Parliamentary Speeches

Mr. Speaker, in the face of rising fuel prices driven by global instability, Canadians deserve real relief. I heard this from the families and businesses in my riding of South Shore—St. Margarets throughout the summer. They benefited from our government's decision to suspend the fuel excise tax last spring, and they are hoping to see it extended. I have a question for the finance minister that I am hearing from my constituents. How are we helping Canadians pay less at the pump so they can keep more money in their pockets?

Mr. Speaker, before I start talking today about Bill C-266, I would like to first take a moment to thank all the wonderful people in South Shore—St. Margarets. It was wonderful to be back home in the riding over the summer, getting out into our communities, meeting with constituents, listening to their concerns and celebrating the incredible work happening across the south shore. It was also a real privilege to help deliver some exciting investments to our communities, including $6.2 million to the Lunenburg Opera House and over $15 million to Hawboldt Industries, which received the Davie contract. Of course, I loved getting out to meet our students in the Canada summer jobs program, where young people are gaining valuable experience, building confidence and contributing to their communities. I want to thank everyone who opened their doors, shared their stories, invited me into their workplaces and to their community events, and reminded me every day why I am here to serve. I am grateful to be back, and I am excited to bring the voices of South Shore—St. Margarets to Ottawa. I am pleased to rise today to speak on behalf of Bill C-266 and to the importance of making it easier for skilled trades workers to take their skills, experience and hard work with them wherever opportunity exists in this country. I would like to thank my colleague, the member for Richmond East—Steveston, for the bill. At its heart, the bill is about something very simple: opportunity. It is about making sure that if a Canadian has the skills and training to do a job in one province, unnecessary administrative and regulatory barriers do not prevent that person from doing the same job in another province. Bill C-266 proposes the development of a national framework on skilled trades and labour mobility. The objective is to reduce barriers, improve credential recognition, identify those equivalencies between jurisdictions and find, as I said before, opportunities to harmonize certification processes. Importantly, this is not about Ottawa telling provinces how to regulate their skilled trades. It is about governments working together. It is about provinces and territories, industries, unions, apprenticeship organizations, indigenous partners, employers and training institutions sitting at that same table and asking one very practical question: “How do we make it easier for Canadians to work?” That question matters enormously in a country as large and diverse as Canada. I come to this conversation with a very different professional background from many of the members of the House. Before becoming a member of Parliament, I was a teacher. I spent many years working in the education system, including as a high school principal. One of the things that experience taught me is that when we talk about workplace development, we cannot start at the point where someone wants to get onto the job site. We have to start much earlier. We have to start with the young people. We have to start with the students sitting in a classroom wondering what kind of future is possible for them. We have to start with the young person who is incredibly capable with their hands and who can build, fix, design, operate, and solve problems but who might not see themselves already reflected in a traditional academic pathway. We have to make sure young people understand that there are many different ways to build a successful life here in Canada. A good education system should not tell every student that success means following the exact same path. It should open doors, and that means universities, colleges, apprenticeships, skilled trades, entrepreneurship and technology. It means creating opportunities. There is a theme here for young Canadians to develop skills that are valued in their communities across this country. I represent South Shore—St. Margarets. It is a beautiful riding, but it is also a riding that knows very well the challenges that come with being rural. Young people have enormous potential. We have people who are working in construction, transportation, marine industries, forestry, fisheries, energy and manufacturing. I could go on. We have small business owners who are looking for workers, and there are communities that need housing. Infrastructure needs to be built, and we have employers who tell us that finding people with the right skills is one of the biggest challenges. At the same time, we have young people who are asking themselves whether they can build a future in the community where they grew up. That is an important question, because if a young person has to leave their community to find opportunity, sometimes they never come back. What does that mean to a rural community? It loses more than just a young worker. It loses volunteers, parents, future business owners, coaches and community leaders, and we lose people who would eventually become the next generation of teachers, tradespeople, nurses, entrepreneurs and public servants. Therefore, when we talk about building Canada's workforce, we have to talk at the same time about building strong communities. That is why labour mobility matters, but it is also why education and training matter. I am a former member of HUMA, which completed a study on youth employment. One of the lessons that came through very clearly is that young people do not experience the labour market in the same way that many of us did growing up. There are young people who are ready to enter that workforce but cannot find the first opportunity. There are young people who have the education but not the experience that employers might be looking for. There are young people who need access to training, and, most important, there are young people in rural and remote communities who face additional barriers simply because of geography. There are many young people who have the trades, but they also need a pathway to put those to work, and that is what the bill would try to do. The last point is particularly important, because when we talk about the skilled trades, we talk about how we can train people. We encourage through apprenticeships, we invest in education, and we can help young people enter the workforce, but if unnecessary barriers prevent these workers from taking their skills where they are needed, we have not solved that problem. We have simply moved the problem, kicking the can down the road. Canada's workforce needs to be flexible. A worker in Nova Scotia might have an opportunity in Alberta, a worker in Quebec might have an opportunity in British Columbia, and a worker in Newfoundland and Labrador might have the skills that are desperately needed in other parts of the country. All Canadians should be able to make these choices. That does not mean we eliminate the safety standards. It does not mean that we lower training requirements. It does not mean that we undermine provincial authority. It does not mean that every certification system needs to be identical. What it does mean, though, is that we should be asking whether these differences between jurisdictions are genuinely necessary or whether they come from simply creating duplication and the old red tape that we talk about a lot in the chamber. Bill C-266 takes a framework approach to this problem. It proposes mapping equivalencies across jurisdictions. It proposes identifying opportunities for harmonization. It proposes modernizing certification processes, and it proposes bringing the right people together to have these conversations. That is important because the young people who understand these barriers best are the ones who encounter them. Unions also understand the importance of safety, wages and working conditions. Provincial regulators understand their responsibilities. Indigenous communities and organizations have important perspectives on workforce development and economic participation. Governments have the responsibility to bring these voices together. I also want to emphasize what the bill would not do. It would not override provincial authority, and that matters. Provinces and territories have important responsibilities when it comes to training, certification and labour market regulation. These responsibilities must be protected. The strength of the bill is that it would recognize that reality but would also recognize something else, which is that the labour market does not stop at a provincial border.

Mr. Speaker, in South Shore—St. Margarets, every summer we see young people across our communities stepping into jobs, gaining confidence, experiences and new skills and contributing to the local businesses and organizations that make our region so vibrant. This summer, the government has added an additional 25,000 jobs to the Canada summer jobs program, giving the opportunity for 100,000 kids to gain hands-on experience. In my riding, there are over 300. Can the Minister of Jobs and Families please share how this program is helping communities?

Mr. Speaker, mining is already one of Canada's largest economic drivers, contributing billions of dollars to the Canadian economy annually, but the sector is experiencing a labour shortage right now, needing 250,000 new hires over the next 10 years. Can the Minister of Jobs and Families please update the House on a national announcement that was recently held in my riding of South Shore—St. Margarets about what is being done to ensure that Canadian workers can take advantage of these generational opportunities?

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of Bill C‑20, the Build Canada Homes act. I do so as the proud member of Parliament for South Shore—St. Margarets. Any day we get to rise on behalf of our constituents is always a great day. I want to talk today about our housing crisis and how it is not just theoretical. It is something that I hear about every single day from residents, businesses and my community leaders. Across our communities, all the way from Shag Harbour to Tantallon in my riding, there is a message that is clear. We need more housing, not someday, not eventually, but right now. In South Shore—St. Margarets, the challenge is not just affordability but also availability. Most of what we have talked about today is between those two things. I would like to talk about our responsiveness to both affordability and availability. We have employers that are looking to hire in South Shore—St. Margarets but are unable to attract workers because sometimes there is no place for them to live. We also need the infrastructure to support that. We have young families who want to stay in the community but cannot afford a home. We have seniors who want to age in place, in community, but have limited options. We have growing communities that are being held back, not by a lack of opportunities but by a lack of housing supply. This is not just a housing issue. It is an economic issue, a workforce issue and also a community sustainability issue. I do not want to sound like a negative Nelly. I would like to talk now about why Bill C‑20 matters. This legislation would transform Build Canada Homes into a Crown corporation, as we have been discussing today in the House, giving it the independence, flexibility and tools needed to actually deliver housing at the scale required. This is about action. Build Canada Homes would not just fund projects one at a time. It would act as a builder, a partner and a catalyst, working alongside municipalities, provinces, indigenous communities, non-profit organizations, co-operatives and the private sector, an opportunity that is also backed by $13 billion in initial funding to get the work moving. I want to speak directly about what I have been hearing from the people in my riding. I have met with developers, builders, tradespeople and community housing organizations, and they are all aligned on one thing: They are ready to build, but they need the conditions to do it. They need access to land, in some cases. They need financing that works in today's market. Perhaps most importantly, they need infrastructure to support growth. Without infrastructure, homes cannot be built. In South Shore—St. Margarets, we are already seeing the kind of collaboration that makes housing possible. A strong example of this partnership in my riding is between the Municipality of the District of Lunenburg and the Town of Bridgewater. They have led a joint venture with their wastewater system, and this is exactly the kind of forward-looking investment we need. I was very proud to be one of the only members of Parliament right now to have one of those announcements in our larger announcements just a couple of months ago. When municipalities work together, they expand core infrastructure like water and wastewater systems, and they unlock the ability to build housing to scale. These are foundational investments, and for too long, there has been a bottleneck. We have seen this as a government, and our new government is here to respond. Build Canada Homes recognizes this. It understands that if we want homes built, we must also support those systems that make these homes possible. Another reason this legislation matters to people in my rural riding in Nova Scotia is that it recognizes the diversity in housing needs. Housing affordability in South Shore—St. Margarets does not look the same as in many other areas, in urban centres. This is why Build Canada Homes uses both a place-based and an income-based definition of affordability, ensuring that housing reflects the realities of local incomes. This matters because homes must actually be affordable to the people who live and work in our communities, not because they are on some type of abstract national average. I was also very impressed with, and helped host, one of our round tables with our minister last summer as he was going all over the nation listening and learning, and now, through this legislation, responding. I met with the developers and the whole spectrum of builders at these round tables who gave their concerns, the good, the bad and sometimes the ugly, in response to the minister having these consultations. Rural communities are often overlooked in national housing strategies, but we know that they are essential to Canada's economy, culture and identity. From forestry, to fisheries, to tourism, to small business, rural regions like ours are vital. However, without housing how do we sustain that vitality? The recognition of rural needs through Bill C-20 includes support for infrastructure, transportation considerations and community revitalization. It is an important step forward. This legislation is also about partnership, and in South Shore—St. Margarets partnership is how we get things done. We are seeing municipalities collaborate. We are seeing non-profits and co-operatives step forward. I was recently at an announcement for shovels in the ground for an eight-unit co-operative shared housing unit in the small town of Liverpool. Although there are only eight units, that is huge in our small rural and coastal communities. We are also seeing leaders come together to think bigger and aggregate projects to create scale. That type of collaboration is exactly what Build Canada Homes is designed to support, because when communities align with federal resources and private sector capacity, we can move forward from ideas to construction and from plans to actual homes. We also want to highlight some of these economic opportunities in this approach. Build Canada Homes is more than just housing. It is about building Canadian capacity. It is about Canadian workers, Canadian materials and Canadian expertise. For South Shore—St. Margarets, that means opportunities for tradespeople. It means opportunities connected to our forestry sector and supply chains. Our colleagues have just talked about the lack of support for the forestry sector. I have met with multiple different lumber mills in my riding and some of our prefab manufacturers on how they are working specifically within our supply chain locally to get these homes built. It means good jobs that support families in our region. It is like having multi-generational families like Freeman Lumber in my riding working together with others like Lloyoll Prefabs, Walls and CLATTCO Construction in my riding on a common goal, which is to get roofs over people's heads. At a time when global uncertainty is increasing, investing in Canadian industry is solving problems with respect to our housing shortage. This is the right approach. Innovation is key. I want to address directly the idea that this legislation creates unnecessary bureaucracy. Respectfully, I disagree. This legislation is about streamlining, not adding layers. Build Canada Homes brings expertise, financing tools and partnerships together under one organization with a clear goal. The housing crisis did not emerge overnight and will not be solved overnight. What Canadians expect of us is progress. They expect us to work together. They expect us to take bold, practical steps. Bill C-20 is one of those steps. For the young family in Bridgewater who is working and looking for their first home, for the nurse who is considering a job on the South Shore but is unable to find housing and for the senior in Lunenburg who wants to stay close to their community, this bill matters.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to talk to my colleague from Ontario about Carolyn Whitzman. I was a member of HUMA, where we had this on our desk to study. I want to read something that she said about Build Canada Homes and how it needs the independence of a Crown corporation. She said that it had been clear from the start that it was merging the existing Canada Lands Company into it. The real question here was affordability, targets and what this kind of economic and social return was expected to generate, and how we needed these plans for a national housing strategy. She was a huge proponent of this. Therefore, I would like to remind my colleague that we have people who are doing the work and I would love to see the responsiveness of our minister in this.

Mr. Speaker, we have been experiencing similarities with our ridings. Although I am in a coastal community, we still have small-town pride. I would like to say to my colleague that we have been with our new government for only a year. We have been laying infrastructure. We are trying to pass this bill that would help unlock everything and get those shovels in the ground. In my own riding, I have had multiple announcements and multiple shovels in the ground. I have talked to the people in my forestry sector. My colleague wants to talk about lack of support in the forestry sector. I have talked with Derek Nighbor of the Forest Products Association of Canada regarding how I can work with my local mills and my local prefab people and build those partnerships together to get more shovels in the ground for private, non-market and co-operative housing.

Mr. Speaker, as a former municipal councillor, the example that I used in my speech today in regard to our municipality and district in Lunenburg and my town of Bridgewater is how people were trying to put together a larger supportive housing complex just outside of the town of Bridgewater, but they did not have the waste-water system. Therefore, they are working with the town. They are working with the municipality and collating a larger project that is going to help over 3,000 people in my riding, so these partnerships are key. I would ask members who are negating this legislation whether they have sat down with all the different key players and stakeholders. What are they doing, as their representative, to help make these plans to get these shovels in the ground?

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to show strong support for Bill C-16, the protecting victims act. This legislation represents one of the most significant updates to Canada's criminal justice system in generations. It reflects a clear understanding that our laws must evolve to meet the realities that Canadians are facing today, realities that include rising intimate partner violence cases, online exploitation, coercive control and gender-based violence and growing concerns about public confidence in the justice system. At its heart, Bill C-16 is about protection. It is about protecting women, children and survivors and ensuring that victims are treated with dignity, compassion and fairness throughout the justice process. Across Canada and certainly in my province of Nova Scotia, we are witnessing a growing crisis of gender-based and intimate partner violence. Women continue to be harmed, controlled, terrorized and, too often, killed by intimate partners. In 2024, 187 women were violently killed in Canada. That is nearly one woman every two days. These are not isolated incidents. These tragedies occur in large cities, urban neighbourhoods and rural communities, like my riding of South Shore—St. Margarets. We know these realities all too well. While our communities are strong, compassionate and deeply connected, rural communities like mine also face unique barriers when it comes to escaping violence and accessing support. Survivors may live far away from shelters or counselling services. Transportation can be limited. Accessing legal support might require hours of travel. In smaller communities, anonymity can be difficult, and many victims fear not being believed or fear retaliation if they come forward. I have had conversations with frontline organizations in my riding, advocates, survivors and service providers throughout South Shore—St. Margarets. We have made one thing abundantly clear: Our systems must do more to protect victims before violence escalates. This is exactly what Bill C-16 seeks to do. One of the most important aspects of this legislation is the recognition of coercive and controlling behaviour. For years, survivors and advocates have been telling us that abuse is not always physical. It can be emotional. Abuse can be psychological. Abuse can be financial and it can be technical. It can involve intimidation, surveillance, isolation, threats, humiliation, manipulation and fear. We know that coercive control is one of the strongest predictors of lethal violence. Bill C-16 would create a new Criminal Code offence prohibiting patterns of coercive and controlling conduct towards intimate partners. This would allow intervention before violence becomes deadly. “Before” is the key piece that matters, because too often the justice system will react after someone has already been seriously harmed. Organizations throughout South Shore—St. Margarets understand these realities intimately. Be the Peace Institute in my riding has done extraordinarily exceptional work in helping young people and communities build healthier relationships and prevent cycles of violence before they begin. Second Story Women's Centre, where I was a director before becoming a parliamentarian, continues to provide advocacy, education and support for women navigating violence, inequalities and trauma. The Thriving Twogether Society has become an important community voice in Shelburne, Yarmouth, Digby and Queen's County, focused on well-being, trauma-informed care and strengthening supports for survivors and their families. Harbour House, a women's shelter in my riding, continues to provide essential shelter and outreach services for women and children fleeing violence in our communities. These organizations have long understood what this legislation now recognizes in law: Violence is only physical, and intervention must happen earlier. Bill C-16 would also modernize Canada's laws to address the very real challenges posed by technology-enabled abuse. Remember, I said “technical” earlier. Predators are increasingly using online platforms to exploit women and children. We talk about deepfakes. Before becoming a parliamentarian, I was a teacher, educator and principal, and members can think about some of the cases I had to deal with and talk to parents and survivors about. Deepfake technology is being weaponized to create non-consensual sexual images. For a young girl in the classroom or a young child, members can imagine the trauma for them, their families and these small-knit communities. Children are being targeted through sextortion, online luring and exploitation. Police reported that child sexual exploitation offences are now dramatically higher than they were just over a decade ago. Parents across Canada are deeply concerned, and rightly so. In response, Bill C-16 would strengthen protections against child exploitation, expand offences related to online luring and sextortion, criminalize sexual deepfakes and reinforce some of these mandatory penalties for serious child sexual offences. Our laws must keep pace with technological predators. Another critical pillar within this legislation is strengthening victims' rights. Too many victims continue to be retraumatized by the justice system. They feel uninformed, ignored, excluded or treated as though they are simply witnesses to their own trauma rather than people deserving dignity and respect. Bill C-16 would strengthen the Canadian Victims Bill of Rights by affirming that victims' rights would be treated with respect, courtesy, compassion and fairness. It would that ensure that victims receive information proactively, it would strengthen access to testimonial aids and it would recognize victims' interests in a timely resolution of proceedings. These changes matter, because justice delayed is often justice denied, especially for survivors of sexual violence and intimate partner violence. Many Canadians have watched serious criminal cases collapse due to court delays. How can people get help and move on when these delays in court make them relive their trauma or when perpetrators change lawyers time and time again, restarting proceedings and restarting that trauma? Victims are forced to relive trauma for years sometimes, only to see these proceedings stayed before accountability is ever reached. That undermines confidence in our justice system. Bill C-16 would take practical steps to address these delays while fully respecting charter rights and judicial independence. The proposed legislation would require courts to consider alternatives before imposing stays of proceedings. It would streamline procedures in sexual offence trials. It would also improve efficiency in many of our complex cases. It would help ensure that serious offences are heard on their merits rather than collapsing because of these procedural delays. This is about balancing fairness with accountability, which is something our government stands for. I am wondering why, at report stage, Conservatives are voting down these amendments and this bill. The justice committee heard from dozens of witnesses and reviewed more than 100 amendments. We heard from survivors, advocates—

Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize that it is same piece of paper that the member has stood up and read from tonight, asking the exact same question about one little piece of an amendment on a huge proactive bill. I would like to tell him about all the people and organizations that we have heard from. I was a member of FEWO with the member across the way when we heard from the hundreds of victims and hundreds of different witnesses. On child protection, the Canadian Centre for Child Protection and other organizations are in favour of this bill. On victims' rights, we have the Domestic Violence Prevention Society, Humane Canada and Niki Sharma, the attorney general for B.C. I could go on. There are the Federation of Canadian Municipalities and the Canadian Police Association. I can go on all night.

Mr. Speaker, I also have a lot of admiration and respect for that colleague across the way, but in this case, I have to challenge. We talked earlier today about mis- and disinformation, and I feel that this is a case of misinformation. We know that some of the projects and funding streams that we have will sunset. That does not mean that they go away. That means that they get reinvigorated as we pass bills in the House within our economic budget. I would like to say, regarding the member's question, that it is part of our economic strategy each time we re-fund these programs.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague for her work as a family lawyer, because sometimes they are the unsung heroes in helping women who are fleeing violence manoeuvre through systems that sometimes have failed them. We talk about the coercive control piece, and the bill would help women. It would protect them and help protect children when they are navigating some of these systems. It would help with some of these delays. It is nice that we are seeing so many of our different crime bills coming here from the government. That has not been done in 20 years, 30 years or 40 years, so it is good that we are making progress on that measure.

Mr. Speaker, I served with my colleague across on the status of women committee briefly while I was subbing in for another member and looking at this report. She mentioned prevention. It is the focus of organizations in my riding, like Be the Peace, the Second Story Women's Centre, Harbour House and Thriving Twogether. They offer preventive measures so that if or when some of these court cases come forward, they have the support systems they deserve.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize a remarkable achievement by a talented writer in my riding of South Shore—St. Margarets. Darcy Rhyno from Little Harbour has been honoured in the Canadian chapter of the Society of American Travel Writers awards, earning three distinctions for his outstanding storytelling. First, he received bronze for the best service story for his piece highlighting a geocaching project that brings African Canadian history to life in Shelburne County. He earned silver for the best Canadian story for his exploration of Anticosti Island. Finally, he won a bronze for the best international story for his travel feature on cycling around Lake Constance in Europe. These awards are a testament not only to Darcy's talents, but to his ability to share meaningful stories. His work helps shine a light on history, culture and place, and it also reflects the creativity and excellence found in our region.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to begin by saying that I am going to be sharing my time with the member for Saanich—Gulf Islands. This afternoon, I would like to talk about the Territorial Lands Act, the amendments to the act, economic development and nation building in the north, as vice-chair for the rural caucus. I am rising to speak to the proposed amendments to the Territorial Lands Act that are contained in Bill C-31. At the outset, I want to be very clear. Changes to this initial act are necessary. They would strengthen Canada's sovereignty, security and economic future, while deepening our partnership with the Inuit and supporting northern and rural communities across the country. I am speaking as vice-chair of our national rural caucus, and I want to underline something that is very fundamental. Rural, remote and northern Canada is very much a part of the country's nation building and where it is actually happening. We will be there to allow it to continue to happen. Today, we are finally making some of these communities feel like they are finally at the table. I am going to focus on how these amendments would support indigenous self-determination and responsible economic development, as well as long-term nation building in the north. In terms of a changing global economy, the global economy, as we know, is rapidly evolving. Countries are competing for secure supply chains of critical minerals, minerals essential to clean energy, advanced manufacturing and national security. Canada, particularly northern and rural Canada, has an enormous opportunity here. With that opportunity comes responsibility. As competition intensifies, Canada must ensure that its natural resources are developed responsibly and strategically, and in a way that aligns with our national interests. That includes making sure that our rules reflect some of today's realities, hence the amendment. Nunavut and rural Canada are at the centre of nation building. The Arctic is more important than ever to our sovereignty, economic growth and national security. Nunavut is at the heart of our future here up north. I want to be honest about something. Projects that will define Canada's next century, like our critical minerals, energy corridors, ports in the north, roads and infrastructure, are not being built in downtown cores. They are being built in rural, remote and northern communities. For far too long, these communities powered our economy without a full voice in shaping that. That, with this amendment, is changing, and it must continue to change. Mining is already the cornerstone of Nunavut's economy. It creates good-paying jobs, supports local businesses, builds infrastructure and strengthens communities. In 2025, mineral production in Nunavut was projected at $3.74 billion, demonstrating that importance not only to the territory but to Canada as a whole. For rural and northern Canadians, this is what economic inclusion looks like. It looks like jobs close to home. It looks like infrastructure that lasts generations. It looks like communities that are growing and thriving. Why do these types of amendments matter? Canada's free entry system remains an important strength. It has supported exploration and investment for decades. Today, there is a gap. The current system does not allow Canada to act when mineral rights could be used in ways that conflict with some of our national interests, whether related to economic security, sovereignty or critical infrastructure. Bill C-31 would address this gap. It would introduce a targeted national interest safeguard, which would allow the Governor in Council, on the recommendation of the Minister of Northern and Arctic Affairs, to act in specific cases. Examples of this include cancelling existing mineral rights when necessary, preventing new rights in sensitive areas and temporarily closing lands to protect some of these strategic priorities. Examples also include ensuring notification and fair consideration of compensation. This is not about overreach; this is about responsibility. In terms of strengthening our investments through this amendment, and I want to address this directly, it would not hurt investment, but strengthen it, because a free entry system would remain in place, as it always has. These measures would be targeted, limited and only used in exceptional circumstances where national interests are at stake. In fact, they would also provide something that investors value deeply: certainty. They would make clear that Canada has strong rules, a stable framework and the ability to protect strategic assets. For rural and northern economies, that certainty is essential. It ensures that investment continues, that projects move forward and that communities benefit. The bill is part of a broader effort to support nation building, especially where it is actually taking place. I would like to remind everybody again that nation building in Canada today is happening in rural, remote and northern regions. It is happening in our energy corridors, our mining developments and our ports and transportation hubs. It is happening with clean energy infrastructure. I have a clean energy project in my riding right now in South Shore—St. Margarets, our Mersey wind project, which is a new direct competitor for Nova Scotia Power. It is a larger-scale clean energy project in our area, which we have not seen before in Nova Scotia. There are also projects like the Kivalliq hydro-fibre link. There are also projects like the Grays Bay road and port project. This is also about Iqaluit's hydro project. These are transformative projects, and when we look at transformational things, they do not happen overnight. They do not happen within one year. They do not happen within two years. These are transformational projects of which, over the next decade, we are going to really see the benefits and reap the rewards. They connect with communities, and they create jobs. These projects also help strengthen sovereignty and reduce emissions. Importantly, they ensure that rural and indigenous communities are not just participants, but leaders and partners in Canada's economic future. The amendments to Bill C-31 would also help ensure that mineral tenure does not interfere with these nation-building projects. In terms of indigenous partnerships, like how we were talking before about having indigenous people at the table as leaders, I would like to talk about indigenous partnerships and the devolution processes. The legislation is also grounded in respect for Inuit self-determination, for modern treaties and also for indigenous leadership, so engagement has taken place with the Government of Nunavut, Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated and indigenous partners alike. These amendments would support a broader path toward Nunavut's devolution: the historic transfer of land and resource decision-making to the Nunavummiut. This is also about ensuring that decisions are made closer to home by the people most affected. We are forward-thinking, so we are also looking at safeguards for some of these processes. There would also be a forward-thinking measure in this amendment. It would ensure that Canada's resources are developed responsibly, strategic infrastructure can move forward, Inuit priorities are respected, rural and northern communities benefit fully, and our sovereignty and security are protected. This is about preventing risk while also unlocking opportunity. In conclusion, we are at a turning point. Global demand is rising, competition is intensifying and Canada has what the world needs, but success also depends on getting it right. It depends on recognizing that rural, northern and indigenous communities are not on the margins of our economy, but at the centre.

Mr. Speaker, I really want to thank my colleague from Bathurst for that. On Thursday, there will be an announcement. I will be at the AGM for one of the Nova Scotia mining associations. With regard to what some of the mining associations are saying about our federal budget update, I would like to read into the record the following quote from the Mining Association of Canada: MAC applauds today’s federal budget, which contains many measures that will enhance the competitiveness of Canadian mining and accelerate investments in critical minerals. Budget 2025 responds directly to several requests from the Mining Association of Canada and follows through on a number of mining-related commitments—

Mr. Speaker, I would like to let my colleague know that is exactly what we are doing right now, debating this bill in the House. With regard to my statements on the Territorial Lands Act, the free entry system in that act remains in place. These amendments are a safeguard in some of the exceptional cases involving Canada's economic security, sovereignty and other national interests. I would also like to talk about Arctic sovereignty and the proposed changes within this amendment, allowing for indigenous economic reconciliation.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to remind my colleague that measures in this bill are providing temporary and immediate relief, expensing for eligible manufacturing and processing buildings. The opposition members want to talk about debating here in the House today. Instead of complaining about the length of time to debate, they should actually be asking some of these debating questions. I also want to let him know that these expenses qualify as Canadian exploration expenses. Within the bill that we are debating today, we are also implementing a crypto asset reporting framework.

Mr. Speaker, whether in rural Nova Scotia, such as in South Shore—St. Margarets, or in the Yukon, Canadians know that strong communities depend on the basics, including homes people can afford, roads and water systems that work, local food security, and infrastructure that withstands a changing climate. Can the parliamentary secretary to the Minister of Northern and Arctic Affairs tell the House how our new government is working with Yukon partners to deliver real, practical results in our northern rural communities?

Mr. Chair, I think it is very condescending when someone asks a question and then turns their back and walks away before hearing the answer. I will be splitting my time this evening with the hon. member for Winnipeg North. As I rise tonight to speak to the Minister of Immigration about an issue that is vital to what we feel is the long-term strength, resilience and sustainability of our country, I would like to talk about the importance of rural and regional immigration. Before I do, I want to share a quick side story about my mother, who immigrated to Canada when she was 10 years old. At the ripe age of 64, last year, she got her citizenship, and I was actually the first person she ever voted for as an immigrant here in Canada. Back to rural and remote communities, they are the backbone of a lot of key sectors, like agriculture, natural resources, health care, tourism and small businesses, yet many of these communities are facing serious demographic challenges. Declining populations, aging workforces and persistent labour shortages are placing real pressure on local economies and essential services. Without thoughtful action, these pressures risk undermining not only community vitality but economic growth and national cohesion. Rural immigration is not simply about population growth. It is about community survival, in some cases. It is about economic sustainability, and it is about ensuring that families can continue to build their futures in every region of this country from coast to coast to coast. In my own region of South Shore—St. Margarets in Nova Scotia, the neighbour riding to the minister's, we have seen first-hand the positive impact that newcomers have in our communities. New Canadians are helping businesses grow. They are supporting local industry, volunteering in our communities, enrolling in our schools and bringing new energy and ideas to rural Nova Scotia. That is why targeted immigration pathways, like our minister has mentioned tonight, especially for rural and remote regions, are so important. They are not simply about filling jobs, though that is critical. They are also about building complete, thriving communities. When newcomers arrive in rural areas, they contribute as entrepreneurs, health care providers, skilled tradespeople and our neighbours. They enrol their children in local schools, support small businesses and strengthen the social fabric that keeps our communities vital. However, we know that attracting newcomers to rural Canada is only one part of that equation. Retention is equally important. That is why our regional levels plan, developed in close collaboration with municipalities, provinces, employers and community organizations, plays a key role. These plans must address housing availability, access services, language training, employment opportunities for spouses and pathways to permanent residency. When we get these elements right, newcomers who come here not only stay in our rural areas but thrive and put down roots. I would also like to take a moment to acknowledge the minister's hard work in this area. The minister has made a real effort to listen to members from all sides of the House. She shows a willingness to engage, to hear diverse perspectives, as we have heard tonight, and to collaborate on solutions when others try to weaponize immigration in our country, solutions that are essential when it comes to building immigration programs that are truly meeting the needs of Canadians. In my role as vice-chair of our national rural caucus, I have had the opportunity to see this first-hand. The minister has taken the time to attend our meetings and to hear directly from other members of Parliament who represent rural and remote communities throughout the country. We have shared the realities faced by our constituents, staffing shortages in hospitals and long-term care homes, the challenges facing farmers and processors, and the need for small towns to grow and renew these populations. More importantly, not only has the minister listened, but she has taken those insights very seriously. Programs designed to support regional immigration reflect, in many ways, that ongoing dialogue. They recognize that a one-size-fits-all approach sometimes does not work in a country as vast and diverse as Canada. Instead, we need flexible, community-driven models that empower local leaders to help shape immigration pathways that align with specific needs. The success of rural immigration programs also depends on this continued partnership: municipal governments, chambers of commerce, etc. As we look ahead, there is an opportunity to build on existing initiatives and expand what is working. This includes scaling successful pilot programs, improving pathways for international students in rural institutions and ensuring that smaller communities have the resources they need to participate fully in immigration programs. In closing, I would like to thank the minister for her willingness to work with us at rural caucus and her lifelong dedication to immigration, previously as a provincial minister in our wonderful province of Nova Scotia and as a strong constituency member of Parliament for Halifax West. I would also like to give a shout-out to her parliamentary secretary, who is also working steadfastly building partnerships, programs and supports for those immigrating to Canada and for communities that look to immigrants to help fill those work spaces. In terms of my question for our minister tonight, I would love to give the minister the opportunity to tell Canadians about this government's core missions.

Mr. Speaker, wildfires do not wait for us to be ready. I am reminded of the wildfires in my riding of South Shore—St. Margarets. The government recognizes the need to work together as a nation to be prepared so that we can protect all Canadians. That is why the government has committed $316 million through budget 2025 to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre to lease firefighting aircraft to establish a surge capacity. Can the Minister of Emergency Management and Community Resilience update the House on how we are better preparing for the upcoming wildfire season?

Mr. Speaker, as one of the members on the Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities, and also as a former educator before coming into this wonderful chamber, I can attest to the importance of reports such as this one that we undertook. It is unfortunate, though, that the reasoning for concurrence in the report is that, basically, the Conservatives did not get the information they wanted. That is why we are here today. I received employment through the federal student work experience program as a student. I can testify that some of these government programs really benefit kids, especially little rural kids like me. Could the hon. member also talk about some of these wonderful youth employment strategy options that we have—

Mr. Speaker, on March 8, we marked International Women's Day, a time to celebrate the achievements of women and to recommit ourselves to building a country where every woman and girl can safely reach their full potential. Gender-based violence continues to affect far too many women across Canada. In my own province of Nova Scotia and in communities across my riding of South Shore—St. Margarets, intimate partner violence remains far too prevalent. That is why our government has launched Canada's first-ever national action plan to end gender-based violence, committing over $500 million to prevention, education and supports for survivors. In its first year alone, 730,000 people across Canada received support through programs funded under this plan. Let us all continue to work together to ensure every woman and girl can live free of violence and discrimination.

Mr. Speaker, in South Shore—St. Margarets, Hawboldt Industries is one of the companies in my riding that is proving that advanced manufacturing for defence is not just an urban story, but is very much a rural one. Rural communities have the talent and the capacity to help Canada meet its defence needs. Can the Secretary of State for Defence Procurement explain how the new defence industrial strategy will expand opportunities for rural manufacturers such as Hawboldt and create good-paying jobs for all Canadians?

Mr. Speaker, I am rising today to present a petition on behalf not only of my constituents but of all Canadians Petitioners call upon the government to protect Canadian media from undue foreign interference and influence, by initiating a formal review of foreign media ownership, introducing stricter rules to prevent foreign entities from holding and controlling interests in Canadian media, and requiring public reporting disclosure for foreign ownership stakeholders in the Canadian media. The petition has garnered over 17,000 signatures in a short period of time. I would also like to thank Guard the Leaf for its diligence regarding this petition.

Mr. Speaker, advancing gender equality is key to building a strong and prosperous Canada where everyone can succeed. While the Conservatives minimize coercive control as normal family behaviour and debate 2SLGBTQI+ rights at their conventions, the government is making sure that organizations across the country have the support they need. Can the Minister of Health share how we are empowering and strengthening national women's organizations across Canada?

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to present a petition on behalf of my constituents of South Shore—St. Margarets, more narrowly the municipality of Barrington, and for the visitors and businesses of the municipality. Petitioners are calling on the government to take immediate action to improve cellular service in their community, citing that the government needs to work closely with telecommunications providers to expand coverage in underserved areas.

Mr. Speaker, it is always a joy to rise on behalf of my constituents in South Shore—St. Margarets. I am very excited today to ask my fellow colleague from Nova Scotia some questions regarding agriculture. Since becoming a new member in the spring, I have talked to a lot of agricultural stakeholders in my riding. They were asking for a lot of things, which I feel budget 2025 would deliver. Budget 2025 would invest in domestic food processing and supply chain resilience. Could the member tell us a bit about how strengthening the Canadian capacity to reduce exposure to global disruptions helps stabilize food prices overall?

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague from Madawaska—Restigouche for being a rural advocate for a lot of the people here in the country. I would also like to talk today about the $20 million to the local food infrastructure fund. I wonder if my colleague could speak to that a bit more and how it aims to deliver more nutritious food to families, not only in his riding and my riding but in all of Canada.

Mr. Speaker, as we observe Black History Month, I rise today to recognize the enduring contributions, resiliency and legacy of Black communities in Nova Scotia and across Canada. In South Shore—St. Margarets, we are home to a significant chapter in Black Canadian history. The Black Loyalist Heritage Centre in Birchtown preserves the stories of the Black Loyalists, men, women and children who sought freedom, built communities and helped shape this country despite immense injustice. Once the largest free Black settlement in British North America, Birchtown remains a powerful symbol of perseverance and hope. I want to recognize the staff, volunteers and descendants who ensure that these stories are never forgotten. Last fall, I was also honoured to attend the unveiling of the No. 2 Construction Battalion monument in Shelburne, commemorating Canada's first and only all-Black military battalion. Black history is Canadian history. This month is a time to learn, reflect and share.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in complete support of Bill C-16, the protecting victims act, and to speak about why this legislation matters so much. It is profoundly important to people in Nova Scotia and in my riding of South Shore—St. Margarets. I am also going to speak today as a former educator and high school principal. Everyone in this chamber can imagine some of the things I have seen in my riding in regard to children. This bill represents one of the most significant updates to Canada's criminal justice system in generations. It is broad in scope, but its purpose is clear: to respond to modern forms of violence and exploitation, to intervene earlier, to protect victims and survivors, and to ensure our justice system works faster and more fairly. Bill C-16 does this through its four pillars: tackling gender-based violence and intimate partner violence; protecting children from predators; strengthening victims' rights; and addressing court delays. That work is urgently needed in Nova Scotia. Our province has some of the highest rates of gender-based violence in the country. Intimate partner violence, criminal harassment and coercive control are persistent realities, particularly in the rural and coastal communities I help represent. In recognition of this, Nova Scotia became the first province in Canada to declare intimate partner violence an epidemic. That declaration reflected what survivors, advocates and frontline workers already knew. This violence is systemic, patterned and too often predictable. Bill C-16 meets that reality head-on. Under its first pillar, the bill takes decisive action that would prevent violence before it becomes lethal. For the first time in Canadian law, it would create a new offence for a pattern of coercive and controlling conduct toward an intimate partner. Survivors have told us repeatedly that abuse is rarely about one single incident. It is about isolation, intimidation, surveillance, financial control and psychological manipulation. These patterns strip away safety and autonomy long before physical violence appears. By naming coercive control as a criminal offence, Bill C-16 would give law enforcement and the courts a tool to intervene earlier, when lives can still be saved. This bill also recognizes the severity of violence driven by control and fear. It would provide that murders committed in the context of coercive control, sexual violence, human trafficking or hate are femicides committed against a woman and would be treated as first-degree murders, even where traditional planning and deliberation are difficult to prove. This reflects the lived reality of many intimate partner homicides that are not spontaneous acts but rather the end point of long, documented patterns of abuse. This bill would further require courts to consider life imprisonment for manslaughter committed in those same circumstances. These reforms closely align with the work being done on the ground by organizations like the Be the Peace Institute in Nova Scotia. Be the Peace focuses on root causes of gender-based violence, unequal power, rigid gender norms and systems that fail to centre survivors. This trauma-informed, feminist and intersectional approach reminds us that prevention requires structural change, not just punishment after harm has occurred. Bill C-16 reflects the same understanding by recognizing patterns of control and exploitation as violence in their own right. I am also proud to have served on the board of directors of the Second Story Women's Centre in my riding, which supports women, girls and gender-diverse people across the south shore. The Second Story Women's Centre provides counselling, advocacy, safety and support within its community. I have seen first-hand how many survivors endure years of coercive control, which has never quite fit legal definitions before. Bill C-16 would help close that gap by aligning the Criminal Code with the realities that survivors and frontline workers have always understood. It would modernize the offence of criminal harassment. It would remove the requirement that a victim must prove they subjectively fear for their safety, and replace it with a reasonable personal standard. This change matters. It matters deeply for victims who are stalked, monitored or intimidated, and for those whose fears have been minimized or questioned in the past. In terms of my being an educator of youth, under the second pillar, Bill C-16 would strengthen protections for children and youth, particularly in an increasingly digital world. As a former educator, I want to speak clearly about this. In classrooms, we see the consequences of online exploitation every day: anxiety, shame, isolation and fear. The bill would update the Criminal Code to address harms that barely existed when many of our laws were written. It would expand the offence of non-consensual distribution of intimate images to include AI-generated sexual deepfakes, recognizing how technology is being weaponized against young people, especially young girls. It would criminalize threats to distribute sexual abuse material. It would directly address sextortion, which is one of the fastest-growing forms of online exploitation of children. Bill C-16 would also expand child-luring and sextortion offences. It would create a new offence for recruiting a person under 18 into criminal activity. This is something I have seen hands-on, with boots on the ground, during my time as a principal. The bill seeks to strengthen mandatory reporting and data-driven preservation obligations for online service providers. These measures reflect how predators groom, manipulate and exploit children today, often across multiple platforms and jurisdictions. The bill would restore mandatory minimum penalties for child sexual offences while adding a safety-valve clause to ensure constitutional fairness. This would respond to years of legal uncertainty that weakens deterrence and accountability for the most serious crimes committed against children. The third pillar of Bill C-16 focuses on strengthening victims' rights. The bill would enhance the Canadian Victims Bill of Rights by affirming that victims be treated with respect, courtesy, compassion and fairness. “Fairness” is a key word. The bill would provide victims with information proactively, without requiring them to navigate complex systems or make formal requests. It would expand access to testimonial aids, clarify victims' rights in order to protect impact statements at sentencing and parole, and improve information sharing under the Corrections and Conditional Release Act. These changes respond directly to what victims have been telling us on all sides of this chamber: The justice system can be retraumatizing, confusing and isolating. Organizations in my riding like Thriving Twogether, a grassroots non-profit working in southwestern Nova Scotia, see this every day. Thriving Twogether supports individuals and families affected by gender-based violence, addiction and human trafficking, recognizing—

Mr. Speaker, As the season slowly gentles on South Shore—St. Margarets land, there is a warmth across our villages that only we understand. From Lunenburg's bright storefronts to Cape Sable Island's cold sprays, our communities shine brighter than the shortest of winter days. The lobster boats are twinkling as they head out on the dawn, and the families gently gather as the holiday lights come on. In Liverpool, Tantallon and Bridgewater, and the coves that line our shores, kindness moves from door to door and lifts our spirits evermore. This time of year reminds us of the ties that truly bind, the neighbours who step up for us, the generous hearts we find. From volunteers to small businesses, from first responders to friends, the magic of our riding is the way that never ends. So as we look to the new year, with hope in every heart, may peace and joy find you all wherever you may start. South Shore—St. Margarets, my gratitude rings clear. Happy holidays to everyone. A bright, resilient year.

Mr. Speaker, I want to begin by acknowledging my colleague, the member for Mégantic—L'Érable—Lotbinière, for his courage in bringing forward Bill C-231, the friends of David act. His openness in sharing his family's tragic experience reminds us that every policy discussion in this House must remain centred on real people, real families and, unfortunately, sometimes real loss. I extend my heartfelt condolences to him and his loved ones. Before entering public life, I spent many years working as an educator and administrator. In that role, I saw children and young people carry in their backpacks burdens that are far heavier than any child should ever have to carry. Addiction, especially in youth, is not an individual struggle. It becomes a family struggle. It reshapes homes, disrupts education and pushes parents into impossible positions where they must become caregivers, counsellors, caseworkers and crisis response teams all at once. Those experiences stay with us. They shape how we see policy and remind us that behind every bill, every motion and every debate in this chamber, there is a young person who simply wants a chance to be well. In my constituency work in South Shore—St. Margarets, that truth comes up again and again. I have sat with families that are exhausted from navigating fragmented systems. I have spoken with youth whose involvement in the justice system began only after their addiction had gone untreated, sometimes for years. I have heard from parents who are on wait-lists for services that should never have to be wait-listed at all. One mother told me that loving a child with addiction feels like breathing with only half a lung. Another said every day is a mix of hope and fear, hope that their child will finally get the help needed and fear that the window for help might close. Those stories guide me as I reflect on my colleague's bill, Bill C-231, and the important issue it raises about treatment and rehabilitation for young people involved in the youth justice system. The heart of this bill seeks a deeply human question: How do we make sure that young people struggling with addiction get the right supports at the right time? That is the question I believe this House must focus on. We know that the Youth Criminal Justice Act already contains pathways for treatment, whether through diversion, integrated case planning, probation conditions or delayed sentencing when appropriate, but the reality in too many parts of this country is that the services themselves are not always there when they are needed. A law can direct a young person to treatment, a judge can recommend it, a family can beg for it, but if the treatment does not exist or the wait-lists are months long or transportation is impossible or aftercare is inconsistent, then we are setting young people up for failure, those who need help the most. For me, this bill is an opportunity. It is an opportunity to talk about strengthening access, strengthening coordination and ensuring that youth who come into contact with the justice system do so in a way that leads to stability and not toward deeper harm. It is also important that we maintain flexibility, so that every young person's unique needs can be met. Some will require addiction treatment. Others will need trauma-informed therapies, mental health supports or longer-term residential care. Many will need wraparound programs that continue, like family counselling, cultural supports or aftercare that extends beyond the courtroom. We cannot take a one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to youth, something I have said for years. Their lives, their experiences and their healing journeys are way too diverse. As this bill continues through the legislative process, I believe our work should focus on ensuring that youth have timely access to services and the laws that direct them toward it, that judges retain the ability to tailor conditions to the needs of each individual youth, that treatment is part of a holistic rehabilitative program rather than a stand-alone obligation, and that, most importantly, aftercare, such as community programs and family supports, is recognized as an essential component of recovery, not just optional ones. Treatment is not a single event. Treatment is a pathway. For too many young people, that pathway is broken long before they step into a courtroom. I saw it many times in my classroom or in the offices when I was an administrator. As someone who spent time with both educators and families, someone whose community includes youth who are struggling right now, and someone who has walked alongside parents who carry the fear of losing their child every day, I want this to be unequivocal: Young people deserve every possible chance to heal, recover and rebuild their lives. Our role, for every one of us in this chamber, is to make sure that the systems surrounding them actually make that possible. This is what my colleague is trying to do with his bill. If this bill helps bring us closer to a more compassionate, responsible and supportive youth justice system, then we owe it to our young people across the country to work together and to get this right. We cannot change the past that brought so many youth into this justice system, but we can change what happens next. We can ensure that, when a young person reaches out for help or when a court directs them to help, that help is truly there. That is the responsibility we hold. It is the work that is ahead of us, and it is what young people in Canada deserve. I support the work of my colleague.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to highlight an exceptional young athlete from Hubbards, 13-year-old Asher Davis. Asher has been selected to represent Canada at the inaugural Panamerican Optimist Championship in Buenos Aires next month. Out of 15 youth across the country, he is the only sailor chosen from Atlantic Canada, which is an incredible achievement and a proud moment for our community. A proud member of the Hubbards Sailing Club, he has been training tirelessly to meet this moment. His family and neighbours have rallied with him, showing once again how our communities lift up their young people and help them reach big opportunities and experiences. I ask all members to join in congratulating Asher today and wishing him the very best next month as he represents team Canada and the South Shore on the world stage. I send my congratulations to Asher. We are all cheering him on.

Mr. Speaker, I commend the work that is being done within the ministry in regard to the school food program. As many members know in this House, I was an educator for almost two decades and an administrator who helped with that program in Nova Scotia. Nova Scotia was actually one of the first proponents that signed on to this national program, and it has since been an exemplar for the program. I know, from being an administrator, when I was signing off on it, sometimes we think that it is just one meal a day. We can flip that and say it is one healthy meal a day. I know, and my colleagues who are educators all across the country will know, just how important it is for kids, cognitively, when they have their bellies full. How does the secretary of state feel about having this program that is not a one-off announcement? This is now one of our core funded programs, and I wanted to know how she feels about it.

Mr. Speaker, I will be sharing my time with the member for Spadina—Harbourfront. Today I rise to talk about my strong support for Bill C-15, the budget implementation act, and to highlight what this legislation means to the hard-working tradespeople who keep Canada moving forward every single day. The trades are not just jobs; they are the backbone of our economy, the foundation of our infrastructure and the heart of our communities. In a country as large and diverse as Canada, skilled trades workers are essential in every region, from our busiest cities to our most rural coastal towns. That is even more evident in my own riding of South Shore—St. Margarets. It is our tradespeople who keep our fisheries running, maintain our homes and our public buildings, and build the wharves, the roads, and the bridges that connect us. They support the marine, forestry and housing sectors that anchor our rural economies. From the traditional boatbuilders in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, to the electricians and carpenters in Bridgewater to the welders and machinists in Liverpool, these workers are essential to our way of life, to everyone's way of life. They are the people residents call when a storm damages a roof, when a community hall needs repairs, when a family business needs an addition or when a vessel must be brought back to life after decades at sea. As a member of the Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities, I hear directly from workers, unions, business owners and educators. We hear regularly about the challenges tradespeople face: the cost of living, affordable housing, the cost of modernizing equipment and the importance of practical, hands-on training opportunities to keep pace with new technologies. Bill C-15 as a whole responds to those concerns, not with slogans but with real, tangible, practical measures that will make a meaningful difference for workers and small businesses from coast to coast to coast. Today, I want to highlight five of the most significant measures in this budget and how it supports trades workers and strengthens the industries they power. The first measure in the budget is the productivity superdeduction. This measure would allow businesses to immediately write off 100% of eligible capital investments. This means that small and medium-sized businesses, especially the shops that form the backbone of our communities, can upgrade their equipment right away without waiting years for depreciation to keep up. The second measure is the clean electricity investment tax credit. This 15% refundable tax credit would help businesses invest in renewable energy and energy-efficient upgrades. In communities like mine, where the economy is closely tied to the ocean, clean energy investments are not just good for the environment, but reduce operating costs and create new opportunities for trades. Imagine vessel sheds and processing plants with solar panels. Imagine a small business with a battery storage system that can protect against outages during storms. Imagine community buildings, marinas, workshops and boatyards completing energy-efficient retrofits that cut costs while putting local electricians, installers and energy professionals at work. The third thing I would like to talk about, and why I am supporting this budget, is the investments in infrastructure and climate resilience. Budget 2025 would accelerate the permitting of major infrastructure projects, something rural and coastal communities are desperately in need of. Faster permitting means less time waiting for more building. Who does not like that? Oh wait, maybe it is those across the aisle. There would be more work for concrete crews, heavy equipment operators, carpenters and marine construction teams. Who does not like that? This past summer, the town of Mahone Bay became a national model in my riding when it received federal support to build a living shoreline that protects homes, businesses and public spaces from storm surges and erosion. This shows what is possible when different levels of government work together and when trades workers are empowered to bring climate-resilient designs to life.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the incredible bravery of a young constituent, Ms. Elaina Shay of Lunenburg County. On August 22, as hurricane Erin passed by Nova Scotia, Elaina and her mother were visiting Hirtle's Beach to watch the waves. What began as a calm afternoon quickly turned into sudden surges, which swept a woman off of her feet and pulled her into deep, powerful water. Without hesitation, Elaina leapt from her chair, ran into the waves and lifted the woman to her feet, guiding her safely back to shore against the force of the current. Thanks to her quick thinking, courage and selflessness, a life was saved that day. Elaina's mother, Jane Veinot-Taker, later reached out to our office to request a certificate of life-saving award in recognition of her daughter's heroic actions. Elaina Shay is an inspiring example of courage and compassion in our community. We are proud to recognize her bravery here today.

Mr. Speaker, I am honoured to rise today in strong support of Bill C-234, introduced by my colleague, the member for Edmonton Manning. This legislation would establish a living donor recognition medal, a meaningful and long-overdue way to honour Canadians who make one of the most selfless decisions a human can make, the decision to give life. Today, 4,044 Canadians are waiting for a life-saving organ transplant. Behind each number is a family waiting for the phone to ring, hoping for another chance and living in that difficult space between fear and possibility, yet the hopeful truth is that most of these Canadians could be saved by a living donor. Living donors take the real risk. They undergo major surgery, stepping forward out of generosity, compassion and courage. They receive no compensation and often very little public recognition. As the sponsor of this bill has shared so powerfully, on December 8, 2003, he donated part of his liver to save the life of his son, Tyler. This extraordinary act reflects the very best of who we are as Canadians, a quiet, determined courage rooted in love and responsibility, but he is not alone. Hundreds of Canadians today are alive because someone stood up and said, “Yes, I will help.” This could be a parent, like my fellow colleague was, a sibling, a friend or even a stranger. One transplant recipient once said that a thank-you card is not enough, saying, “I wish we could do a proper job of recognizing them.” Bill C-234 answers that call. A living donor recognition medal would provide the first and only formal national honour for living organ donors. It is non-monetary, non-partisan and deeply meaningful. It is a way for us to say that their courage matters, their sacrifice is seen and their gift changed a life. Canada recognizes bravery, compassion and service. This bill would simply extend that principle to those who embody all three. If adopted, Canada would become only the second country in the world to formally recognize living donors with a national honours system. That would send a positive, powerful signal, not only of gratitude but of leadership. It sparks conversation, shifts culture and encourages more Canadians to think seriously about organ donation. I am especially proud to rise here as a Nova Scotian from South Shore—St. Margarets because Nova Scotia has been a leader in this area. We were the first jurisdiction in North America to introduce a presumed consent model, which is automatic donor registration with the option for individuals to opt out. This bold and compassionate policy recognizes a simple truth that more donation means more lives saved. It reflects something deep within our province's character, a belief in community, responsibility and looking out for one another, which are all values of Canadians. While presumed consent addresses deceased donation, Bill C-234 complements that leadership by honouring those who choose living donation. Together, these efforts form a continuum of care, one that ensures more Canadians can access the transplants they need and that those who make donation possible will receive the recognition they deserve. In my own riding of South Shore—St. Margarets, I have heard the stories of parents hoping for more time with their children, of spouses supporting one another through illness and of neighbours rallying around families during moments of crisis. These stories remind me that public policy is never abstract. It lives in our communities, in our hospital rooms, around our kitchen tables and even in the classroom where I was a teacher before becoming a member of Parliament. I remember that, just last year, in my citizenship class, I gave a current event that was all about living organ donors. As we read it together as a class and discussed it, all of a sudden I recognized that, at the back of the room, my resource support teacher had put his hand up. I asked Mr. Thorpe if he had a question or comment. He said that he was indeed a living donor, that seven years ago he had donated a part of his liver to a family member. It is acts like that. This medal will not solve our entire transplant backlog, but it will do something profoundly important, as the teacher I worked with before did. It will honour heroism. It will validate sacrifice. It will encourage new conversations about living donation, conversations that will save lives. The bill has support across every party. Look at us here in the House today. Every region is represented through its sponsorship and every corner of the House is represented with the bill. That unity reflects something vital, that compassion is non-partisan, that gratitude is non-partisan and that saving lives is non-partisan. Today, I am proud to stand as an official seconder of Bill C-234. I urge all members to support this initiative and to move it forward without delay. It is symbolic but symbols matter. Recognition changes culture; we spark conversations among families, workplaces and communities. This medal will not solve all organ shortages on its own, but it will help build that culture of support. Let us honour those remarkable Canadians who give the greatest gift that one human can give to another, the gift of life.

Mr. Speaker, this week we are joined by over 80 outstanding educators from across Canada who are taking part in the Teachers Institute on Canadian Parliamentary Democracy, many of whom are here today. As a former educator, I know how deeply teachers shape the minds and values of the next generation. Though I now serve in the chamber, I will always see myself as a lifelong learner, a lesson taught to me by many dedicated colleagues over the years. I am especially proud to recognize my former colleague Darcie Moore, from Forest Heights Community School, who is one of the lead organizers of this incredible program. To the teachers here today, and to those in classrooms from coast to coast to coast, I thank them for the work they do each and every day that inspires, challenges and empowers the next generation of Canadians. To all the educators, I welcome them to Parliament Hill and thank them for the difference they make in the lives of young Canadians every single day.

Mr. Speaker, fishing is the economic engine of my community in South Shore—St. Margarets, but many of the people in my riding are concerned about the conservation of lobster and the risks to the industry posed by illegal fishing. The fisheries officers on the front lines are doing everything they can, but it appears that illegal fishing persists. Can the minister please tell me what she has been doing to combat illegal fishing? Has her plan been working?

Mr. Speaker, during Women's History Month, I rise today to recognize an extraordinary female athlete from my riding of South Shore—St. Margarets, Sarah Mitton of Liverpool, Queens County, Nova Scotia. Sarah is a history-maker, one throw at a time. Born and raised in Liverpool, she has become one of Canada's greatest track and field athletes. A national champion in her junior years, Sarah burst onto the international scene by capturing gold at the 2019 Summer Universiade, or the World University Games. In 2022, Sarah made our country proud once again by winning gold at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham and setting multiple Canadian records in shot put. She also became the first Canadian woman ever to reach the world championship final in her event, a remarkable milestone. She went on to represent Canada at both the Tokyo and Paris Olympic Games, proudly wearing the maple leaf on the world's biggest stage. While she competes among the world's best—

Mr. Speaker, that is exactly what I just spoke about in my speech. It is about rebuilding that culture of trust. We can talk about the last 10 years of government or the last 10 years of this, but the bill would address recommendations that have been given to us. It is about amending the NDA to address Arbour's recommendations, which will, in turn, support victims. I look forward to your voting with us on the bill when it comes time.

Mr. Speaker, good morning to my colleague. When he asks that question, I reflect back to 2021 and how the military police has been asking complainants whether they wish for their cases to be investigated in the military or through civilian police. What we have been looking at, which is part of the recommendations list, is that we need to take the two apart and have it run through our civilian justice system.

Mr. Speaker, I agree with the member about the backlog, and it is unfortunate that we even have to talk about backlog when it comes to violence of a sexual nature within the military or within civilian life. I would also like to mention that as of July 29, 2024, the military police had referred 150 case files of offences in the criminal sexual offences code to civilian police, through federal, provincial, territorial and municipal agencies, since 2021. Following these consultations, or complaints, of these 150 cases, 103 of them have been accepted while 46 files have been declined by civilian police. Although the numbers are not 103 for 103, this tells me there is progress being made.

Mr. Speaker, happy World Egg Day. It is a celebration that unites people around the globe in honour of one of nature's most perfect foods, the egg. Across Canada, more than 1,200 egg farmers work every day to produce fresh, local, high-quality eggs for families to enjoy year-round. Here in South Shore—St. Margarets, incredible producers like DeLong Farms, a third-generation farm, carry on proud farming traditions, providing nutritious foods while supporting good, local jobs and sustainable agriculture. With a flock of nearly 40,000 hens, DeLong Farms has become one of the major wholesalers of eggs in western Nova Scotia, ensuring that families across our region enjoy nutritious, made-in-Nova-Scotia eggs. As Roger Pelissero, the chair of Egg Farmers of Canada, reminds us, eggs are truly the perfect food. They are protein-packed and endlessly versatile. Now, let us get cracking.