Fisheries and Oceans  Madam Speaker, in fact, if we look across the country, the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans has put a special emphasis on working with coastal communities and looking at a rural development strategy plan. Whether it is focusing on small craft harbours, working on indigenous knowledge, or working with fishers to put in place programs that help fishers, help communities and help generate community wealth, that is what this side is about.

Caleb's Courage Movement  Mr. Speaker, each year, my constituents Mike and Nicole MacArthur prepare for Caleb's Courage Superhero Walk, Run, and Fly. It is a community fun run in honour of their late son Caleb, who bravely battled cancer until he passed away in 2015 at the age of four. Notwithstanding that, Caleb's life will always be defined by his long-lasting impact.

Fisheries and Oceans  Mr. Speaker, I enjoy sitting on committee with the member opposite. I think it is important to remember that there was a time when the Conservative Party was in power and it muzzled scientists, cut DFO jobs and did not give two hoots about anything related to keeping jobs in the community.

Leon Dubinsky  Mr. Speaker, as the member of Parliament for Cape Breton—Canso, I rise today to pay tribute to Leon Dubinsky, an extraordinary Cape Bretoner who we lost just a few weeks ago. Leon Dubinsky was a pillar in the realm of arts and culture across Cape Breton Island. As an actor, theatre director and composer, he spent his entire life entertaining Canadians, and in particular Atlantic Canadians.

Fisheries and Oceans  Madam Speaker, I sit on committee and let me correct the record: That is not what the minister said. Our goal is to grow Canada's fish and seafood sector, and the science has been clear that mackerel stocks are in the critical zone and have been for more than a decade. Without this forage fish, other fish do not survive.

Fisheries and Oceans  Madam Speaker, saying it twice does not make it more true. The fact of the matter is that we are focused on the stock. We are focused on creating a healthier stock. As I mentioned, the stock has been in the critical zone for the past 10 years. Our focus is on fishers and also on fishers' communities.

Volunteerism  Mr. Speaker, I rise in the House today to commend several constituents from my riding of Cape Breton—Canso who are truly making a difference for their community this holiday season. For the past 15 years, Inspector Billy Turner, Sergeant John Anthony and Constable Marvin MacDonald of the Cape Breton Regional Police Service have volunteered their time toward the department’s “Shop of the Class” initiative.

Questions on the Order Paper  Mr. Speaker, as the Pacific salmon strategy initiative’s, or PSSI’s, financial reporting aligns with broader departmental financial reporting requirements, the total amount of funding spent to date is categorized by vote. Vote 1 covers salaries and wages, operations and maintenance; vote 5 covers capital expenditures; and vote 10 covers grants and contributions.

Fisheries and Oceans  Mr. Speaker, as mentioned, given the unprecedented threats that the wild Pacific salmon are facing, we agree that we must take action to conserve and protect them. That is why the government, through the minister's mandate letter, is developing a planned transition for open-net pen salmon aquaculture in coastal waters.

Fisheries and Oceans  Mr. Speaker, the member opposite and I sit on the fisheries committee together and I have a great deal of respect for her and her work. We recognize that wild Pacific salmon are of great importance to the communities in British Columbia both culturally and economically, and that wild Pacific salmon are facing historic threats from a variety of stressors.

Fisheries and Oceans  Mr. Speaker, on July 29, 2022, the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard released a discussion framework that outlines the proposed vision for open-net pen transition in B.C. in a manner that progressively minimizes or eliminates interactions between salmon open-net pens and wild salmon, while also taking into account social, cultural and economic objectives.

Public Safety  Mr. Speaker, I do believe that the process is doing what it is supposed to do, in terms of providing Canadians an oversight and overview of what transpired. I would respectfully disagree with the member opposite. Last winter, as I mentioned in my statement, participants in illegal blockades and protests adopted a number of threatening acts, disrupting the peace and impacting the Canadian economy.

Public Safety  Mr. Speaker, it is good to have a chance to debate the hon. member opposite. We want to unpack a couple of things in the member's questions in relation to what we saw last winter. This past winter we saw a state of emergency declared in Ottawa with protesters blocking key infrastructure and harassing and intimidating citizens.

Charitable Giving in Cape Breton—Canso  Mr. Speaker, local businesses are the heart of our communities in Cape Breton—Canso. Freeman's Pharmacy, nestled in the small community of Inverness, is no exception. Recently, the people of Freeman's Pharmacy went far above and beyond in their efforts to give back to their community.

Diabetes Awareness Month  Mr. Speaker, November is Diabetes Awareness Month, a time for us to reflect upon the struggles of our fellow Canadians who live every day with the disease. There are over three million people living with diabetes in this country, which is why I am proud to be part of a government that introduced our nation's first-ever framework for diabetes just last month.