Fisheries and Oceans  Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Port Moody—Coquitlam for his interest on this file, and also for the great work he is doing on the fisheries and oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard committee. I will start by saying that I can assure the member that the Government of Canada

National Seal Products Day Act  Mr. Speaker, as the member for Acadie—Bathurst and the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, I too am pleased to support Bill S-208. First, I would like to congratulate the member for Coast of Bays—Central—Notre Dame for spon

Ethics  Madam Speaker, once again, I would invite the opposition members to consult the document that was tabled in the House, in which the Ethics Commissioner states very clearly that the minister's participation in the event is perfectly acceptable. I wonder if the members opposite ar

Ethics  Madam Speaker, I will repeat myself, because this is important. The minister got the green light from the Ethics Commissioner to attend this event. They want to talk about it, let us talk about it. The interim Conservative leader charged taxpayers nearly $10,000 to stay in Ottaw

Ethics  Madam Speaker, Canadians expect our ministers and MPs to adhere to very high ethical standards. I therefore invite all opposition members to familiarize themselves with the document tabled in the House today. It clearly indicates that the minister's participation in the event is

Ethics  Madam Speaker, once again, I would invite the opposition members to consult the document that was tabled in the House, which states very clearly that the minister can attend the event. This is an annual event organized by a law firm during which guests can meet with members of T

CANADA LABOUR CODE  Madam Speaker, our government recognizes the very important role of unions in protecting labour rights across Canada. I have personally met with the representatives of a number of labour organizations since I took office. They all agree that Bill C-377 and Bill C-525 weaken the

Questions on the Order Paper  Mr. Speaker, members will please note the base became operational May 1, 2016. With regard to the planned full-time staffing complement at the Kitsilano Coast Guard base, with planning currently under way: and with regard to (a), one deck crew member shall have certification fo

Questions on the Order Paper  Mr. Speaker, with regard to (a), four staff members from Fisheries and Oceans Canada, DFO, have been involved in monitoring the project’s compliance with the fisheries protection provisions of the Fisheries Act. This includes three staff from DFO’s fisheries protection program an

Questions on the Order Paper  Mr. Speaker, with regard to (a), the department does not track what licence holders are aboriginal or affiliated with aboriginal organizations. The issuance of commercial licences for the prawn-by-trap fishery does not require individuals to self-identify as aboriginal persons or

Questions on the Order Paper  Mr. Speaker, during the legislative process leading up to and since the Fisheries Act was changed in 2012, indigenous groups, stakeholders, and the public have expressed concern with the changes and how they were implemented. Indigenous and environmental groups in particular have

Questions on the Order Paper  Mr. Speaker, at the request of the minister, the minister’s office and Fisheries and Oceans Canada, including the Canadian Coast Guard, working in conjunction with the Office of the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner, have identified areas of possible intersection betwe

Questions on the Order Paper  Mr. Speaker, in response to part (a) of the question, while the department does not have dedicated programming to specifically combat misinformation, it does undertake efforts to dispel myths and misinformation through three key areas. In response to part (a)(i), first, Fisherie

Fisheries and Oceans  Mr. Speaker, I am well aware of the importance of the shrimp fishery and those who depend on it. The ministerial advisory panel is an independent committee that provides advice to the minister on the last in, first out policy. The panel has begun its public consultations, which

Ethics  Mr. Speaker, as I said several times yesterday, the minister has been very proactive on this. He contacted the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner regarding his friendship with Mr. Irving. The department will implement a rigorous process to ensure that the minister is n