Rodney Weston

[Shipbuilding Industry, February 13th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, following a fair and transparent process, Irving Shipbuilding was awarded the responsibility to build the new Royal Canadian Navy combat vessels. The work undertaken in Halifax will last for almost three decades. It will create jobs and wealth all across Atlantic Canada.

Could the Minister of State for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency update the House on the actions that our government will take to help our small- and medium-size enterprises in the Atlantic region take advantage of the shipbuilding procurement strategy?

[Sealing Industry, January 30th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, last week the member for St. John's South—Mount Pearl shocked the entire province of Newfoundland and Labrador by once again calling for an end to the sealing industry in Canada. Not only are his comments an insult to the families whose livelihoods depend on the hunt, but they are also an attack on the coastal and northern communities that depend on a sustainable and humane seal hunt. A photo op of the member in a seal vest does not fool anyone.

Would the regional minister for Newfoundland and Labrador please explain to the House what our government is doing to defend Canada's sealing industry?

[Taxation, December 14th, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, in the late 1990s, the Liberals introduced a poorly designed scheme to buy back fishing licences. Under successive Liberal fisheries ministers, the rules for the program were ill-defined and resulted in an uneven tax treatment for fishermen. This forced the federal government and fishermen into a costly legal battle that has taken more than a decade to resolve.

Could the Minister of National Revenue inform the House on the steps that our government has taken to resolve this matter?

[New Democratic Party of Canada, November 24th, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, the NDP recently voted against helping the manufacturing sector stay strong; against helping small businesses hire more people; against tax credits for families, like the family caregiver tax credit and the children's arts tax credit; and against the volunteer firefighters tax credit.

The NDP opposes creating jobs. Then, to drive the point home, its members go abroad and attack Canada.

The NDP chooses to side with a small group of activists protesting against our energy resources. However, it also opposes other industries, such as mining, sealing, forestry, auto manufacturing, and trucking, just to name a few.

The NDP also wants to hit families and job creators with a job killing tax hike that would hurt our economy and set families back.

Undermining the economy and attacking Canadian jobs are yet more worrying examples that the ineffective, disunited NDP is unfit to govern.

[The Economy, November 2nd, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, today our Prime Minister is en route to the G20 summit in France.

The global economic situation is very fragile, and he will stress to other leaders the need to move forward with critical reforms to achieve concrete solutions at the summit.

Canada still continues to lead with its economic recovery. We have the strongest job creation record in the G7, with approximately 650,000 net new jobs since July 2009, nearly 90% of them full-time jobs.

Can the Minister of State (Finance) please update the House on what the international community thinks of Canada's economy?

[The Economy, October 26th, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, Canada is leading the way. Yesterday, Standard & Poor's affirmed Canada's AAA rating. Standard & Poor's noted that Canada's superior economic situation and strong monetary policy make Canada a stable force amid global economic uncertainty.

Our Conservative government has been focused on what matters to Canadians: job creation and promoting economic growth. This is just another example of Canada's global economic leadership, which includes the strongest job growth record in the G7, the soundest banks in the world, and forecasts showing that Canada's economy will be among the strongest in the G7 this year and next.

However, Canada is not immune to the economic turbulence facing the global economy. That is why our government is working hard to implement the next phase of Canada's economic action plan and its job creation measures. The last thing Canadian families need now is the NDP's massive job-killing tax hikes that would cost jobs and hurt the economy.

[Committees of the House, October 19th, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the first report of the Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans on the snow crab industry in the Atlantic provinces and Quebec.

I wish to acknowledge the contribution of former members of the committee, especially those who are no longer among us in the House. I would also like to thank committee members from both sides of the House for their collaboration in making this report a unanimous one. Special thanks, as well, go to the committee staff for the hard work.

[Bay of Fundy, October 19th, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to promote one of the natural wonders of our country, the Bay of Fundy. The tides of the Bay of Fundy are the highest in the world. It is an area that has proven to be an endless source of opportunities and motivation for all.

Given the importance and greatness of this area, it is not surprising that the Bay of Fundy is a prime candidate for becoming one of the new seven wonders of nature. When this campaign started in 2007, the Bay of Fundy was one of 441 entries worldwide vying for this distinction. It is now one of 28 remaining candidates and the only one from Canada.

Please help the Bay of Fundy, a true Canadian icon, reach the dream of becoming one of the new seven wonders of nature. Voting can be done by visiting www.votemyfundy.com or by texting the word “FUNDY” to 77077.

I encourage all members of Parliament to proudly display the Bay of Fundy pin to help promote this wonderful effort. Most important, I encourage them to vote for the Bay of Fundy.

[Democratic Reform, October 3rd, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, Premier David Alward announced this past weekend that his government intends to proceed with legislation giving New Brunswickers real input into choosing who represents their province in the Senate. As the member of Parliament for Saint John, I can say that this is good news for democracy and good news for my province.

As it stands, the Senate status quo is unacceptable. The Senate's legitimacy and effectiveness will be enhanced when senators have a democratic mandate from Canadians and can no longer serve terms as long as 45 years. It is our Conservative government's long-standing commitment to strengthen and enhance our democratic institutions so Canadians can be better represented by their government. That is why we introduced the Senate reform act.

As an Atlantic Canadian, the Senate could play an important role in giving us a greater voice in our democratic institutions if reasonable and achievable reform is made. Unfortunately, it seems that the opposition would rather support the Senate status quo than work with us to encourage other provinces to follow New Brunswick's lead.

[The Economy, June 22nd, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians gave us a strong mandate to secure our economic recovery and implement our low tax plan to create jobs and economic growth.

That is why our government has reintroduced and passed the next phase of Canada's economic action plan and increased the guaranteed income supplement for seniors.

We have also taken action to protect our economy by introducing legislation to put an end to work stoppages.

Canadians gave us a strong mandate to remain focused on the priorities of Canadian families, jobs and the economy, and that we will do.