Darrell Samson

[Black History Month, February 1st, 2017]

Mr. Speaker, it is a great pleasure for me to stand today in recognition of Black History Month. It is a time to reflect and to celebrate their contribution to our culture, to our institutions, and to our society.

I was delighted for Nova Scotia with the Senate appointment of Wanda Bernard, PhD, from East Preston, and the selection of Viola Desmond as the first Canadian woman to appear on the $10 bill.

As we reflect on these two exceptional women who have contributed, and all those who have contributed to human rights and social justice, we must remember that we must continue to move forward and push forward.

[Youth in Sackville—Preston—Chezzetcook, December 5th, 2016]

Madam Speaker, it is a pleasure to stand today to speak about the youth in my riding of Sackville—Preston—Chezzetcook.

Whether it be the inaugural meeting with the youth constituency council that we had last month, whether it be the visits I made to classrooms since the election, or whether it be my 30 years of experience in education, I can tell members that the young people of today are very engaged and involved and are contributing to our communities.

Today's youth are very keen to take part in important public debates. In conversations I have had with them, they have talked about increasing carbon pricing, investing in public transit, making post-secondary education more accessible, and the importance of investing in mental health.

I can tell members—

[Holidays Act, December 5th, 2016]

Madam Speaker, I am very pleased to rise in the House today to speak to the proposed bill.

I would like to thank the hon. member for West Nova for his initiative in bringing forward this very important private member's bill.

This bill would make Remembrance Day a national legal holiday. I would like to begin my comments on the importance of remembering and honouring the contributions of our veterans, as well as what it means to me personally.

Once again, as I have said many times in the House, Nova Scotia has the largest veteran population per capita in the country and my riding of Sackville—Preston—Chezzetcook has up to 23%, who are either veterans who have served or who are in the military today. As everyone can understand, the people in my riding are extremely proud of the distinguished record and service to our country.

I hear about that service from veterans often, whether it be at legions, town halls, or even at grocery stores. They share many stories with me. These are compassionate, caring, and humble men and women who continue to serve their communities. They serve their communities as volunteers or hockey coaches, or they just lend a helping hand. I must say that I am extremely impressed when I see them out there and they have each other's backs. It is extremely impressive and a learning curve that I have had the opportunity to observe that much more in the last year.

It is of utmost importance that their service continues to be honoured for generations to come. This bill would ensure that Canadians from coast to coast to coast would have more opportunities to participate in and celebrate Remembrance Day across the country.

As a former educator, I can say that schools in Nova Scotia have done an exemplary job, year after year, in raising awareness through sharing some of the sacrifices that past generations have made. This is extremely important for people keep in their memories: to remember their service for decades past but also today and in the future. This bill would complement the good work that is being done in schools across this country.

When I talk about Remembrance Day, it is important to remind ourselves of the people we are honouring. I will provide some examples. A retired master corporal in my riding named Jon bravely served our country abroad, completing two tours in Afghanistan in 2006 and 2009, each for six months. He served in the Canadian Armed Forces from 2002 until 2012, 10 years, and was medically released in 2012 due to injuries sustained in the line of duty. We owe him a sincere debt of gratitude.

I also think about a sergeant I had the opportunity to meet and spend time with in the last year. His name is Rollie. Rollie served in the Canadian Armed Forces from 1982 until 2002. He did tours in Germany and the former Yugoslavia in 1994 and 1995. Unfortunately, Rollie was diagnosed in 2000 with PTSD. This is a difficult condition that many veterans face when they return home from abroad. These occupational stress injuries make it especially difficult for veterans when they return to normal civilian life.

I am amazed by the contributions that veterans are making in our communities every day. Rollie is one of many who has become an advocate for the veterans community. He has been part of a group in Sackville—Preston—Chezzetcook and works closely with others to advocate for a walk-in clinic that would support veterans with unique needs.

If we look at everything veterans accomplish during their careers in the Canadian Armed Forces and in their civilian lives, it is clear that they make a major contribution to the future of the country and the prosperity of our communities. That is another reason why we should make Remembrance Day a legal holiday in Canada.

On a more personal note, I would like to share the stories of the people I think about on November 11. I would like to begin with my father, who was unable to join the army for health reasons but who passed away on November 11.

I also think of members of my extended family who have contributed directly to the Canadian Armed Forces.

There is my Uncle Dan, who spent 26 years; my Uncle Wilfred who, in World War II, spent 25 years; and my Uncle Lubin who spent 12 years. There is also my godfather, Gérald Thériault, who was a sergeant in World War II.

Furthermore, there is now my cousin, Mark Thériault, who is with the Joint Task Force Atlantic, and another cousin, Brent Thériault, who is now with the infantry unit in Gagetown and who previously served in Poland and Afghanistan.

Recently, I have seen things come full circle where the grandson of my godfather, the late Gérald Thériault, and my godchild, is a member of the Canadian Armed Forces at 17 years of age. His name is Private Zachary Thériault.

What brings all these stories together is the fact that our men and women have served our country with distinction and with honour. That must never be forgotten.

Making Remembrance Day a national legal holiday would ensure that generations of Canadians have the opportunity to learn about the realities of war, about the distinguished service of veterans, and to better understand, for their children and their children's children.

I would like to, once again, thank the member for West Nova for his hard work in bringing forward this piece of legislation.

We must continue to remember the fallen who have made the ultimate sacrifice so that we may continue to hold the values and the institutions we hold so dearly.

Lest we forget.

[Canada Pension Plan, November 29th, 2016]

Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for her question.

Obviously, this is an investment. Canadians will benefit from it for years to come. It is one of many extremely important social initiatives that our government has put in place to help Canadians. It is another part of our government's plan to ensure success in this area.

[Canada Pension Plan, November 29th, 2016]

Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question.

It is important to remember that we want to tell Canadians about the CPP enhancement and how it will help them. It is our responsibility to speak and move things forward so that we can implement these measures. Our government made promises, and we must work to pass this bill. That is what we are doing.

[Canada Pension Plan, November 29th, 2016]

Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question.

This agreement was put together by the provinces, the territories and our government. It is not perfect. However, our minister has already indicated that he intends to raise this issue with the provinces and the territories at their next meeting, which is coming up. Our intention is to support Canadians in every way possible.

[Canada Pension Plan, November 29th, 2016]

Madam Speaker, I am extremely pleased to rise today to speak to our bill on the Canada pension plan.

I am from Nova Scotia and represent the riding of Sackville—Preston—Chezzetcook, which surrounds the two cities of Halifax and Dartmouth.

This is federalism at its best. I am shocked that the Conservatives are not on board with this important initiative. That was the problem with the last government. Over the last 10 years, there was no co-operation, no partnership, no collaboration of any kind between the provinces and the federal government.

I remember the former prime minister showing up in Newfoundland or in B.C. on a number of occasions, not even advising the premiers of those provinces that he was going to make an announcement. It was unbelievable.

This initiative is a clear indication of how strong our government is in working in collaboration with the provinces and territories. This was not an easy thing to do. This took a lot of hard-working individuals doing what was right for Canadians.

This is not a tax. This is an investment in Canadians. We should be proud of the fact that we are taking important steps toward ensuring that Canadians will be able to retire in dignity.

Let me talk about our youth. We have had experiences and opportunities that they will never have. Most people in here, including myself, have workplace pensions. Today, many businesses do not offer workplace pensions.

When I was young, a pension did not mean much to me because retirement was too far away. However, five or 10 years ago I started to think about whether I had invested enough money and would I have a pension that would allow me to do the things I would like to do when I retired. Young people today may not have the same opportunities. Over the last 10 years, the gap has continued to expand. Instead of pension funds increasing in value, they will probably be worth a lot less when our youth retire. That is even more important.

The United States has predicted a possible shortfall in its social welfare program if it does not invest. We are saying that we need to ensure that Canadians can retire in dignity. We need to ensure that our youth are able to put more money aside. This is an investment in their pension fund, which is extremely important.

This is not an investment where people need to put in everything in year one. This is a seven-year process. Canadians will invest in the CPP gradually. What is the end product going to be? People on CPP today receive approximately $13,110 a year, and that amount depends on the salary they have received while working. With this new plan, they would receive approximately $20,000. That is close to a 50% increase, which is very impressive when we look at how it is going to be structured.

As my colleague said earlier, Quebec, which is not a part of this plan, is looking at implementing some of the pieces of this government's plan, or possibly implementing it all at the end of the day. That is extremely positive.

Let me talk about the OAS. The former government said that Canadians are living longer, so it would not give them their pension at 65. It did not matter if they planned to retire then. No, they would have to work until they were 67; it would not give them their old age pension at 65. This government committed to returning to the retirement age of 65. We did that shortly after forming government, which shows how we were able to move quickly on our commitment.

Let us talk about CCB, the child care benefit. Throughout the campaign, that was the main issue I was hearing about, and I covered approximately 22,000 houses. Young families were out there struggling and needing support so they could provide for their families. That is an extremely important issue, and I was impressed because I asked young couples about the cost for young kids, whether they were struggling, and how we could help. They said that what we were proposing was exactly what they needed. It was to increase the child care benefit by an enormous amount and it would be tax-free. That is what is important, tax-free. That means they would not be taxed on the extra money they would receive from the government to help them as a family. That was a key point for young families.

The other piece that we have to keep in mind is seniors. When we talk about seniors, we brought forward also the 10% increase, which brings almost $1,000 to low-income seniors and single seniors. It is a multiple approach to ensure that we are helping the middle class. That is what it is all about, helping the middle class.

I could spend hours talking about infrastructure, which is one major strategy that will ensure job creation. We need to renovate, we need to improve what is out there, and we need to build, and the infrastructure investments are pieces. It is not just happening in one area. This is an investment that is taking place across Canada, in all parts, in all provinces.

When we put these pieces together, it becomes more and more obvious that we are a government that cares about its people. We are a government that cares about the middle class, youth, and seniors. We are a government that made commitments, and we are delivering on those commitments. I am extremely happy to support the government's CPP initiative.

[National Strategy for Safe Disposal of Lamps Containing Mercury Act, November 28th, 2016]

Madam Speaker, it gives me great pleasure as the member of Parliament for Sackville—Preston—Chezzetcook to speak today to this important bill, Bill C-238, a national strategy for sound disposal of lamps containing mercury.

I would like to speak about the leadership of my colleague from Dartmouth—Cole Harbour. This bill is a continuation of his hard work at the municipal level.

At the municipal level, environmentally sustainable protection of the environment was a key item and objective of his. It is pretty impressive because I was told as a new member that maybe only 20% of private members' bills made it through. My colleague from Dartmouth—Cole Harbour had unanimous consent in the House, and that is an indication of the hard work and consultation that he has done.

In listening to the audio of the committee, again, it was very obvious that members of all parties across the House and in the committee were eager to have the bill move forward on its merit because of the environmentally safe disposal.

The amendments coming back to the House under the guidance of the sponsor, the member for Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, would allow for all parties, governments, and stakeholders to sit together, talk about this issue, and find solutions, which is crucial. I would like to read a quote from my colleague for Dartmouth—Cole Harbour:

We need to include our partners in other levels of government to ensure that they, along with the federal government, take ownership of this initiative. This will be a strong collaborative effort that will include any interested indigenous groups, governments, stakeholders, or citizens to ensure the strategy is best for all Canadians.

I could not be more in agreement with my colleague from Dartmouth—Cole Harbour.

The contents of the bill are crucial. The bill speaks to Canadians wanting to reduce their energy use and their costs. Therefore, they need to find an environmentally friendly alternative. This compact fluorescent light bulb would do that. The savings are great, and it is a very positive step. However, Canadians need to know that the light bulbs contain mercury, the effect that mercury will have, and ways of recycling it. That is extremely crucial for the bill.

It was noted also by the ministry that four provinces had mandatory programs to collect these light bulbs: B.C., Manitoba, Quebec, and Prince Edward Island. Nova Scotia Power has put in place a program to take back the light bulbs. These are extremely positive steps.

We must also note the importance, environmentally, for the economy. For the green tech economy, this is another step forward. I am so proud to see my colleague from Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, who was inspired by visiting a local business that was disposing and recycling the lamps in a very sustainable and environmentally safe way. It is impressive that the MP took the example of that situation after visiting a company and moving it through steps. The first step, of course, was to the municipal government. The member did what he could in the municipality to ensure that all municipal fluorescent light bulbs would be recycled. That is a very positive step at the municipal level. His initiative would allow the federal government, the provinces, and stakeholders to work together to find solutions for a national strategy.

This is a green environmental initiative that is very well supported by the federal government and by all parties in committee.

As the Prime Minister has said on many occasions and as the Minister of Environment and Climate Change has repeatedly said, the economy and the environment go hand in hand. This legislation is a good example of that.

It is extremely important for people to realize that we have to fix the mercury problem and that there are many ways to do so.

In the past, people did not really know what was causing the problem. They put these things in garbage dumps and trash cans. The problem is that it ended up in the air or the soil.

Incineration was another option. The whole thing can be burned to produce energy. The trouble is that it causes a lot of air quality problems.

The best approach, what we would like to see happen, is recycling, which ensures that the substance does not cause any problems in the air or the soil, and that is essential.

We need leadership on many fronts: businesses, municipalities, the provinces, and the federal government.

My colleagues may not know this, but in 2011, Statistics Canada found that 50% of people were unaware of the problems caused by mercury.

They also did not have access. Therefore, if people do not know the danger or they do not know where they can have these things recycled and if that is not accessible, they probably will not do what is best for our environment and our country.

The bill is extremely important. It proposes a national strategy, which will shine a light, make people more aware, and ideally dispose of these things in a way that is totally environmentally safe.

The second thing I want to note is the importance of collaboration among all parties, as indicated in the bill, as well as indigenous groups and all stakeholders that are concerned and want this to move forward.

We have to be careful. This is an add-on. It builds on programs already in place. It is not a duplication. That is what is extremely important about the bill. This is an opportunity to do what is right, an opportunity for the safe management of these lights to the end of their life, without compromising the environment.

It has been a great pleasure for me to speak to the bill. I congratulate the member for Dartmouth—Cole Harbour for his hard work. I also congratulate the committee members for all of their hard work. I will be supporting the bill.

[Nathan Lloyd Smith, November 24th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, on Remembrance Day, I attended a memorial service in my riding in honour of Private Nathan Lloyd Smith, who died in service to Canada on April 17, 2002, in Kandahar, Afghanistan, at the young age of 26.

Private Smith graduated from Eastern Shore District High School, and later with honours from Seneca College. He enrolled in the Canadian Armed Forces in 1998 and was assigned to the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry 3rd Battalion.

He graduated at the top of his class at Battle School, in Wainwright, Alberta and received the Royal Canadian Legion Comradeship Award at the end of his basic training.

It was an honour for me to meet his parents, Lloyd and Charlotte Lynn Smith, and to thank them for their son's service and sacrifice.

Lest we forget.

[Official Languages, November 18th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, in my riding and across Canada, Canadians are concerned about the application of the official languages regulations on communicating with and providing services to the public and the loss of services provided in their language. These services are very important for the development of francophone and anglophone minorities across Canada. These groups are the cultural and economic pillars of their communities.

Can the President of the Treasury Board inform the House of the work that has been done and the measures implemented to ensure its success?