Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honour and recognize an extraordinary act of courage and compassion by a private citizen in the face of grave danger on Highway 401 near Trenton in my riding of the Bay of Quinte, a gentleman I welcomed here in Ottawa today, Isik. During a recent snowstorm, in a multivehicle crash on one of Canada's busiest highways, this individual did not hesitate to put others befor…
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Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the remarkable progress being made by the Hastings and Prince Edward District School Board. It was recently announced by the board that it has increased its five-year graduation rate to 81.5%, a rise of more than five percentage points since 2021. This achievement reflects the dedication of our educators, support staff, families and, of course, the students t…
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Mr. Speaker, as I recall, at the time of those announcements, and the member would well know, representing that part of Canada, there were in fact no Canadian bidders on any of those projects. His own British Columbia provincial government has now implored any future investments in that regard to in fact buy Canadian, as this government is promoting.
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Mr. Speaker, I refer back to the portion of my speech in which I said we will empower ministers at their discretion to, in fact, streamline and remove redundant and cumbersome regulations that have been determined, after careful consideration, to be an impediment to progress. It is not a step taken lightly, to empower these ministers to do this, but in fact, it is all part of budget 2025's plan to…
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Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the hon. member, who is a fellow former municipal councillor. As we have seen across Canada, municipalities have been facing challenges for infrastructure investments for their own infrastructure and facilities. The budget itself includes $5.1 billion for infrastructure funding that we will be implementing across the board to help municipalities upgrade and increase the e…
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Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to participate in today's debate in support of Bill C-15, the budget implementation act. Budget 2025 arrives at a time when the rules-based international order and trading system that powered Canada's prosperity for decades are being reshaped, threatening our sovereignty, our prosperity and our values. This is not a time for passive stewardship. Canada must pursue ac…
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Mr. Speaker, my riding of Bay of Quinte is home to several hundred Canadian Armed Forces members and their families. I know that my constituents, including our brave men and women in uniform, are watching as Canada makes new investments in our forces and works toward our NATO targets. Can the Minister of National Defence speak to the new defence investments Canada is making in budget 2025?
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Mr. Speaker, in my riding, the Bay of Quinte, so many of my neighbours are friends of veterans, family members of veterans or veterans themselves. It is a privilege and an honour to be here to represent them. The generational budget introduced by the Prime Minister and finance minister earlier this week will be deeply impactful to communities across Canada, including those like mine that are home …
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Mr. Speaker, small businesses are the backbone of our communities. They create jobs, spark innovation and build local pride. With October 19 to 24 being Small Business Week here in Canada, I am reminded this week and every day of just how much small businesses in my riding of Bay of Quinte provide to our local communities. This week is about recognizing the hard work, creativity and resilience of …
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Mr. Speaker, I thank the member opposite for his commitment to prosecuting sexual crimes of any nature. As a former journalist of many years, I covered not only court proceedings as a “court and cops” reporter, if you will. I also covered CFB Trenton, Canada's largest air base. In that role, I had occasion to report on and cover sexual assault cases heard before a court martial in hearing rooms at…
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Mr. Speaker, yesterday our government introduced Bill C-12 to secure and protect the integrity of Canada's immigration system, reinforce our border and curb the transnational flow of fentanyl. Can the Minister of Public Safety inform the House why we need to move swiftly to pass Bill C-12?
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Mr. Speaker, I thank the member opposite for his service to his riding and to the men and women of CFB Borden. I believe this government is committed to righting the wrongs of the past, as we have seen with some of our legislation, especially Bill C-11, which is a prime example of how we are doing that in a modern Canadian Armed Forces. General Jennie Carignan is a prime example of the kind of per…
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Mr. Speaker, we are very committed in the new funding for our Canadian Armed Forces to providing services for veterans with PTSD. In fact, in my own riding office, I employ a veteran who looks specifically after the needs of members who serve and have served, current and past. We are addressing those needs directly and immediately. We take this very seriously.
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Mr. Speaker, I had the occasion in my previous life as a journalist to cover sexual assault trials in the court martial system, and I can tell my colleague that while the system was efficient and got the job done, it was in no way, shape or form the proper system whereby the victim had all the protections of a civil case. The legislation before us is guaranteed to right that wrong. We have listene…
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Mr. Speaker, before I begin, I want to thank the brave men and women of our Canadian Armed Forces for their service to Canada and Canadians. It is with great pride that I rise today to speak at second reading of Bill C-11, the military justice system modernization act. Now, more than ever, we need to invest in the tens of thousands of brave men and women of our Canadian Armed Forces, who work hard…
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Mr. Speaker, this summer, an extraordinary business in my riding of Bay of Quinte achieved a fantastic milestone. Sprague Foods hit 100 years of operation. Founded in 1925 as a seasonal cannery in Prince Edward County, the company has grown, through five generations, into the only remaining cannery in the region. From preserving local vegetables and producing soups now found on shelves across Cana…
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Mr. Speaker, this summer, I heard from folks in my riding of the Bay of Quinte about the cost of living challenges they face. For members of the Canadian Armed Forces, this is no different. As our government makes a generational investment in our military, can the Minister of National Defence update the House on the support we are providing for our men and women in uniform?
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Mr. Speaker, I know the parliamentary secretary has extensive experience and background in the field of sustainable development and environmental issues. We have heard some questions regarding the period of consultation on major projects. I wonder if he can explain for the House how the new bill, Bill C-5, addresses those concerns and whether he is confident that the time frame for the consultatio…
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Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize a great company in my riding of Bay of Quinte that is celebrating a major milestone this month. Located in Waupoos, The County Cider Company will be 30 years in business this June and is Ontario's longest-running craft cider company. County Cider first started fermenting cider for the public back in 1995 and was founded by Grant Howes. Known as the grandfathe…
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Mr. Speaker, I want to congratulate the member opposite for his election and his eloquent speech in the House today. The member mentioned specifically basic family fundamentals in his address. Does he believe that with the making life more affordable for Canadians act, the ability for first-time homebuyers to make a purchase without the burden of GST addresses basic family fundamentals?
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Mr. Speaker, as Canada's largest air force base, with no fewer than six flying squadrons in its fold, 8 Wing CFB Trenton in my riding of Bay of Quinte is always at the forefront of our airborne military transport efforts around the world. However, it is equally important here at home in emergency assistance as it is to our citizens from coast to coast to coast. My question for the Minister of Emer…
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Mr. Speaker, I rise today for the first time as the member of Parliament for the great riding of Bay of Quinte. I am overwhelmed with gratitude and optimism as I look out at this 45th Parliament and all the new and returning faces I will be working alongside as we build a better Canada. I want to thank my wife, Sandi, and my daughters, Nicole and Rachelle. I also want to thank the tireless volunte…
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