Dan Ruimy

Mr. Speaker, this summer, residents of British Columbia have been dealing with wildfires that have resulted in the evacuation of thousands of people and have burned over one million hectares of land. The thoughts and prayers of all Canadians are with residents who have borne the brunt of the fires, and with the courageous and dedicated first responders.Can the minister please tell us how the government has been helping to protect and support residents of B.C. in this difficult time?

Mr. Speaker, it is no secret I am a big fan of the Canada summer jobs program. In my riding of Pitt Meadows—Maple Ridge, this program has provided many young people in my community with their first real job. While the previous government put CSJ on the chopping block and youth unemployment skyrocketed, my team worked hard with our local employers to more than double the number of CSJ jobs in my riding, something that had a meaningful impact in my community. Could the minister update us on the number of jobs this government has created nationally for young Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, I have the privilege of sitting on the human resources committee, which has been studying poverty reduction, and travelling to communities across Canada, including my own riding of Pitt Meadows—Maple Ridge, to explore innovative ways our government can tackle poverty.Could the minister please inform the House on his plans to implement a national poverty reduction strategy?

Mr. Speaker, the coast of B.C. is home to four globally unique glass sponge reefs, the Hecate Strait and Queen Charlotte Sound glass sponge reefs. Once thought to be extinct worldwide, these 9,000-year-old glass sponges offer a vital water filtration service and are home to many aquatic species.Could the parliamentary secretary tell the House what the government is doing to protect this unique ocean feature?

Mr. Speaker, the government recently announced the oceans protection plan. The House should know that investing in marine safety not only benefits coastal communities but watershed communities, like my riding of Pitt Meadows—Maple Ridge. Could the minister tell the House about the measures the OPP takes with regard to improving marine safety?

Mr. Speaker, I represent the watershed community of Pitt Meadows—Maple Ridge. It is important to those in my riding that we are able to protect wild salmon stocks and restore their habitats. While some species are slowly returning, we are currently lacking the tools and resources to make the changes needed.Can the Prime Minister tell us what measures this government will take, including through the British Columbia salmon restoration and innovation fund, to help communities such as my own see revitalized salmon populations?

Mr. Speaker, problem solving and technical expertise are crucial if we want to develop our defence industry and combat emerging threats. Through innovation, we are developing the capabilities we need to overcome modern security challenges.With our new defence policy, “Strong, Secure, Engaged”, our government announced that it would invest $1.6 billion into Canada's innovation community over the next 20 years.Could the minister inform the House on how our government is fulfilling its commitments to reaching out to Canada's most innovative and creative minds?

Mr. Speaker, in my riding of Pitt Meadows—Maple Ridge, I see more and more entrepreneurs and businesses either starting up something new in the clean-tech sector or creating a business line that offers clean-tech innovation. In a recent report on B.C.'s clean-tech sector, it was reported that there are now 273 clean-tech companies with 8,650 jobs based in B.C. These companies are diversified and operate in everything from transportation to agriculture. Could the Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development please share with us what the government is doing to support this sector and to create good, quality jobs.

Mr. Speaker, innovation changes the way we live and work. It creates new possibilities and new challenges for the people in my riding and across the country who need to support their families and to have a prosperous future.For adult learners in particular, like single moms supporting a family on their own or newcomers who are starting over, going back to school can be very daunting.Would the minister tell the House what our government is doing to support adults who want to upgrade their skills?

Mr. Speaker, we all know that access to education for Canadian youth is an essential part of building a brighter and more prosperous future for Canada. Yet far too many young people face financial barriers to accessing post-secondary education.Could the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour please update the House on how the government is helping young Canadians access higher learning?

Mr. Speaker, unlike the previous government, we believe in the importance of parliamentary debate, all the while keeping in mind issues such as Supreme Court deadlines.I believe we have a responsibility to ensure that all members of Parliament who want to participate in debate on legislation such as Bill C-14 should be able to do so.Could the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons inform the House as to the intention of the government in regard to the debate on Bill C-14 at report stage and third reading?

Canada's strong, competitive aerospace industry is a major driver of jobs, economic activity and innovation across the country. It contributes over $13 billion in GDP and 86,000 jobs across 700 businesses, and invests $1.7 billion in the Canadian economy. Companies like Bombardier develop and sell leading-edge aircraft worldwide, employing tens of thousands of middle-class Canadians.Could the minister update the House on the government's work to drive innovation and keep high-quality aerospace jobs in Canada?

Madam Speaker, as chair of the innovation, science and technology committee, I was pleased to take our committee to Washington, D.C. earlier this month to meet with business and government. It is so exciting to know that many of our companies have a strong relationship with our neighbours to the south. For most of the last three decades, trade has been an important part of that relationship. Only last year, U.S. goods and services trade with Canada totalled an estimated $627.8 billion U.S. Could the Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development tell the House what he is doing to grow this mutually beneficial relationship on the ground?

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Infrastructure and Communities has been mandated to invest $120 billion in infrastructure to promote economic growth and job creation.Budget 2016 commits $3.4 billion to public transit. Provincial and territorial governments are key partners in successful infrastructure projects, and the minister is expected to align his efforts with existing provincial, territorial, and municipal priorities. My question is for the Minister of Infrastructure and Communities. Could the minister provide an update on the status of such efforts to collaborate and forge bilateral agreements?

Mr. Speaker, this summer, residents of British Columbia have been dealing with wildfires that have resulted in the evacuation of thousands of people and have burned over one million hectares of land. The thoughts and prayers of all Canadians are with residents who have borne the brunt of the fires, and with the courageous and dedicated first responders.Can the minister please tell us how the government has been helping to protect and support residents of B.C. in this difficult time?

Mr. Speaker, I have the privilege of sitting on the human resources committee, which has been studying poverty reduction, and travelling to communities across Canada, including my own riding of Pitt Meadows—Maple Ridge, to explore innovative ways our government can tackle poverty.Could the minister please inform the House on his plans to implement a national poverty reduction strategy?

Mr. Speaker, in my riding of Pitt Meadows—Maple Ridge, I see more and more entrepreneurs and businesses either starting up something new in the clean-tech sector or creating a business line that offers clean-tech innovation. In a recent report on B.C.'s clean-tech sector, it was reported that there are now 273 clean-tech companies with 8,650 jobs based in B.C. These companies are diversified and operate in everything from transportation to agriculture. Could the Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development please share with us what the government is doing to support this sector and to create good, quality jobs.

Mr. Speaker, problem solving and technical expertise are crucial if we want to develop our defence industry and combat emerging threats. Through innovation, we are developing the capabilities we need to overcome modern security challenges.With our new defence policy, “Strong, Secure, Engaged”, our government announced that it would invest $1.6 billion into Canada's innovation community over the next 20 years.Could the minister inform the House on how our government is fulfilling its commitments to reaching out to Canada's most innovative and creative minds?

Madam Speaker, as chair of the innovation, science and technology committee, I was pleased to take our committee to Washington, D.C. earlier this month to meet with business and government. It is so exciting to know that many of our companies have a strong relationship with our neighbours to the south. For most of the last three decades, trade has been an important part of that relationship. Only last year, U.S. goods and services trade with Canada totalled an estimated $627.8 billion U.S. Could the Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development tell the House what he is doing to grow this mutually beneficial relationship on the ground?

Canada's strong, competitive aerospace industry is a major driver of jobs, economic activity and innovation across the country. It contributes over $13 billion in GDP and 86,000 jobs across 700 businesses, and invests $1.7 billion in the Canadian economy. Companies like Bombardier develop and sell leading-edge aircraft worldwide, employing tens of thousands of middle-class Canadians.Could the minister update the House on the government's work to drive innovation and keep high-quality aerospace jobs in Canada?

Mr. Speaker, the coast of B.C. is home to four globally unique glass sponge reefs, the Hecate Strait and Queen Charlotte Sound glass sponge reefs. Once thought to be extinct worldwide, these 9,000-year-old glass sponges offer a vital water filtration service and are home to many aquatic species.Could the parliamentary secretary tell the House what the government is doing to protect this unique ocean feature?

Mr. Speaker, we all know that access to education for Canadian youth is an essential part of building a brighter and more prosperous future for Canada. Yet far too many young people face financial barriers to accessing post-secondary education.Could the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour please update the House on how the government is helping young Canadians access higher learning?

Mr. Speaker, I represent the watershed community of Pitt Meadows—Maple Ridge. It is important to those in my riding that we are able to protect wild salmon stocks and restore their habitats. While some species are slowly returning, we are currently lacking the tools and resources to make the changes needed.Can the Prime Minister tell us what measures this government will take, including through the British Columbia salmon restoration and innovation fund, to help communities such as my own see revitalized salmon populations?

Mr. Speaker, innovation changes the way we live and work. It creates new possibilities and new challenges for the people in my riding and across the country who need to support their families and to have a prosperous future.For adult learners in particular, like single moms supporting a family on their own or newcomers who are starting over, going back to school can be very daunting.Would the minister tell the House what our government is doing to support adults who want to upgrade their skills?

Mr. Speaker, it is no secret I am a big fan of the Canada summer jobs program. In my riding of Pitt Meadows—Maple Ridge, this program has provided many young people in my community with their first real job. While the previous government put CSJ on the chopping block and youth unemployment skyrocketed, my team worked hard with our local employers to more than double the number of CSJ jobs in my riding, something that had a meaningful impact in my community. Could the minister update us on the number of jobs this government has created nationally for young Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Infrastructure and Communities has been mandated to invest $120 billion in infrastructure to promote economic growth and job creation.Budget 2016 commits $3.4 billion to public transit. Provincial and territorial governments are key partners in successful infrastructure projects, and the minister is expected to align his efforts with existing provincial, territorial, and municipal priorities. My question is for the Minister of Infrastructure and Communities. Could the minister provide an update on the status of such efforts to collaborate and forge bilateral agreements?

Mr. Speaker, unlike the previous government, we believe in the importance of parliamentary debate, all the while keeping in mind issues such as Supreme Court deadlines.I believe we have a responsibility to ensure that all members of Parliament who want to participate in debate on legislation such as Bill C-14 should be able to do so.Could the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons inform the House as to the intention of the government in regard to the debate on Bill C-14 at report stage and third reading?