Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate you on your appointment to the position of Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons. I know you have been interested in the position for a long time, so it is nice to see you in the chair.

Before I begin, I would like to point out that we are gathered on the unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinabe people, who have lived here since time immemorial, to share, discuss and do all sorts of things. We are very grateful to be here.

This is my first real speech in the 45th Parliament as the member for Hull—Aylmer. I sincerely thank the people of Hull—Aylmer for once again placing their trust in me to represent them in the House of Commons. As we all know, elections are an essential part of democracy. In addition to thanking my constituents, I would like to salute the courage of all the people who ran for office in this election.

Many members here in the House already have considerable experience. Running for federal office is quite a challenge. The election campaign in Hull—Aylmer could serve as a model for the entire country. I say this because all but one of the candidates took part in debates organized by community groups. Each of these candidates did their political party proud. Yes, they were keen, and yes, they were passionate, but they were always polite. That is how we do things in Hull—Aylmer. Former Ontario premier Bill Davis often referred to Brampton, the city he represented, as a model to follow. Well, I can say that, at the federal level, Hull—Aylmer is the model riding for Canada. People there are informed and are not particularly partisan. They listen to all candidates and are demanding yet very generous.

The profile of the riding of Hull—Aylmer has changed considerably over time. We are very proud of our Outaouais, Quebec and Canadian roots. Hull—Aylmer has also seen an increase in its population of new Quebeckers and Canadians. That is exceptional. Many of my colleagues, especially my colleagues from Quebec, live in my riding. I am convinced that many of them will recognize Hull—Aylmer as a true international crossroads, where people from around the world live in harmony.

It is well known that Gatineau is the fourth-largest city in Quebec. It is not so well known that Gatineau is the second most popular city in Quebec for newcomers. It is true that many newcomers start out in the big city of Montreal, but 18 months later, only two-thirds of them are still living there. It is remarkable that 98% of newcomers are still living in the Outaouais 18 months after their arrival. In my opinion, that speaks to the values of generosity, openness and hospitality that define my beautiful riding, just on the other side of the river.

Before I begin my reply to the throne speech, I first want to thank a few key individuals. I am thinking of my team of volunteers. No one runs a campaign alone, particularly one that ends in victory. Hundreds of volunteers took part, and I am truly grateful to all those who contributed to my campaign.

No politician stands alone. I owe everything to my children and my spouse, to whom I have been married for almost 34 happy years. I thank her and I thank my two grandchildren. I am truly fortunate to have two grandchildren. Members of the House who are grandparents know what I am talking about: Grandchildren change everything. Yes, we want our children to succeed, but having grandchildren completely changes a person's perspective. We begin to think about the next century and future generations. If I am a passionate politician, it is because I want to make sure that we leave a better world and a better Canada to our grandchildren and future generations. I think we can do it.

All this brings me to the throne speech. I am extremely pleased with many aspects of it. One I would like to mention is the idea of building new relationships with the United States and the rest of the world. That really struck me. Yes, it is easy to trade with our American friends, but I finally heard a government say that it will focus on opening new markets.

Here is why that speaks to me. When I look at the diasporas in Hull—Aylmer, I see opportunities and the ability to create prosperity elsewhere. Many members of the diasporic communities are from Africa, and we know that, by 2050, Africans will make up half of the world's population. Africa will represent a large part of international trade and global prosperity. Canada has a golden opportunity to take advantage of our connections, of all of these wonderful people with African roots. They can help us to significantly increase trade between our countries.

There are other things in the throne speech that I think are very important for the Outaouais and for building a stronger Canada, in particular, free trade among the provinces and territories. I represent a border community, and I can say that it is extremely important for our businesses to finally be able to sell their products and services across the river. In the Outaouais, we are very proud of our businesses, and we have exceptional products. However, because of the trade barriers between Quebec and Ontario, we were unable to benefit. Now we can. As member for the region, I am looking forward to working very hard with entrepreneurs and business owners to take advantage of this opportunity.

Let us talk about the goal of building a united and more affordable Canada. A few years ago, a doctor in my riding told me about the importance of oral health and dental care for seniors. With the Canadian dental care plan, which is now in place, we are able to take care of seniors' health, which is very important.

I have so many things to say, but I do not have much time left. To summarize, suffice it to say that we have a golden opportunity to work together, hand in hand. Yes, we will have our political differences, but together we can make things happen. I hope that, in this 45th Parliament, all members will be willing to work together for the well-being of Quebeckers and Canadians.

Greg Fergus

$480,916.00