Veterans Affairs  Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Nickel Belt for his dedication to veterans. This can be a difficult time for many Canadians, including veterans. I want veterans to know that our government is here to help. Veterans and their families can immediately reach a mental health prof

Veterans Affairs  Mr. Speaker, Veterans Affairs is working hard to rectify many of the situations that she has put forward. We are going to be reopening offices. We are hiring more front-line staff. We are going to get a handle on our mental health issues. We are ensuring that our front-line staff

Natural Resources  Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for her concern for Albertans because I, too, am concerned. The people I am talking to are actually refreshed by the new approach of this government. We have a Prime Minister who is willing to engage with first nations people, a Prime Minister wh

Resumption of Debate on Address in Reply  Mr. Speaker, it is a great honour and privilege for me to be here in this august House to make my comments on the Speech from the Throne. It is also the first time for me to thank my constituents of Calgary Centre who put their trust in me, along with my colleague from Calgary S

Resumption of Debate on Address in Reply  Mr. Speaker, the former minister responsible was moving the chains of justice forward on this file. Part of the trouble was that the previous nine and a half years had not gone so smoothly for the Conservative government. Maybe he should have been made minister a lot quicker. How

Resumption of Debate on Address in Reply  I am sorry about that, Mr. Speaker. As the hon. member points out, yes, and this is a great way to have openness and transparency and allow her to do her best to keep track of progress on this file. There are easier things to do, in this mandate letter, and there are harder th

Resumption of Debate on Address in Reply  Mr. Speaker, the hon. member has rightly pointed out that one of the issues facing the Canadian people, governments, and many around the world is inequality. We have a great many people struggling, and fewer doing very well. The concerns my colleague outlined are concerns for thi

Veterans  Mr. Speaker, I can say that I have an aggressive mandate from my Prime Minister in dealing with Veterans Affairs. We have 15 different commitments that we have made to veterans to see them get the care, compassion, and respect they deserve for serving our country, whether that is

Natural Resources  Mr. Speaker, I am proud to be with a government that sees energy and the economy as two sides of the same coin. Here we have a time where Canadians have lost confidence in our system and now we are reintroducing principles that will allow us to get access to markets, something th

Veterans  Mr. Speaker, I am also the Associate Minister of National Defence, which means that I am working hard with my partners in National Defence to look at ways to ensure there is a seamless transition between National Defence and Veterans Affairs. We are identifying those possibilitie

Veterans Affairs  Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague from Avalon for his advocacy on behalf of veterans and their families. The Prime Minister gave me a mandate to ensure that veterans receive the care, compassion, and respect they deserve. Families are the cornerstone of a return to

Veterans Affairs  Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 32(2), I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the 2014-15 annual report of the veterans ombudsman.

Canada's Contribution to the Effort to Combat ISIL  Mr. Speaker, I will be splitting my time this afternoon. I would like to begin this debate with a statement of gratitude to the many men and women who are serving in our military in the Middle East and elsewhere around the world, and the many public servants who have offered and

Canada's Contribution to the Effort to Combat ISIL  Mr. Speaker, I would say very easily. General Vance has explained the mission very well. He explained how it is going to be a coordinated approach with the CAF and how they are going to go about their business and take part in a different fashion, help support what we are doing t

Canada's Contribution to the Effort to Combat ISIL  Mr. Speaker, I appreciate that it may be difficult for the member to understand that Canada has a role to play in the world and that entails being involved in a meaningful way in the Middle East. We are taking that approach. We are going forward with a well-thought-out mission th