SoVote

Context: House Hansard - 102 - Sep/26/22

Sep/26/22 9:36:25 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure to serve on the fisheries committee with the member opposite. I will say that we have made some substantial investments in small craft harbours, because they are the economic hubs of Atlantic Canada. In terms of damage to and repair of small craft harbours, it is up to us to collectively work together. It is up to this government to make investments where they are necessary in small craft harbours, to buttress them and to strengthen them. We have done that since 2015 with investments in small craft harbours, with an additional $300 million next year, but make no mistake about it: there will be a changing environment. Environmental crises require us to do a deeper dive to ensure that we strengthen those resources that provide so much to Atlantic Canadians, and dare I say, to all Canadians.

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Ms. Laurel Collins (Victoria, NDP)

Sep/26/22 9:37:20 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, people on the east coast are suffering, and I was glad to hear comments from all members in this House committing to supporting Atlantic Canadians in the coming weeks. I also want us to start thinking about the future. These extreme weather events are happening more frequently and with more severity. I am concerned that the disaster mitigation and adaptation fund right now is completely inadequate. It does not come close to meeting the needs of communities and municipalities that need to fix critical infrastructure and build resilience in the face of climate disaster. Will the member commit to pushing his government to ensure that this fund is adequate to meet the needs of this changing climate?

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Mr. Mike Kelloway

Sep/26/22 9:38:18 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the fund the member speaks of helps a tremendous number of groups, communities and municipalities, but what we need to do is act collectively. This is another important moment in time where we look at the fact that this is not just a once-in-a-blue-moon storm. These storms are happening on the east coast on a regular basis. Maybe it was not as strong as Fiona, but five years ago we had a very catastrophic flooding event in Cape Breton that was supposed to occur once in a century. They are repeating more and more. This government is committed to ensuring that we react and, more importantly, respond in the right way. There is that fund and other funds, such as the oceans protection plan, which has about $9 million invested in it. There are opportunities to work within departments and work with levels of government to ensure we put the right investments in place, but I could not agree more that we need to continuously up our game when it comes to protecting communities, economic development, social development and the environment.

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Mrs. Sherry Romanado (Longueuil—Charles-LeMoyne, Lib.)

Sep/26/22 9:39:39 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, as this is the first time on my feet since hurricane Fiona made landfall 72 hours ago, I want to make sure that all members in the communities that were affected know that our hearts are with them. I want to say to Quebeckers affected by the hurricane that we are there for them. I have a son posted in Gagetown, and my older son actually deployed as part of Operation Lentus back in 2019 in response to the flooding. Our colleague from Cape Breton—Canso talked about Canadian Armed Forces members who were on the ground immediately to help with removing debris and assisting with connectivity issues for electricity and so on. Could the member elaborate a bit on what he is forecasting with respect to medium-term needs? What does he anticipate might be needed on the ground in supporting the Canadian Armed Forces?

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Mr. Mike Kelloway

Sep/26/22 9:40:41 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, quite frankly, it is around helping to restore power and with respect to that, as well as clearing trees, lights and other debris from homes and businesses. We are looking forward to CAF members' presence here, and as the Prime Minister and the Minister of Defence have said, they will be here until the job gets done.

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Mr. Jaime Battiste (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations, Lib.)

Sep/26/22 9:41:38 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, in times of crisis, Cape Bretoners come together. They unite for a common purpose, healing their neighbours, helping their neighbours. With that in mind, I have to start off by thanking the member for Cape Breton—Canso for sharing his technology and his screen name with me tonight so that I might give this speech. I extend my sincere gratitude to him for accommodating me. As of the beginning of this debate, there was no power in Eskasoni, and so I have come to Sydney River in the hospitable territory of Cape Breton—Canso to deliver my speech. Cape Breton was hit hard by hurricane Fiona. We experienced a night of howling winds, the cracking sound of trees breaking, torrential rain and unprecedented devastation. Most of our communities remain without power, running water and many are without heat. Roofs have been swept off buildings. Downed trees and power poles criss-cross streets. In the Cape Breton Regional Municipality, giant trees were uprooted, toppling fences and homes and crushing cars. In coastal communities like Neil's Harbour, the sea swept straight into some homes leaving a foot or more of sea foam coating every surface. Internet service remains spotty, if available at all. There are long lines at every gas station with those hoping to keep generators running to keep their homes warm and their food from spoiling. Truly, this is the most devastating storm to hit our island, yet in the aftermath, I have seen some of the best of our communities as people have come together to support one another and rebuild. I have spoken to people across the island who, despite long days, are doing everything they can to help their fellow Cape Bretoners. They are people like Lieutenant Jenelle Durdle at the Salvation Army, who is providing hot meals and warm clothes for those now in need. I have spoken to members of our armed forces at the Victoria Park barracks who are helping in the recovery efforts, including the search for housing for those who have lost the roof over their heads and are now in need of shelter, like the residents of an apartment building on Rotary Drive in Sydney, which had 64 units, who are now without a place for their families. I spoke with Raj at one of those apartments who pleaded for our support. He is an international student who is now left without a place to stay for weeks, potentially months. Raj and many other evacuees are now being kept warm at the Membertou First Nation convention centre where Chief Terry Paul has admirably stepped up to help his neighbours during their time of need. I have been honoured to see the Mi’kmaq communities in Cape Breton helping each other and they are now reaching out to help all those who they are privileged enough to help. I spoke to more than 150 staff, students, cadets and volunteers at the Coast Guard College in Westmount who have transformed their institution into a welcome centre for displaced residents. This morning, along with the executive director, Dena Richardson, I spoke to them and thanked them for their bravery and courageous efforts. Despite the building itself having major damage, 40 beds are now being made available for those most in need. Everywhere I look in the riding, there is devastation. Osborne Burke, who runs Victoria Co-operative Fisheries, a major employer in the region, has seen catastrophic damage and will require federal support in the months ahead in order to be ready for the fishing season that his community very much relies on. Cape Breton Regional Municipality Mayor Amanda McDougall and I have been in constant communication. She reiterated the need for infrastructure support for housing, sidewalks, seniors complexes and the major cleanup that is needed. I have reassured her that help is on the way, and that the federal government has the backs of Canadians through floods, pandemics and hurricanes. Our government has been and continues to show that we will be there for Canadians. The Minister of Emergency Preparedness, whom I cannot thank enough, has already approved a request from the Government of Nova Scotia for immediate support to the province as it deals with the impact from hurricane Fiona. As part of this response, the Canadian Coast Guard is providing deployable incident management teams. Transport Canada's national aerial surveillance program is providing aerial imagery and recon capability. Last year, we had a historic flood that washed away entire roads on the Cabot Trail. People said it was a once-in-a-lifetime storm. Less than a year later, we have witnessed worse. It is clear that coastal communities are now vulnerable to the impacts of the climate crisis. Ponds that I once played hockey on as a child no longer freeze. Yearly storms batter the Maritimes like we used to only see in places like Florida and New Orleans. We are seeing the lowest barometric pressure we have recorded in Canadian history. The climate crisis is here. Weather events are becoming more unpredictable and more prone to extreme conditions. We like to think the effects of climate change are a far-flung forecast, but we are feeling those effects now, and we are already seeing the cost of generations of inaction. I know Cape Bretoners are worried about their children's future. They ask themselves, “What will the storms be like for them? What can we do now to slow and reverse these weather events?” We wonder what sacrifices we need to make now to ensure a better quality of life for the next generation. The time for the debate on the climate crisis and our need to do more is over in the eyes of Cape Bretoners. We need help today, and we also need to get past the populist bickering about putting more money in polluters' pockets at the cost of our children's future. A Cree proverb teaches us that only when the last fish has been caught, the last river has been poisoned and the last tree has been cut will we realize that money cannot be eaten. Indigenous knowledge teaches us to plan for the next seven generations. Responsible governments know that this is not easy, but we must take those important strides. We need to do everything in our power to transition to a green economy and lessen the severity of the growing crisis, and we must invest in resiliency and climate-proof green infrastructure. We need to ensure the price on pollution is enough to cover the cost of disaster mitigation that is needed now and even more so into the future. If there are those among us who refuse to listen to the scientists, perhaps they may listen to the Supreme Court of Canada. In March 2021, Chief Justice Richard Wagner ruled as follows: Climate change is real. It is caused by greenhouse gas emissions resulting from human activities, and it poses a grave threat to humanity's future. Today we are fortunate in Cape Breton to be talking only about damage, and not deaths. I want to send my condolences to those regions that have experienced deaths. However, I am convinced we could do more and go faster. Now more than ever, it is upon us, as parliamentarians, to become the environmental leaders on the world stage. Given the gravity of the situation, let our hearts and minds and the consideration of our children and grandchildren lead our decision-making. I give these thoughts with the humble hopes that we will not succumb to selfish, short-term thinking at the cost of our future generations. As hard as it is, let us think together about the next seven generations of Canadians. Wela'lioq.

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Mr. Stephen Ellis (Cumberland—Colchester, CPC)

Sep/26/22 9:49:21 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, on this side of the House, one of the biggest concerns we have is that we not fall into the trap of saying, as the great Ronald Reagan once said, “I'm from the government and I'm here to help.” How will that side of the House assure Atlantic Canadians that the help the government is promising will end up in the hands of Atlantic Canadians in a rapid, transparent manner, so that the process is simple and we are not tied up in bureaucratic red tape for the next four years?

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Mr. Jaime Battiste

Sep/26/22 9:49:58 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, what we need to do is move fast. However, to blame this disaster on bureaucrats or gatekeepers or whatever terminology the member wants to use is not seeing the actual problem in front of us. The actual problem is climate change. These disasters will happen, and they will continue to happen. We have seen it up north. We have seen it in the west. We have seen it in the east. To try to blame it on the bureaucracy is ingenuine to the actual problem that we must face. I would ask the member if he believes climate change is real, like the Supreme Court of Canada has said. Are the member and his party willing to act so that Nova Scotians will not have to deal with this in the future?

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Mr. Richard Cannings (South Okanagan—West Kootenay, NDP)

Sep/26/22 9:50:45 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for his speech tonight and for his on-the-ground reporting as to what is really going on on Cape Breton Island. He made the point that the reason behind this and other disasters we have been facing is climate change. I am wondering, given the member's role in this, if he would like to comment on the role that indigenous people across Canada should and could be taking in leading the fight against climate change, the fight we all have to be engaged in.

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Mr. Jaime Battiste

Sep/26/22 9:51:28 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, that is an important question. In the Mi’kmaq culture and in the Mi’kmaq language we have a term called netukulimk. It reminds us that we have a responsibility to each other, we have a responsibility to our communities and we have a responsibility to our nation. We also have a responsibility to our ecosystem, one that we too often forget at the cost of profits and at the cost of money in our pocket. We have lost that connection to our ecosystem and that responsibility to our ecosystem. We need to relearn that. We need to teach our children. As parliamentarians we need to work together to find answers we can all agree on that say that we realize this is an existential threat, and as a minority government we are willing to take the steps needed to safeguard our children's future.

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Ms. Elizabeth May (Saanich—Gulf Islands, GP)

Sep/26/22 9:52:25 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I would say to my hon. friend from Sydney—Victoria a huge wela'lin. I do not know that I have ever been more proud to stand here as someone who still considers herself a Cape Bretoner as well as a British Columbian. I think the words of the hon. member for Sydney—Victoria have been the most profound of this whole evening's debate. I would like to ask if he would agree with me that our chances of giving our children a livable world are hanging in the balance in the very near term and that we need to listen to science, but we need to be guided by indigenous leadership and wisdom.

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Mr. Jaime Battiste

Sep/26/22 9:53:07 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for her comments and her years of advocacy on this important file. It is one of the things that we learned growing up in an indigenous community, that within a language we are all connected. That is an important thing that I try to remind myself of daily, but I think the answers are not only in indigenous knowledge but in collaboration within this House. The answers are within us. We are in a minority government. We need to work together, like in our all-party caucus on environment. We need to start meeting more frequently. We need to start having these conversations in a way that I know the member has led for many years, and I thank her for those efforts. However, I want to hold on to hope in this government, that we all see what is going on and that we are all ready to act.

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Mr. Jake Stewart (Miramichi—Grand Lake, CPC)

Sep/26/22 9:54:10 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, Atlantic Canadians are well used to preparing for hurricanes and tropical storms. These storms are part of life in the Atlantic provinces. Atlantic Canadians are prepared, and they expect their federal government to be as well. In my own constituency of Miramichi—Grand Lake, in living memory, in 1959, the remnants of a hurricane brought 50-foot waves and 100-miles-per-hour winds, claiming 35 lives and 22 boats in what has become known as the Escuminac disaster. So tragic was this event that at the time the late Queen Elizabeth II herself donated to the New Brunswick fishermen's disaster fund. Stories of that storm and its tragic aftermath continue to be told today, 60 years after the incident. I had the privilege of speaking at the 60th anniversary. As we all know, post-tropical storm Fiona raged through Atlantic Canada this past weekend, and that is the very purpose of this debate tonight. I wonder what stories will be told 60 years from now about its aftermath. How will the current Liberal government be immortalized in the minds of Atlantic Canadians? It is not lost on anyone in the Atlantic provinces that when polling numbers started to be reported in 2015, when the current Prime Minister was elected, Atlantic Canada delivered for him at the time. Almost every seat in Atlantic Canada was delivered to him. However, now that we need him the most, where is he? The government has abandoned Atlantic Canada when we needed it the most. One of the most important duties of a federal government is to keep its citizens safe. Post-tropical storm Fiona has devastated homes and communities and infrastructure in all Atlantic Canadian provinces. Hundreds of thousands remain without power, and it will be anywhere from days to weeks before the hardest-hit areas get restored. Some in Atlantic Canada cannot afford the fuel to put in a generator, and some of our citizens cannot afford the generator. There are many people in Atlantic Canada who are struggling, who are going to be colder than they were, and there are people in need all over the Atlantic provinces. I have spoken today with the Premier of New Brunswick and briefly with the Premier of Nova Scotia. The premiers have conveyed to me that, while obviously in New Brunswick we did not get hit as hard as some of the other Atlantic provinces, still there are wellness checks that are not happening. Those are a concern in Nova Scotia. There are also roads that are impassable, and cell and mobility coverage in Atlantic Canada is already terrible. We all know that. Now we have entire communities going with one bar and sometimes none at all. There is not enough service. Why is the failed ArriveCAN app more important than the public safety of Canadians? One of the most basic responsibilities of the federal government is to keep Canadians safe. This past weekend, post-tropical storm Fiona raged through Atlantic Canada, devastating communities and damaging critical infrastructure. This storm did not come as a surprise. Those in the storm's path had many days to prepare as best they could. The federal government, too, had many days to prepare. Today, there are still hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses in Atlantic Canada without electricity and counting on power crews from outside the province and from our neighbours in the United States to help get the devastation under control. CBC News is reporting that senior officials in the Liberal government have confirmed that their failed ArriveCAN app will no longer be mandatory as of October 1. This failed $17-million pandemic restriction has overreached into the basic rights of Canadians. The government was standing by as these restrictions delayed the arrival of much-needed utility workers to my region. In five days, these restrictions will disappear anyway. Why are the Liberals allowing it to delay the restoration of electricity and critical infrastructure in Atlantic Canada? Let us think about that. When this app was created, many in the technology world said it could have been created for a million dollars. The government spent upward of $17 million or $18 million. I forget the exact number. Therefore, $17 million or $18 million was spent for an app, which was $16 million too much. It was a failure from the outset, and now it is prohibiting New England power crews from getting there to help Atlantic Canadians. That is a total failure. It cannot be looked at any other way. There is one thing I can say about Atlantic Canadians. I believe we could take the majority of citizens in my riding, blindfold them, put them in a helicopter, drop them in any wilderness in this country and they could survive. I would lay money on it that. Atlantic Canadians are tough. They live in rugged terrain. They have had storms dating back to 1775. For 100 years before Confederation and a good 150 years after, they did not blame these storms on something called climate change. There were several ice storms in New Brunswick when I was a provincial MLA, including hurricane Arthur. There have been some very serious storms of recent memory, serious flooding as well, and the one thing I can recall is that Atlantic Canadians persevere. We are known for that across the country. Atlantic Canadians were known for that in World War II and the First World War. Veterans were known for that. There are so many things that we are known for across the country. This is going to bring out the resiliency of Atlantic Canadians. However, as the official opposition, we want the government to act with vigour. We want it to do the job well so that Atlantic Canadians know they are getting the support they need. On this side of the floor, we are going to be there to make sure that the government delivers for Atlantic Canadians. That is our job on this side of the House, and we are very concerned with some of it. I have seen some of the footage from Newfoundland, devastating footage in places like Port aux Basques. I could not believe what I was seeing. I saw a lot of pictures and digital imaging from Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, and clearly there is a lot of damage. One of the things that is damaged in Miramichi—Grand Lake is, as I mentioned, the Escuminac Wharf. In my region of Baie Sainte Anne, Escuminac and Hardwicke, the fishery is paramount. It is paramount throughout my riding, region and province. The lobster fishery, as we know, is going to lose a minimum of one week because it has already lost three days. Fishers are going to spend the next two or three days locating their gear, which is scattered across the bay and coastal areas. Some of that gear will not be recovered. They are going to have to reset all the traps. Lobster fishermen are actually going to lose at least one week, so Conservatives are also calling on the government to extend the lobster fishery by at least a week. It may need to be longer, but we are looking for an extension on the lobster season because it is a critical season in my province. I want to make sure that small craft harbours are very much on the radar of the government because there is never quite enough money spent on that, and right now there is a direct need. I want to mention that I will be splitting my time with the great member for Tobique—Mactaquac, which I forgot to mention in my introduction. We are all a little rusty since the summer. It will be great to hear his speech. Lastly, we on this side of the floor are here to support Atlantic Canada. Conservatives and our Atlantic Canadian colleagues are working together. We have great leadership from our leader, and we are all working as a team in the best interests of Atlantic Canada. We are going to be there for them, and we are going to ensure that the government has the backs of Atlantic Canadians, like it says it does, because we have their backs on this side of the floor.

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Ms. Laurel Collins (Victoria, NDP)

Sep/26/22 10:03:29 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for his words in solidarity with Atlantic Canadians and about the resilience and strength of communities across the east coast. I was surprised by some of the member's comments about climate change. I was surprised when the Leader of the Opposition did not mention climate change or the climate crisis in his speech tonight. I am curious if the member was implying that he does not think climate change and the climate crisis are a driving cause for the increased severity and increased frequency of hurricanes and extreme weather events.

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Mr. Jake Stewart

Sep/26/22 10:04:14 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I think what I was trying to insinuate is that, as the opposition, when we look at climate change, we think we should fight it with advancements to technology. The current government, supported by the very member who asked me this question, have not hit a single target. If the NDP and Liberal coalition were actually concerned about climate change and actually considered it a crisis, then they would have actually created a system that would meet a target. They have not met a single target, so I do not think I can take any advice from members of either of those caucuses, Liberal or NDP. If they actually believed it were serious, they would have hit a target.

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Ms. Elizabeth May (Saanich—Gulf Islands, GP)

Sep/26/22 10:05:04 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I am going to follow up on the question from my friend from Victoria. I do not disagree with him that, if the Liberals were serious, they would actually do the right thing on climate change, but I equally do not quite understand, as I am not quite certain that his caucus would support the government if it did the right things. We immediately need to, for instance, cancel Bay du Nord, cancel the Trans Mountain pipeline, and make sure that we follow the advice to stop adding greenhouse gases and start subtracting them. That is the first step, and we need to take it before 2025, according to the world scientists with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. We need to support those moves.

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Mr. Jake Stewart

Sep/26/22 10:05:46 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I do appreciate that the member and I can agree on the initial part of her question. I think that, on this side of the floor, we understand the importance of the Bay du Nord project. We also understand that those living in New Brunswick had an Energy East pipeline, which was going to bring oil from Alberta to New Brunswick. We did not do that. We also had a natural gas supply. Right now, our allies in western Europe are getting supplied with their energy source from Russia, and Putin is fuelling the war machine with the proceeds of selling that product to England, France and Germany, countries that we are allies with. I think the climate agenda of the left and the extreme far left has contributed to the power dynamic in the world right now. I think we had a huge missed opportunity with the Energy East pipeline. We should absolutely support it again, along with the Bay du Nord project. Now is the time we should be thinking about energy sovereignty, energy security, building pipelines and infrastructure, powering our country and helping our allies so that they do not have to purchase from the people who want to wage war against other countries from this planet.

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Mr. Rick Perkins (South Shore—St. Margarets, CPC)

Sep/26/22 10:07:09 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask the member for Miramichi—Grand Lake this. He has been asked a lot about climate change and its effects. We also know that a great deal of what we see happening with climate change is driven by the energy needs of China and India, but I would like to bring it back to why we are having this debate tonight. It is about the response we have to do today to help our communities that are in dire straits right now. They lack the ability to even have power to cook a meal, let alone go on the ocean or on their farms to earn a living. I wonder if the member could speak to what he expects from the government on delivering on those issues today.

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Mr. Jake Stewart

Sep/26/22 10:08:10 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, obviously, we have first responders on the ground. We have utility companies from within the provinces and outside from New England and maybe further. Obviously, we need as much help on the electrical side of it as possible. In some of the storms we have had in New Brunswick in recent years, we found that when the armed forces showed up it really made a difference. Although it may not be their mandate, they made a huge difference when they came in. Any extra help we can get from the armed forces would be great. I think the current government has to really look at that very closely and very quickly.

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Mr. Richard Bragdon (Tobique—Mactaquac, CPC)

Sep/26/22 10:09:01 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to rise in the House this evening on behalf of our fellow Atlantic Canadians, who are under tremendous duress in many parts of our region, facing unprecedented circumstances. Some families and individuals are feeling the devastating consequences of hurricane Fiona. I would like to just begin my remarks by, obviously, taking the time to express, on behalf of all members of the House and Canadians from coast to coast to coast, that all of our fellow Atlantic Canadians and fellow Canadians are in our thoughts and prayers at this time as they deal with the devastating effects of hurricane Fiona. I would also like to take this opportunity to express our true thanks and gratitude to the many faithful, dedicated volunteers, who so often are right there in the times of crisis. Maritimers and Atlantic Canadians are known to be truly some of the best at stepping up when their neighbours are in need. When they see someone struggling, they will run to be there at their side to help their fellow Atlantic Canadian. We have seen this in the firefighters, who are responding even as we speak at this late hour, being there for their people, volunteering many dedicated hours to help remove debris, help get the power back on and be there for people who are in duress and have been without power for many hours, and it is now going into days. We have seen it in the members of the Canadian Armed Forces who are on the ground now and helping in areas throughout our region. We say thank you, from the bottom of our hearts, to the brave men and women of the Canadian Armed Forces, who are there doing a tremendous job in support of the efforts of the local first responders and firefighters. It is so true, that expression, that our volunteer firefighters and first responders and members of the Canadian Armed Forces are those who rush in when everyone else is rushing out. We say thank you to them, on behalf of every member of the House, for their dedicated and faithful service, to fellow Canadians, including those who are dealing with the aftermath of this storm. I want to take a moment, as well, and just speak to the fact that Atlantic Canadians are a resilient people. As my colleague from Miramichi—Grand Lake referenced so eloquently, we are not strangers to storms and hardships, hurricanes and disasters. I remember, even a few short years ago, when our region in the province was much more affected by hurricane Arthur and how we came together. Neighbour moved in with neighbour, or sometimes went somewhere close by where they actually had power. There were several communities that were without power for weeks, yet we rallied together. We worked together, and we came through. Atlantic Canadians live up to that old expression, that when the tough times come, the tough get going. I will tell us what, they say, “Guess what, we are tough enough. We will get going ourselves”, and they rise to the occasion and help one another out, saying, “Know what? If it takes a chainsaw, we will get a chainsaw. If it takes just good, old sweat equity and getting out there and moving debris, we will do that.” Atlantic Canadians are just that kind of people, and we are a friendly bunch. They will probably throw the kettle on while someone is out there working and say, “Oh, do not worry. We will put some soups and sandwiches on.” They will do what they can to help each other up. That is what makes Atlantic Canada so special. I am proud to be an Atlantic Canadian and absolutely honoured and proud to represent the good people of Atlantic Canada. I have been reflecting over this time and looking at it, and one thing that has become very important is that, in any time of crisis, it is absolutely clear that collaboration, coordination and rapidity of response is essential in a time of crisis. I would encourage our federal government to do all that it can to make sure it collaborates with the provincial governments in Atlantic Canada, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and, of course, eastern Quebec, and make sure that all of the necessary resources are there and there rapidly, so the response can get to where it needs to go as quickly as it needs to get there. Too often, the delays, hindrances and barriers that are in place hamper the relief efforts. What we need to do is everything we can to expedite the relief that needs to be in the hands of those closest to the ground, which are our provincial governments, to make sure they have all the tools and resources they need to get the job done and bring relief to our people. While reflecting on this time, an old story came back to me. Perhaps it is my roots that are showing, but I had an old story come back to me that kind of crystallized this moment. Perhaps it will relate to those who are listening at home. I remembered an old story recorded in The Gospel of Mark about some fishermen who were caught in a very bad storm. The storm was so terrifying for them they were overwhelmed. They were experienced fishermen. It was not their first time facing stormy waters, but here they were in the midst of a storm, their boat being overrun and the waves splashing in against it. They were terrified, afraid and they cried out for help. Thankfully, help came. The storm subsided and a great calm came afterward. One remark was made that came back to me today and just stuck with me. These experienced fishermen, speaking of the Master, said, “Who is this that even the wind and the waves obey him?” The part that stuck out to me was the wind and the waves. Being from Atlantic Canada, I cannot help myself; it just kind of comes. The wind can be looked at as the cause. The hurricane winds are the cause of a great disaster in our region right now, but the cause is only one part of the story. The waves are the effects. Long after the wind has blown through, the waves will keep coming, and it will keep rocking the vessels, keep hitting the shoreline and keep causing damage. I recognize in people's lives what is true literally in this old story is also true figuratively. For many people, after disaster has swept through their lives, such as a personal crisis or a time of trauma, long after the cause has ceased and the wind has blown over, the side effects and lasting consequences of that storm in their lives keep washing over their vessel for sometimes weeks, months and years to come. They are defined for a long time by an event that happened some time ago in their lives because, yes, people rushed in at the time of the storm and were quick to answer when the winds were blowing or in the immediate aftermath, but who was there when the waves kept coming weeks out, months out or even years out? It is easy in a time of crisis for governments to be quick to respond in the moment, but what Atlantic Canadians want to know is whether the government will still hold their hand long after the wind has passed over and the waves are rocking their vessel. Will it be there not only to deal with the cause but to deal with the lasting side effects and consequences of this storm that has blown over their region? Will it invest strategically in necessary and critical infrastructure like the member for South Shore—St. Margarets mentions often: our Trans-Canada Highway, wharves and infrastructure along the coast? Will the government be there to make sure their farms have relief, not just now but in the weeks and months ahead? Will it be there for families who have lost their businesses, which have been in their lives for generations, to help them rebuild, recover and get back on their feet? The question many Atlantic Canadians have for the government tonight is this: Will you not only be there in the wind but will you be there with us to deal with the waves of the aftermath? I conclude with this old hymn. I will wrap it up with that. I cannot help myself, but it came to me. It is storms, winds and waves, but the hymn is simply called 'Til the Storm Passes By: In the dark of the midnight,Have I oft hid my face;While the storm howls above me,And there's no hiding place;'Mid the crash of the thunder,Precious Lord, hear my cry;“Keep me safe 'til the storm passes by.” 'Til the storm passes over,'Til the thunder sounds no more;'Til the clouds roll forever from the sky,Hold me fast, let me stand,In the hollow of Thy hand;Keep me safe 'til the storm passes by. ...'Til the storm passes over,'Til the thunder sounds no more;'Til the clouds roll forever from the sky,Hold me fast, let me stand,In the hollow of Thy hand;Keep me safe 'til the storm passes by. My hope and my prayer for all my fellow Atlantic Canadians is that He would be with us not just through the wind but also through the waves. May we, as government representatives, do the same: be with them through the wind and the waves.

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