Tourism Industry  Madam Speaker, this summer, as we celebrate Canada 150, the national capital region prides itself on welcoming tourists from across Canada and around the world. Be it the National Arts Centre, the National Gallery, restaurants, music festivals, or museums, there is so much to see and do.

Housing  Madam Speaker, I was pleased to announce $5.3 million for Nelson House, a women's shelter in my riding that has served our community since 1992, providing a safe space to nearly 120 of our community's most vulnerable women and children each year. The new facility will provide a private, supportive space for survivors of domestic violence that is twice the size of the existing facility.

Gender Equality Week Act  Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my hon. colleague from Mississauga—Lakeshore for bringing this incredibly important bill to the House. I had the privilege of sitting on the status of women committee when the bill came before our committee. I want to thank our colleagues on committee who worked hard on this as well.

Business of Supply  Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the minister for outlining for the House the significant investments made by the government in infrastructure. We know there is a direct link between infrastructure investment and job creation. The minister mentioned the post-secondary institution strategic investment fund.

Democratic Republic of Congo  Mr. Speaker, I would like to draw the attention of the House to the current crisis in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Yesterday the UN estimated that there are 3.7 million displaced people in the DRC, with 100,000 added to that number just last week. Forty mass graves were found in Kasai, where two UN investigators were brutally killed in March.

Criminal Code  Mr. Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague from my neighbouring riding for introducing this incredibly important piece of legislation that takes a very strong stand against hate crimes. I noticed in his speech that he referenced some of the deplorable acts of vandalism that have happened here in Ottawa.

Instruction to Committee on Bill C-243  Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my hon. colleague, also for her work in chairing the status of woman committee. I noted that in her speech she talked about some testimony at the status of women committee about the need to have additional parental leave for a second parent. This would go to some of the cultural issues of the reasons why men and women do not necessarily take the same levels of parental leave.

Committees of the House  Mr. Speaker, my hon. colleague gave a very passionate speech about the need to do more for women, and I could not agree more. I wonder if the member could talk about the fact that in the budget there is $11.2 billion for housing and $7 billion for child care. In fact, this particular budget is a perfect example of how GBA-plus works.

Ottawa River Watershed  Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pleasure today to speak in favour of Motion No. 104 brought forward by my friend and colleague, the member for Ottawa South. The management and protection of the Ottawa River is a key priority for all Canadians, especially those of us who are proud to call the Ottawa River watershed home.

Canada Business Corporations Act  Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my hon. colleague for her support of the bill, a bill which I think we all acknowledge would do a lot. It is a big step forward in making sure that corporate boards would be more diverse in terms of gender, but also in terms of intersectional identities.

Open Government Partnership  Mr. Speaker, Canadians are proud that their government takes openness and transparency seriously. They appreciate the fact that their government gets them involved in finding solutions to their problems. Now, it is the international community's turn to demonstrate its confidence in Canada's leadership and openness.

Justice  Mr. Speaker, my constituents are deeply concerned about the way sexual assault victims are treated in our criminal justice system. Earlier today, the Canadian Judicial Council released its report into Justice Robin Camp's conduct in relation to a sexual assault trial. The council has recommended that Justice Camp be removed from office.

International Women's Day  Mr. Speaker, today is International Women's Day, a time for us to reflect on the hard-won progress of women and their male allies toward real gender equality. It is a unique privilege to represent a riding with such a wide diversity of feminists. During the past week, I have had the honour of joining local women's organizations at the annual Ottawa Italian Women's FILO, the Ottawa Muslim Women's Organization, and the Somali Women's Circle Network.

Nawfal Family  Mr. Speaker, this weekend my heart was warmed by the generosity and love that exemplifies the very best of our community. The parishioners of Saint-Remi Catholic church held a potluck dinner to celebrate the one year anniversary of the arrival of the Nawfal family from Syria, which they sponsored.

International Development  Mr. Speaker, the Federation of Canadian Municipalities recently announced a support project for towns in Jordan exposed to migratory pressures in the wake of the Syrian conflict. Can the minister tell the House how the government is helping these towns cope with what has become one of the largest migratory crises ever witnessed?