The Budget  Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for his words, particularly the comments around infrastructure. As a city planner in suburban, rural, and urban areas for some 25 years, I understand well the importance of credible investment in infrastructure. The truth is that our governme

Committees of the House  Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the first report of the Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development, entitled “Supplementary Estimates (C) 2015-2016: Vote 3c under Canadian High Artic Research Station and Votes 1c, 5c a

Graham Downey  Mr. Speaker, we are celebrating Black History Month across Canada, so I rise today to acknowledge Graham Downey, a late constituent in my riding of Halifax, who made history. Mr. Downey was Halifax's first African-Nova Scotian city councillor and the city's first African-Nova Sco

Resumption of debate on Address in Reply  Mr. Speaker, during the period of the election campaign and since, I have been in conversations with the aboriginal communities of Nova Scotia, predominantly the Mi’kmaq community. I mentioned earlier in my remarks the time I spent with the director of the Mi'kmaw Native Friendsh

Resumption of debate on Address in Reply  Mr. Speaker, again referring to my long career of public service, I long ago learned that government can give a permit, but only a community can give permission. I am going to reflect on the commitment of this government to engage Canadians, wherever they are in the country, in

Resumption of debate on Address in Reply  Mr. Speaker, in 10 years of municipal service, I often had to balance the needs of the urban core with suburban and rural areas. The answer is really quite simple. Over the last 10 or 20 years, Canadian cities have been focusing growth not so much on the urban core but on the fr

Resumption of debate on Address in Reply  Mr. Speaker, I would first like to offer sincere thanks to the member for Mississauga East—Cooksville for generously ceding his time to me today and add that I will then be splitting my new found time with the member for Kitchener—Waterloo. I am honoured to speak for the first