Bill 26 is great piece of legislation, but it is unfortunate it is necessary that these kinds of protections have to be put in place. If passed, this bill will set minimum standards to protect our students. This bill will ensure that employees who commit an act of sexual misconduct of a student will be discharged by the institution.

We have heard from many, many stakeholders wonderful things about this bill, and that the government is taking a step in a positive direction. Congratulations to the member from Ottawa West–Nepean for your marathon remarks.

To the member, my question is simple: What are the good things you see in this bill?

Thank you, Speaker, through you, to my colleague for that question. It’s a question and discussion that I’ve had on the campuses in my riding, and part of the discussion, in the context of Bill 26, is that in no way should it be perceived as an attack on our faculty or a way to limit their rights or anything else that people might want or suggest to believe.

In fact, many of the faculty and staff on these campuses see the necessity of these sorts of protections, because it keeps them safe and it keeps the students safe. The prime objective of the faculty on campuses, from the conversations that I’ve seen, is to make sure that the students are safe in every way possible, so that, as I indicated earlier, their aspirations that they have, in fact, can be fulfilled. That’s what I’m hearing.

I thank the member for his question—thoughtful as usual.

Our government has shown an incredible commitment to the protections of students on campus, and one of the most notable is, in some respects, the funding, but the non-disclosure agreements and dealing with those non-disclosure agreements, and what the effect has been historically, and what the checks and balances that we’ve put in place now—I think have been significant, Speaker.

Added to that is the work that each of the universities and community colleges have done to put in place their individual policies and programs and services to support their students as well.

I think, taken together—taken together—when the time comes to vote on this legislation, we can satisfy ourselves that we’re putting in place the supports that are needed to help students in our communities, our individual communities, succeed and be protected. That’s why we’re here today to debate the bill. That’s why we’re going to succeed together in moving this bill forward.