Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Atlantic Accord Implementation Act  Mr. Speaker, it is a privilege to rise in the House to say a few words on behalf of the people in my riding, Halifax West. Bill C-49 would modernizes the mandates of the offshore boards, including Nova Scotia's, to unlock the full potential of offshore renewable energy. Just two years ago, the Nova Scotia government announced its intention to stop using coal to generate electricity by the year 2030, shortening its deadline by a decade.

Sickle Cell Disease  Mr. Speaker, yesterday was National Sickle Cell Awareness Day. Sickle cell disease is a debilitating, inherited blood disease that causes those impacted to suffer from chronic pain, fatigue, social rejection and discrimination. Thousands of Canadians suffer from it, and support and treatment options have not improved for decades.

Lebanese Heritage Month in Canada  Mr. Speaker, last week I was supposed to lead off in the debate on Bill S-246, which seeks to designate November as Lebanese heritage month in Canada. Unfortunately, that did not happen. I would like to point out the importance of this bill for Quebec in particular, because I am giving my speech today in French.

Points of Order  Mr. Speaker, I rise in the House to raise a point of order for the first time. I was scheduled to speak to my private member's bill tonight. It is a bill that I believe everybody in the House favours, and it is to declare November as Lebanese heritage month. I would like to second the motion from the member for New Westminster—Burnaby to investigate these ridiculous tactics, which are wasting resources and impeding important legislation from going forward.

36th Speaker of the House of Commons  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the achievement of my predecessor and yours, the Hon. Geoff Regan. I first met Geoff in 1990 when I was articling and he was a practising lawyer. We stayed in touch and our paths have crossed often. For 27 years, Geoff was an honest and dedicated representative for the people of Halifax West.

Wildfires in Nova Scotia  Mr. Speaker, Upper Hammonds Plains and Upper Tantallon have been rocked by ongoing wildfires, which have impacted thousands of residents of Halifax West. I would like to thank all the first responders and firefighters who have been battling the blaze. My heart goes out to the families who have lost homes, and to those evacuated.

Emergency Preparedness  Mr. Speaker, over the weekend, thousands of Nova Scotians had to flee their homes as wildfires spread across the province. One fire is ongoing and still not under control in the Upper Tantallon and Hammonds Plains areas of my riding of Halifax West. People's homes have been put at risk in the blink of an eye.

Women in Science  Madam Speaker, I rise to congratulate the students at our Canadian post-secondary institutions on their convocations, including those at Dalhousie in Halifax. In particular, I want to recognize my daughter, Monica, who is receiving her doctorate in philosophy, a Ph.D., in chemical engineering, specializing in fire dynamics.

Saint Mary's University Graduates  Mr. Speaker, the season for handing out diplomas has come. I applaud the hard work of the students graduating from our post-secondary institutions, including Saint Mary's University in Halifax. My daughter Marena is one of them, as she is about to receive her bachelor of science degree with a major in biology and a minor in French.

National Defence  Mr. Speaker, in my riding of Halifax West, we know that search and rescue capabilities are critical to those in our fishing industry and tourism, and for the safety of Atlantic Canadians. Canadians need to know that no matter where they are, the Canadian Armed Forces will always answer the call.

Mount Saint Vincent University  Mr. Speaker, dating back to 1873, 150 years ago, Mount Saint Vincent University was one of the few institutions of higher education for women and girls in Canada at a time when women could not vote. Today the institution prioritizes access and impact for all underserviced groups.

Official Languages  Mr. Speaker, our official language minority communities are facing multiple challenges. As a proud former provincial minister of Acadian affairs and francophonie, I am well aware of what community organizations need in order to address labour shortages, educational requirements, and so much more.

National Organ and Tissue Donation Awareness Week  Mr. Speaker, this week is National Organ and Tissue Donation Awareness Week in Canada. It is a moment to start critical conversations with our families and communities about the importance of organ donation. It is hard to capture how life-changing and life-saving organ donors can be.

Committees of the House  Madam Speaker, I absolutely agree. Any time we can invest in anything that we can grow locally, we should be doing so. I am definitely for everything local that we can do. It is better for our people, our communities and our country.

Committees of the House  Madam Speaker, I really appreciate my colleague from Longueuil—Saint‑Hubert. We worked together in the area of francophone affairs. I am very proud to be in the House with him this morning and to answer his question. I know that he is a proud Quebecker. The Government of Canada looks forward very much to working with all colleagues from Quebec and those from all the other provinces in the House of Commons.