Sean Casey

Mr. Speaker, back in January 2023, I had the honour of being invited to an event where the special guest was the executive chairman of Maple Leaf Foods, Michael McCain, a very well-known businessman and philanthropist. It was a meeting of Liberal members of Parliament who were interested in business and economic growth. At one point in the meeting, Mr. McCain was asked, “If you had one piece of advice for the Government of Canada, what would it be?” I forget a lot of what happened in the meeting, but I remember his answer to that question. It was that every single federal government department, every single Crown corporation and everything that is affiliated with the Government of Canada should have in their mission statement the word “competitiveness”. I invite the parliamentary secretary to reflect on that and how it aligns with what we are doing in Bill C-39.

Mr. Speaker, under the provisions of Standing Order 32(2), I have the honour to table, in electronic format and in both official languages, the 2025-26 annual report of the Office of the Veterans Ombud.

Mr. Speaker, last week, a funeral took place at the Eastlink Centre hockey arena for a true Prince Edward Island legend, Forbes Kennedy. Raised in Charlottetown, Forbie built an extraordinary career in professional hockey, playing more than 600 games in the NHL with the Chicago Blackhawks, the Detroit Red Wings, the Boston Bruins, the Philadelphia Flyers and the Toronto Maple Leafs. Known for his toughness, determination and fierce loyalty to his teammates, he earned the respect of players and fans across North America. Beyond the rink, Islanders knew him as someone who never forgot where he came from. Forbes Kennedy represented the grit, humility and work ethic that Islanders value so deeply. He coached generations of young athletes and remained an important figure in our province's rich hockey and baseball history. I offer sincere condolences to Forbes's family, friends, former teammates and all those mourning his loss. May his memory continue to inspire, both on and off the ice.

Madam Speaker, Oxford University Press chose the word of the year in 2025. That word was “rage bait”, and that speech was exhibit A. When the member claims there has been $4.2 billion cut from the Veterans Affairs budget, he knows better. He knows that the $4.2 billion is an actuarial calculation that simply states the present value of a future obligation for medical cannabis, which is now being reimbursed to veterans at the market rate. There are no cutbacks. The same amount of cannabis is being distributed, only now the price that is being paid is the market rate. That is what is reflected in the $4 billion. Rage baiting is when one takes that and misconstrues it into something they know full well it is not. Is the member ready now to stand up and acknowledge that is in fact the case and stop the rage baiting?

Mr. Speaker, May is Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Month, a time to recognize the strength and resilience of the nearly 90,000 Canadians living with MS, including many in my home province of Prince Edward Island. This week on Parliament Hill, representatives from MS Canada met with members of Parliament to advocate for a $15-million investment in MS research. This funding would help Canada continue to work alongside international research partners toward what so many families are hoping for, a cure. To everyone living with MS, along with the caregivers, researchers, advocates and organizations such as MS Canada, I thank them for their leadership and their perseverance. Together, we will keep pushing for better treatments, stronger supports and, ultimately, a world free of MS.

Mr. Speaker, on this side of the House, we believe in evidence-based decision-making as opposed to decision-based evidence-making. We heard language like “often unsolicited offers of death” and people being “bombarded with requests”. We heard several anecdotes that came well short, in my view, of coercion, but we only heard anecdotes. My question for this member is this. This is proposing an amendment to the Criminal Code of Canada. What is the evidentiary basis? Is there anything more than second- and third-hand, unproven anecdotal stories?

Mr. Speaker, medical assistance in dying is deeply personal. It is also exceptionally complicated, with ethical, religious, constitutional and political elements. Members should make no mistake: Bill C-260 is the most recent instalment in the Conservative pattern of repeatedly sowing fear among communities of faith. During last year's election campaign, many Canadians bought into the Conservative messaging that the Liberals planned to remove charitable status for faith-based organizations. This, of course, was not true and has never come to pass, but the fear stoked by it mobilized voters and donors. The mission was accomplished, I suppose. Off the success of that misinformation campaign, we witnessed the drawn-out spectacle of the debate with respect to the exemption for religious speech as hate speech, where logic and precedent had no place, only fear, hyperbole and, yes, fundraising. Communities of faith deserve better. They deserve respect. They can handle the truth. They can appreciate and understand nuance. Today, then, is the latest attempt to use anecdotes and either anonymous or unverified accusations to build a case designed with fear in mind and faith communities as the target. Members should make no mistake: Bill C-260 is a solution in search of a problem. Nowhere is this more true than in the allegations we just heard with respect to veterans. As the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Veterans Affairs, I can assure the House and all Canadians that the very foundation of Veterans Affairs Canada, its purpose, is to honour and commemorate those who have served in the Canadian Armed Forces and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and to ensure that they receive the support they need after leaving the military. Veterans have dedicated their lives to serving our nation, sometimes at great personal sacrifice. Canada owes them respect and care, as well as a commitment to help them live in dignity after their service ends. It must be understood that medical assistance in dying was never a Veterans Affairs Canada program or service, and that employees were never directed or encouraged to discuss the subject with veterans. It has never been that way. It will never be that way. In 2022, when it was brought to the department's attention that a Veterans Affairs employee spoke inappropriately about medical assistance in dying, VAC immediately apologized to the veterans involved, launched a comprehensive investigation and put safeguards in place to prevent something similar from ever happening again, including but not limited to robust training and unambiguous expectations of conduct. Simply put, MAID is not and never will be a policy of Veterans Affairs Canada. The investigation reviewed over 400,000 files dating back to 2016. It found that the inappropriate statements were not indicative of a systemic problem; rather, they were isolated incidents involving a single employee who raised the issue four separate times. That person is no longer employed at Veterans Affairs Canada. If someone seeks advice on or assistance with medical assistance in dying, employees are trained to refer them to their primary care provider, as they do with respect to any other request for medical guidance. These measures, communicated clearly in writing and supported by ongoing training, reinforce VAC's commitment to providing veterans and their families with high-quality, respectful and appropriate support while maintaining strict boundaries regarding medical assistance in dying. Understanding the concerns, circumstances, needs and wishes of individual veterans allows VAC staff to then advise them on all of the benefits, services and programs for which they may be eligible. Frontline staff also receives training on how to de-escalate difficult situations with clients and report significant incidents that require further attention. This ensures that any inappropriate comments are dealt with immediately. Training for employees who interact with veterans and their families includes official courses and structured on-the-job training. Discussions and consultations with subject matter experts will help to reinforce the knowledge and skills of Veterans Affairs Canada employees as they carry out their duties. The department also sends regular reminders to frontline staff to ensure that expectations are clearly understood. What is more, Veterans Affairs Canada provides additional on-the-job training specifically for case managers. These employees work directly, one-on-one, with veterans and their families to assess their needs and objectives, identify challenges and develop plans to help them access the information and services they need. Before interacting with clients, case managers must pass an intensive seven-week course. This practical, interactive learning experience allows them to learn while working with active, real-life cases as opposed to scenarios. The result is that case managers can hit the ground running, delivering services to veterans in as timely a manner as possible. Despite all of this, there are still moments when a veteran may raise the issue of medical assistance in dying. VAC officials are trained to explain the implications of such a decision on their families. If a veteran has chosen to pursue medical assistance in dying with their primary care provider and shares this information with a member of the veteran service team, VAC staff can support the veteran in navigating benefits and services that are available. Support can include resource coordination and navigation, such as connecting a veteran and their family to community resources, mental health practitioners, grief counsellors, pastoral outreach or other local resources. It also includes a broad range of supports to help veterans and their families adjust to life after service. If there are veterans who need help, I encourage them to contact Veterans Affairs Canada. One of Veterans Affairs Canada's core priorities is, and always will be, to provide practical and compassionate services to ensure that veterans have access to services tailored to their specific needs. These services include programs designed to promote physical health and well-being, as well as rehabilitation services. Medical costs, as well as compensation for service-related illnesses or injuries, may be covered by Veterans Affairs Canada. I can assure members that every interaction with veterans is designed to help them thrive in life after service. Frontline staff at Veterans Affairs Canada undergo rigorous training to ensure they can guide clients to all the services, benefits, and programs to which they may be entitled. High-quality compassionate support is a foundational part of the covenant our nation has with those who have worn the uniform. Ensuring that those who have served are served well is and always will be an unwavering commitment of this government.

Mr. Speaker, my hon. colleague often waxes lyrical on this iteration of the Conservative Party of Canada. The current Conservative Party of Canada seems to always want to be able to fit something on a bumper sticker. It is not big on nuance or depth. We saw an example of that not long ago, when the member for Sackville—Bedford—Preston put forward a bill to develop a national strategy for housing for young Canadians and the Conservatives voted against it. What does that say about the interest of the Conservative Party of Canada in making housing more affordable for young people through something that does not fit on a bumper sticker?

Mr. Speaker, there was an awful lot packed into those four minutes. The question on notice was in connection with the wreath program. I am happy to shed some light on that. As much as time will allow, I will try to get into the half a dozen questions on the budget. I want to thank the member for Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound for bringing to the attention of the House and of veterans their service and sacrifice. It is also important to clarify an important commemorative program for the benefit of the hon. member and the House. Veterans Affairs Canada began the wreaths for parliamentarians program in 1986. It provided one publicly funded wreath for each member of Parliament to lay at a Remembrance Day ceremony organized by the Royal Canadian Legion in their constituency. Made in Canada, the wreaths represent the government's commitment to publicly acknowledging our continuing debt to our veterans for their achievements and sacrifice in the fight for peace. Each wreath is shipped to parliamentarians in its own protective box and can be ordered by October 24 to arrive in time for Remembrance Day, November 11, each year. Since its inception, the program has evolved. At first, each member of Parliament was issued one wreath. Additional wreaths could be ordered by parliamentarians participating in more than one ceremony. Over time, the program evolved in a way that led to inconsistencies in the number of wreaths provided. After hearing the hon. member, I think it is obvious that those inconsistencies continue, because the practice in the office of the member of Parliament for Charlottetown has always been to gladly accept the two wreaths that are allocated by Veterans Affairs Canada and then to call the Legion and purchase any additional wreaths that are necessary. I am quite surprised to hear that there is an expectation that that is not the norm. Maybe what I am doing is different, but I know that is the standard in my part of the country. To distribute wreaths more equitably across the regions, the program now supplies two wreaths to each MP. They can be used by parliamentarians or their delegates at any commemorative event during Veterans' Week, not only those organized by the Royal Canadian Legion. If a member of Parliament or senator needs more wreaths, all they need to do is ask Veterans Affairs Canada, which will procure as many wreaths as the parliamentarian needs. This can be, for example, for more events or to commemorate another veteran or a fallen Canadian Armed Forces member. Far from forgetting Canada's brave veterans, the government is committed to honouring their memory in ceremonial events organized by Veterans Affairs, the Royal Canadian Legion or other organizations. Rather than limiting wreaths, the department actively supports parliamentarians and others in laying as many wreaths as they need. The member's question was whether this program is about to come to an end. What I can say is that the program will not come to an end in such a manner that we fail to live up to our obligation to honour the fallen, and it will not come to an end without full consultation and discussion with everyone involved, including parliamentarians. Let me touch briefly on the half a dozen questions in connection with the budget. The first one relates to the difference between accrual and cash accounting. The cannabis for veterans program represents a future obligation to veterans to continue to provide medical cannabis. A decision has been made to change the reimbursement rate from $8.50 per gram to the market rate of six dollars. In making this change, there will be less money dispensed going forward. The net present value of the future reduction is reflected in the budget.

Mr. Speaker, part of the mandate of Veterans Affairs is to honour and commemorate our veterans, not only on Remembrance Day, but also throughout the year, across the country and around the world. The wreaths for parliamentarians program distributes two wreaths to each member of Parliament for use in commemorative ceremonies on Remembrance Day. If anyone needs more than two, they simply need to contact Veterans Affairs Canada. It will then purchase the wreaths through the Royal Canadian Legion. We encourage all Canadians to honour our veterans and to remember the service of the Canadian Armed Forces every day of the year.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for Swift Current—Grasslands—Kindersley for his submission this evening. I see he is basking in the glow of his 18th wedding anniversary and the Grey Cup victory of his favourite team, so that is a good thing. The issue the member raises is an extremely serious one. The agricultural sector is critically important for feeding not only the country but the entire world and doing so in a sustainable way. It is also a key driver of Canada's economy, contributing significantly to our GDP, jobs and exports. That includes, of course, the world-class canola and pulse producers in Saskatchewan, who lead the nation in the production of these crops. We know they are facing tremendous uncertainty with the punitive tariffs on their world-class products, and the hon. member pointed to some very specific examples and calculations. The budget that was just adopted by this House has committed more than $639 million over five years for the following measures. There is $109.2 million in 2025-26 for the AgriStability program to help farmers cope with large declines in income due to increased costs, market disruptions and other challenges, by increasing the compensation rate to farmers from 80% to 90% and raising the payment cap per farm from $3 million to $6 million. That was in the budget. There is $75 million over five years for the AgriMarketing program to enhance the diversification and promotion of Canada's agriculture and agri-food products, including canola and pulses, into new markets. That was in the budget. There is $97.5 million over two years to increase the advance payments program's interest-free limit to $500,000 for canola advances for the 2025 and 2026 program years, resulting in interest savings for producers and increased access to cash flow to help cover costs until they sell their products. That was in the budget. There is $372 million over two years to establish a biofuels production incentive to support the stability and resilience of domestic producers of biodiesel and renewable diesel. Taken together, these investments will support Canadian canola and pulse producers as we work around the clock to restore an even playing field with our largest customer.

Mr. Speaker, I can advise the hon. member that Saskatchewan farmers are absolutely a priority for this government. That has been demonstrated by the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, who has met with canola producers on several occasions, including with the Prime Minister. The Minister of Agriculture recently travelled to China to meet face to face with senior officials. They agreed to restart the technical working groups, which is a critical step, with respect to regulatory barriers. On the heels of the Prime Minister's successful visit with President Xi, we are committed to keeping the conversation going and are looking for ways to support our hard-working canola and pulse producers. We will always stand shoulder to shoulder with our farmers. We are there for producers and we will continue to be there for them.

Mr. Speaker, I want to acknowledge Lieutenant Colonel Skip Simpson, retired, from the member for Bay of Quinte's office, both for his service to our country and for his service to the constituents in the Bay of Quinte. Budget 2025 indeed represents generational investment in communities across Canada. It also includes $185 million to streamline services for veterans and their families. I call on all members of the House to join me in acknowledging the service and sacrifice of all Canada's veterans and their families.

Madam Speaker, it is always an honour for me to rise in this place to speak on behalf of the good people of Charlottetown, the cradle of Confederation and the birthplace of our nation. Charlottetown is also the only riding in Canada that has both a small population and a small geography. I will come back to that a little later in my remarks. Another unique aspect of the riding that I am so proud to represent is that it is the only place outside of the national capital region that has a national headquarters of a federal department, which is Veterans Affairs, located in downtown Charlottetown.

Madam Speaker, I would like to thank the member for Waterloo, who is always way more on top of her game than I am. I am going to be sharing my time with the member for Vancouver Granville. Where I left off, I mentioned that Charlottetown was the location of the national headquarters of the Department of Veterans Affairs. This budget is important in that regard because it speaks specifically to another significant investment in Veterans Affairs to deal with the backlog of veterans' claims and the other modernization required to give veterans the services they rightly deserve. That is good news for the people of Charlottetown, for the people who serve veterans and for our veterans community. The presence of the national headquarters of Veterans Affairs in my riding is particularly important, and the vote of confidence that the riding has received for the work being done there is demonstrated by the investments that have been made in the Daniel J. MacDonald Building and also by the investments in the budget. Unlike with the previous government, there are no deep and disproportionate cuts and there is no closure of district offices, which we reopened immediately upon coming into power. I want to talk a bit about how the budget would impact my province and my riding. Prince Edward Island is a place that relies heavily on tourism. We are 180,000 people, but we receive more than 1.7 million visitors a year. That was last year's number. This year's number was way up, and it was up for a few reasons. One, of course, is that Canadians have decided to stay home, and we were the beneficiaries of that. The other is that the weather this year was absolutely incredible for the beaches and all of the activities that people enjoy so much on Prince Edward Island. It was tough for the farmers but good for the tourists, so the tourism industry flourished. There are two more reasons we had such a good year in tourism in Prince Edward Island this year. One is the decision of the Government of Canada to reduce the tolls on the Confederation Bridge from $50 to $20. That had a big impact on the traffic going back and forth across the bridge, and there was a significant increase there. The other reason, which might surprise members, is the Canada strong pass. The Canada strong pass basically provided for free entry into national parks, and the national park in Prince Edward Island is a major draw for tourists and locals alike. It was good to see in this budget that this success will be repeated, as the Canada strong pass will be around for another year. Also included in the budget are investments in airport infrastructure. This is critically important as well, and it builds on another investment that was recently made with respect to air travel and Prince Edward Island to provide regional connectivity. Back when COVID struck, the airlines abandoned short-haul regional routes and cut off service from Charlottetown to Halifax. Being able to get from Charlottetown to Halifax opened up the rest of the country and provided many other options. We had not had that flight since the COVID pandemic, until an announcement recently of a program to bring it back through an investment of the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency. The investment in airport infrastructure in this budget is critically important, because my hope and expectation is that increased service will lead to increased numbers. It is already a phenomenon that we have seen irrespective of this investment, but all of this feeds into good news for the tourism sector in Prince Edward Island. On the subject of infrastructure, since the sunsetting of the investing in Canada infrastructure program, there has been a pretty significant gap in the availability of infrastructure funds from the Government of Canada for anything other than green-inclusive community buildings or housing. This is something I have heard frequently in my office from hard-working, dedicated, community-minded organizations that have a good project in mind for which there is no fund. Now there is. This budget has introduced the build communities strong fund. It has specifically indicated that health infrastructure is eligible, that colleges and universities are eligible and that local infrastructure is a key element of it. All of these things are new. All of these things would unlock private investment. All of these things would provide for greater continuity and a greater provision of services within the community. There is a particular synergy as well to the extent that health infrastructure would now be included. Just within the last couple of days, the Progressive Conservative provincial government in Prince Edward Island introduced its capital budget, which had millions of dollars in health infrastructure in it. This will be a chance for further co-operation and partnership between the two levels of government. There is another point I would like to mention for a number of reasons. Prince Edward Island has a very vibrant Acadian, francophone, francophile and franco-curious community. That vitality was on full show on August 15, when Charlottetown hosted National Acadian Day celebrations. As part of the budget, we decided to double the funding for this celebration and make it permanent. This is the result of the efforts made by community representatives like Charles Duguay of the Société acadienne et francophone de l'Île‑du‑Prince‑Édouard. They pushed very hard to make their voices heard. We heard their message and we responded. I am particularly proud of that. The other thing I want to touch upon is the national school food program, which is national because of a pilot project done in Prince Edward Island. It was done particularly well; it was particularly well executed, and it was scaled across the country. It is a source of pride that it has now been made permanent. It will provide a savings of $800 for a typical family with two children and will allow 400,000 more kids to have healthy food. For me, it is more than that. It is yet another indication that a small place like Prince Edward Island is an ideal location for a pilot project. There are advocates in Prince Edward Island right now pushing for a pilot project for a basic income guarantee. We, as Liberals and elected officials, have an obligation to those who are more vulnerable than us, and I believe we will all be measured by that. This is a budget that works for my riding, for my province and for my country. I am proud to stand and vote in support of it. I hope members on all sides will not use this budget to force a Christmas election. We will see how much good will and can come of it. Let us support it.

Madam Speaker, there is absolutely no doubt that Prince Edward Island is a hotbed for arts and culture. The anchor tenant, if you will, is one that is very familiar to the hon. member, and that is the Confederation Centre of the Arts. Right now it is undergoing an extensive expansion, thanks to investment from the Government of Canada through the green and inclusive community buildings fund. It will provide a national institute for the study of what Canada is and what it can be. It was initially built in 1967 as a lasting legacy to the Fathers of Confederation. That is the centrepiece, but we enjoy a vibrant and active arts and culture community. They will be very happy with this budget as well. There is a sizable increase in the Canada music fund, to mention one other example that will make a difference.

Madam Speaker, we have supported and will continue to support food producers in this country. I think specifically of the supply-managed sectors, of which we have always been ardent defenders. I have tremendous respect for the Minister of Agriculture, who has been going around the world to open up new markets to be able to respond to the pressures that have been applied from the United States. All of these things have been a factor in many sectors, including food production. The whole system of world trade has been turned on its head. We are particularly focused on it, especially the Prime Minister and our Minister of Agriculture. I have great faith in their ability to do the right thing by food producers and Canadians.

Madam Speaker, the budget includes a strategy aimed at strengthening Canada's competitiveness when it comes to fighting climate change and protecting the environment. It includes numerous investments to promote private sector participation in this area. These measures are in the budget. I see this as an important aspect, which, incidentally, was not mentioned in my colleague's question. I have every confidence in the strategy we have adopted in this regard.

Mr. Speaker, Mahatma Gandhi is quoted as saying that a nation’s greatness is measured by how it treats its weakest members. As parliamentarians, we have an opportunity and an obligation to take bold action to address income inequality in Canada. Day after day, we squabble in this place over who is at fault for the state of health care, food insecurity, criminality and low productivity, but at the root of all these challenges is one common denominator: poverty. In Prince Edward Island, the legislature unanimously passed a resolution calling for a province-wide basic income guarantee demonstration project. Coalition Canada convened a working group to design a feasible and progressive program and published a comprehensive report on how it could work. Today, advocates for the proposal are here in Ottawa. I want to thank them for their tireless dedication to ending poverty. I also thank the members from all parties who have met with them to learn more about this initiative, one that has the potential to become a true nation-building project for Canada.

Mr. Speaker, in response to part (a) of the question,two legal actions were filed against Veterans Affairs Canada related to medical assistance in dying, or MAID, since January 2018. As for part (b), the Department of Justice Canada represents the Canadian government in any litigation matter, and when a settlement takes place, it is common for the terms to be confidential. With respect to part (c), medical assistance in dying is not something that the government offers to Veterans. It is something that is discussed between the person and their primary care provider. Health Canada released the fifth annual report on MAID, which can be consulted at https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/publications/health-system-services/annual-report-medical-assistance-dying-2023.html. Canada’s MAID system has been carefully designed with safeguards to affirm and protect the inherent and equal value of every person’s life. To be eligible for MAID, a person must have a serious and incurable medical condition, be in an advanced state of irreversible decline in capability, and be experiencing enduring and intolerable suffering related to their medical condition. The person and their practitioners must have discussed reasonable and available means to relieve the person’s suffering (including counselling services, mental health and disability support services, community services, and palliative care, and be offered consultations with professionals who provide those services) and agree that the person has seriously considered those means. With respect to part (d), one legal action brought against Veterans Affairs Canada related to medical assistance in dying has been the subject of a settlement and, in accordance with common practice, the terms are confidential.