Fall Economic Statement Implementation Act, 2023  Madam Speaker, the inflation rate that peaked in June 2022 at 8.2% has come down to 3.4% as of December 2023. The grocery prices have started slowly coming down, but not to the extent that is comfortable for most Canadians. I expect that in the coming months, the general, overall inflation, including the prices at the grocery stores, will come down, and the pain being faced by Canadians will be addressed.

Petitions  Madam Speaker, the armed conflict in Sudan has cost over 12,000 lives as of today. Over three million Sudanese people are currently internally displaced persons. About one million have fled as refugees to neighbouring countries. Over 40% to 45% of the Sudanese population is on the verge of catastrophic famine, and 80% of the hospitals have been destroyed.

Fall Economic Statement Implementation Act, 2023  Madam Speaker, I rise to speak to Bill C-59, an act to implement certain provisions of the fall economic statement and certain provisions of the 2023 budget. The last two years have not only tested our resilience but have also set the stage for an economic transformation, one that is responsible and forward-thinking.

Temple Inauguration  Mr. Speaker, in the history of the oldest religion in the world, January 22, 2024, marked the beginning of a new era for 1.2 billion Hindus across the world, including a million Hindus in Canada. After centuries of anticipation and immense sacrifices, the divine temple at Ayodhya was inaugurated with Bhagwan Shri Ram’s “Pran Pratishtha” ceremony, an act that transforms an idol into a deity.

Committees of the House  Madam Speaker, in general, I agree with the member on the issue of monopolies and oligopolies in Canada because of the lack of competition in the banking sector and the telecom sector. As the member mentioned, we are not getting a fair deal in terms of consumers. The cost of banking is high.

Committees of the House  Mr. Speaker, everybody, including the Speaker or the member, is a human being and we all make mistakes, many times unintentional mistakes. I think we should consider those things and move on. The hon. member has been a parliamentarian for the last 30 years, since 1988, when I finished my MBA and started my career.

Barrhaven Food Cupboard  Mr. Speaker, 2023 has been tough for many families in the Nepean riding, with the higher cost of living. Thanks to the team led by Ken McCarthy, George Macdonald, Dawn Lilly, Brian Double and John Falkingham, Barrhaven Food Cupboard addressed food insecurity faced by about 400 families.

Committees of the House  Mr. Speaker, I agree that, as the member said, the Taliban is a terrorist organization. We have to deal with it in the way we deal with all terrorist organizations. However, there is one small point that I did not mention in my speech and that I am concerned about. The western countries signed an agreement with the Taliban, knowing full well what it is.

Committees of the House  Mr. Speaker, we have delivered what we initially promised to the people of Afghanistan. However, more needs to be done. We have done it for the people of Ukraine. We are doing it for oppressed people and people in very tense situations in different parts of the world; we will continue doing so.

Committees of the House  Mr. Speaker, it is very important that Canada engage with opposition groups, and not only political opposition groups but also humanitarian groups, various ethnic community groups and the various groups that represent the oppressed people in Afghanistan. It should do so in the same way it engages with groups, say, in Myanmar and other parts of the world.

Committees of the House  Mr. Speaker, I see no reason for this to have been brought up for discussion. I came to the House prepared to debate Bill C-56. I have my own views on the competition clause in that particular bill. I had certain suggestions to make for the bill, such as how to improve competition while not allowing 100% foreign ownership in the Canadian banking sector, as well as how we can use the regulatory tools that are available to give credit guidance to the bank to increase competition within the banking sector.

Committees of the House  Mr. Speaker, I think it was the right call by the government at that time. We delivered what was required, what we could do, to the best of our efforts. Jointly, along with other friendly countries, we did what we could for the Afghan people during that stage.

Committees of the House  Madam Speaker, after the marathon 30 hours of voting in this House on Friday and taking a break for just over 14 hours, I was at an event organized by Canadian Women for Women in Afghanistan and University Women Helping Afghan Women to commemorate Human Rights Day. The event was also part of the 16 days of activism against gender violence.

Committees of the House  Madam Speaker, I listened to my hon. colleague with interest. There are a few things that came out of his speech: the use of the word “fatigue” almost 10 times; the Russian illegal war in Ukraine; the potential flashpoint between China and Taiwan; and the things that are happening with Israel and Palestine.

African Development Network  Mr. Speaker, from November 17 to 19, the Africa Development Network, which aims to foster socio-economic development and collaboration between Canada and Africa, organized the impact diaspora forum. It brought together the Afro-descendant diaspora, global business delegates, Canadian and African policy-makers, diplomats and Canadian entrepreneurs keen on African ventures.