Canada have access to healthy food, be it breakfast, lunch or healthy snacks. Every child deserves to start their day off on the right foot and end it in good health. Too many families in Canada cannot reliably obtain enough nutritious food. According to a study on the health behaviours of school-aged children, nearly one in five children say they go to school or to bed hungry. What is more, data from both Canada and abroad show that school meal programs act as social equalizers. Canada is one of the few member countries of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development without a national school food program in place. It is time we changed that. I hope all my colleagues in the House will support this bill, which will improve the lives of children and families across Canada. (Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)

Madam Speaker, I appreciate the work that my colleague does with me on the Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans. As my colleague knows, I have three young children, aged seven, eight and 10. Sometimes, when I see them using their devices, I think about how much things have changed from when I was their age. I would like to ask my colleague whether she thinks it is important that this bill makes it possible to protect children and set up parental controls to keep our children safe from everything that is on the Internet and social media, so that they are protected from data theft and identity theft.

Mr. Speaker, Canadians across the country need to hear the name Arthur Léon Haché. Mr. Haché died on December 7, at the age of 98. He was the last surviving World War II veteran from the riding of Acadie—Bathurst. He was only 17 when he enlisted in the North Shore regiment. Having participated in two major battles, the Normandy landing and the Battle of the Scheldt, he came home with haunting memories and physical and psychological injuries. Despite everything, Mr. Haché always attended the various commemorative activities and never hesitated to share his story and that of his fellow Canadians. He was a great inspiration to the people of our communities and we will remember him as a hero. I offer my deepest condolences to his wife, Dorina, and his children, Hector, Michel and Carole. Never forget that thanks to the sacrifices of Mr. Haché, we now live in a free country in peace.

Mr. Speaker, on January 28, the great Viola Léger passed away at the age of 92. She was originally a nun and a teacher, but it was her dramatic role as La Sagouine in the work of Antonine Maillet that endeared her to Acadia and the world. During her career as an actress, Ms. Léger would portray this legendary character more than 3,000 times, in addition to playing many other roles in theatre, film and television. Ms. Léger went on to serve in the Senate of Canada, where she helped support causes such as the plight of minorities, the survival of the French language and the importance of arts and culture. She will be remembered for her incredible ability to showcase Acadia, as she was a formidable ambassador for our culture and language throughout her life. Today, all of Acadia mourns the loss of this great lady. I thank Ms. Léger for her invaluable contribution to Acadian culture and for the monumental legacy she leaves behind. I offer my deepest condolences to her family and friends.

Mr. Speaker, Petit‑Rocher hosted last weekend's 22nd Gala des Éloizes, a celebration of the vibrant, high-quality, original creative work of our professional Acadian artists. This one-of-a-kind gala is Canada's only awards ceremony that hands out prizes for all artistic disciplines, from dance, theatre and music to visual arts, media arts and literature. I would like to extend my heartfelt congratulations to all the nominees, especially the winners from my riding, Acadie—Bathurst: Monelle Doiron, artist of the year in dance for Les oiseaux; Le Dortoir at Collège communautaire du Nouveau-Brunswick for supporting the arts; Renée Blanchar, artist of the year in media arts for the documentary The Silence; and Édith Butler, winner of the lifetime achievement award in honour of her more than 50-year career. I am grateful to the Association acadienne des artistes professionels et professionnelles du Nouveau Brunswick, its president, Philippe Beaulieu, its executive director, Carmen Gibbs, and their team for working so hard to promote and protect Acadian artists' rights and interests.

Mr. Speaker, the past two years have shown us that businesses need to adapt to the digital economy if they want to grow. Post-secondary educational institutions have a key role to play in that transformation because they are doing innovative research and training students for the jobs of the future. Would the minister responsible for ACOA tell the House how this government is preparing workers for the jobs of tomorrow, supporting the growth of these businesses and attracting investment to New Brunswick?

Mr. Speaker, the hon. Claudette Bradshaw, former Liberal minister and member of Parliament for the riding of Moncton—Riverview—Dieppe, died earlier this week. Ms. Bradshaw loved to say that she was just an ordinary woman, but the truth is quite the opposite. She was an extraordinary woman with a big heart and a great Acadian. Everywhere she went she exuded unparalleled warmth and compassion, and those on the receiving end of her many hugs can attest to that. Her life's work in community advocacy and politics was all about giving back to those in need and helping people who simply needed a little head start in life. She simply could not abide the idea of people living in poverty and so she did everything in her power to help them. We owe her an immense debt of gratitude for her service to the community. On behalf of the federal Liberal MPs from New Brunswick, I offer my deepest condolences to her family and friends. Thank you for everything, Ms. Bradshaw. Rest in peace.

Madam Speaker, I want to thank my newly elected colleague, the member for Hamilton East—Stoney Creek, for sharing his time with me this evening. I am pleased to rise in the House this evening. My riding of Acadie—Bathurst is one of the most beautiful places in our country. The people there are extremely welcoming and generous. My riding is home to many generations of families from different cultures who stuck together in good times and bad. My community would simply not exist were it not for a long history of families helping each other. I am very sad to see what has been happening in our country over the past few weeks where people are turning their backs on each other. That is not the Canada I know and love. I understand that many Canadians are frustrated and angry. I, too, am tired of this pandemic. I also understand that, as an MP, it is my responsibility to listen to people and find ways to help them. Unfortunately, some people who want to make their voices heard also chose to draw the country's attention by behaving in an extremely worrisome way. I have some personal experience with protests because the people in my riding of Acadie—Bathurst have always made themselves heard loud and clear, and they are not afraid to protest. In particular, they protested in support of civil rights and language rights. In 2013, they protested reforms the Conservatives made to employment insurance. Protests are a fundamental and important part of a democratic country. I always supported the right of people to protest peacefully, even in front of my office, and I have participated in several protests before and since I was elected. That said, I will never support bullying, threats, physical altercations, damage to private property, theft, hate symbols or desecration of our cherished monuments. There also seems to be a misunderstanding going around that citizens have the right to bring semi trucks to a protest and to block streets for three weeks. Nowhere in the Charter does it say that is a right. When the goal of a group is no longer to make its voice heard but rather to intentionally hurt people or damage infrastructure, it is no longer a protest: it is an occupation and an attack on our democracy. I makes me so sad to see these blockades happening in front of children, and even more so when I see children being used strategically to advance causes they cannot understand at their age. I sincerely hope that people taking part in these blockades will reconsider their behaviour and strive to set better and more positive examples for our younger generation, for the sake of our democracy. Being a law-abiding citizen is the most fundamental responsibility of Canadians. We know that many of the people who are protesting have legitimate concerns, that they are worried about their future and their livelihoods. However, what is frustrating is that their concerns would be alleviated if they could simply trust the science. In Canada we have been lucky to have world-class doctors and scientists guiding us through this pandemic. Thousands of scientists all around the world have devoted their lives to protecting and saving the lives of others. Never before have human beings been so scientifically advanced. Let me say clearly, slowly and surely for all Canadians to hear that vaccines work. It has been nearly two years since we were plunged into this COVID‑19 pandemic and I will be eternally grateful to those who developed these miraculous and effective vaccines. Thanks to them, countless lives have been saved, as will countless more in the future. I will get back to the subject at hand. Some of the protesters are indeed worried about the vaccine mandates, masks and lockdowns. However, other elements of these protests are deeply rooted in far-right ideologies and have dangerous ties to organized crime. What is more, the foreign presence that is evident through donations is very worrisome. Whatever the motivations of the people participating in these protests, we cannot allow them to continue disrupting the peace and the lives of peaceful citizens. Every Canadian deserves to live in peace. For three weeks, we have seen municipal and provincial leaders raising their hands and asking for help. I am proud that our government has been working in partnership with them from the early days the protest, and I believe that we were taken up on our offer of assistance with all of these measures. One thing is clear: These blockades need to be removed. Canadians are worried and they need us to show strong leadership. Over the past few days, other Canadians and I have listened to many speeches. We have all watched the news and participated in thorough discussions about the invocation of the Emergencies Act. Many members of our party talked at length about why using the Emergencies Act is justified and presented solid arguments in support. Some opposition members and other Canadians have severely criticized that decision. They are saying that the decision to invoke the act is extremely excessive. Personally, I find it difficult to accept the argument that this is an unnecessary use or blatant misuse of government powers. As the Prime Minister and the Minister of Justice have said many times, these measures will be used with great restraint and they are both time limited and geographically targeted. The fact is that we have exhausted all of the other options. I am convinced, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that the current circumstances meet the threshold required by the act to declare a national emergency. Let us focus for a moment on what is happening in Ottawa. From the first day that the convoy arrived on Parliament Hill, the Ottawa police service was unprepared to deal with the situation. I am not levelling an accusation, and I cannot speak to the resources that the police did or did not have. I can only speak to what I saw and what everyone saw, namely, that the Ottawa police was not going to be able to resolve this situation without support. This evening, I had the opportunity to rise in the House knowing what had unfolded in recent days, while a major police operation was under way. I believe that most of my colleagues will agree with me that the police operation in downtown Ottawa on the weekend was a success. There are fewer trucks, fewer protesters, fewer blocked streets and fewer reports of intimidation and violence. We now have tangible evidence that the powers conferred by the Emergencies Act have had a considerable impact. These measures led to action that would not have been possible otherwise. The interim chief of the Ottawa Police Service, Mr. Bell, stated that the scale and scope of this weekend's operation would not have been possible without the declaration of emergency. In conclusion, the Emergencies Act has enabled the federal government to provide tools to the Ottawa Police Service, when and where they were needed. It has also provided the Ottawa Police Service with the necessary tools to stop the flow of money that is supporting illegal activities. It has enabled municipalities to fill gaps, such as using tow trucks to remove illegally parked vehicles. It has also helped put an end to grey areas around jurisdictions and to clarify responsibilities at complex but important sites such as border crossings. I want to be clear that while our government had to make this choice; it should not be seen as a celebration. However, I feel much more at peace knowing that many people are feeling some relief from the decision to use these measures. We saw how Canadians reacted to the police operations that took place in Ottawa over the weekend. In my opinion, Canadians very clearly support the decision to invoke the Emergencies Act. I would like to address everyone who is listening to us by saying that although we may not all share the same values, we can have empathy for each other. The pandemic has taken its toll, and we are all very much looking forward to putting it behind us. Unfortunately, the events of the past few weeks were not the right way to end it. The protests have taken up valuable resources and time that were badly needed elsewhere to deal with the pandemic. I will close with this. Some joined the convoy with the goal of promoting peace and freedom. Unfortunately, the target was not the right one, and their actions had the opposite effect. The convoy was pointless and caused a disturbance in the freest of countries, our Canada.

Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question. The Bloc Québécois is always the one talking about respecting provincial, municipal or other jurisdictions. Since this convoy began, some municipalities and even the police forces in Ottawa have unfortunately been unable to carry out certain operations and deal with the situation. That is why, as a last resort, we want to move forward with applying the Emergencies Act. We gave the Ottawa Police Service and the other police forces the resources they needed to put an end to the convoy, remove all of the trucks, restore peace in downtown Ottawa and give some relief to the residents who endured three long weeks of noise and unnecessary turbulence in downtown Ottawa.

Madam Speaker, we were keeping a close eye on the situation. After three weeks, during which many protests took place on Parliament Hill, it was time for the government to intervene. We gave all police forces the tools they needed to put an end to this convoy once and for all. I am pleased that my colleague is saying that the charter provisions will be respected and that the act will be used with great restraint. It will be time limited and target the geographic areas where it is needed. I think that people are tired of these protests, and we want to provide law enforcement with all of the tools and powers needed to put an end to these protests.

Mr. Speaker, we want to welcome tourists from around the world back to Canada once it is safe to do so. Tourists seeking incredible destinations and experiences and world-class events will find what they are looking for in Canada and my fantastic riding, Acadie—Bathurst. Furthermore, Canada has the highest vaccination rate of all countries. Can the Minister of Tourism and Associate Minister of Finance tell members about the measures we are taking to welcome tourists back to Canada?

Mr. Speaker, the tourism, arts and culture, and hospitality sectors are key economic drivers in my riding, Acadie—Bathurst. They create thousands of jobs and contribute to the local economy. They also allow people from across the country and around the world to see why I and so many others are proud to live there. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has been particularly difficult for these sectors. That is why the work our government has done to keep them afloat has been so critical to their workers. Can the Minister of Finance tell us about the ongoing support we are providing to those sectors in my riding and across the country?

Madam Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the life and acknowledge the passing of Elder Gilbert Sewell. A highly respected member of Pabineau First Nation, Elder Sewell is an excellent example of someone who dedicated his life to the pursuit and sharing of knowledge. He was a historian, a storyteller and a traditional guide, but his greatest passion was sharing his knowledge and passing it down to future generations. He touched many people with his knowledge, from his efforts to organize Mi'kmaq cultural events at local schools to having audiences with British royalty or to being featured on many well-known TV programs. His passion was recognized with several awards, including the New Brunswick Human Rights Award, the Canadian Merit Award and the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Medal. It is no exaggeration to say that Elder Sewell's teaching will help ensure that Mi'kmaq traditional knowledge and language will live on for generations to come. I thank his family and loved ones for sharing this great man with us, and I hope they know that our thoughts are with them during this difficult time.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for her question. I am a parent too. I have two young daughters who are now in school. As everyone knows, most kids age 6 and under go to day care. Child care is extremely expensive in New Brunswick because we are not as lucky as Quebeckers, who have a provincial child care system. I am glad that the government's fall economic statement included an announcement about setting up a national child care program. That kind of program could be a boon to all Canadian families by keeping child care affordable. That is why we want to increase the Canada child benefit by $1,200 per child for low- and middle-income families and by $600 for higher-income families. I think that would really help those families. From the start, some provinces, including my own, New Brunswick, have not lifted a finger to help their citizens. I hope they will take their cue from the federal government and enhance the programs we set up for them.