Official Languages  Madam Speaker, on a point of order, I am seeking unanimous consent to respond to the minister's statement.

Indigenous Affairs  Madam Speaker, exactly one year ago today, an emergency debate took place in the House addressing the Wet'suwet'en fight for their inherent right of self government on their ancestral territory. Time has passed, but nothing has changed. Land guardians in Nunavut are now forced to defend their rights and their territory in the face of the Mary River Mine expansion.

COVID-19 Emergency Response  Mr. Speaker, I am very grateful for the words the parliamentary secretary just shared, and I feel that momentum. Really, though, the question for me is this: What kind of society do we want to live in and raise our children in? That is what we are grappling with right now, especially as we face the COVID-19 recovery.

COVID-19 Emergency Response  Mr. Speaker, I am raising an issue today in our Adjournment Proceedings that I originally raised on December 10 during question period. We have been blaming the pandemic for the financial anxiety and poor living conditions people are facing, but the truth is that these conditions were already there.

Diabetes  Mr. Speaker, 100 years ago, the most celebrated medical discovery of the 20th century was made by Canadian researchers. Sadly, as we approach the centennial for the discovery of insulin, diabetes is an epidemic in Canada. It directly affects 11 million Canadians and costs our health care system $30 billion each year.

Health  Mr. Speaker, January 28 is observed as Let's Talk Day, sponsored by a well-known corporation. While it was heartwarming to see the solidarity to end the stigma, we are still waiting for the government to set national standards for access to mental health services so Canadians can get the support they need when they need it beyond their screens.

COVID-19 Emergency Response  Mr. Speaker, 2020 turned out to be a year that no one could have imagined, and the government was able to respond quickly to enact programs to help Canadians cope during the pandemic. We saw support for workers who lost their employment; youth and students who lost summer income opportunities; and parents, predominantly women, who had to make the difficult decision to stay at home with children and forced into double duty or forced to leave their jobs.

Criminal Code  Mr. Speaker, I encourage the member to continue his response here, if he wishes. I appreciate the personal contributions so much. It is so important for us to understand. I was not here for the previous discussion around this bill, and here we are in a very difficult position again.

Women and Gender Equality  Mr. Speaker, on April 6 of this year, UN Women issued a statement calling violence against women and girls the shadow pandemic. Last week, the Minister for Women and Gender Equality said, “The issues of sexual violence and gender-based violence will not be solved easily. It will take generations of work”.

Business of Supply  Madam Speaker, in thinking about vaccines, I looked at Canada's history. I think about what happened in our experience with polio, in particular. With the first child passing away in 1910, we had a vaccine from Salk in 1955 and again from Sabin in 1962. It resulted in continuous waves, until eventually it was brought under control in the 1970s.

École Polytechnique in Montreal  Madam Speaker, I thank my hon. colleagues for allowing me to speak today. The first words I spoke in the House were on December 6, 2019, in remembrance of the massacre at École Polytechnique. Today I think of the victims and the families of those lost, and indeed I think about Canada and what this day means for us as a nation.

New Brunswick  Mr. Speaker, an ode to N.B.: Some words of support and appreciation, Some love for New Brunswick sent across the nation To entrepreneurs pushing side hustles, To our front-line workers and our own Dr. Russell. Our citizens acted to protect others, Thinking of nurses, sisters and brothers.

Business of Supply  Mr. Speaker, I simply wanted to say that I fully support increasing federal health transfers. The Atlantic provinces face unique challenges, and their aging population requires and deserves additional support. That was already the case before the pandemic. We need to support our provinces and territories in their recovery.

Post-Secondary Education  Mr. Speaker, a beacon of hope we are holding onto during this pandemic and under the threat of the climate crisis is our confidence in the next generation to be innovative and implement solutions to repair the world they inherit from us. However, we are not adequately providing them with the tools and support they need to achieve this aim.

Canadian Net-Zero Emissions Accountability Act  Mr. Speaker, for the record, I agree that this should not be a partisan issue. I do not want to feel like a little green mosquito, just trying to pick away at this. I want the government to succeed. I want to be excited by climate legislation. However, with all due respect, this is not it for me.