Nick Whalen

[Ocean Frontier Institute, November 3rd, 2017]

Mr. Speaker, I stand here today to congratulate the Ocean Frontier Institute on a successful first year. A pan-Atlantic Canadian collaboration between Dalhousie University, the University of Prince Edward Island, and Memorial University of Newfoundland, the OFI will help international experts on both sides of the northwest Atlantic harness the vast potential of our oceans by delivering transformative research.

The institute is a critical node in a vast network of internationally renowned academic- and industry-led research centres clustered in my riding of St. John's East. Along with eDNAtech, NRC, COASTS, C-CORE, the Marine Institute, the Ocean Sciences Centre, the Canadian Healthy Oceans Network, Petroleum Research Newfoundland and Labrador, and our fishery industry partners, OFI is helping Canada establish 5% marine-protected areas by the end of this year and 10% by 2020.

To OFI, Memorial University of Newfoundland, and their many industry partners, we wish them good luck. We are counting on them for the sustainable development of our oceans-based economy.

[Points of Order, November 2nd, 2017]

Mr. Speaker, I do not think any member should bring attention to the presence or absence of any other member in the House. Whether the member for Richmond Centre is here or not does not affect the sincerity, appropriateness, or timeliness of the apology. All members are deemed to be here. That is my understanding.

[Rick Mercer Report, September 25th, 2017]

Mr. Speaker, today Rick Mercer announced that he will be moving on from the Rick Mercer Report after 15 hilarious seasons, though most members would recognize Rick as well from his rants on This Hour Has 22 Minutes, two of the most successful shows in Canadian television history.

However, like most Canadian icons, Rick Mercer has small town roots. Townies like the member for St. John's South—Mount Pearl and I would recognize Rick from his school days, when he rose to local fame as half of Cory and Wade's Playhouse. If members think that slander, libel, and three months in a juvie is a bad way to start a career, they should think again. My favourite role of his was as the psychologist cab dispatcher in the film, Secret Nation.

However, like all goods things from Newfoundland, Rick Mercer now belongs to Canada. My brother still lives in Rick's old house, where he left his PWC commemorative school president gavel in the basement. Rick should now have plenty of time to thank his life partner, Gerald Lunz, reclaim the said gavel, and perform at the LSPU Hall in our hometown.

We cannot wait to see what Rick does next.

[Export and Import Permits Act, September 21st, 2017]

Mr. Speaker, continuing on from the conversation that we had earlier with the member for Prince George—Peace River—Northern Rockies and now the member for Provencher, I would share the concerns held by my colleagues if I felt there would be an increased burden on gun users and gun owners.

However, when I look at the legislation itself, we are talking about brokers and export controls. These are not things that the ordinary, everyday gun user or gun owner is concerned about. Looking at the type of information we are talking about collecting, it is my understanding that this information has been collected for over 70 years. Since 1942, the Government of Canada has required records on export and import of arms.

When I look at what the legislation would do, it would allow us to engage multilaterally with our partners to the Arms Trade Treaty. It is a wonderful thing. I do not see an increased burden in any way. If we look at the risk associated with information that was collected in the past, under the previous government, and what is proposed under this legislation, it is the same.

Again, I would ask the member opposite, as I did the previous member, this. What exactly is here now that you disagree with, that you simply agreed with before? It is same information that has always been collected.

[Export and Import Permits Act, September 21st, 2017]

Mr. Speaker, irrespective of whether I was here, I certainly did hear it. My question is actually about the gun users and owners themselves, not the brokers.

[Export and Import Permits Act, September 21st, 2017]

Mr. Speaker, when I look at the legislation before the House, as someone who represents a partially rural riding and whose constituency office is across the hall from the licensing agency for hunters in my province, I am quite satisfied that this legislation addresses two key components that allow us to live up to our multilateral commitments to the international community: first, controlling the brokerage and, second, looking at our export controls to make sure we meet our international commitments to help control the international distribution of illegal arms. I do not see anything here that directly affects domestic hunters and gun users. They are protected. I am satisfied that the preamble recognizes legitimate trade and lawful ownership of recreational, cultural, and sporting activities associated with guns. I am quite satisfied that it does this.

Can the member point to something particular in the legislation that actually affects the hunters and gun users themselves? I feel that we have struck the right balance here.

[Export and Import Permits Act, September 21st, 2017]

Mr. Speaker, one issue that the member raised was the list of controlled goods, and some questions and concerns about what is on it. The member should know that the list of controlled goods is available online. It is the same list that was used under the former government.

Does the member feel that the list of controlled goods used under his government went too far, and does he disagree with the list of controlled goods, and the process for determining that list that his government used when it was in power two years ago?

[Business of Supply, June 13th, 2017]

Mr. Speaker, today's motion has given us an opportunity to review the process for appointments compared to what currently exists and then look at what the NDP has proposed.

Although I am new in this place, I have had the opportunity to substitute on a number of occasions on the citizenship and immigration committee. I have also had the opportunity to sub-in on the procedure and House affairs committee on a number of occasions. I have seen that the use of filibustering by the minority parties in those committees has prevented a lot of the government's work from getting done.

For example, the House voted unanimously to do a study into immigration to Atlantic Canada and it was filibustered by the New Democratic Party and the Conservatives. The procedure and House affairs committee was looking at ways to modernize this place in a way that would allow all parliamentarians to engage in the debate on how to improve this place, and we were denied that opportunity by members filibustering in committee.

The existing process, which allows individual committees to review the appointments of qualified individuals to assume parliamentary offices is a balanced process. It does not give a veto power to individual minority parties in the House. It allows the work of this place to get done. This proposal is to consolidate that role within a committee that could easily be filibustered by the minority parties to thwart what happens in this place.

Could the member tell me what protections we have that nominations will ultimately get through to appointments and that the work of the House of Commons can be done and not be thwarted by the minority parties?

[Canada Elections Act, June 8th, 2017]

Mr. Speaker, while the member asked an interesting question, I cannot really comment as to what is not in the bill. What is in the bill is fantastic. The bill addresses loopholes that I myself had noted when I was involved as a volunteer for the political party in terms of unfair treatment of different types of political financing.

The member for Lanark—Frontenac—Kingston thought that the bill would not close the loophole the Conservatives used to have cash for access fundraising through the back door and their appreciation events, but it does in fact close that loophole, and now Canadians will have the necessary information to make an informed decision as to whether or not influence is being bought. I think they will find that it is not.

[Canada Elections Act, June 8th, 2017]

Mr. Speaker, I obviously agree with that. In fact, it was the nature of what we discussed. By providing this information, Canadians will have an opportunity to see what is going on. It will also provide information to ministers and their staff to know what is appropriate and not appropriate. Canadians can make up their own minds, because Canadians do not need to be patronized. They are intelligent people, and they can look at the information and make an informed decision.