Muslim Community  Mr. Speaker, after the recent terrorist attack which killed 50 Muslims praying in a mosque in New Zealand, the Prime Minister, to show solidarity with Muslim Canadians, visited SNMC mosque in my riding of Nepean. He addressed over 1,000 people and held a meeting with young Muslim Canadians.

Petitions  Mr. Speaker, I would like to present a petition given to me by Sathya Sai School, which organized the first Walk for Values in Toronto 16 years ago. This walk highlights five universal principles: truth, right conduct, peace, love and non-violence. It is the school's hope that the Government of Canada joins the five provinces and the 107 cities and towns that have declared April 24 as World Human Values Day.

Activities in Black History Month  Mr. Speaker, as a part of celebrating Black History Month, I was pleased to host the first African Day on Parliament Hill. I would like to thank the volunteer team led John Adeyefa and Hector Addison of the African Canadian Association of Ottawa. I would also like to recognize students Jada Baptiste and Dana Amegatse of St.

International Mother Language Day  Mr. Speaker, in 2007, the United Nations declared today, February 21, as International Mother Language Day. This was initiated by Mr. Rafiqul Islam, a Bangladeshi Canadian, to pay tribute to the 1952 martyrs of the Bangla movement, where Bangladeshi freedom fighters fought and died for the language of Bangla to be recognized as an official language.

Canada-Israel Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act  Mr. Speaker, my hon. colleague proudly mentioned that the Stephen Harper government cut its entire funding to the United Nations agency for relief for Palestine refugees. Currently, U.S. President Donald Trump, a friend of Conservatives, also cut funding to the same agency. I am so proud that our government has restored funding to UNRWA, with specific help directed toward refugee women and children.

International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People  Mr. Speaker, today is the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People. The date of November 29 was chosen by the United Nations in 1977 because of its meaning and significance to the Palestinian people. Even after 71 years, we still have several generations of our Palestinian brothers and sisters living in refugee camps.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship  Madam Speaker, with November 1 around the corner, parliamentarians and Canadians will be waiting for the immigration levels plan. This past year, our minister announced an ambitious plan to grow our economy, to help the middle class and lead the world in welcoming those who are most vulnerable.

Filipino Heritage Month  Madam Speaker, I am pleased to rise today to speak to Motion No. 155, moved by my good friend, the member for Scarborough Centre. This motion seeks to recognize, celebrate and raise awareness of the Filipino community in Canada and designate June as Filipino heritage month. My riding of Nepean and the national capital region are home to the sixth-largest Filipino community in Canada, with nearly 10,000 Filipinos residing here.

National British Home Child Day  Mr. Speaker, between 1869 and the late 1930s, over 100,000 child migrants were sent to Canada from the British Isles. Motivated by social and economic forces, many believed that these children would have a better chance for a healthy, moral life in rural Canada. The children were first sent to distributing and receiving homes, then to farmers in the area.

Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership Implementation Act  Mr. Speaker, Canada is a trading nation. Our prosperity continues to be dependent on the trade we have with other countries in the world. To ensure our seniors continue to enjoy the high standard of living they have, to ensure our children also have the same benefits and high standard of living and to support our middle class, these sort of trade agreements are required.

Business of Supply  Madam Speaker, knowing there are 10,000 people on the list for affordable housing in Ottawa, I am so glad we have taken steps to invest money in the affordable housing sector. Just a couple of weeks back, under the rental construction financing initiative, we announced two projects with a private-sector company, to the tune of $75 million to construct affordable rental units.

The Big Give  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize an Ottawa initiative called the Big Give, which was launched in 2009 by Kathy Blakely. Organized by churches, it is basically a garage sale where all items are free. On Saturday, June 2, 130 churches Canada-wide participated in this great initiative.

Health  Mr. Speaker, this week is Mental Health Week. According to the Mental Health Commission of Canada, more than 500,000 adults in Canada take time away from work each week because of mental health distress or illness. That costs employers more than $6 billion in productivity loss and has a significant impact on the well-being and health of employees.

Hate Crimes  Mr. Speaker, I rise today with a sad and heavy heart to speak about the hate crimes committed in Ottawa in the recent past. First, the Jami Omar Mosque in my riding was vandalized with posters bearing white supremacist messages. Second, at Hilda Jayewardenaramaya Buddhist Monastery, a statue of Buddha, who symbolizes peace, was viciously decapitated.

Somaliland  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to bring awareness to Somaliland, an autonomous region of northwestern Somalia with nearly four million residents. In the recent Somaliland elections, Muse Bihi Abdi was elected as president, the first Somaliland president to be voted in with a very good majority.