Rick Perkins

[Carbon Pricing, September 21st, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, the NDP-Liberal carbon tax is driving up the cost of food. University student Walt McDonald must choose between eating his food bank meal for breakfast or for lunch. The Dalhousie Student Union food bank says that 10 years ago, it served just extra snacks to students. Now, students are using the food bank for their weekly meal plan. After eight years, the Prime Minister is just not worth the cost.

Will the Prime Minister stop forcing students to use food banks and axe his inflationary carbon tax, yes or no?

[Questions Passed as Orders for Returns, September 18th, 2023]

With regard to monitoring activities of the spawning biomass of American lobster by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, broken down by year since 2018: (a) what was the estimated size of the biomass in total, broken down by each lobster fishing area; and (b) for each year's data in (a), on what date and by using what scientific methods or sources was the data obtained?

[Questions on the Order Paper, September 18th, 2023]

With regard to statistics recorded by Health Canada pertaining to its Medical Assistance in Dying Program (MAID), since June 2016: (a) how many veterans have made a request for MAID, broken down by year; (b) what is the breakdown of (a) by province or territory; (c) what is the median age of veterans who have requested MAID, broken down by year; (d) of the requests in (a), how many were (i) granted, (ii) denied; and (e) what is the median age of veterans whose request for MAID were (i) granted, (ii) denied?

[Carbon Pricing, September 18th, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, after eight years, Nova Scotians are hurting because of the NDP-Liberal carbon tax.

It increases the cost to produce food, to process the food and to transport the food. One example is that the price of cabbage has gone up 70% because of the actions of the Liberals. The Prime Minister and his Liberal-NDP government are not worth the cost.

Will the Prime Minister's big meeting with grocery CEOs reverse this 70% price hike by Thanksgiving, yes or no?

[Questions on the Order Paper, June 21st, 2023]

With regard to Fisheries and Oceans Canada’s (DFO) enforcement related to elver poaching in Nova Scotia since January 1, 2023: (a) how many individuals have DFO authorities charged or taken other enforcement action against; and (b) what are the details of each incident where an enforcement action was taken, including the (i) date, (ii) description of what occurred, (iii) number of individuals having had an enforcement action taken against them, (iv) location, (v) enforcement action taken, including whether any arrests were made or charges laid, (vi) items that were seized, if applicable?

[Points of Order, June 21st, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, I will reinform the House that I serve as the vice-chair of the industry committee; as such, in that role, I have had access to the two Volkswagen contracts. Those two contracts, as we know the Parliamentary Budget Officer has said, are already $3 billion over budget, so—

[Points of Order, June 21st, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, apparently the government members do not want me to thank you.

As the House knows, I serve as the chair of the industry committee in the House. Through that role, I have had access to the two Volkswagen contracts that have been—

[Canada Business Corporations Act, June 20th, 2023]

Madam Speaker, I do not think anyone on any side of the House who has been looking at this bill wants it done in a forceful way, where the federal government is coming in to try to force a province to do that. It was not the purpose of our amendments.

I understand Quebec is more advanced perhaps than a number of the other provinces on this. The way to do that is through an interoperability agreement between the federal government and provincial government about what they are both willing to share so our citizens can have access and information truly available and our police forces have an easily searchable database so they do not need to go to lawyers and warn people when they are about to be investigated.

[Canada Business Corporations Act, June 20th, 2023]

Madam Speaker, the leader of the Green Party is bang on. This is why a beneficial registry goes beyond just the money laundering issue. It could be of great benefit to other things.

I do not know how one would enforce, as DFO policy, that there cannot be a monopoly or monopolistic tendencies if one does not know which companies own the licences. One does not even know whether or not a particular company has a monopolistic tendency.

There is owner-operator fleet separation on the east coast, which has helped. That is good policy. It was enshrined in law. There are still some issues in making sure those companies are what they say they are and who the beneficial owner is.

On the west coast, there is no ability to do that. A survey was done by DFO on the licence-holders. As the hon. member noted, most of those licences are actually leased out to employees. The person who is holding a licence does not actually own it. Licences are owned by large corporations.

In lots of instances, there are companies from foreign countries, not necessarily all of which are open and democratic, which have acquired control of some of those resources too. They are now acquiring the resources of the fisheries and corporations on the provincial side. It is provincial. They are trying to get a whole of supply chain control of particular fish species.

This is a major problem on both coasts, but particularly so in British Columbia. It does not have the benefit of owner-operator fleet separation. It is something fishing groups are asking for. I believe it should be implemented on the west coast as well.

[Canada Business Corporations Act, June 20th, 2023]

Madam Speaker, I would say it is positive if any province is at the point where it has put in place a beneficial ownership registry. It was a commitment six years ago. Some of them already have them. They beat the federal government to it.

In spite of the fact that the government rejected the amendment to get an agreement, it can still get an agreement. There is nothing that prevents the federal government from doing what we were trying to compel in law to get that agreement. It would make sure we share both the federal information with the provincial registries and the provincial registries with the federal registry.

The benefit of a federal registry is that people do not have to look in 11 different locations. They could look in one.

When this bill passes through the House, it should be a priority of the government to start the process to get those agreements and get that information in place.