Routine Proceedings
With regard to the government's provision in budget 2017 of $43.8 million over five years, starting in 2017-18, to Fisheries and Oceans Canada to continue and expand aquatic invasive species programming: (a) how much of the funds have been allocated to date; (b) to whom have the funds been allocated; and (c) on what dates were the allocations made?
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Mr. Speaker, sky-high inflation, now at a 31-year high, is having a disproportionate impact on Canadians. The Prime Minister does not have to buy groceries or fill his own tank. However, Canadians on lower incomes are spending a disproportionately higher percentage of their incomes on necessities like bread, milk and sundries. Gas prices in North Okanagan—Shuswap are at $2.13 a litre. Some cannot …
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Madam Speaker, the member is misleading the House when he says that this does not affect sport shooters. He obviously—
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Madam Speaker, the member spoke about some of the other challenges that Canadians and Canada are facing. I was just looking at one statistic. It says that there were 26,690 apparent opioid toxicity deaths in Canada between January 2016 and September 2021. There were 26,690 opioid overdose deaths in Canada from illegal drugs, yet the government is focused on spending billions possibly on buybacks, …
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Madam Speaker, I tried to intervene earlier to say that the member was misleading the House when he said this would not affect sport shooters. It certainly would. I have family members and friends who participate in the sport of cowboy action shooting. They are using antique firearms, some of them 100 years old and more. They will not be able to use these firearms. They are amateurs, but they comp…
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Madam Speaker, it is an honour to rise today to speak to Bill C-251 put forward by my friend and colleague, the hon. member for Coast of Bays—Central—Notre Dame. The hon. member continues important work undertaken by his predecessor, Mr. Scott Simms, who served in the House from 2004 to 2021. In addition to being chair of the Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans, Mr. Simms was also instrumen…
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Madam Speaker, it is obvious that this government has become extremely afraid of scrutiny, of accountability, and it is becoming even more evident with this latest backroom partnership with the NDP. One hour of debate on 440 pages of a bill is hardly what Canadians deserve for scrutiny and accountability of the government. Not even the backbench Liberal MPs have been able to speak on any parts of …
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Mr. Speaker, I rise today to table e-petition 3871, initiated by my constituent Mr. Aaron Stuart from Vernon, British Columbia. Mr. Stuart and 15,490 signatories of this petition call on the Government of Canada to, among other things, establish an independent investigation into the Government of Canada's use of vaccine mandates, the patented Canadian LNP technology, and agreements used by the gov…
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Madam Speaker, I have to question the member for Edmonton Strathcona. She was speaking about many of the things promised in this budget and the items that she wants to see followed through on. We have seen how the current Liberal government continually makes promises and then does not deliver. Since 1997, the Liberals have promised pharmacare. That is 25 years ago. It is very hypocritical of this …
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Madam Speaker, Vivian from Vernon has waited three years to attend an indigenous sun dance ceremony in the U.S. because of COVID mandates. She applied for her passport in early April, sent the application in by registered mail, and has a Canada Post signed receipt of delivery. Vivian paid for expedited passport service, which has been charged to her credit card. My office made an inquiry, and Serv…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, I rise to thank all the folks in the North Okanagan—Shuswap supporting training and development opportunities to ensure a strong and safe Canada of tomorrow. At the Jean Minguy Memorial RCMP Youth Academy in Vernon, for over 20 years the RCMP in partnership with School District 22 has provided 16- to 18-year-old students with development opportunities in a week-long law enforcement bo…
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Mr. Speaker, I rise in the adjournment debate tonight to address concerns raised by constituents in my riding of North Okanagan—Shuswap and shared by Canadians across the country regarding the government's continuing attacks on manufacturing jobs and the tourism sector. The government was asked if the finance minister understands that her high-tax regime will do nothing but kill jobs in the manufa…
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Mr. Speaker, it is clear from this answer that the member does not understand, and his government does not understand, that it is not the wealthy who are going to be suffering the implications of this tax. It is the jobs that are going to be lost because of the loss of sales. Some $2.8 billion in lost sales is what the Parliamentary Budget Officer has identified will be the loss directly from this…
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Mr. Chair, during the development of DFO's budget for the current fiscal year, did the minister reduce draft estimates from one DFO branch in order to meet resource requirements from another branch of DFO?
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Mr. Chair, who is the final decision-maker as to what science DFO will undertake?
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Mr. Chair, why is there such inequity between the amount of funding for the Great Lakes region and western Canada?
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Mr. Chair, what percentage of funding for prevention of AIS is allocated to waters west of the Great Lakes?
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Mr. Chair, for the current fiscal year, what is DFO's budget for aquatic invasive species prevention activities?
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Mr. Chair, that is 300 jobs but no evidence that there is going to be any improvement for Pacific salmon stocks. If the minister is unable to provide evidence of increased potential of recovery, how did she arrive at the figure of $647 million?
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Mr. Chair, it sounds like a pile of money poured out without a plan. What evidence does the minister have that the resources and initiatives of the PSSI will increase the recovery potential for Pacific salmon stocks?
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Mr. Chair, what conservation hatchery programs will be funded by PSSI resources this fiscal year?
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Mr. Chair, what habitat restoration projects will be completed with PSSI resources this fiscal year?
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Mr. Chair, when PSSI is fully established, how many DFO employees in total will be positioned and paid through PSSI?
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Mr. Chair, how many full-time and part-time DFO employees are currently paid with PSSI funds?
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Mr. Chair, to date, what amount of PSSI funding has been spent?
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Mr. Chair, to date, how much of the funding announced for the Pacific strategic salmon initiative, the PSSI, has been allocated?
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Mr. Chair, on March 2 of this year, I provided the minister with a letter requesting that she and her officials review an attached proposal from the Adams Lake Indian Band and connect with program representatives to identify funding opportunities for a time-critical sockeye hatchery supplementation program in North Okanagan—Shuswap. Has the minister or her department connected with the Adams Lake …
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Mr. Chair, does the minister sign off on DFO's proposed annual budget and estimates before they are tabled in the House?
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Mr. Chair, this report was titled “West Coast Fisheries: Sharing Risk and Benefits”, and it provided the government with 20 recommendations. Has the minister included the committee's recommendations in the government's development of a beneficial owner licensing policy for the west coast?
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Mr. Chair, earlier the minister stated that the government is studying potential steps to establish a beneficial owner licensing policy on the west coast. Has the minister read the fisheries committee report that examined problems in the DFO licensing and quota regimes on the west coast?
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Mr. Chair, what level of importance does the minister place on the work of the Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans?
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Mr. Chair, tonight the minister stated that there are EI programs for those having difficulties. The minister is referring to difficulties like jobs and businesses that have been eliminated by the government's decision. Can the minister admit tonight that her government's decisions are more than difficulties for Canadians, that they are already devastating?
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Mr. Chair, earlier the minister stated that the government is developing a responsible plan for those affected by the Discovery Islands decision, because those people deserve no less. Some British Columbians have already lost their jobs to the Discovery Islands decision, and this minister keeps telling them to just go on EI. Why does the minister believe that some Canadians deserve no less than a …
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Mr. Chair, is the minister confident the Franklin, Cartier and Cabot vessels delivered by her government are seaworthy and safe workplaces for the Coast Guard and DFO personnel aboard?
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Mr. Chair, it was the Canadian shipbuilding strategy established by the previous Conservative government that started the delivery of these vessels. The delivery has been under the minister's government and you are taking credit for a shipbuilding strategy. How does DFO manage fisheries when at-sea science data is absent?
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Mr. Chair, the minister previously stated that she is proud of her government's delivery of Coast Guard vessels, so I would like to ask her about the new offshore fisheries science vessels the Sir John Franklin, Jacques Cartier and John Cabot. These vessels have been plagued with corrosion, premature wear, mislabelling and even a stop-sail order from Transport Canada since entering service between…
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Mr. Chair, how important is DFO's at-sea science to its assessment and management of fisheries resources?
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Mr. Chair, according to section 91 of the Constitution Act, 1867, it gives the exclusive legislative authority to the Parliament of Canada in all matters pertaining to fisheries. Considering that the common resources of Canada's fisheries belong to Canadians, who does the minister think should be the beneficiary of Canada's fisheries resources?
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Mr. Chair, according to the Constitution, who is ultimately responsible for managing Canada's fisheries resources?
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Mr. Chair, who owns Canada's fisheries resources?
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Mr. Chair, has the minister instructed the commissioner of the Canadian Coast Guard to ensure the vessels delivered by the Liberal government are not sent to sea unless they are proved to be safe for all aboard?
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Madam Speaker, again, it is troubling the way that this Liberal-NDP government is contributing to the decline of democracy here. There are signs that this government simply does not want to hear from Canadians, and does not want to hear from the opposition parties, so it is shutting down debate again. It is shameful that the NDP is siding with it on these time allocation motions. The heritage comm…
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Mr. Chair, how did the minister's department arrive at the figures of $647 million, plus $98.9 million for amortization, for the PSSI?
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Mr. Chair, 300 people are to be employed through this program, but there are no clear answers here yet on what is going to be completed this year. What PSSI funding is allocated to drive improved fisheries harvests?
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Mr. Chair, has the minister reduced or increased the ministry's budget estimates under the direction of the PMO or cabinet?
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Mr. Chair, how much of DFO's budget for the current fiscal year is determined by cabinet?
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Mr. Chair, the minister does not sign off on the budget for her own department? That is shocking. How much of DFO's budget for the current fiscal year is determined by cabinet?
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Madam Speaker, as I spoke about in my speech, effective representation is one factor that needs to be considered when we consider that some urban ridings may take only 15 minutes to cross from one end of the riding to another versus ridings in the country that could take hours and sometimes a full day to cross to get from one destination to another. Those are factors that also need to be considere…
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Madam Speaker, it is an honour to rise in the House as the representative of the good people of North Okanagan—Shuswap, as always. Finally, after three days of delay, I get to speak to Bill C-14. Today, I rise to speak to Bill C-14, an act to amend section 51 of the Constitution Act, 1867. The bill before us today proposes measures to ensure that a province will not have fewer members assigned to …
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Madam Speaker, the question is really this: Why did the member for Winnipeg North's government shut down debate hours early last night? We could have been through this debate. The real reason we are here debating this is because this is our right. It is our expectation, and the expectation of the people we represent, to be able to debate the legislation the government puts forward, which we contin…
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