Pat Finnigan

[Irish Heritage in Miramichi, May 31st, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, Irish history is vibrant and rich in the city of Miramichi. Irish immigrants began arriving in the area around 1815 and continued to do so even after the great tragedy of 1847, where hundreds of Irish immigrants perished on Middle Island after fleeing the famine in their homeland. Many of the survivors flourished, however, and started new lives on the banks of the Miramichi River.

Thanks to people like Farrell McCarthy, who is one of the founders of the Irish Canadian Cultural Association and the annual Irish festival, the Irish history in the region lives on and is celebrated each year. Farrell was also the well-deserved recipient of the Douglas Hyde Award, which was presented to him last month by Dr. Ray Bassett, the Irish ambassador to Canada.

I invite everyone to experience the closest thing to visiting Ireland, Canada's Irish capital, and enjoy the celebration of the Miramichi Irish Festival from July 14 to 17.

[Committees of the House, May 17th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the third report of the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food in relation to its study entitled “Supply management, dairy producers, and the Canadian dairy industry”.

[Agriculture and Agri-food, May 3rd, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to inform my colleague from Brome—Missisquoi that I received a notice of motion from the member for Fundy Royal, calling on the committee to adopt a report that recognizes the government's support of the dairy industry, that recognizes the impact of the importation of diafiltered milk, and that calls on the government to meet with dairy industry representatives in the next 30 days in order to find sustainable solutions to modernize the industry.

[Committees of the House, April 12th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the second report of the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food in relation to its study of the main estimates for the fiscal year 2016-17.

[Citizenship Act, March 10th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask my hon. colleague if she thinks that one of the greatest concerns with respect to Bill C-24 is that bureaucrats could revoke the citizenship of ordinary Canadians and not the courts, as it should be.

[Committees of the House, March 10th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, I am honoured to present, in both official languages, the first report of the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food concerning its study of the supplementary estimates for fiscal year 2015-16.

[Canada Labour Code, February 26th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, I would remind the hon. member from the opposition party that our government was strongly opposed to this bill because it was not transparent and it was unfair to Canada's workers. We made an election promise about it that was in our platform.

To us on this side of the House, keeping our word is key to who we are as a party and that is why we are in government today.

Does my colleague agree that keeping our promises to Canadians is important to our party?

[Foreign Affairs, February 26th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Foreign Affairs was travelling abroad this week to discuss important international issues and security with his counterparts.

Can the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs tell the House about the various meetings she attended and the response of the international community regarding the important work that Canada is doing abroad?

[National Pink Shirt Day, February 24th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, today, Canadians across the country are wearing pink in support of National Pink Shirt Day, an anti-bullying initiative.

We know that words are powerful. However, they can be devastating when they are used to torment, belittle, or demean someone, and the consequences can leave scars that last a lifetime. Research has clearly shown that bullying can lead to anxiety, depression, physical illness, and even suicide.

This is simply unacceptable. Bullying should not be part of growing up for anyone, and school should be a place to learn, not a place to fear.

The time to say no to bullying and cyberbullying is now. Let us use our voices for those who may be too afraid to use theirs. We are stronger because of our differences, not in spite of them. Every one deserves the chance to show the world who they really are.

[Canada's Contribution to the Effort to Combat ISIL, February 23rd, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the member's son for volunteering to serve our country. Like the member, I had a son who served a mission in Afghanistan with 3RCR . As a parent, it is always worrying to know our sons and daughters are in harm's way, but it is also comforting to know that the government is taking the right strategy to ensure it is effective.

Leaders in our country and across the world have said that ISIL has somewhat adapted to a lot of the air bombing missions. It has infiltrated with civilians. I also agree that the air power needs to continue, but at this stage we still have a lot of air power. Russia now has joined in, and the skies are pretty much crowded. Therefore, would he agree that the adjustment we are making now on the ground reflects more the reality of today's mission?