Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, it is a privilege to rise here today to represent the people of eastern P.E.I. Like many residents of Canada, they are frustrated by the trend of increasing banking fees and charges. Our government has taken action by capping non-sufficient fund fees. These can run as high as $50, and they impact mostly low-income Canadians. In many cases these fees add up to hundreds of dollars over …
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Mr. Speaker, I was here all morning listening to the debate, and the opposition members continually brought up the idea that the industrial carbon price is a solution to all the woes with food prices. They particularly mentioned beef going up 19%. I also heard comments from the agriculture committee this morning. The president and chief executive officer of the Canadian Meat Council reported to th…
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Mr. Speaker, the member opposite mentioned in his speech the Conservatives' favourite professor, the food professor. I take exception to the food professor. He does not have all the answers on food prices in Canada. In particular, we can look at prices under supply management, which have stayed in the inflationary range instead of escalating. Could the member speak to that? Does he support supply …
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Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Canada's national heritage fair winners. These are projects that highlight the curiosity and learning among our youth across the nation. One of the winning projects, by Cora Lukeman, focused on women in farming. It celebrates the strength, leadership and legacy of women in agriculture. Let us picture a young girl holding a bag of P.E.I. potatoes. They were…
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to take a moment to acknowledge my family joining me in Ottawa today. I thank them for their love and support, and as a special shout-out to my sister, I say, happy birthday. I want to extend my warmest holiday wishes to everyone across the Cardigan riding, Prince Edward Island and indeed Canada, especially those volunteers and those working in essential services througho…
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Mr. Speaker, the national school food program is helping out over 400,000 children by providing them with healthy meals and snacks, yet Conservatives called this program “garbage” and voted against it. Let us talk about what some of the largest advocates for children in Canada have to say. The Breakfast Club of Canada said that “children's well-being must remain a national priority”. Pediatric hea…
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Mr. Speaker, I rise today with a bit of a heavy heart. I want to take a moment to acknowledge the passing of Cardigan fire chief Tony VandenBroek. Tony is gone way too soon. Chief Tony was a dedicated leader and committed volunteer in his community. His decades of service reflect his courage, compassion and unwavering commitment to keeping others safe. I also want to express my appreciation for th…
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Mr. Speaker, budget 2025 is about building communities strong, and the SeaRoots Alliance will have a new wellness centre in the town I grew up in, Souris, P.E.I. I played hockey in the old arena and the arena before that, so that is dating me very well. This is an example of community creating new community builders. Those in group that spearheaded the SeaRoots Alliance, which has applied for fund…
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Mr. Speaker, of course I am concerned about affordability in P.E.I. This budget puts lots of measures in that would address affordability. The other big thing it would do is invest in our communities, which is going to create well-paying jobs throughout the community, address unemployment issues and give our youth a future with new, successful careers.
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, in eastern Prince Edward Island fishing is not just an industry; it is a way of life and part of our identity. More than 1,200 licensed harvesters contribute over $300 million annually to the island economy, with lobster alone accounting for nearly 70% of our landed value. Over the past several months, I have had the opportunity to meet with fishers and the industry stakeholders in th…
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Mr. Speaker, could the member for Winnipeg North address our building Canada strong and how it is going to improve electricity to all regions of the country?
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Mr. Speaker, I disagree with my Bloc colleague across the way. I have heard the culture minister speak, even this week in question period, and we talk about an arts and culture investment of $700 million. We talk about media investment of $150 million to media outlets like CBC/Radio-Canada. Our government is addressing the media and arts and culture, particularly in the province of Quebec.
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Mr. Speaker, I know our government needs to support trade diversification. If we want to do that, we have to maintain a strategy to meet our climate change commitments, and the industrial carbon tax is part of that strategy. Many of our global trading partners will be receptive to new trade deals if we remain committed to addressing climate change.
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Mr. Speaker, I am proud to rise today to speak in support of Bill C-15. It is a financial plan that would deliver meaningful results for Canadians and real progress for Islanders, especially those living in eastern Prince Edward Island, where my riding is located. The budget builds on the work that our rural, Atlantic and national caucus teams have championed, with investments that strengthen rura…
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate the Souris Lions Club on celebrating its 70th anniversary. It is a remarkable milestone for one of Prince Edward Island's most dedicated service clubs. Since 1955, the Souris Lions have shown dedication and community pride. From supporting local families and improving accessibility to organizing blood donor clinics and youth programs, its impact can be fel…
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Mr. Speaker, I am a new member; it has been five months.
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre reported that, in 2024 alone, Canadians lost millions of dollars to fraud. There is not one person in this House today who does not know a senior, a newcomer or a vulnerable person who has been affected by financial abuse and scams. Yesterday, our government announced that it is taking action. Can the Minister of Finance provide an update on how our new …
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, it is harvest time on Prince Edward Island. What better way to celebrate than the Fall Flavours Food and Drink Festival? The festival runs until October 11. This annual event highlights the best island flavours and hospitality with farm fresh produce and delicious seafood. In the Cardigan riding, communities are hosting many unforgettable experiences, such as the Taste of Georgetown i…
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Mr. Speaker, there are many things going on. I just spoke about investing in hydroponics and greenhouses, so we can grow food and gain more food security. There is also a clean energy corridor that is part of our build Canada program. We are looking forward to that in Atlantic Canada as we look for clean energy solutions, such as wind and hydro.
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Mr. Speaker, I will be sharing my time with the member for Kingston and the Islands. I appreciate the opportunity to participate in today's debate. Our government is committed to doing everything it can to help make life more affordable for people from B.C. to Nunavut to P.E.I. Today, I would like to highlight the measures we are taking to build the strongest economy in the G7 while bringing down …
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Mr. Speaker, there are many programs we have announced so far that have had a big impact on Canadians, particularly in P.E.I and in my riding of Cardigan. For example, we reduced the cost of the ferry by 50%, and we put the bridge toll at $20. This is adding to economic activity in P.E.I. Trucking has come down. Food affordability will come down as a result of that. Many islanders are realizing th…
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Mr. Speaker, I will let the hon. member know that I produced food for over 40 years before I took time to come up here and give back to my community. I will take no lessons from the hon. member. Would the hon. member not agree that food security is very important to Canadians, and it is more important that we invest in greenhouses, hydroponics and the growing of vegetables in controlled environmen…
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate the hon. member for South Shore—St. Margarets on her detailed speech on housing. Because I come from a rural riding, I will ask this: How is the housing strategy that our government has presented going to help rural communities meet their housing requirements?
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Mr. Speaker, I thank the member opposite for his support of this bill. We have heard the opposition call for the removal of the industrial carbon price. I would like to hear the member's views on that. The party on this side of the House thinks that we have to charge heavy polluters, which is why we are maintaining that part of the bill. Could he give his views on that?
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to welcome my colleague from Madawaska—Restigouche to the House. I know, from discussions with him, that our ridings are very similar in their makeup, or their mosaic. The message I heard when I was going door to door was that we had to make life more affordable. Our government has put this bill forward. I would like him to expand his thoughts on that and what he heard at…
Read full speech →Statements By Members
Mr. Speaker, on Saturday I was proud to mark International Trails Day in Morell, Prince Edward Island, which was one of 13 communities across the country where Trans Canada Trail supported events to celebrate and give back to the trail. In Morell, we rolled up our sleeves and planted trees alongside neighbours and volunteers, contributing to a greener, more resilient trail for future generations. …
Read full speech →Speech from the Throne
Mr. Speaker, I am from the sector of dairy farming, where supply management greatly affects the marketability and profitability of our farms. Our government has been quite clear, and the Minister of Agriculture, a colleague of mine from Prince Edward Island, has been quite clear: Supply management will not be on the bargaining table when we negotiate with our southern neighbours. I am proud of the…
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Mr. Speaker, it is hard to answer that question in 20 seconds. However, I have managed a dairy business for almost 40 years, so I know how to budget. An operating budget and a fixed budget is the proper way to manage the finances of this nation, just like the way I manage the finances of my business.
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Mr. Speaker, having spent most of my life as a dairy farmer in eastern Prince Edward Island, I would like to take this opportunity to raise a glass to all the dairy farmers across this nation. As members may know, World Milk Day was June 1. It is a day celebrated around the world. It highlights the nutritional value of milk and recognizes the hard work of our dairy farmers, the women and men who w…
Read full speech →Speech from the Throne
Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to rise in the House today on behalf of the people of Cardigan, Prince Edward Island. I thank them for the trust they placed in me, and I assure them that I am here to work for all my constituents, regardless of who they voted for. I want to take a moment to thank my family: my wife Catherine, my son Alex and all my extended family, who have stepped up and taken over m…
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Mr. Speaker, in my speech, I talked about creating community co-ops in the lobster fishing industry. The lobster fishermen are experiencing lower prices than normal this year and have to get a steady say in the marketplace. An avenue to do that is to create community co-ops. I will be pursuing efforts with the federal government to fund some of those initiatives. In addition, the reductions in the…
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Mr. Speaker, I think the Prime Minister has made it clear there will be only a few named projects that will be fast-tracked. The remainder of the projects will be under the scrutiny of the process we have followed in the past, so there will be a lot of time for feedback and discussion on anything that is going to affect the environment.
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