House of Commons photoWon his last election, in 2006, with 45% of the vote.
The Environment October 6th, 2006
Mr. Speaker, members of the party opposite certainly are experts on misrepresentation. It is amazing how they can take little bits and pieces out of context and try to blow them out of proportion. Nobody in the House or in country can take the stand that our Minister of the Environment has in relation to cleaning up the environment in this country. We should be very proud of that.
The Environment October 6th, 2006
Mr. Speaker, we all know what a breath of fresh air the new environment minister was when she came into the House. If she can clean up the air in the House compared to what we had, is it not only fair that we give her time to clean up the air in the country?
The Environment October 6th, 2006
Mr. Speaker, for a number of years the former Liberal government talked about Kyoto and did absolutely nothing. We are the reverse of that. We are doing something and doing very little talking. That is the way to get things done.
Fisheries and Oceans October 4th, 2006
Mr. Speaker, let me assure my colleague that proper fisheries regulations are the key to conservation and management.
We have a philosophy which involves the provinces and the stakeholders as we make regulations pertaining to certain areas. In this case, these regulations are provincial ones being developed in consultation with the affected groups and which will come to us for approval. We are looking forward to their completing their negotiations and we will certainly approve sound-based regulations in which they all have input.
Fisheries and Oceans October 4th, 2006
Mr. Speaker, we are working with our UN counterparts to make sure that we protect the habitat, that we protect the fish stocks, but let me say to the hon. member that we have to make sure our decisions are based on science.
Banning technology is one thing. Improving technology is something else. Let us not cut off our nose to spite our face, but let us make sure that we do protect the habitat and the stocks. We will take the leadership in doing whatever has to be done to achieve that aim.
Fisheries and Oceans October 4th, 2006
Mr. Speaker, I was exceptionally pleased yesterday to see the direction given by President Bush to his secretary of state and secretary of commerce. The instructions and directions he gave them were very similar to the ones I gave our group that went to the NAFO meetings.
The difference was we went and we delivered on the directions given. We are not only talking about them. We are glad to see that President Bush and the United States are now supporting our direction.
In relation to dragging, if we ban dragging, we wipe out a number of fishing communities in--
Fisheries and Oceans September 25th, 2006
Mr. Speaker, the member has been around long enough to know that when we set quotas, it is usually done in consultation with all the parties that are involved. At no time is any special attention given to any province. The industries in each area get together, decide upon quotas, provide the best advice they can to us and we make that decision.
Let me assure the member. If he thinks his area has been treated unfairly, talk to me, and we will make sure he understands that they will be treated the same as anybody else.
Fisheries and Oceans September 25th, 2006
Mr. Speaker, the Canadian delegation went to the NAFO meetings in Dartmouth last week with an inflexible mandate to not only reform the NAFO convention but also the monitoring, control and surveillance areas. This will establish a management regime on the continental shelf outside the 200 mile limit, the same as it has inside the 200 mile limit.
We said we could do it, we said we would do it and we did it.
Fisheries June 21st, 2006
Mr. Speaker, the new member is certainly a fast learner. He is right when he says that the former government was going to reduce the number of fisheries officers. He is also right when he says that the fishery needs protection.
We will be spending $2.4 million, not only to reverse the decision made by the former government, but to add a significant number of extra fisheries officers on the river so we can have a stable fishery this year, which is lauded, by the way, by most of the groups that are looking forward to a good year on the Fraser River.
Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency June 14th, 2006
Mr. Speaker, with the representation the member has given his riding on the main issues, the people of his riding will be the ones to muzzle him in the next election.
The member does not have to worry about that. He just heard the announcement I made on behalf of his friend and colleague in Random—Burin—St. George's and maybe he should line up like the others and ask what more funding they are getting. He will find out that we treat everybody fairly. Just because some members do not sit on this side of the House does not mean they do not get their fair share.