Statements By Members
Madam Speaker, I rise in the House today to offer my sincerest congratulations to We'koqma'q First Nation Chief Annie Bernard-Daisley on being recognized with a place on the Riva Spatz Women’s Wall of Honour. Chief Annie has been the chief since 2020. She was elected by her community as chief after serving as a councillor for three consecutive terms. Prior to her term as chief, she served as the f…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Madam Speaker, the sustainable management of our oceans' ecosystems, including that of the wild Pacific salmon, is a priority for our government. The decision to phase out fish farms in the Discovery Islands was based on consultations with local first nations. We are aware of the court decision, and the department is carefully reviewing it ahead of determining next steps. We remain committed to tr…
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Madam Speaker, it is a pleasure working with the member opposite on the fisheries committee, and I enjoy our conversations outside of committee. The bill calls for a yearly census to be conducted on pinnipeds. Would the member agree that the increased spending this bill requires for conducting that census would be important?
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, I rise in the House today to commend the resilience of my constituent Dena Edwards. Dena was diagnosed with a rare form of ovarian cancer just days after her daughter's second birthday in the fall of 2021. This type of cancer is called mucinous ovarian cancer and is also known as a silent killer. While battling the cancer in her own body, Dena picked up the fight for other women. With…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, in response to part (a), as of March 15, 2022, the Atlantic seal science task team has met 15 times since it was convened in 2020. In response to part (b), as of March 15, 2022, the Atlantic seal science task team met in 2020 on April 23, June 25, July 23 and October 15; in 2021 on February 23, March 12, April 15, May 11, July 15, October 12, November 12 and November 30; and in 2022 o…
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Madam Speaker, as always, the government has had the backs of workers and people in the industry. We will continue to work in the best way possible to achieve outcomes that are shared, that are direct, and that stand by the principles of this government. That is unwavering, and that is what we are committed to do.
Read full speech →Statements By Members
Madam Speaker, it is with great sorrow that I rise in the House today to share with my colleagues and constituents the news of the passing of Laurie Cranton, who was a long-time councillor and warden for the County of Inverness. Laurie was passionate about serving his community. He dedicated himself to each project he took on and will be remembered fondly by all who were fortunate to work with him…
Read full speech →Orders of the Day
Madam Speaker, in fact, no, I did not look to the Emergencies Act for that particular issue and the challenge that Canadians faced. However, when we look at this particular challenge, the fact that it is coast to coast to coast and that it is, quite frankly, heavily invested in by American interest groups, we understand that the threat to democracy is imminent, whether it is in Ottawa, Coutts or W…
Read full speech →Orders of the Day
Madam Speaker, I will be sharing my time with the member for Steveston—Richmond East. Today we are here to debate the decision by the Prime Minister to invoke the Emergencies Act with the purpose of bringing the unlawful protests in Ottawa to an end. After three weeks of exercising the right to protest, what has happened and what is happening in the streets of Ottawa must come to an end. Over the …
Read full speech →Orders of the Day
Madam Speaker, this hits home with the part of my speech where I talked about how there is something happening in Canada right now. It is not what the media is talking about, per se, with the ideologies that are traditionally left, right and centre. There is a whole new ideology that is being born about being obstructionist and where the rule of law does not apply. If we do not take this seriously…
Read full speech →Orders of the Day
Madam Speaker, I do truly believe in facts as well. Certain members in this House have not experienced a lot of push-back as a result of the blockade, but I have talked to many people, and I encourage members here to talk to people. I have talked to those who are working in hotels and who are immensely stressed out. They are stressed out and traumatized by seeing Confederate flags and Nazi symbols…
Read full speech →Statements By Members
Mr. Speaker, I rise in the House today to address the protests that have spread across the country. Just last week, my constituency office received a suspicious package in the mail, as did many other Nova Scotia politicians from all levels of government and all different political stripes. Members of Parliament and their staff work hard in the service of their communities. Of course, we will take …
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Madam Speaker, this is obviously a very important topic to the Pacific coast and for all of Canada. We are going to continue to work with our partners to do deep dives to determine how we can best help this industry. We will continue doing that, as we always have, with our stakeholders in a collaborative and coordinated fashion.
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Madam Speaker, as on the east coast, where I am from, we understand the importance of helping our fishers through this troubled time. We were there during the pandemic, and we will continue to be there after the pandemic to ensure that people have the ability to stay afloat and stay on a good course. We will continue to work every step of the way with fishers to make sure we are there 100%.
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Madam Speaker, I thank my hon. friend, who I sit with on the fisheries committee. First and foremost, in terms of focusing on where our product comes from, how it gets there and how healthy it is, the government believes in a couple of things. It believes in science, it believes in process and it believes in getting things right. Over the past six years, we have been doing that. There is room for …
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, I rise in the House today to share with my colleagues, constituents and all Canadians a piece of Gaelic culture that can be enjoyed from anywhere in the world. Here in Cape Breton—Canso, we take pride in our Gaelic roots. Recently a constituent of mine, Ryan MacDonald, launched a Celtic radio station based out of The Gaelic College’s new location in Mabou, Cape Breton. Within the firs…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, the Fraser Salmon Collaborative Management Agreement, the “agreement”, was signed in July 2019 by the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, DFO, and the president of the Fraser Salmon Management Council, FSMC, on behalf of 76 signatory first nations from the Fraser River watershed. The agreement was the result of over three years of negotiations and over a decade…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, with regard to the sustainable fisheries solutions and retrieval support contribution program, since its inception, in response to (a), regarding how many applications for funding were received in each of the four themes of the program, there were a total of 114 project proposal applications received. Many of the projects completed work in more than one pillar of activity. For example…
Read full speech →Statements By Members
Mr. Speaker, about a month ago I attended the AUS soccer championships, hosted here at Cape Breton University. Today it is with great pride that I rise in the House for the first time this session to congratulate the Cape Breton University men's soccer team on its fifth consecutive AUS championship, establishing a sporting dynasty in the Atlantic region. It was two weeks ago that the team was here…
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Mr. Speaker, it is 2030 and I want to remind Canadians that the Conservatives were at the top of the mountain claiming that we would not get vaccines for years. The Leader of the Opposition and the health critic stood in this place and said we would not be getting vaccines for years: until about 2030, I believe. This is the same party that did not believe that we would meet the targets that we are…
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Mr. Speaker, I am proud to be part of a government that is committed to strengthening seniors' financial security, improving their quality of life. I was happy to see our government fulfill its promise to increase the OAS benefit for Canadians later in life in budget 2021, but we know seniors have other needs. Could the minister tell the House and Canadians what we are doing to support some of the…
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Davenport for her important work on Bill C-273. In my riding of Cape Breton—Canso, health care is top of mind for all constituents. Can you tell us about the relationship between basic income and social determinants of health, and how basic income can reduce the strains on our health care system?
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Mr. Speaker, access to health care is a big issue in my community of Cape Breton—Canso, with many of my constituents having trouble getting access to a family doctor. As we know, COVID-19 has put additional pressure on health care systems across this country and the federal government has stepped up to keep Canadians safe and healthy in these challenging times. My constituents want to know that th…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, I am speaking today in honour of Cape Breton historian and storyteller extraordinaire, Jim St. Clair, who passed away earlier this month. For 30 years, we heard Jim's compelling stories of Cape Breton folklore and history across CBC Radio's Information Morning in Cape Breton. Like many across my community, I loved listening to Jim on CBC, where his talent for storytelling taught us so…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, last week, the third wave of COVID-19 found its way to the shores of Nova Scotia, and I rise in the House today to commend Nova Scotians for doing their part to mitigate the spread of the virus in our province. As soon as it became clear that the virus was finding its way back into our communities, Nova Scotians took swift action to support one another. Whether they are waiting in lin…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, after months of negotiations, I am thrilled to share with the House that regional routes at the J.A. Douglas McCurdy Sydney Airport in my riding will be restored this spring. This is great news for Cape Breton—Canso. The Sydney airport is a critical piece of infrastructure that keeps my constituents connected to larger travel centres, supports businesses and economic development, and …
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Mr. Speaker, the inshore fisheries of Canada's east coast are often family-run businesses that drive rural, local, regional and national economies. The fisheries in Cape Breton—Canso are the pride of our communities. I would like to know how our government is helping these family-run businesses prosper during these difficult times.
Read full speech →Statements By Members
Mr. Speaker, I rise in the House in honour of Sir Charles Palmer, who passed away in February, shortly after his 100th birthday. Charlie was an exceptional man. He served in the Second World War and was honoured with many medals, including the highest medal of service awarded by the Republic of France, which gave him the title of Knighthood. Charlie will always be remembered for his passion for hi…
Read full speech →Statements By Members
Mr. Speaker, it is with great sadness that I speak in the House today in memory of a Glace Bay icon, Kaye McInnis. Kaye passed away on February 1, leaving behind a legacy of strength, passion and resilience. Kaye worked as a nurse at the Glace Bay General Hospital for over 35 years. As a nurse, Kaye went above and beyond to help her patients. She never, ever put herself first at any time, and help…
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Mr. Speaker, on January 11, the J.A. Douglas McCurdy Airport in Sydney, in my riding of Cape Breton—Canso, bid farewell to its last commercial flight indefinitely. The member for Sydney—Victoria and I have heard from countless constituents about their concerns around flight resumption. Could the hon. Minister of Transport please update the House and my constituents in Cape Breton—Canso on the work…
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