Mr. Speaker, I want to rise to humbly thank all of the House of Commons staff.

As everyone knows, the pandemic forced us to change our way of doing things and to reinvent everything. The House services demonstrated a great deal of resourcefulness and flexibility when putting in place the hybrid version of the House of Commons.

For that to happen, the rules of the House of Commons had to be rewritten, and a completely virtual Parliament had to be set up in both official languages. That was a massive undertaking. Thanks to everyone's efforts, we were able to participate in debates in the House, hold regular committee and caucus meetings and vote remotely. In my opinion, this is a model for everyone.

I would like to give special thanks to our interpreters. The process of setting up the virtual part of the House and committee proceedings was particularly difficult for them. The interpreters have had to deal with some serious challenges since the virtual and hybrid sittings began, including technical issues, sound quality issues and, of course, long hours. On behalf of myself, the entire government team and the entire Liberal team, I thank them for the absolutely outstanding work they have been doing since September. They can now take a well-deserved rest.

I also want to thank the Speaker and his team, as well as all House employees and staff working in ministers' offices and in the offices of MPs from all parties.

Lastly, I want to give special thanks to my fellow House leaders from the other parties. We do not always see eye to eye, but we have managed to build a relationship of trust. We have found ways to work collaboratively, of course, in a respectful and sometimes jovial manner. I wish each and every one of them a wonderful summer. I hope everyone is able to rest and spend quality time with their families.

I hope everyone will return to the House in good health.

Pablo Rodriguez

$429,380.00