House of Commons photoWon his last election, in 2015, with 33% of the vote.
Fisheries and Oceans October 31st, 2012
Mr. Speaker, the premise of the question is totally false. Managing navigation does not prevent fishers from doing their jobs, nor does it prevent Fisheries and Oceans from managing its files. This is not about fish; it is about navigation. The NDP is mixing all of the issues up. Maybe they want to scare people because today is Halloween, but they are way off base.
The Environment October 31st, 2012
Mr. Speaker, the list of protected waterways is based on science and security. Data from the Canadian Hydrographic Service's nautical charts, Statistics Canada's data on freight movement and historical data from the navigable waters protection program were used.
Another statistic is that 98% of applications never pose any threat to navigation. The data shows that changes were needed.
The Environment October 31st, 2012
Mr. Speaker, the list of protected bodies of water is based on the scientific analysis and the knowledge of Transport Canada staff. Data from the Canadian Hydrographic Service, from Statistics Canada on the transportation of goods, historical data and even data from the navigable waters protection program were used.
Here is another statistic: 98% of the projects submitted have never impaired navigation. This statistic shows that changes were needed.
The Environment October 30th, 2012
Mr. Speaker, the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities applauds the federal government for the introduction of amendments to the Navigable Waters Protection Act.
We are doing the right thing. Our transport department is working on navigation. That is what we are doing.
The Environment October 30th, 2012
Mr. Speaker, data from the Canadian Hydrographic Service's nautical charts, Statistics Canada data on freight movement and historical data from the Navigable Waters Protection Program was used to create the list.
That is science talking and we will continuing working this way.
The Environment October 30th, 2012
Mr. Speaker, let me quote the Canadian Construction Association, “This new legislation will certainly help construction companies better predict their own requirements on future construction projects”. That is about navigation. That is not about construction. That is about what we are saying. We want to help the country develop projects, not for small rivers or small places where we do not have to consider the water.
The Environment October 30th, 2012
Mr. Speaker, I will quote the Federation of Canadian Municipalities:
Municipal leaders have consistently called for common sense reforms in Ottawa that deliver better results for Canadians. We look forward to working with the federal government to turn the reforms announced today into a strong, sensible action plan that strengthens our communities, and protects our waterways and the environment.
We are working on navigable waters, and we are talking about navigation. That is what we are doing.
The Environment October 30th, 2012
Mr. Speaker, I can hardly believe my ears. To my knowledge, the St. Lawrence River flows near Vaudreuil. It is on the list of waters. The municipalities and the provinces have been calling for these measures for years. We have been asked for inquiries and studies of things that did not have to be considered under the Navigable Waters Protection Act. These changes will affect navigation, period. We are doing the right thing. We believe it is important to help businesses and municipalities cut costs and by cutting red tape.
The Environment October 30th, 2012
Mr. Speaker, let me quote the Federation of Canadian Municipalities. It said:
The changes announced today will allow local governments to spend less time processing paperwork for small, low-risk public works projects by removing redundancies, red tape and project delays that result in higher costs for property tax payers.
That is about navigation. We are doing the right thing.
The Environment October 30th, 2012
Mr. Speaker, for years, provinces and municipalities have asked us to cut the red tape associated with the Navigable Waters Protection Act. The act has created a bureaucratic black hole, holding up simple projects that do not impede navigation.
Under our plan, only projects likely to offset navigation require approval to changes about navigation.