Resumption of Debate on Address in Reply  Mr. Speaker, as this is the first time I rise in the House, I would like thank the people of Port Moody—Coquitlam, Anmore, and Belcarra for their support and for putting me in this honourable place. I am the fisheries and oceans and Coast Guard critic for the NDP. My colleague from Dauphin—Swan River—Neepawa spoke about the former Conservative government's track record on the environment.

Life Means Life Act  Mr. Speaker, on a point of order, there have been consultations among the parties and I hope you will find agreement on the following motion: That in the opinion of the House, the government should officially recognize October 10 as world mental health day in Canada.

The Environment  Mr. Speaker, there is another fuel spill in Vancouver's harbour. This time, 5,000 litres of diesel spilled into False Creek. It took over five hours for response teams to arrive. This, on top of another bunker fuel spill in April, shows just how much the Conservatives' cuts have hurt the Coast Guard's capacity to respond to spills.

Questions Passed as Orders for Returns  With regard to the Kitsilano Coast Guard Base, from January 1, 2009, until February 19, 2013, broken down by fiscal year and by month: (a) what equipment and vessels were stationed at the base; (b) what is the total number of search and rescue missions conducted from the base; (c) what is the total number of marine pollution response missions conducted from the base; and (d) what is the total number of staff stationed at the base trained for marine pollution response?

World Oceans Day  Mr. Speaker, I rise to mark World Oceans Day, an international event that draws attention to the threats facing our marine ecosystem, celebrates oceans, and encourages conservation. This year's theme is “Healthy oceans, healthy planet”, which is intended to bring awareness to the approximately eight million tonnes of plastic entering our oceans every year and on ways to decrease our reliance on plastic materials.

Canadian Coast Guard  Mr. Speaker, last week, a marine communications blackout in B.C. left ship traffic dangerously adrift. Thankfully, nothing disastrous happened, this time. Imagine an airport without an air traffic controller. Vancouver is one of the busiest ports in Canada, but the current government continues to close marine communications centres and cut Coast Guard emergency response services, putting lives and our environment at risk.

Petitions  Mr. Speaker, I have two petitions. The first is from thousands of Canadians who are concerned about cuts to Canada Post. They call on the Government of Canada to reverse these cuts to services announced by Canada Post and instead look to innovate in such areas as postal banking.

Petitions  Mr. Speaker, the second petition is from thousands of Canadians who are concerned about overfishing and destructive fishing practices that are threatening marine life and the health of our oceans. They say that over 120 million people around the world have fish as part of their income, and they want to see sustainable seafood choices.

Veterans  Mr. Speaker, a moral, social, legal and fiduciary covenant exists between Canada and members of the Canadian Armed Forces. This means the government must provide support to those who are injured, are disabled or have died as a result of military service, and to their families. I thank the members for supporting our motion.

Business of Supply  Mr. Speaker, I would like to wish my hon. colleague across the aisle a happy birthday, and I would also like to ask him a question. I brought this motion forward because I have heard from many veterans across the country who have been utterly frustrated with getting the support and services they have been trying to get for themselves or their families for their care.

Fisheries and Oceans  Mr. Speaker, the Federal Court has ruled that the Department of Fisheries and Oceans has not lived up to its responsibility to protect wild salmon. The court found DFO rules failed to prevent diseases from being transferred from fish farms into open ocean, raising the risk of our wild salmon economy that supports thousands of jobs throughout British Columbia.

Heroes of New Westminster—Coquitlam  Mr. Speaker, every community has heroes meriting recognition for their volunteerism, charitable giving, commitment to helping others, and building a caring and prosperous Canada. Recognizing these community heroes allows us to publicly thank them for their contributions. I would like to recognize some heroes in my community.

Business of Supply  Mr. Speaker, the minister mentioned veterans who have taken their own lives. As we know, many veterans suffer from PTSD and it is a very unfortunate statistic that there have been more suicides of Afghanistan vets than were actually killed there. We all recognize the benefits that are needed for our soldiers.

Business of Supply  Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the minister for his acknowledgement. I also want to acknowledge his service to our country and the Canadian Armed Forces. As well, I would thank him for his acknowledgement of my efforts on the work that I did trying to improve the health of our oceans.

Business of Supply  Mr. Speaker, I want to acknowledge the efforts of my colleague for his work with veterans not only in his community but across the country. The member touched on a recent announcement by the government to put Bill C-58 into the budget implementation act. I wonder if he could comment on whether he feels that veterans think this is going far enough, that this is what veterans are looking for, and that this is an appropriate reaction to, for instance, the call to agree that there is a social covenant that exists.