Election of Speaker  It is an honour for me to stand before dear colleagues today to address my candidacy for Speaker of the House of Commons in this 44th Parliament. First, let me take a moment to sincerely congratulate each and every member for being elected or re-elected to represent their constituents in the House of Commons.

Budget Implementation Act, 2021, No. 1  Madam Speaker, minority Parliaments are not easy. I spent six years in two minority parliaments in Nova Scotia. We had to actually work with the opposition to ensure we could get the things we needed for our constituents. We went out of our way to ensure that opposition MPs, or MLAs at the time, got what they needed to help their constituents.

Health  Mr. Speaker, patient groups across the country have been calling on the government to delay the implementation of the PMPRB guidelines, which are set to come into force on July 1. Most of the witnesses we have heard at health committee on the subject were unanimous in their position that they want less pandemic distraction and more time for a transparent discussion, to ensure that the new regulations will do more good than harm.

Lyme Disease  Mr. Speaker, Lyme disease is a huge concern in Nova Scotia. People can suffer undiagnosed for years, pleading with their health care professionals to be tested and referred. In 2018, Nova Scotian residents reported the second highest number of Lyme disease in Canada with 451 people.

Business of Supply  Madam Speaker, I have a simple question. When it comes to Canada's francophonie, Quebec is seen as the brightest light in the country. The member mentioned the Acadians, who are part of Canada's francophonie. Can he tell us how Quebec can work with the provinces to promote small francophone communities in the rest of Canada, like mine, where the common language is French?

Questions on the Order Paper  With regard to the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Small Craft Harbours program, broken down by harbour authority: (a) how much has been invested in the harbour authorities of Yarmouth and Digby Counties; and (b) how much will be invested over the next five years in the harbour authorities mentioned in (a)?

Fisheries and Oceans  Mr. Speaker, talking about the weather is truly Nova Scotian, and the weather radar is an important tool for farmers and fishers alike, allowing them to plan and make sure they and their workers are safe. Currently, a big chunk of southwest Nova Scotia, the most lucrative fishing grounds in Canada, is not covered by weather radar.

Fisheries and Oceans  Madam Speaker, the residents along the Avon River in Nova Scotia are looking for the Minister of Fisheries’ final decision on the Windsor causeway. Her interim decision a few months has created chaos along the river. Lake Pisiquid is now a dusty dry basin apparently causing respiratory problems for residents of the town of Windsor.

Questions on the Order Paper  With regard to the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Small Craft Harbours program: (a) how much has been invested in the Harbour Authority of Little River, Digby County; and (b) how much will be invested over the next five years?

Fisheries and Oceans  Mr. Speaker, a few weeks back, I sent a letter to the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans asking for details on the possible indigenous fishery beginning June 1 and how she and her department would respond. The minister's statement about regulations and seasons in March was what coastal communities had been waiting for since tensions blew up back in September.

Offshore Health and Safety Act  Mr. Speaker, Wednesday was of course the National Day of Mourning, and I am sure many of us know people who were lost during the exercise of their dangerous job, or even not so dangerous job, because of lack of regulation or safety requirements in their workplace. Unions should be consulted.

Offshore Health and Safety Act  Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Shefford for her question. Strict regulations on offshore exploration are needed to ensure that the workers are healthy and safe. I have concerns about the exclusions. We will have to keep a close eye on this.

Offshore Health and Safety Act  Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the member for Calgary Centre for sharing his time with me today to speak to Bill S-3. On December 31, 2020, our offshore oil and gas workers were instantly stripped of their health and safety protections. This date saw the expiry of a transitional, or what we could call temporary, safety regulations that had been in place for the previous six years.

Offshore Health and Safety Act  Mr. Speaker, I am going to ask the million-dollar question. Why does the member think it has taken six years for the government to get to the point that we need to give another extension before regulations are put in place?

Fisheries and Oceans  Mr. Speaker, budget 2021 proposes to provide $300 million on a cash basis over the next two years to Fisheries and Oceans Canada to repair, renew and replace small craft harbours. This amount is ridiculous, as we know that in western Nova Scotia almost $500 million is needed to address deferred maintenance and safety upgrades.