MP Guy Lauzon writes: Since the resumption of Parliament on January 30th, our legislative agenda in the House of Commons has been very busy. Our Government introduced a number of important pieces of legislation including our vital Budget, Economic Action Plan 2013. Our plan received generally good reviews from most Canadians. Of course, the opposition parties did not agree with some aspects of the Budget and used procedural tactics at their disposal to delay its passage.

Canadians expect their Members of Parliament to work hard and get things done on their behalf. I agree. As part of our efforts to have a hard working, orderly, well-functioning House of Commons, our House Leader Peter Van Loan, put forth a motion to extend the hours the House sits. The motion will allow for more than 20 additional hours each week to debate and pass important initiatives.

Before the House rises for the summer, our Government will work to deliver real accomplishments for Canadians, including, among other things: reforming the Temporary Foreign Worker program to put the interests of Canadians first; implementing tax credits for Canadians who donate to charity, enhancing the tax credit for parents who adopt, and extending the tax credit for Canadians who take care of loved ones in their homes. We will support veterans and their families by improving the determination of veterans’ benefits; moving closer to equality for Canadians living on reserves through better standards for drinking water, and finally giving women on reserves the rights and protections that other Canadian women have had for decades. Even further, we plan on keeping our streets and communities safe by making real improvements to the witness protection program.

We are committed to ensuring all of these initiatives are passed before the House adjourns for the summer. These measures will allow our economy to grow, prosper and create jobs for Canadians. I look forward to taking part in these important debates and deliberations.