House of Commons photoWon his last election, in 2015, with 46% of the vote.
Petitions February 25th, 2013
Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present a petition from my constituency. The petitioners are requesting that the Government of Canada restore four-season status to all three-season national parks within Canada, reinstate grooming of winter trails and allow local park managers to determine the appropriate level of winter activities in consultation with their adjacent local communities and people.
New Democratic Party of Canada February 8th, 2013
Mr. Speaker, the NDP and their leader are trying to fool Canadians yet again.
How, one might ask? The NDP leader wants to generate billions with the NDP's proposal to impose a $20 billion carbon tax on Canadian families. During the NDP leadership campaign, the current NDP leader said he had proposed a system of carbon pricing that “will produce billions”.
This sneaky $20 billion job-killing carbon tax will increase the price of absolutely everything. Studies show that the negative effects of the NDP's carbon tax would be most keenly felt by low-income Canadians and those living in rural regions. This exposes the NDP for what it really is, the party of big union bosses and special interest groups that cries crocodile tears for people who live on low incomes.
Our government will continue to stand firm against this $20 billion carbon tax and work hard for Canadians from coast to coast to coast.
Ducks Unlimited February 7th, 2013
Mr. Speaker, today marks the 75th anniversary of one of North America's premier conservation organizations, Ducks Unlimited. Over the last three-quarters of a century, Ducks Unlimited has conserved 6.3 million acres of critical wetlands and completed over 9,000 conservation projects. In fact, DU's very first wetland conservation project was at Big Grass Marsh, located in the great constituency of Dauphin—Swan River—Marquette.
True conservationists, such as Ducks Unlimited, understand the stewardship values of those who work and use the land: Canada's hunters, anglers and farmers. Waterfowl hunters, more than any other group, have a deep and abiding commitment to waterfowl and wetland conservation. Waterfowl hunters form the backbone of all waterfowl conservation initiatives.
DU was instrumental in creating the North American waterfowl management plan, regarded by many as the most successful conservation program in history. I congratulate Ducks Unlimited on their conservation achievements and wish them continued success.
The Economy February 5th, 2013
Mr. Speaker, our government knows what matters to Canadians: jobs and economic growth. We were pleased to learn that Canada's economy grew by 0.3% in November, better than what economists were projecting.
Since the Christmas break, Conservative MPs and ministers have sat down with hard-working Canadians in over 200 meetings to make sure the Canadian economy is creating jobs and long-term prosperity. No wonder Canada has the lowest debt burden by far and the strongest job creation record in the G7 with over 900,000 net new jobs since July 2009.
While we are focused on what matters to Canadians, the NDP, of course, is scheming to implement a $21 billion job-killing carbon tax on Canadians. Such a tax would ruin our economy and hit low-income Canadians the hardest. Our government will continue to fight the NDP's reckless economic policies and we will remain focused on what matters to Canadians: jobs, prosperity and economic growth.
The Economy December 7th, 2012
Mr. Speaker, our Conservative government is focused on what matters to our citizens, helping to create jobs, growth and long-term prosperity. While we are pushing a low-tax plan that will help create jobs, as always the NDP is pushing high-tax schemes to kill jobs.
The NDP's massive carbon tax would take $21 billion out of the pockets of Canadians and would also cripple Canadian businesses, kill Canadian jobs and raise the price of just about everything.
Can the Minister of Finance update the House on the terrific state of the Canadian job market?
Jobs and Growth Act, 2012 December 4th, 2012
Mr. Speaker, the reason the opposition members are opposing all of our environmental, resource, and navigation regulations and our new acts and laws is simply that they are in love with the process. Notice how the members opposite never talk about environmental results. They never talk about how our environment is improving. They never refer to environmental indicators. For them it is always about process, process, process. How about focusing on results?
Jobs and Growth Act, 2012 December 4th, 2012
Mr. Speaker, as the member opposite knows, and indeed all of Canada knows, immigration levels to Canada are at a record high. Again, we are experiencing a shortage of skilled workers that our emerging and growing economy needs.
How we manage our borders is of critical importance to Canadians and our economy. There are many people, of course, who want to enter our country and we know that we have to be very careful to ensure they are screened. As the son of immigrants myself, I know the contribution that immigrants make to our country, but it is very important that we control our borders.
Jobs and Growth Act, 2012 December 4th, 2012
Mr. Speaker, I must say that I enjoy serving with the hon. member opposite on the environment committee.
The old Navigable Waters Protection Act was about navigation, and we have changed it based on the misapplication of the act. It is now the navigation protection bill, and its job is to protect navigation.
Under the old regime, minuscule and very small bodies of water were often listed as navigable waters. Indeed, in my own constituency, one rural municipality was building three crossings across intermittent streams, and the Navigable Waters Protection Act was brought to bear. The bill for the bridges they were being told to build was $700,000. The total budget for the municipality was $1.4 million. That is how ridiculous the application of the act was in the past.
We are introducing common sense.
Jobs and Growth Act, 2012 December 4th, 2012
Mr. Speaker, without a doubt, Canada's families deserve the cleanest air, water and environment possible and the trends are good for Canada's environment. That is why, since 2006, our Conservative government has made major investments to preserve our environment and protect the health and wellbeing of Canadian families for today and tomorrow. The list includes $1.1 billion for the eco-energy retrofit homes program; $1 billion for a priorities, such as green energy generation and transmission infrastructure; $1 billion to support pulp and paper mills to reduce their emissions and become leaders in the production of renewable energy from biomass; $1 billion in support of clean energy research; $200 million to help address the health and environmental risks posed by dangerous chemicals through the chemicals management plan; $100 million to support clean energy generation in Canada's forestry sector; $68 million to clean federal contaminated sites; $38 million to reduce the risk of invasive plant and animal species; $35 million to support climate and atmospheric sciences research; $27 million to improve Canada's weather services; over $18 million to support reporting on key environmental indicators, such as clean air, clean water and greenhouse gas emissions; $16 million to protect and clean the Great Lakes, and I could go on and on. The list is absolutely enormous.
Economic action plan 2012 builds on our Conservative government's impressive record of supporting a cleaner and more sustainable environment. We are committed to providing continued support to clean up Canada's lakes, including Lake Winnipeg and Lake Simcoe, and providing expanded tax relief for clean energy generation.
Economic action plan 2012 supports families and communities, strengthens health care in rural and remote communities and, of great importance to my constituency, strengthens access to broadband in rural areas. Moreover, in Manitoba, as the country knows, flooding is a significant issue. Economic action plan proposes up to $99.2 million over three years to assist the provinces and territories with the cost of permanent flood mitigation.
We are also increasing access to support for business innovation, and federal transfers to provinces and territories are at a record high. I have a lot more information to provide, but I see that my time is up. I would say that I am very proud to be part of our government that is focusing on ensuring that Canada remains economically strong.
Jobs and Growth Act, 2012 December 4th, 2012
Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to rise to speak today about our government's priorities: jobs, growth and long-term prosperity.
The Minister of Finance is doing a terrific job with our financial policies and has helped create well over 800,000 new jobs since the global economic recession. This has made Canada the envy of the world and the G8. We will continue to become more competitive as we invest in infrastructure, science, innovation and tax reduction while reducing barriers to trade. We have initiated the most ambitious trade expansion plan in Canadian history. We are strengthening our ties with the U.S., opening trade agreements with India and the European Union, building our growing trade relationship with Asia and much more.
Expanded trade benefits the resource communities I represent and the ones the members opposite want to destroy with their policies. In my constituency, many export crops are grown. Probably the most important is canola. Indeed, my riding is the number one canola-producing constituency in the country. Farmers, jobs and value-added industries depend very strongly on this trade.
This is a government that has continually lowered taxes. It has cut taxes over 140 times. Budget 2012 spends Canadian taxpayer dollars responsibly, with the goal of balancing the budget and ensuring that a strong plan is in place to create jobs.
We are working to strengthen the financial security of workers, businesses and families and to create good jobs and long-term prosperity from coast to coast to coast. To do this, we will extend by one year the hiring tax credit for small business. This has helped many small businesses in my own constituency. Many businesses in my constituency export to the United States and around the world. I hope that the NDP and Liberals opposite do not disregard the importance of these small job creators by continuously attacking the resource sector that works hand in hand with the small businesses that need the oil, gas, lumber and metals they produce to make their goods and fuel their businesses.
We will invest in upgrades to infrastructure to maintain safe rail service, renew the Canadian Coast Guard fleet and improve facilities at our borders. Furthermore, we will increase funding for skills training for students, older workers and Canadians with disabilities. We are also working to reform Canada's immigration system.
In terms of our responsible resource development program, in 2010, Canada's natural resources sectors employed more than 760,000 workers across the country. Right now the mining and energy sectors alone represent 10% of the Canadian economy and 40% of our exports. In the next 10 years, more than 500 new projects, representing over $500 billion in new investment, will be proposed for Canada. The potential for job growth is simply enormous.
Since 2006, our government has been working to streamline the review process. Our efforts have already made a difference, without any negative environmental impact whatsoever. Currently, companies undertaking major projects must navigate a complex maze of regulatory requirements, long approval processes, and most importantly, unpredictability. That is why our government is acting, in Canada's economic action plan 2012, with our plan for responsible resource development.
Responsible resource development streamlines the review process for major economic projects by providing predictable timelines for project approvals. It prevents long delays that kill potential jobs and stall economic growth by putting valuable investment at risk. Responsible resource development will create good, skilled, well-paying jobs in cities and communities across Canada while continuing to maintain the highest possible standards for protecting the environment. Again, emerging economies, such as Asia, are burgeoning markets for our natural resources.
I serve on both the fisheries and the environment committees of the House. I would like to talk a bit more about these two areas and the importance of the sustainable use of our resources and how government can play a productive role working with the conservation community and resource industries.
In terms of fisheries, our government is introducing changes that will focus on fish and fish habitat protection rules. These changes solidify our government's commitment to protecting recreational, commercial and aboriginal fisheries and the habitat that supports them. We are adopting a sensible and practical approach to managing real and significant threats to fisheries and the habitat that supports them while minimizing the restrictions on routine, everyday activities that have little or no impact on the productivity of Canada's fisheries.
The old laws were indiscriminate and meant that all bodies of water where fish live or could possibly live, or might live in another time, are subject to the same rules and evaluation regardless of size and environment, and most importantly, are in line with their contribution to a fishery that people actually use. We have heard Canadians tell us about farmers being prevented from cleaning out their irrigation canals, municipalities being delayed in repairing infrastructure and doing routine maintenance, businesses not being allowed to clear flooded fields and campsites and cottage owners prohibited from keeping up their properties, all because of the existing rules that lack common sense.
The new changes would focus the rules by drawing a distinction between vital waterways that support important fisheries in Canada, and unproductive bodies of water, like drainage ditches and irrigation canals, as well as identifying and managing real threats to the fisheries, including direct impacts on fish, habitat destruction and aquatic invasive species.
The fisheries minister would also have tools to establish clear new and accessible guidelines for Canadians to follow for projects in or near water. Regulatory standards actually do not exist at this time for routine low-risk projects, such as building boat launches or docks. The minister could now identify ecologically significant areas that require enhanced protection. Currently, all areas are treated the same under the law. As a fisheries biologist myself, I agree with focusing our efforts on bodies of water that have fisheries important to people and local communities.
These changes would also allow the government to enforce the conditions associated with Fisheries Act authorizations. At present, DFO cannot enforce the conditions. We would align infractions under the Fisheries Act—