Oral Questions
Madam Speaker, this year's northern-cod assessment places the stock just a fraction below the healthy zone. With all those seeking increased quota, one sector stands out in terms of its historical access and adjacency to the resource. Those are the inshore harvesters of the northeast coast of Newfoundland in areas 3K and 3L. Given that these harvesters had little increase in their share of quota l…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, there is no consensus. That is the reality this week on getting Western oil and gas to tidewater. There is consensus in Newfoundland and Labrador today, where a VOCM poll shows that 74% agree that the Liberal oil and gas cap is an “investment killer”. No pipelines are required to get Newfoundland and Labrador's 2.5 billion barrels of oil to the world market or its 12.5 trillion cubic …
Read full speech →Speech from the Throne
Mr. Speaker, a promise was made to the people of Prince Edward Island, as it was made to the people of Newfoundland and Labrador, that the ferry passage rates would be drastically reduced, to less than half. I know that the member has been quite irritated. I saw in the press not long ago that he expects that the rate should be dropped by July 1. With regard to the promise that was made that affect…
Read full speech →Speech from the Throne
Mr. Speaker, I would like to remind my colleague, the new member for Cardigan, that the throne speech made no mention of the fishing industry other than the commitment to turn 30% of the ocean into marine parks by 2030. The new Liberal direction with respect to the fishing industry is identical to the direction of the Trudeau era. The Prime Minister is more concerned with meeting United Nations go…
Read full speech →Speech from the Throne
Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to welcome the hon. member for Gaspésie—Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine—Listuguj. His riding has quite a bit in common with my riding and many ridings in Newfoundland and Labrador. With regard to the Speech from the Throne, the Prime Minister reiterated his commitment to 30% by 30. Right now, 14% of Canada's oceans are considered protected areas. Iceland…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, in yesterday's throne speech, the Prime Minister reaffirmed his commitment to persecute the fishing and aquaculture industries through Liberal policy to close down 30% of fishing grounds by 2030. The 30 by 30 marine protected areas agenda was developed by the United Nations in conjunction with foreign activists, and the government signed it, so how can the Minister of Fisheries suppor…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay homage to the anniversary of an event that unfolded on December 12, 1985, in the town of Gander, which rippled across nations. Arrow Air flight 1285 carrying 248 American servicemen crashed that day shortly after takeoff. They were returning home for Christmas to Fort Campbell, Kentucky, after a peacekeeping tour in the Sinai. All aboard, including eight crew membe…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, it is unbelievable to sit here in this place and listen to the House leader of a supposed opposition party give a speech lambasting the official opposition party as if he were a member of the government. Of course, he is a member of the government; the NDP is still a part of the costly coalition. How much gorilla tape did it take to put that agreement back together? That is one of my …
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, a fake Christmas gift is exactly what this GST holiday is. Christmas trees will be GST- and HST-free in Newfoundland and Labrador, but as for the decorations that go on them, hopefully people have some from last year because decorations will still have HST and GST in Newfoundland and Labrador. Menorahs are not included, so is there some anti-Semitism going on? We know the government…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
With regard to federally-funded salmon hatcheries in British Columbia, the Maritimes and Newfoundland and Labrador: (a) how many federally-funded salmon hatcheries are currently in operation in (i) British Columbia, (ii) the Maritimes, (iii) Newfoundland and Labrador; (b) what has been the yearly amount of federal funding spent on hatcheries, broken down by each of the last five years, in (i) Brit…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
With regard to information held by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans on Northern cod, Greenland halibut and redfish: (a) for Northern cod, what is the average catch rate (i) per net per hour in a 5.5 inch mesh in the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization's (NAFO) areas 2J, 3K and 3L in kilograms, (ii) per hook used in NAFO areas 2J, 3K and 3L in kilograms, broken down by area in each of t…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
With regard to information held by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans on Northern cod, Greenland halibut and redfish: (a) for Northern cod, what is the average catch rate (i) per net per hour in a 5.5 inch mesh in the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization's (NAFO) areas 2J, 3K and 3L in kilograms, (ii) per hook used in NAFO areas 2J, 3K and 3L in kilograms, broken down by area in each of t…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
With regard to federally-funded salmon hatcheries in British Columbia, the Maritimes and Newfoundland and Labrador: (a) how many federally-funded salmon hatcheries are currently in operation in (i) British Columbia, (ii) the Maritimes, (iii) Newfoundland and Labrador; (b) what has been the yearly amount of federal funding spent on hatcheries, broken down by each of the last five years, in (i) Brit…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, after nine years, the NDP-Liberals are not worth the cost, especially for Newfoundland and Labrador's offshore oil and gas industry, where for the second year in a row, there were no bids for new exploration licenses. Energy NL says it was not unexpected, pointing to a complex, inconsistent and burdensome regulatory system, including the only emissions cap in the world. Therefore, wil…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, after nine years, the NDP-Liberals are not worth the cost. Yesterday, Food Banks Canada reported that the need for food banks is spiralling out of control, with two million Canadians per month depending on them. Demand at Bridges to Hope food bank in St. John's is expected to surge 30% compared to 2023. Despite record-smashing food bank usage, the NDP-Liberals increased the cost of gr…
Read full speech →Orders of the Day
Madam Speaker, the Chair ruled that there has been a breach in the House. That member should convince his costly coalition Prime Minister to produce the documents. This—
Read full speech →Orders of the Day
Madam Speaker, I want to thank my mentor, my guru, the MP for South Shore—St. Margarets for working so diligently on this file, for the people of South Shore—St. Margarets, who cannot get a nickel from the blue slush fund, known as small craft harbours. I would like to thank my colleague for his hard work, for what he has highlighted in this scandal, and how bad and just how deep this scandal runs…
Read full speech →Orders of the Day
Madam Speaker, I am here in the House of Commons of Canada. This is the Parliament of Canada. I am here to represent Newfoundland and Labrador in the House of Commons. Our members down to the left, my very good friends, the Bloc Québécois, are here to represent the ridings that elected them to Parliament. Why would we come to a place to advocate not to come back here again? Does that make sense? I…
Read full speech →Orders of the Day
Madam Speaker, if the provincial election had been a little bit later on, like a little while down the road after the next federal election, maybe she would have been able to run provincially and pick up a seat down there, so I do not know. It is hard for me to say.
Read full speech →Orders of the Day
Madam Speaker, I figured you would just let me go on and on. I have ensured no harm can be done with that thing. If it rings, you can toss me, as you should have done with many members who have been out of line here today, especially on that side of the House. It is a pleasure to rise on behalf of the great people of Coast of Bays—Central—Notre Dame to speak on this privilege motion on the failure…
Read full speech →Orders of the Day
Madam Speaker, I know that he said I read my speech. I read some of it, and I tried to go as slow as I could. Of course, being from Newfoundland and Labrador, if I went really fast, nobody would understand what I was saying, the interpreters might not be able to keep up and then my good friend from la belle province would not be able to get the true interpretation of my words. However, I appreciat…
Read full speech →Orders of the Day
Madam Speaker, I appreciate working with my colleague on the fisheries committee. I think she should be with us over here, though. Because she has such strong Conservative values, I do not think she is in the right place However, the lady that she mentioned was hand-picked by the Prime Minister against his adviser's wishes. He was told she was in a conflict. He knew she was in a conflict, and beca…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, crime is rampant in rural Canada. Last night at a town hall in Stoneville, in Notre Dame Bay, a part of my riding, with RCMP present, terrified seniors told of having been threatened that they would be burned out of their homes or burned in their beds. Seventy-five-year-old retirees who worked hard all their lives for a safe Canada are sleeping with baseball bats next to their beds …
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, after nine years of the NDP-Liberals, taxes are up. Costs are up. Crimes are up. Time is up. Now foreign access to northern cod is up. With the backing of the six Liberal Newfoundland and Labrador MPs, the government broke its promise to allocate the first 115,000 tonnes of northern cod to the inshore harvesters, and it caved to NAFO pressure to allow foreign countries back in with 5%…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
With regard to the 2017 mandate of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) to negotiate timelimited Rights Reconciliation Agreements with First Nations in Atlantic Canada and Quebec: what are the details of all agreements under this mandate, including, for each, (i) the name or title of the agreement, (ii) a detailed summary, (iii) the date that the agreement was signed, (iv) the names of th…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate this opportunity to present a petition on behalf of Katarina Gavrilyuk, formerly of Kyiv, Ukraine, and now residing in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador. Nearly 1,000 people have signed her petition. The petition calls on the Prime Minister to live up to the promise he made on January 10, 2023, to deliver the national advanced surface-to-air missile system to Ukraine.…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
With regard to the Climate Action Incentive Fund (CAIF), broken down by province and year: how much money was returned through the CAIF’s Municipalities, Universities, Schools and Hospitals Retrofit stream, broken down by (i) municipality, (ii) university, (iii) school, (iv) hospital?
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
With regard to federal infrastructure funding under the Investing in Canada Plan, since January 1, 2016, broken down by year: (a) how much money has been announced for projects located in (i) Census Metropolitan Areas (CMAs), (ii) Census Agglomerations (CAs), (iii) areas outside of CMAs or CAs; (b) how much money has been distributed for projects located in (i) CMAs, (ii) CAs, (iii) areas outside …
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, the NDP-Liberal costly coalition can no longer dispute the Parliamentary Budget Officer's finding that the carbon tax will cost most Canadians more than they pay in. The Liberals' own report, which Conservatives forced them to release, shows that carbon tax will cost every single family in Canada $2,000 per year and will cost the Canadian economy $30 billion per year. This is nothing …
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, more Atlantic Canadians are hungry and homeless after nine years of the NDP-Liberal Prime Minister than ever before. Folks back home are spending way too much of their family income just to put food on the table. According to the Salvation Army insights report, an astounding 87% of Atlantic Canadians are facing food insecurity. That is up by 13% in just seven months. Last year, the Sa…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I heard the hon. minister talk about the experience with wind energy in the oceans all over the world and how well it is working out. Those fishing industry stakeholders who came to the Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans pleaded with us to allow them to be part of the process, to make sure they did not get left out and to make sure wind energy did not push them off their pri…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, the NDP-Liberal government is receiving a failing grade in Newfoundland and Labrador. Back home, according to Food Banks Canada in its annual poverty report card, almost half are paying more than 30% of their earnings to house themselves, and 40% are worried about feeding themselves. After nine years, the NDP-Liberal Prime Minister is not worth the hunger and the homelessness. Will he…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, I find that a bit rich coming from my colleague from Long Range Mountains, who voted against Bill C-251, against the seal industry, against the fishing industry and against the people in her very own riding. Back to the matter at hand, 45% of people back home have an inadequate standard of living, 35% have a severely inadequate standard of living and 26% are experiencing food insecuri…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, FFAW-Unifor representatives were at committee, representing 14,000 fishing industry stakeholders in Newfoundland and Labrador and a number of stakeholder organizations from the Maritimes. They wanted a framework built into the bill for meaningful consultation and for compensation where spatial requirements just do not work for the wind energy industry, where it competes against the …
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, last week, Winston at the Gander & Area Food Bank confirmed that usage is up 44% in just six months. He is concerned about volunteer burnout. The CEO of Food Banks Canada now says that, because of record-smashing demand, food banks are on the brink. For folks now forced to use food banks, who never had to do it before, the government and the NDP-Liberal Prime Minister are not worth th…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I listened intently to the member for Kings—Hants as he gave his speech about Bill C-49 and why Liberals think it is the be-all and end-all for Atlantic Canada. The member mentioned a regulator. Max Ruelokke, with over 40 years in energy regulation in Atlantic Canada and throughout the world, the chair and CEO of the C-NLOPB for six years and an outstanding authority on offshore pet…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, the Atlantic accord has delivered powerful things to Newfoundland and Labrador and to Nova Scotia. I heard the member for Kings—Hants reference the late prime minister Brian Mulroney, who said that he was not afraid to inflict prosperity upon Newfoundlanders. The NDP-Liberal coalition has a completely different stance toward the people of Newfoundland and Labrador and toward those w…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, let us be clear, common-sense Conservatives stand with the fishing industry and with the offshore petroleum industry, as well as with those workers and those families, and those industries that rely on the spinoffs from those powerful Atlantic Canada industries. Stakeholders like the FFAW, Brazil Rock Lobster Association, Cape Breton Fish Harvesters Association, the Nova Scotia Fish…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, my hon. colleague from Kings—Hants and his costly coalition have quite the track record of destroying the offshore oil and gas industry in Newfoundland and Labrador. With Bill C-49, they will continue right down that path. This morning, I heard the member for St. John's South—Mount Pearl talking about all the people who were trained in our offshore. Yes, they were trained in our off…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I would ask my hon. colleague across the way if he will support the Conservative amendments, given that we consulted with the likes of Mr. Max Ruelokke, who I am sure the member is well aware of, with over 40 years' experience in the management of offshore petroleum resources in Newfoundland and Labrador and Nova Scotia and in consultations worldwide. In fact, he was the chair and CEO…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, my colleague from Regina—Lewvan makes a lot of common sense. He is exactly right. The red tape that would come in as a result of Bill C-49 is driving investment out of our offshore petroleum industry already. It was proven last year in the number of bids that were sold. I would also like to point out that the NDP-Liberals are saying that they have changed the processing time from 90…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague from the Bloc for voting for my bill, Bill C-251, to bring in a pinniped management solution, which the NDP-Liberals all voted against. I feel sorry for the Bloc members, with all the work they put into their amendments just for them to be all shot down, as were ours. I also feel sorry for the people in this country and from Quebec who think that we are goi…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, my colleague from the NDP misunderstood the context. The fishing industry and the offshore petroleum industry are competing for the same space in the ocean. It just so happens that fish like to hang out on the shoals and that is where wind power usually gets built. It gets built because it is cheaper where the water is more shallow. There are limited amounts of fishing ground. Peopl…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague from la belle province. He is a great guy. There were thousands of manufacturing jobs in Quebec that were shipping out components. The buses that used to bring people from Fort McMurray out to the oil sands were all produced in Quebec, providing jobs in Quebec. There were also royalties from the petroleum industry. Who gets the transfer payments that result…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I listened to my hon. colleague across the way from Newfoundland and Labrador who was once the minister of natural resources. Since 2015, we have already had 5,000 jobs transition out of our offshore oil and gas industry under that minister's watch. Studies show that peak oil will not happen until well beyond 2030, yet the Liberal government invested over $30 billion in battery plants…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I seek unanimous consent that, notwithstanding any standing order, special order, or usual practices of the House, the vote of the member for Coast of Bays—Central—Notre Dame on division No. 684 from Wednesday, April 10, should be changed from nay to yea.
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Madam Speaker, I request unanimous consent to change my vote on our opposition day motion from nay to yea.
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I will be splitting my time with the member for Dauphin—Swan River—Neepawa. Unlike Sleeping Beauty, who was awakened by a kiss of love, Canadians are waking up after eight years of the NDP-Liberal Prime Minister to find out that he is just not worth the cost. They are waking up with a Judas kiss. They have been betrayed with the Judas kiss from the Liberal-NDP Prime Minister. After …
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I will start with the member's last question. We do not need to incentivize natural gas. Free enterprise can invest in LNG, build pipelines and send LNG to countries in the world that are burning coal, in order to get their emissions down really fast, to half of what they produce right now. The fishing industry has grave concerns with Bill C-49, including six fish harvester groups I…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I am not here to talk about the Premier of Alberta; I am here to represent the people of Newfoundland and Labrador. The people of Newfoundland and Labrador know that we have 13 trillion cubic feet of natural gas lying under the Grand Banks and under the Labrador Sea. That natural gas could go to Germany, which is building steam plants right now that in the interim could be fuelled b…
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