Wayne Long

[Privilege, October 23rd, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, to be blunt, that speech was absolutely all over the map. I mean, it covered everything but the failure to produce sustainable documents, so I am not quite sure what the member opposite was trying to get at in his speech.

To be perfectly honest, I come to Ottawa each and every week to try to get work done on behalf of my constituents. I want to talk about housing. I want to talk about the fact that the Bank of Canada rate dropped again. I want to talk about how inflation is dropping and all the great things that are happening. However, we cannot do that because we are stuck in this circle, which is a complete waste of time.

I do have a question for the member opposite, but first I will read from a letter from the commissioner of the RCMP. He wrote:

...the RCMP's ability to receive and use information obtained through this production order and under the compulsory powers afforded by the Auditor General Act in the course of a criminal investigation could give rise to concerns under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. It is therefore highly unlikely that any information obtained by the RCMP under the Motion where privacy interests exists could be used to support a criminal prosecution or further a criminal investigation....

There is significant risk that the Motion could be interpreted as a circumvention of normal investigative processes and Charter protections.

Could the member opposite comment on the RCMP commissioner's comments?

[New Brunswick Provincial Election, October 22nd, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, the winds of change have blown through New Brunswick. Last night, New Brunswickers voted for change and helped make history too. New Brunswick has elected its first female premier.

Susan Holt led her Liberal team to a solid majority government, bringing an end to six years of Conservative rule. Even Premier Blaine Higgs lost his seat in the red tide of change. The final tally is 31 seats for the Liberals, 16 for the Conservatives and two for the Greens, including the Green Party leader, David Coon.

It is a new day for my home province, and under the leadership of premier-designate Holt, I am confident that New Brunswickers have put their faith behind someone who will listen, lead with authenticity and put their best interests at the centre of every decision she makes.

I say congratulations and go team Holt.

[Privilege, October 21st, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, I and everybody in this House came to this place to get work done on behalf of our constituents. My constituents want me to come up here and talk about things like housing, health care, dental care and other things that they really care about. If I can be perfectly transparent, the number of calls I get in my constituency office with respect to this subject is minuscule.

I appreciate that the role of the opposition is to throw as many blocks as it can, but we are here to get work done on behalf of Canadians. There is a quote that I would like to read, from the Conservative MP for Brantford—Brant, who is the justice critic. He said, “You know what happens if you can't get a document? You go to the court and you ask for search warrants or production orders.”

I wonder if the member opposite could comment on that.

[Recognition of Parliamentary Staff, October 11th, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, we are all privileged to be here in this House, to have a seat and to be representing our constituents by doing what they elected us to do.

As we all know, but perhaps the public does not, we could not do our jobs well without having the backing and support of our amazing teams, like the people who help answer the thousands of emails we get and the ones who answer our many calls and sometimes have to deliver hard news and have hard conversations. They are on the front lines and are working hard for us and Canadians every day.

I have been extremely fortunate to have amazing people with me throughout my journey. I want to give my thanks and respect to my current team: Jim Hennessy, Ashley Lloyd and Jeannette McLaughlin, who has been with me since 2015.

I thank them for all they do. I could not do this job without them. I want to thank all members of this House and encourage them all to thank their wonderful staff for the important work we do.

[Privilege, October 11th, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, I came from my riding of Saint John—Rothesay to Ottawa to do work on behalf of Canadians. We have literally been tied up and not doing work on behalf of Canadians for the better part of two weeks now. People in my riding are asking me why we are not getting to work on behalf of all Canadians. I am also here to talk about dental care, pharmacare and other great initiatives that we are doing.

The member opposite talked about silly games. I am asking him when the Conservatives are going to stop the silly games and let us get back to work on behalf of all Canadians.

[Ken Tobias, October 3rd, 2024]

Madam Speaker, a well-known singer-songwriter from New Brunswick has sadly passed away after losing his battle with brain cancer. Ken Tobias was born in Saint John and brought joy and beauty to the world for more than 60 years with his music. He wrote multiple chart-topping hits like Stay Awhile, which sold more than two million copies worldwide, and was written for the Bells, and Dream No. 2, which he recorded himself. He duetted with Anne Murray and was honoured with numerous awards during his career, including five SOCAN classic awards for 100,000 airplays of a given song.

Music is what can unite us all and Ken was a shining example of that. We will be forever grateful for his contribution to Canadian music. His legacy and his music will live on.

My condolences to his family, friends and fans. He will be sorely missed.

[Business of Supply, October 1st, 2024]

Madam Speaker, I have sat with my friend and colleague on HUMA for eight or nine years now, and we have done some wonderful work together.

One of the first things our government did was to raise the GIS by 10% for low-income seniors, and we are certainly a friend of seniors. The rationale behind our 10% raise for those over 74 was obviously because seniors are living longer, their money is running out and they have more health needs.

The member opposite gave a great speech, and I do not disagree with it, but does she not recognize why we did what we did to support seniors who are over 74 years old?

[Senator Joseph Day, June 13th, 2024]

Madam Speaker, it is an honour to rise today to recognize one of southern New Brunswick's best: Senator Joseph Day. Joe grew up in Hampton, New Brunswick. He attended CMR in Saint-Jean and then went on to RMC, where he graduated in engineering. He then pursued law at Queen's University and a master's degree at Osgoode Hall Law School. Joe spent his entire career largely in law, which included roles at JDI, as chair of the New Brunswick Forest Products Commission, and in the practice of intellectual property law.

In 2001, Joe got the call to serve in the Senate. For 19 years, Senator Day proudly represented New Brunswick. Always working with all sides in a strong commitment to southern New Brunswick, Joe led positive change at every level.

I am proud to have called him a friend, as I know many in the House did. To Joe's family and friends, in particular his wife Georgie and his children Emilie and Fraser, I want to extend deepest condolences on behalf of everyone in the House of Commons.

[Housing, June 12th, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, I come from a community, Saint John—Rothesay, that is filled with good, hard-working people. Their small city realities do not always look the same as that of someone who lives in big urban centres, but they do face many of the same challenges when it comes to housing. I am proud that our government has stepped up to the plate to tackle the housing crisis. This challenge requires bold, outside-the-box thinking, including innovative ideas from all corners of our country.

Can the Minister of Rural Economic Development and ACOA tell us how our government is ensuring that smaller regions can play a role in the team Canada approach to housing solutions?

[Housing, June 12th, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, I come from a community that is filled with good, hard-working people. The small city realities do not always look the same as that of someone who lives in big urban centres, but they do face many of the same challenges when it comes to housing. I am proud that our government has stepped up to tackle the housing crisis. This challenge requires bold, outside-the-box thinking, including seeking innovative ideas—