Veteran  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honour Mr. Hedley Lake, a resident of Fortune in my riding. Mr. Lake is a decorated Second World War veteran, who celebrated his 100th birthday on August 12. Mr. Lake was in active military service for five years, from 1940 to 1945. After two years of service in the Mediterranean Sea, he went home for leave.

National Defence Act  Mr. Speaker, how does the new defence policy of our government inform Bill C-77? How does this bill help victims in the military justice system? Could the parliamentary secretary elaborate on that?

Fisheries Act  Mr. Speaker, as we know, there are differing circumstances across Canadian jurisdictions when it comes to fish farming and aquaculture. Eastern Canada is very different from western Canada, and is managed with different levels of government. At this stage, we have seen some significant gains and improvements in the aquaculture industry in eastern Canada.

Fisheries Act  Mr. Speaker, there are numerous reports that have been made from time to time about causes of the decline of many kinds fish stocks. One of the things we see happening now in Atlantic Canada, in Newfoundland and Labrador in particular, is the imbalance in the ecosystem in terms of the explosive growth in seal populations that are destroying not only salmon but other species in Atlantic Canada.

Fisheries Act  Mr. Speaker, as my hon. colleague said, we heard from many witnesses and groups through briefs and presentations at the fisheries committee. At the same time, many of these witnesses talked about habitat protection and other things that we have identified in this particular bill currently before the House, such as sustainability and the protection of stocks like northern cod that the people of Newfoundland and Labrador are challenged with.

Fisheries Act  Mr. Speaker, we cannot take the vitality of our fisheries for granted. The fish and seafood sector is the heart and soul of many rural coastal and indigenous communities across Canada, and indeed of my riding of Bonavista—Burin—Trinity. Fisheries provide good middle-class jobs that draw on traditions stemming back hundreds of years.

Committees of the House  Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the 16th report of the Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development entitled “Main Estimates 2018-19: Vote 1 under Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency, Votes 1, 5 and 10 under Department of the Environment and Votes 1 and 5 under Parks Canada Agency”.

The Environment  Mr. Speaker, the oceans protection plan is an important priority for our government as well as for the people in my riding of Bonavista—Burin—Trinity—

The Environment  Mr. Speaker, the oceans protection plan is an important priority for our government as well as for the people in my riding of Bonavista—Burin—Trinity. We know that we must do everything we can to ensure that our waterways and coasts are protected and preserved for generations to come.

Childhood Cancer  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honour and congratulate Paul and Dion Oram of Glovertown in my riding. On Wednesday, May 16, Paul, at age eight, returned to the Janeway Children's Hospital in St. John's to ring the bell of hope after five years cancer-free. There were other reasons to celebrate, too, as Paul and his father reached their goal of raising $50,000 for the Children's Wish Foundation.

Impact Assessment Act  Mr. Speaker, as the hon. member is well aware, I totally disagree with her perspective on that issue. These organizations, the CNLOPB and the Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Board, bring to this process of future development a lot of experience, expertise, and knowledge. For all the years of work that have gone on in Newfoundland and Labrador, the CNLOPB has made a tremendous contribution to the offshore oil and gas industry.

Impact Assessment Act  Mr. Speaker, during my tenure on the environment committee as the member of Parliament for Bonavista—Burin—Trinity and working with other members of Parliament, I found it to be a great exercise. As other hon. members have said, the committee worked extremely hard on the legislation.

Impact Assessment Act  Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to join today's debate on Bill C-69. The proposed changes are important, because they build on and strengthen the legislation that has been described as historic, groundbreaking, and a major turning point for resource development in Canada. There is a good reason for all these superlatives, because Bill C-69, even more so now that it has been amended, is a potential game changer in the way Canada reviews new major resource projects by creating greater investment certainty; restoring public confidence; advancing indigenous reconciliation; strengthening protections for our environment, fish, and waterways; and establishing better rules for co-operation among the various levels of government and federal regulatory agencies.

Recognition of Lifetime of Service  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honour and congratulate Chesley W. Patten, who was born and raised in Grand Bank in my riding. He enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force during the Second World War and served as a flight sergeant navigator flying coastal patrol on the east coast of Canada for the duration of the war.

The Environment  Mr. Speaker, this week the leader of the Conservative Party admitted that he, like Harper, has no real plan to protect the environment or grow the economy. Meanwhile, a new analysis from our government shows that a price on carbon is the foundation of any serious climate plan, cutting pollution in a way that is equivalent to shutting down 20 coal plants.