Speech from the Throne
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for her excellent question. We were all very pleased to see that the “Canada Strong” plan very clearly states that supply management is non-negotiable. Recently, the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food also made an excellent comment when he declared that supply management is non-negotiable. We are therefore going to give our dairy industry and all other supply-m…
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Mr. Speaker, that is an excellent question, and my answer may come as a surprise to my colleague. My first priority is to see to it that the projects initiated during the last Parliament and under the leadership of my predecessor, Anthony Rota, are completed. For example, there is the construction of a new $35‑million arena, which has just begun. There is also the $20 million that has been allocat…
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Mr. Speaker, I look forward to visiting my colleague's farming establishment in the Timiskaming area. Certainly it was good to see, as part of the “Canada Strong” plan, that there is a role for the regional development agencies. For us in northern Ontario, under the minister overseeing FedNor, our regional development agency, we are very pleased to see that there is going to be a role also for the…
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Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the fact that my colleague has pointed out the importance of small business in our country. About 95% of the companies throughout Canada are defined as small businesses, so it is very critical that we bring them all the support that is necessary.
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Mr. Speaker, I will be sharing my time with the member for Port Moody—Coquitlam. On behalf of Nipissing—Timiskaming, I would like to offer my support to our fellow citizens of Saskatchewan and Manitoba who have been affected by the forest fires. May rain and calm weather return quickly to the affected communities. Mr. Speaker, I want to congratulate you on your election as Speaker. I am very proud…
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