Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, I rise today on behalf of petitioners in my riding of Kings—Hants, specifically in the Windsor-West Hants regional municipality, who are calling on the government, specifically the minister of fisheries and oceans, to act on their concerns around the continued use of ministerial orders with respect to the Avon River. Specifically, the petitioners note that there are concerns around en…
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Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise today in this House to congratulate a constituent of mine, Wyatt Sanford, of Kennetcook, on qualifying to represent Canada at the Tokyo Olympics this summer. Wyatt joins the likes of Tracy Cameron, Silas McLellan and Leigh Miller, all of whom are former Olympians who called Hants County home. He is the reigning welterweight national champion and has represented Ca…
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Mr. Speaker, I might not have mentioned it at the opening of my remarks. I was nervous because this is one of the most important speeches I have had to give in the House. I actually joined the community on Sunday night, and a number of young people addressed the member's question. What I would say is there was a desire to come together. We know that through COVID, beyond this particular challenge …
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Mr. Speaker, of course housing is top of mind for individuals across the country, and indeed for indigenous communities. While the member opposite represents an urban riding, my riding is primarily rural and remote. I agree with him about creating a program around trying to serve the needs of indigenous communities. I know we have done a lot of work in this domain, but there is more to be done. Wo…
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Mr. Speaker, as I understand, it relates to the decision from the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal. I think the government has made it very clear that it is committed to compensating the individuals who have been impacted by the residential school system. The background here is whether or not the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal had the jurisdiction under the statute to be able to move this forward, s…
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Mr. Speaker, I will be splitting my time with the member for Parkdale—High Park. My hon. colleague, of course, serves as the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice as well. Mr. Speaker, let me just quickly take a moment to recognize your accomplishments in this House. I did not know the gravity of this and, of course, I have only had a short time to sit in this House, but I have found …
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Madam Speaker, I would like to thank again the member for Northumberland—Peterborough South for highlighting the key role that our farmers play for our economy, our environment and indeed our very well-being. However, since this is the first time that I have had the opportunity to speak in this House since the finding of 215 bodies at the Kamloops residential school, if you will permit me, Madam S…
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Madam Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague for Northumberland—Peterborough South. His passion is evident, and having had a chance to sit on committees with him, I know that his intent is right in this bill. One thing the member did not mention in his speech was the significant investment that our government is making in this domain to work with farmers so they are able to make this transiti…
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Mr. Speaker, I am proud to call Nova Scotia home. [Member spoke in Gaelic] [English] The month of May is Mìos nan Gàidheal, and to recognize it, I wanted to ensure that this historic chamber can hear the language once again, even if for only one minute. Alba Nuadh is the only region outside of Scotland where Gaelic language and traditions are passed down within families and communities. Hard-worki…
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Madam Speaker, I think any conversation about fiscal prudence in government is an important conversation. However, what I would say to my hon. colleague is that when we look at the budget annex, the debt-to-GDP ratio over the next five to six years is expected to decline. When we look at the cost to service the debt right now, despite the fact that we have taken on a lot of debt, of course, import…
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Madam Speaker, it is great to see some of my colleagues having a good laugh, some good discourse and a level of levity, despite the challenging circumstances. I am very pleased to have the chance to speak to Bill C-30, which is the budget implementation act. I had the chance a couple weeks ago to speak to the budget writ large, and I am going to use my time here today to highlight some investments…
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Mr. Speaker, I have listened to my colleague for the last 10 minutes and I have to say that I am quite disappointed. The issue at hand, Line 5, actually impacts Quebec, but there was barely one mention of what we are here to discuss. The member goes off and talks about a whole bunch of different issues related to whether the government is investing enough in renewable energy, but he does not even …
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Madam Speaker, I will have to connect with the member offline to see who those political friends are. I will watch with interest, and maybe I will try to swing them into my camp, no matter how hard that could be. The member raises an important question around tourism. I talked about the highest tides in the world in the area that is Kings—Hants. Many people from around the world want to come here.…
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Madam Speaker, I would say to my hon. colleague that I am quite disappointed that the Bloc will not be supporting the budget. There are a lot of very important investments that matter to Quebec and, of course, to his constituents as well. Although it does not come as a surprise, it does come as a disappointment. The member referenced the brick, which I call an important document that has many grea…
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Mr. Speaker, it has been a difficult year for the mental health of Canadians across the country because of COVID-19, and that includes the men and women who work in our agriculture sector. Last week, I had the opportunity to speak with Kim Keller, a canola farmer from Melfort, Saskatchewan, and Amy VanderHeide, a farmer from my riding in Kings—Hants, about the Do More Ag Foundation and its work to…
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Madam Speaker, I would like to thank my hon. colleague for Mirabel for bringing forward this legislation. Of course, as was articulated just before he finished his speech, that very well could have been his last speech in the House, so I would like to congratulate him for his time and his service on behalf of his constituents and, indeed, his family for the sacrifices they have made to allow him t…
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Madam Speaker, there are a couple of things that my hon. colleague from Lethbridge said that I want to address before I get to my question. She talked about investments and Canadians' footing the bill. I was disappointed that she was not recognizing that those investments were, indeed, for the benefit of Canadians. She mentioned big, bloated government. I would ask the member to look at her carbon…
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Madam Speaker, I, like the member opposite, understand the importance of agriculture, but I want to correct the record. There were almost $400 million in the fall economic statement for greening initiatives in agriculture to support the work that is already going on, and there are almost $400 million more in the budget, so I was a little disappointed in his remarks. The member mentioned our price …
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Madam Speaker, I take issue with a couple of things in my hon. colleague's remarks. At the onset of his speech, he talked about this being an undemocratic exercise of the government's discretion. Then he just talked about using a national tragedy as a rationale for bringing this policy forward. I have no problem debating the member on the merits of the bill. What I take issue with is he knows an o…
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Madam Speaker, it is a pleasure to join all of my colleagues here today to talk about a historic budget delivered by our first female Minister of Finance and, of course, our Deputy Prime Minister. Let me take a moment at the start of my remarks to compliment her on her tremendous work. I am very fortunate to have a youth council in my riding of Kings—Hants that has a number of young leaders who ha…
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Madam Speaker, I would reject the premise that our government has not been doing anything to help individuals suffering from energy poverty or anything along those lines. From day one, we have increased taxes on the 1% and lowered taxes for middle-income and lower-income Canadians. There is the Canada child benefit. I look to this budget for investments to support workers who are working—
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Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question. I am sorry to have to reply in English, but my French is fair to middling. Regarding support for seniors, I was very pleased to see the 10% increase in old age security for seniors who are over age 75. I will be honest: I would have liked to see a bit more emphasis on the guaranteed income supplement. That was a mechanism our government used in…
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Madam Speaker, my hon. colleague opposite hit on the point of regulatory reform. I do not know if she is aware, but in September 2020 I talked about the importance of regulatory reform as a mechanism in addition to the necessary spending the government is taking on. That is certainly the line of thinking I support. I appreciate her bringing it forward. There are tax changes in the budget that focu…
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Mr. Speaker, a year ago today, Nova Scotians began to realize the gravity of the horrific events of the Nova Scotia shooting, which began in Portapique and impacted communities across the province, including the communities I represent in Kings—Hants. There were 22 innocent lives lost, including an expectant mother, in a senseless and cowardly act of violence that words simply cannot properly desc…
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Madam Speaker, it is always great to see my colleague across the way, and we do enjoy a great relationship on the agriculture committee. The member opposite is bringing up issues from far in the past as opposed to focusing on the issue at hand around the servicing of Canadians who could benefit from this type of aspect. For the record, I will say that I think the bright public policy aspect around…
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Madam Speaker, before I had the privilege of representing the people in Kings—Hants, I served as a lawyer, and I can certainly say that not all the factors of each case are the same. Every case is built differently. Does the member believe that it is his job here in Parliament, and that he is in a better position than the men and women we appoint as judges, to decide the sentences of individuals w…
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Madam Speaker, I will be splitting my time this morning with my hon. colleague from Humber River—Black Creek. This is the first time that I have had the chance to speak in the House since the passing of Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh and the royal consort. I want to go on record to recognize his significant achievements to public life and the Commonwealth. I know other parliamentarians have …
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Madam Speaker, as I mentioned, there are three indigenous communities in my riding of Kings—Hants. There is also a sizable African-Nova Scotian population as well. When we look at the statistics across Canada, they are jarring, to say the least. Five per cent of the Canadian population is composed of indigenous adults, yet they account for 30% of the incarcerated population. Indigenous women accou…
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Madam Speaker, I think that this type of legislation is taking a progressive step in terms of recognizing petty drug possession as a health issue as opposed to a justice issue. However, I cannot speak to the member that she quoted in terms of his comments around politics. I can say that, ideologically, I do not know myself, as a parliamentarian, if I am completely on the basis that decriminalizati…
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Madam Speaker, I would agree with my hon. colleague opposite that housing is a key issue right now. That is why we put in place the rapid housing initiative, $1 billion to help support individuals and marginalized communities across the country. I do not have a crystal ball on what our Minister of Finance will have on Monday, but I suspect there will be additional supports that focus on ensuring w…
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Madam Speaker, I want to go back to a point that was raised just before the member's speech. It was from the member for Elmwood—Transcona, who talked about the act being implemented 90 days after receiving royal assent. There is a provision that would allow the chief electoral officer to do so sooner, at their discretion, through the Canada Gazette, which takes me to my point and my question. This…
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Madam Speaker, I had the chance to do a background review on my hon. colleague, and I see that he was a lawyer before his time in Parliament. I was too, and I know there are going to be different ideologies on this legislation through and through. When I look at it, I do not see how I, as a parliamentarian, should have the discretion to decide sentences. The member talked about discretion a lot in…
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Madam Speaker, what is important to note is that throughout this entire process, when we look at the measures we have put in place, including some of the ones the member and his party have criticized, we have always gone through the parliamentary process to have spending measures approved. They were approved by the majority of the House. I know the budget is important for setting the stage for Can…
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Madam Speaker, I think we can all appreciate the importance of the maple industry, in Quebec in particular. However, I am not familiar with the circumstances the member is raising. He certainly has access to the Minister of Finance. We sit on the public accounts committee together. If he wants to raise this with me offline and thinks that I am able to be an advocate, I am happy to take the case on…
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Madam Speaker, I appreciate the member opposite for bringing forward this particular concern. Since day one, our government has been building these programs to meet the needs of Canadians across the country. Have there been issues with particular business circumstances? Of course there have been. That is why I mentioned the regional relief and recovery fund in my speech. That program was specifica…
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Madam Speaker, it is always a privilege to rise in the House, even if it is virtually, to bring remarks on behalf of the good people of Kings—Hants. I will be splitting my time today with my hon. colleague from Vaughan—Woodbridge. It is a privilege to speak to the opposition motion brought forward from the member of Parliament for Abbotsford. For those who are listening from home and might be tuni…
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Madam Speaker, when I go back and look at the text of the motion, it talks about tourism-related businesses, it talks about the aviation sector and it talks about small business. If I had more time, I could certainly rhyme off things like the wage subsidy supporting five million people and CERB supporting nine million Canadians at the height of this program along with the emergency business accoun…
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Madam Speaker, given that I am the first speaker on this topic tonight, I would ask for the unanimous consent of the House to split my time with my colleague from Surrey Centre.
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Madam Speaker, tonight we are debating Bill C-18, which is the continuity agreement of the relationship between Canada and the United Kingdom. It is always a privilege to bring a voice from the people of Kings—Hants to Parliament, but this agreement in particular is important to Nova Scotia. As a member of Parliament from the east coast, the United Kingdom's proximity geographically makes this an …
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Madam Speaker, I will start by correcting the record. The member suggested that somehow this trade continuity agreement was giving up access to our supply-managed sector. That is certainly not the case. I do not know exactly what the member was alluding to, but absolutely I believe in its importance. As I mentioned, Canada is a trading nation: we have services and resources the world wants. At the…
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Mr. Speaker, today, February 2, is Groundhog Day, when our furry friends across North America give us their prediction on whether we will have an early spring or six more weeks of winter. As the folklore goes, if the groundhog does not see its shadow, we can expect to have an early spring. This morning at the Shubenacadie Wildlife Park, Nova Scotia’s own Shubenacadie Sam, the first groundhog in No…
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Mr. Speaker, today I rise in the House to recognize the appointment of one of my constituents, Ray Ivany, to the Order of Canada. The former president of Acadia University in Kings—Hants and Cape Breton native began his academic career as a faculty member at Cape Breton University, where he subsequently served as executive vice-president. He was instrumental in the development of the Nova Scotia C…
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Madam Speaker, I would agree with my colleague opposite that skills training writ large for individuals, whether they have disabilities or have been impacted by the pandemic and are searching for work, is important. I believe our government is focused on this. This is something we are delivering. I would agree with the member, particularly as it relates to individuals with disabilities. Our govern…
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Madam Speaker, the member is asking me, as a member of the governing caucus but not cabinet, for a commitment from government; this is asking in the wrong place. I will steer him to our ministers and our cabinet on the best approach. I would certainly agree with the member that students in Quebec are well organized. This is something that Quebec has a history of, making sure that there are lower t…
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Madam Speaker, the member started by talking about the fact that families had lost income and that the Canada child benefit was beneficial. She then seemed to make the parallel that the economy will return back to normal, that all we have do is seal up the borders and get some more PPE, and then everything will be back to normal. We have been there for Canadian workers, through the wage subsidy, t…
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Madam Speaker, I will be splitting my time with my hon. colleague from Brampton East this morning. It is great to see the Speaker and all of our colleagues, despite this being in a virtual setting. It is the world we are living in right now. Today I have the privilege of speaking to Bill C-14. For those sitting at home, this means the implementation of commitments that were made by our government …
Read full speech →Emergency Debate
Mr. Speaker, if there was an application to come back on that process and it made sense from a financial and environmental perspective, absolutely. I have said that to members on my doorstep. We import a significant amount of our crude from other countries, yet we have the ability to do so right in Canada. I do not believe there is an application in process, but if that were to come and if it met …
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Mr. Speaker, let me say a couple of things to that long question the member asked. First, I am the member of Parliament for Kings—Hants, not a member of the executive council, but I certainly have dialogue with my colleagues. I will leave speaking on behalf of cabinet to my cabinet colleagues. I will say this. The Liberal Party, not unlike other parties, has a variety of opinions in its caucus. So…
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Mr. Speaker, at the start of my hon. colleague's speech, he mentioned the former Bank of Canada governor talking about interest rates. As I understand it, the former governor of the Bank of Canada was more concerned about deflation and the impact on jobs. Certainly the member had talked a lot about the debt being at formerly $700 billion and now $1.1 trillion. However, in the same breath, he also …
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Madam Speaker, my hon. colleague mentioned partisanship and ideology. Her speech was certainly filled with a lot of partisanship. I have a couple of different questions for her. She can choose which one she would like to answer. She mentioned some of the criticism of the government's response. I think this government has been mindful that of course there are areas where we could have done better. …
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