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Thank you, Amir. Thank you to everyone here today. Thank you Hamed for sharing your words, and your strength, your concern and your passion, and speaking so strongly for the families. Thanks everyone for being here today.

Thank you, Terry, thank you Regional Chief for your leadership and for your words of introduction and wisdom. I am pleased to be joining you today on the traditional unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinaabe people, whom we recognize as the past, present, and future caretakers of this land. Elders, youth, veterans, National Chief Archibald, members of the AFN Executive Committee and chiefs in assembly, thank you for the opportunity and the invitation to be here with you today.

Today, I want to bring Canada’s approach to the table: strengthening an open, inclusive society at home, and defending democratic values abroad, including in the digital space.

Thank you Mr. Speaker, I will be splitting my time with the Minister of Emergency Preparedness. It’s hard to even believe what’s happening in B.C. That after a summer of drought in Abbotsford, people’s homes are now underwater. That after living with the fear of wildfires, months ago, Merritt now faces the devastation of flooding.

My dear friends, hello. One of my first memories with Bill Davis is when I was five years old at a Grey Cup game in Montréal. I’m sure none of you have heard this story before. I was sitting between Bill and my dad. My dad – who you probably know wasn’t much of a football guy – asked the then Premier of Ontario to explain the game to me.

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Hello.

I am pleased to represent Canadians in this historic meeting.

In Canada, there was a town called Lytton.

I say “was” because on June 30, it burned to the ground.

The day before, the temperature had hit 49.6 degrees Celsius, the hottest ever recorded in our country.

Canada is warming, on average, twice as quickly as the rest of the world.

And in our north, it’s three times quicker.

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Dank u wel Speaker Bergkamp.

Speakers, Chairpersons, Members of Parliament, friends, it is an honour to address you today in this historic hall.

As was pointed out, every fall, the tulip bulbs that you – the Dutch people – send us, are planted in gardens and parks across Ottawa.

In fact, they went in just last week.  

And every spring, no matter how long and cold our Canadian winter has been and it is long and cold, those tulips come up.

Thank you, Kukpi7 Casimir, and everyone here today for welcoming me to Tk’emlúps te Secwe̓pemc. Thank you to the Elders. Thank you to the kids who just sang for us and inspired us. Thank you to all of you who came out today.

With millions of people fully vaccinated, Canada is a world leader in vaccination. But our fight is not over. Since August, we have been working to put in place vaccination measures to help keep you and your family safe.

Let me begin by acknowledging that we are on the traditional territory of the Algonquin People who we recognize as past, present, and future caretakers of this land.