House of Commons photoWon his last election, in 2015, with 64% of the vote.
The Environment February 3rd, 2017
Mr. Speaker, I recently met with woodlot owners in my riding in Nova Scotia, and they are committed to help meet Canada's climate change goals through improved woodlot management and also carbon capture. However, they are wondering how a price on carbon will help them achieve this goal.
Could the Minister of Environment and Climate Change help them understand this?
Committees of the House December 12th, 2016
Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the sixth report of the Standing Committee on Health entitled, “Report and Recommendations on the Opioid Crisis in Canada”.
Pursuant to Standing Order 109, the committee requests that the government table a response to this report.
We are pleased and excited that all members of the committee were involved with this report and made contributions to it.
Forestry Industry December 7th, 2016
Mr. Speaker, as members well know, the forestry sector is the backbone of many rural Atlantic communities. Without forestry jobs, some of the communities in my riding would virtually cease to exist.
American lumber producers have recently filed a complaint against Canadian producers. They have done so before many times, as members know, and have lost every single time. While negotiations continue, the Canadian industry braces for a downturn. However, it is critical to Atlantic lumber producers that we maintain the exclusion that recognizes that Atlantic forestry practices are no different than the American practices. That is the deal we have always had, and that is the deal we are hoping for again. Therefore, I urge the Government of Canada to continue its efforts to ensure that our trade in forestry products with the United States remains fair, free, and mutually beneficial.
Committees of the House December 1st, 2016
Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the fifth report of the Standing Committee on Health in relation to Bill C-233, an act respecting a national strategy for Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias.
The committee has studied the bill and has decided to report the bill back to the House with amendments. I want to say that amendments were proposed by members of all parties on the committee, and we really feel that we have strengthened the bill as we present it.
Rural Communities November 30th, 2016
Mr. Speaker, as a member from a rural Nova Scotia riding, I commend the government for its focus on rural communities. From investments in water to sewers, ice rinks, arts, broadband Internet, and immigration, this government understands that rural communities matter.
However, it is very disappointing that in recent months, officials at the Department of National Defence in Halifax and RCMP officials in Halifax have proposed closing facilities in my rural riding and moving their resources to Halifax. It is my hope that the government's leadership will send a clear message to every department and every official that all departments and agencies should support rural Canada and maintain their rural presence.
Mr. Speaker, when I hear talk about Canada pension, I think back to when I was first elected in 1988. I had been in the retail business for 25 years in a small town in Nova Scotia. The thing that surprised me the most after I was elected was how many people I was helping get the Canada pension disability. These were not people who abused the system. These were people with real disabilities and no way to put food on the table. They depended on the Canada pension disability plan. That, to me, is an important role. It is hard to understand how people can speak against increasing the benefits of the Canada pension.
I wonder if the member would tell me if he has had the same experience with people with disabilities. Again, their quality of life goes to zero. They go broke. The minute someone becomes disabled, the first thing that happens is they go broke, and that makes the situation worse.
I would like the member to comment on the disability aspect of Canada pension.
Hi-Speed Internet October 31st, 2016
Mr. Speaker, Internet access in rural economies is just as important as transportation infrastructure is in urban Canada. It is absolutely essential if rural economies, like my area of Nova Scotia, are to survive and prosper.
This year's successful phase 1 of the infrastructure program focused on clean water and waste water. In the next phase of the funding program, I urge the government to make rural broadband service a priority and to use the same successful approach for broadband funding to ensure that rural communities are able to access this necessary mode of communication.
Canada Pension Plan October 25th, 2016
Mr. Speaker, there are a lot of things I would like to comment on, but I only have a short time. In my area in Nova Scotia, employers are moving away from private pensions and hiring three part-time people instead of two full-time people. My own children were employed in that way and three of them have just taken jobs with pensions, but until then they did not have them.
The Conservatives are arguing that this will burden the business community, that it will drive people out of the country, and so on. I believe they would use the same argument if there were no Canada pension plan and we were talking about initiating a Canada pension plan.
Does the hon. member for Windsor West think that the Conservatives would vote against the Canada pension plan altogether if there were none?
Canada Pension Plan October 25th, 2016
Madam Speaker, it has been interesting to listen to the debate. The other day a member said that there was a high proportion of seniors in the riding. I too have a high proportion of seniors in my riding. If it were not for the Canada pension, I do not know what those seniors would do. Also Canada pension provides disability.
Members have said that people will leave Canada because of this and that it will cost employers because of this. I would like to set the clock back and ask the hon. member this. If there were no Canada pension, all these same arguments that the opposition has given would apply. Would the member still be against Canada pension, because obviously all the same arguments would apply? Would the member vote against establishing Canada pension?
Business of Supply October 17th, 2016
Mr. Speaker, first of all, I want to say that the softwood lumber industry in Atlantic Canada is extremely important to our economy. As the parliamentary secretary said earlier, this is all about forest management practices. I know he and his colleagues are working very hard on this, but I have been through several of these and they are all complicated.
Over the last 20 years, the American industry has acknowledged that Atlantic Canadian provinces have forestry practices exactly like theirs and because of that they have provided a total exclusion for all the Atlantic provinces on this softwood lumber agreement. We have not been part of it. In fact, the second last agreement had three signatures on it: the Canadian government, the U.S. government, and the Maritime Lumber Bureau. Considering how important it is to Atlantic Canada that we maintain this total exclusion, can the parliamentary secretary tell us whether an exclusion will be part of the next agreement?