Business of Supply  Mr. Speaker, as the minister has said on numerous occasions, as have my colleagues, the minister acknowledged his mistake. He apologized for this mistake. He has apologized to this House and to the Canadian public. He has retracted his statement. In no way did he intend to diminish the hard work of the men and women in uniform.

Business of Supply  Mr. Speaker, as indicated in the minister's mandate letter and as indicated in budget 2017, we are committed to bringing forward a pension-for-life option for our brave men and women. The details of that will be made available before the end of this year.

Business of Supply  Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague for his service. It was truly a pleasure working with him on the Standing Committee on National Defence before I was appointed parliamentary secretary. The member said that we keep attacking the previous government. I did no such thing in any parts of my speech.

Business of Supply  Mr. Speaker, first I would like to highlight the 1,650 members of the Canadian Armed Forces who are currently deployed to help with the flood efforts in the Trois-Rivières to Gatineau corridor, and in New Brunswick and B.C. Earlier today our Minister of National Defence provided the House with information regarding the defence policy review.

Business of Supply  Mr. Speaker, it is interesting that the member opposite brought up Mr. MacKay, because quite frankly, when it comes to national defence, the Conservatives are known for their fishing trips, and this motion is absolutely no exception. The reality is that this minister has served his country valiantly and he made a mistake.

National Defence  Madam Speaker, it was a pleasure for the Minister of Veteran Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence to participate at the party, Under the Stars, held this week on Tuesday. It was an opportunity to exchange with our veterans and our first responders, to provide them the support they need, and to ensure we honour them and recognize their sacrifices.

Certex  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a social economy enterprise and charitable organization that I consider to be a jewel of my riding of Longueuil—Charles-LeMoyne. For the past 25 years, Certex has been providing permanent jobs for people with disabilities by operating the largest textile recovery and sorting centre of its kind in Quebec.

Business of Supply  Madam Speaker, I have had the great pleasure of working with the member opposite when I was on the veterans affairs committee. He himself is a family member of the Canadian Armed Forces. His father served valiantly in our Canadian Armed Forces. I would like to thank him and his father for their service.

Business of Supply  Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question. As the minister said earlier, we support this motion. We are currently ensuring soldiers sent to Camp Arifjan get retroactive payment.

Business of Supply  Madam Speaker, as my colleague mentioned, the minister, upon being made aware of this, asked the chief of the defence staff to look into it to not only correct the issue but to look into the process that has been put in place to make sure that we are not only following specific guidelines but are making sure that decisions being made are in support of our Canadian Armed Forces.

Business of Supply  Madam Speaker, I will be sharing my time with the hon. member for Scarborough—Guildwood. Before I begin, I would like to acknowledge the tragic passing of Master Corporal Alfred Barr of the 435 Transport and Rescue Squadron yesterday. I extend my sincere condolences to his family on behalf of all Canadians.

Business of Supply  Mr. Speaker, my colleague across the way mentioned the effects our first responders, police, firefighters, and Canadian Armed Forces members witness when serving their communities. I would like to highlight the more than 30 years of service he has given to his community in the fire department.

Veterans Affairs  Mr. Speaker, Veterans Affairs Canada takes the health and well-being of veterans very seriously. We remain committed to providing veterans with the support they need to lead successful, financially secure, and healthy lives beyond their service to Canada. I am proud of what we have achieved to date, but there is more work to do to advance the overall well-being of veterans and their families.

Veterans Affairs  Mr. Speaker, as the member knows full well, due to the federal Privacy Act I am unable to comment on any specific cases nor any appeals at the Veterans Review and Appeal Board. Our government recognizes the notable contributions that veterans and Canadian Armed Forces members have made and continue to make to preserve the peace and protect the safety of Canadians here and around the world.

National Defence  Mr. Speaker, Canada's veterans deserve the full, constant support of their government and of society. The government is determined to ensure that all Canadian Armed Forces members and all veterans who are injured in the line of duty receive the support and care they need, when they need it.