Keith Ashfield

[Robert Kenny, June 15th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, it is with heavy heart that I rise in this House today to pay tribute to a dedicated, respected, and endearing community leader from Fredericton.

Robert “Bob” Kenny passed away on June 6 at the age of 72. Bob spent countless hours championing community-led initiatives and serving on various boards throughout Fredericton and New Brunswick.

While his passing leaves a hole in our community, the inspiration and vision he left behind speaks to his legacy of community service, selflessness, and a passion for bettering the lives of those around him.

In 2012, I had the privilege of presenting Bob with the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in recognition of his exceptional contribution to our community.

On behalf of all Frederictonians and New Brunswickers, we thank him for his truly exceptional contribution to our great community.

I ask all members to join me in sending Bob's wife Joan, and his daughters Brigette, Natalie, and Mary Ellen, our most sincere condolences.

[Petitions, May 14th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to present a petition on behalf of my constituents, which calls upon the government to both adopt international aid policies that support small family farmers and ensure that Canadian policies and programs are developed in consultation with small family farmers.

[Conservation, May 26th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, recently the Prime Minister launched the national conservation plan while he was in my riding of Fredericton. This plan will help to secure ecologically sensitive lands, support voluntary conservation and restoration actions and strengthen marine and coastal conservation. The plan will also expand opportunities for partners to improve the land and water around them. We also have programs already in place that help support these initiatives.

For example, in Fredericton last week we announced we were making further investments through a program that would help post-secondary students gain work experience, while conserving the environment.

Our government will continue to build on these conservation programs and announce new initiatives as we focus and coordinate our efforts far into the future.

[2014 World Senior Curling Championships, May 1st, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the accomplishments of the Canadian senior men's curling team, which yesterday won a gold medal for Canada at the 2014 World Senior Curling Championships in Dumfries, Scotland.

Led by skip Wayne Tallon of Fredericton, Team Canada defeated Team Sweden 7 to 2 in their gold medal match to remain unbeaten in the week long tournament. Backing Tallon were his teammates, third, Mike Kennedy of Edmundston; second, Mike Flannery of Fredericton; lead, Wade Blanchard of Saint John; alternate, Chuck Kingston; and coaches Bill Tschirhart and Jim Waite.

I would also like to recognize and congratulate the Canadian senior women's curling team, which captured silver for Canada at the same tournament.

On behalf of all Canadians, I wish to congratulate both teams on their successes while representing our country on the world stage. Their hard work and talent help continue our tradition of excellence in sports.

[Governor General's Medal of Bravery, January 29th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and honour four outstanding members of the Fredericton Police Force who were recently presented with a Medal of Bravery from His Excellency the Governor General of Canada.

On January 8, 2012, Corporal Dwight Doyle, and Constables Shawn Fraser, Samantha McInnis and Jeff Smiley, who was also awarded the Star of Courage, rescued an elderly woman from a vehicle submerged in the Saint John River, in Fredericton, New Brunswick. The courageous police officers ventured on to the unstable ice to reach the car of the unconscious victim. Constable Smiley jumped into the frigid water to bring the woman to the edge of the ice where the other officers resuscitated her and brought her to safety.

On behalf of all Canadians, I wish to sincerely thank those officers and every one of their comrades in uniform for their bravery and dedication to duty. These men and women are truly deserving of the honour that was bestowed upon them for their courageous and selfless act.

[The Environment, June 4th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, industry is the first responder to its own oil spills under the polluter pay principle. The Coast Guard, of course, is the lead agency for ensuring appropriate response to ship-source spills in Canadian waters.

On March 18, 2013, the government announced the world-class tanker safety initiative, which included an investment in the incident command system for the Coast Guard. This responds directly to the recommendations from the 2010 CESD audit.

[Fisheries and Oceans, June 3rd, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, if I understand the question, I believe it is around small craft harbours.

Of course, we have an annual budget to invest in small craft harbours across the country, which is done on a priority basis. Everything is assessed on an annual basis to determine which ones will be fixed during a season.

[Search and Rescue, June 3rd, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, as I have indicated many times in the House, our first and foremost priority is the safety of mariners and people at sea.

Our government is investing in the Coast Guard's infrastructure to take advantage of today's technology to deliver the same service at strategic locations across the country. Better-connected centres equipped with modern technology will ensure improved effectiveness and reliability of services.

[Questions on the Order Paper, May 28th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, with regard to (a), there are 57 licence holders remaining in Newfoundland and Labrador whose licences were never retired.

With regard to (b), the last commercial salmon licence retirement programs were announced in 1998, for northern Labrador and Quebec.

With regard to (c), the federal government offered a series of salmon licence retirement programs for Atlantic Canada and Quebec dating back to the early 1980s. The federal government spent $53 million to retire commercial Atlantic salmon licences. The costs were as follows: Newfoundland and Labrador--$41,700,000; Nova Scotia--$3,500,000; Prince Edward Island--$52,000; New Brunswick--$4,700,000; and Quebec--$2,900,000.

With regard to (d), there are no further salmon licence retirement programs planned for any part of Atlantic Canada or Quebec.

With regard to (e), no opening of the commercial salmon fishery is planned at this time.

[The Environment, May 10th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to protecting the environment from ships or spills. The Canadian Coast Guard continues to work closely with its federal partners to address the threat of marine pollution from this wreck. The Coast Guard has been working with its partners to respond to this spill since it was reported on March 31. The government has conducted several overflights and deployed several vessels and a remote-operated vehicle, and we will remediate the situation as soon as possible.