Randy Kamp

[Fisheries and Oceans, May 16th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, I can get more details from my colleague and reply in more detail a bit later, but dredging of course is something that we do on a regular basis. We do it whenever it is a priority need. Sometimes due to weather and other conditions we cannot do it right away. I think that was the case in this situation.

[Fisheries and Oceans, May 14th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, I can say is that it is true that under exceptional circumstances DFO has provided financial assistance to offset the effect of severe ice conditions. It is too soon to know whether this is one of those years. Ice conditions can and do change dramatically over a short period of time. Given the unpredictability of ice conditions, we are monitoring this situation very closely.

[Fisheries and Oceans, May 14th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for the question again. We have had this dialogue more than once, but I appreciate his persistence on this matter and I know he represents his constituents well.

I can assure the member and the Speaker that the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans shares the member's concern that ice conditions have delayed the opening of some fisheries, thereby affecting their ability to earn a living.

Let me stress, however, that ice packs are a common phenomenon of the environmental conditions in Newfoundland and Labrador. I know my colleague knows this. It is not unheard of for the start of the fishing season to be delayed by heavy ice, but conditions can change and do change significantly, depending on a number of factors, including wind conditions and currents.

In fact, such was the case in 1997, 2000, 2003, and 2008. In those years, requests for compensation were made, but in those instances it was determined that the situation did not warrant special compensation, given that ice conditions seemed to be lasting for perhaps only four or five weeks.

It is true that in some years that extreme conditions have prompted income compensation for fish harvesters. Fisheries and Oceans Canada provided compensation in 1984, 1985, 1991, and 2007. The last compensation program, delivered in 2007, was in response to exceptional conditions, the ice packs having delayed some fisheries in Newfoundland and Labrador and northeastern Quebec until the late spring and early summer.

Under the current employment insurance program, EI benefits for fishers are dealt with separately under the Employment Insurance Act. In fact, fishers are able to make claims and receive benefits twice each year for up to 26 weeks each time. This reflects the unique nature of the fishing industry, which has a summer and a winter finishing season.

As pointed out by the hon. member, major delays in fishery openings that are normally scheduled for early May or mid-May could have economic repercussions, and that is why Fisheries and Oceans is monitoring the situation very closely.

I have been told that current ice conditions on the northeast coast of Newfoundland indicate less ice now than at the same point in 2007. Latest forecasts of warm weather should also help break up the ice and facilitate the beginning of the fishery.

In closing, I will say again that DFO is continuing to monitor the ice conditions carefully. However, given that only a few fisheries have been affected by ice conditions so far and given marked improvements in ice conditions to date, ice conditions do not appear to be of sufficient scope or severity to warrant temporary assistance at this time.

[Fisheries and Oceans, May 12th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, it is true that in some areas of Atlantic Canada, some fisheries have been delayed, although only minimally in most cases due to weather and heavy ice conditions. DFO is working closely with industry to monitor the ice and weather conditions, which, as the member knows, are unpredictable at this time of year and can change quickly.

With respect to compensation in the past, several years ago it was only offered when, with very extreme conditions, a fishery was delayed into in late spring or even into the summer. The minister and her officials will continue to monitor the situation.

[Fisheries and Oceans, May 8th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, these are difficult decisions for the minister because she is well aware that changes in the ecosystem that require reductions in the total allowable catch do affect people's lives and livelihoods. That is why she has consulted broadly with stakeholders on this science-based decision that she has made.

With respect to the last in, first out policy, it has had its roots since 1997 when the Liberal government of the day allowed new entrants into the fishery. The new entrants received the vast majority of the increased access since that day with the knowledge that, should it decline, it would—

[100th Anniversary of Pitt Meadows, May 5th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to mark the 100th Anniversary of the city of Pitt Meadows. Idyllically located between the Fraser, Pitt, and Alouette Rivers with spectacular mountains to the north, Pitt Meadows offers easy access to downtown Vancouver while providing one of the most naturally beautiful places to live.

However, the best thing about this small but vibrant city is the people who care about one another and who have made Pitt Meadows a thriving community. That was clearly on display at the centennial celebration two weekends ago. On the Friday, I was privileged to participate in a re-enactment of the first Pitt Meadows council meeting in 1914 and on Saturday, I attended the Pitt Meadows centennial gala, all of us in 1914 attire, which was an overwhelming success.

I am very proud to represent the city of Pitt Meadows and I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating Mayor Deb Walters and council and the people of Pitt Meadows as they begin their next 100 years as one of Canada's most livable cities.

[Fisheries and Oceans, May 2nd, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, as my colleague well knows as a former weatherman himself, weather and ice conditions are unpredictable at this time of year.

DFO is working closely with industry to monitor those conditions. It has been a particularly heavy ice year in Atlantic Canada. I understand that some fisheries have been delayed, although most only minimally, as a result of this weather and ice.

In the past, though, as he referred to, compensation has only been issued under extreme circumstances when the fishery was delayed into late spring or even early summer.

The minister and her officials will—

[The Environment, April 28th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, DFO's responsibility is to review projects and to ensure that they do not seriously harm protected marine life. This is a responsibility that we take very seriously.

This particular project was subject to review under the Species at Risk Act and approved only contingent on strict mitigation measures. The departmental officials are making sure that those measures are being followed.

[Veterans Affairs, March 25th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, let me repeat that our government is committed to making sure that veterans and their families receive the care and support they need, when and where they need it.

I am also pleased to repeat that we have no plans to reduce such care and support. In fact, no government has ever made greater investments in support and services for veterans.

That is why we continue to have Veterans Affairs case managers provide home visits to veterans who require them, regardless of where they live. That is why we continue to assist them with their shovelling of snow in the winter and the cutting of their grass in the summer. That is why we continue to provide them with the health care services and financial benefits that they need.

It is not complicated. Our government is proud to stand with, care for, and support the remarkable men and women who have served our great country and those who proudly still wear our nation's uniform.

[Veterans Affairs, March 25th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, I welcome this opportunity to rise in support of our government's continued efforts on behalf of Canada's veterans and their families.

Indeed, the Government of Canada's record is clear. We are dedicated to ensuring that we are there for those who have served our great country so well and that we provide the care and support they need, when and where they need it. That is why we have earmarked $785 million more this year for Veterans Affairs Canada compared to what the department received in 2005. That is why, since 2006, we have invested a combined total of almost $5 billion in new funding to enhance veterans' benefits, programs, and services. Yes, members heard that right: $5 billion.

What is more, we will continue to make the necessary improvements to serve veterans better and faster and in more modern and convenient ways. That is why, in 2009, for example, we worked with the Department of National Defence to established integrated personnel support centres on major bases across the country. Through this initiative, we now have more than 100 Veterans Affairs employees working alongside their counterparts from the Department of National Defence on 24 military bases and wings across the country, as well as at seven satellite offices. Through this single initiative, we are providing one-stop service to better ensure that veterans and releasing members are fully aware of the help available to them.

In addition, veterans can now visit any of the nearly 600 Service Canada locations across the country for information about the services and benefits available to them. Thanks to this partnership with Service Canada, we are providing veterans with more points of contact and greater access to professionally trained front-line staff located closer to their homes.

As well, in those communities where the local Veterans Affairs office was closed, we have assigned a full-time permanent Veterans Affairs employee to the nearest Service Canada location. It is also worth noting that the nearest Service Canada location in Thunder Bay is just four kilometres away. In five of the other affected communities, the former Veterans Affairs office and the nearest Service Canada site are actually in the same building.

Most of all, no matter where veterans live, our government is continuing to provide the home visits, face-to-face care, online access, and toll-free telephone services that they have come to expect and depend upon.

Some Veterans Affairs Canada offices may have closed, but we have not gone anywhere. In fact, we have opened more doors for veterans and their families, and we are proud of that.