Kent MacDonald

“Parents in my riding have lost children to online blackmail. I want the member to tell me if she will vote to send this online safety bill to committee so experts can help us get it right.”

“Mr. Speaker, one of the first constituents I met upon getting elected lost their son to sextortion. This bill and our ability to get it right are very important to me and to the many parents out there who are living the nightmare of losing a child to this terrible plague. I would ask the member across the way if she supports sending this bill to committee, hearing from experts and trying to get it right for all Canadians who are suffering?”

“I want to praise the tuna fishers in Prince Edward Island. They are having a great fishing season, which brings money to our local economy and brings tourists to our coast.”

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today to give a shout-out to the bluefin tuna fishers who are enjoying another excellent fishing season in Prince Edward Island. My riding is home to North Lake, or as we like to call it, the tuna capital of the world. The current world record tuna was caught in the North Atlantic in 1979 by Captain Ken Fraser in North Lake. The fish tipped the scales at an astounding 1,496 pounds. At the start of October this year, Island fishers have landed over 850 giant bluefish. They account for nearly 90% of their quota fill. The quality of this tuna fuels our local economies with premium P.E.I. product that has been exported to high-value markets in Japan and around the world. However, it does not stop there, our world-class charter industry drives vital tourism dollars into our coastal communities. Sports anglers come from all over the world to try their luck and skill at landing one of these giant bluefin. I invite all members to join me in wishing P.E.I. tuna fishers fair winds and good seas.”

In response to a question from Sean Casey

“Prince Edward Island needs good ferry service to export its potatoes, fish, and other goods. This bill gives dairy processors the certainty they need to expand. That way, we can process our milk in Atlantic Canada instead of trucking it to Ontario and Quebec.”

“Mr. Speaker, I would say first, with regard to the transportation links, obviously, in the region of the province and country that I am from, we have a ferry service that is essential to commercial business and the export of potatoes, fish and many other commodities that leave P.E.I. We are a province of 180,000, and P.E.I. has been called the million-acre farm. What we grow, we have to export. That has to go to international markets and markets in the rest of Canada. In terms of the question about the dairy industry, I see this bill offering more certainty to the processing sector to build expansion. We are currently trucking milk to Ontario and Quebec that could be processed in Atlantic Canada. I think we need certainty in the business world to accomplish that.”

“Most Canadians want us to control our own food supply and support our farmers. We need to grow and process more food here in Canada. I want the agriculture minister to tell us about the government's food plan.”

“Mr. Speaker, Canadians understand that food security is national security. In fact, a Nanos Research survey released this month for Dairy Farmers of Canada found that 94% of Canadians believe it is important that Canada maintain as much control as possible over its food supply. The survey also found significant support for Canadian farmers and the supply management system, which helps ensure a stable and reliable food supply. As a farmer myself, I know the importance of growing, producing and processing more of our food here at home. Last week our Prime Minister unveiled Canada’s national food strategy. Could the Minister of Agriculture—”

“Today is World Milk Day. I want to thank Canada's dairy farmers for feeding our country and supporting our economy.”

“Mr. Speaker, as we celebrate World Milk Day today, on June 1, I rise to recognize the hard-working dairy farmers who have helped feed our country and strengthen our communities. Having spent most of my life as a dairy farmer in Little Pond, Prince Edward Island, this day holds special meaning to me. Canada’s dairy sector includes more than 9,000 farms and supports over 270,000 jobs in communities across our country. Our supply-managed dairy sector helps provide something no other country can give us: the ability to feed ourselves. At a time of increased global uncertainty, our food sovereignty has never been more important, so today, I invite all Canadians to raise a glass to our dairy farmers and thank them for the important role they play in our communities and our economy. I am proud to be a Canadian dairy farmer, the son of a dairy farmer and the father of another.”

“I want to send this bill to a committee for further study. It lets judges order prisoners into job training, school, or treatment, and it gives harsher sentences to major fentanyl dealers. I support these goals, but we need to study how prisons will run these programs fairly before this becomes law.”

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak to Bill C-240, the offender rehabilitation act. I want to begin by recognizing the underlying objectives of this bill: to strengthen rehabilitation, reinforce accountability and ultimately improve public safety in Canada. These are goals I believe we all share. Ensuring that our justice system not only responds to crime, but also reduces the likelihood of reoffending is essential to safer communities. This bill would amend three key statutes: the Criminal Code, the Corrections and Conditional Release Act, and the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, with a view to more explicitly integrating rehabilitation into sentencing, tying progress and rehabilitation to parole decisions, and addressing serious drug trafficking, including fentanyl. First, Bill C-240 would give courts the authority to require specific rehabilitative measures as part of an offender’s sentence. In addition to imposing the term of imprisonment, Bill C-240 would give courts the ability to require an offender to participate in educational programs, job training or, where appropriate, with the offender’s consent, treatment programs. The intent here is clear: to ensure that sentencing not only reflects accountability, but also establishes a pathway to address the underlying factors that contributed to the offence. It appears that this change is intended to ensure that when individuals are taken into custody, the criminal justice and correctional system would work together to create a clear path for how the underlying factors that contributed to their offence would be addressed, including substance use, lack of skills or other challenges. There is merit in considering this approach. Recognizing and addressing the challenges that contribute to criminality is an important part of breaking cycles of offending. It should also be noted that, at least at the federal level, there are already tools and processes in place to support offender rehabilitation and treatment, including the use of empirically based assessment tools to identify programming needs. At the same time, the impacts of these provisions, including how such orders would be implemented and the consequences of not complying, are important questions that would benefit from careful study at committee. Second, the bill intends to ensure that these court-ordered measures would be incorporated into an offender’s correctional plan. By extension, an offender is held accountable for their progress on these measures and it would become a consideration in conditional release decisions. In other words, if an offender makes reasonable efforts to complete the ordered training, education or treatment, that progress would form part of their assessment, including for key decisions such as for parole. If they do not, that too would be taken into consideration. It will be important to examine how these proposed amendments would function in practice. Key considerations include the availability of programs, including in the jurisdiction or community where the sentence is to be served; how assessed needs align with access to appropriate services; and the criteria that apply in release decisions. Research shows that offering programs to low-risk offenders can in fact increase their risk. As such, if the courts are too prescriptive in their requirements, there are risks. The correctional system has the empirical tools and the expertise to determine the program and the treatment needs tailored to each individual offender. It will also be important to ensure that, should the bill pass, any conditions that form part of a sentence are realistic and capable of being complied with. Offenders should not be unfairly prejudiced by barriers outside of their control, including differences in service availability, depending on where a sentence is served. Ensuring fairness, consistency and transparency in these processes will be key. Third, the bill aims to address a significant public safety challenge facing our country, the opioid crisis, and, in particular, the role of fentanyl. Bill C-240 would amend the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act to require that courts treat large-scale fentanyl trafficking as an aggravating factor in sentencing. This means that when individuals are convicted of trafficking in quantities that indicate large-scale operations, judges would be encouraged to impose more severe sentences. The intent here is clear and it is very important. The harm caused by fentanyl in communities across Canada is profound, and measures that seek to hold accountable those who profit from that harm deserve serious consideration. At the same time, we must consider how these provisions would operate in practice, including how large-scale activity would be interpreted and whether this approach would serve to address current trends in organized crime or reflect the constant evolution of dangerous substances. It is also important to consider the broader societal context in which the bill would operate. Individuals who enter the correctional system often face multiple barriers long before their offence occurs, including limited access to education, unstable employment, mental health challenges and substance use disorders. Addressing those factors is essential if we are to reduce reoffending and improve long-term public safety. Bill C-240 recognizes this reality by proposing to make rehabilitation a more explicit and structured part of sentencing. It also aims to create another layer of accountability for an offender to meaningfully engage in that process. That said, it would be important to assess how these measures could be implemented effectively, including how they would align with the empirically derived risks-and-needs principles applied in the correctional system, as well as program availability across jurisdictions and consistency of delivery. We should also recognize the economic dimension of this issue. When people reoffend, the costs are borne not only by the victims but also by the justice system itself, through policing, the courts and correctional services. Investments in effective rehabilitation could reduce those pressures over time by lowering rates of re-entry into the system. Ensuring that the proposed approach would achieve those outcomes in a measurable and sustainable way would be an important part of the study of Bill C-240 at committee. The objective of the bill also appears to aim to provide greater clarity and transparency by allowing courts to set expectations, and requiring those expectations to be tracked through an offender’s sentence. This is a positive principle. The broader approach outlined in Bill C-240, focusing on rehabilitation and reintegration, reflects principles that many practitioners support. The question for committee would be how best to translate those principles into workable and effective processes within the existing system. Ultimately, our communities want a justice system that enhances public safety, reduces reoffending and supports successful reintegration. Bill C-240 speaks to those broad objectives. The task before us is to ensure that the mechanisms it proposes are sound, effective and achievable. By embedding rehabilitation into sentencing, strengthening follow-through during incarceration and linking progress to parole decisions, the bill sets out a direction that many people would agree is worth exploring. Likewise, its focus on responding to the harms associated with fentanyl reflects a serious and pressing concern. As the bill moves forward, committee study would be critical and would provide an opportunity to examine its provisions in greater detail. That process would help to determine what refinements or amendments may be necessary to ensure that the legislation would achieve its intended goals and avoid unintended consequences. For these reasons, I support sending Bill C-240 to committee for further study so we could work collectively to strengthen the PMB and ensure that it would deliver meaningful results for communities across this country.”

“Climate change is making natural disasters worse. Indigenous communities need to be equal partners in preparing for emergencies. Can the minister update us on the new emergency agreement with the Abegweit First Nation and Prince Edward Island?”

“Mr. Speaker, that is a hard act to follow, but as we are dealing with climate change, and it continues to increase the frequency and severity of emergencies like flooding, wildfires and storms, it is critical that indigenous communities are recognized as equal partners in emergency preparedness and response efforts that keep community members safe. Can the Minister of Indigenous Services update this House on the historic agreement signed with the Abegweit First Nation and the Government of P.E.I., and on how our government is advancing indigenous-led approaches to emergency management and community resilience in P.E.I. and across the country?”

In response to a question from François-Philippe Champagne

“Can Atlantic Canada's ports help our supply chains, our food and shipping industries, and our national defence?”

“Mr. Chair, I guess I better thank the Minister of Finance for the kind words. As Canada looks to strengthen domestic supply chains and transportation corridors, does the minister see untapped potential in Atlantic Canada’s ports and harbours to support industries such as agri-food, storage and transportation, and even the broader national objectives of defence and economic resiliency?”

“Our government helped farmers by opening trade with Mexico so they can sell potatoes there. Local exporters are excited about this. What does the member think about it?”

“Mr. Speaker, the member’s speech was very informative. Our government has been diversifying to help the agricultural sector. We recently opened trade with Mexico. In particular, potatoes are going to go into Mexico. There are exporters in my riding who are very excited about that. Can the member speak to that?”

“Farmers in Prince Edward Island are starting to plant their crops. Farming is hard work, and it is very important to our communities and our economy. I am thanking our farmers and wishing them a good growing season.”

“Mr. Speaker, it is planting time in P.E.I., so I give a big shout-out to farmers who are once again heading to their fields, beginning the important work of seeding new crops. Farming families rise early and work long hours, all while facing the uncertainties of climate change, input costs and global disruptions, yet they continue to deliver with determination and pride. They are the ultimate optimists. Agriculture is at the heart of our communities, from potatoes to grains and livestock to horticulture. It all plays a vital role in supporting jobs and local economies across Canada, and especially in P.E.I., Canada’s food island. I want to wish all farmers on the island and across this country, especially those closest to my heart, a safe and successful growing season. I thank them for their hard work, their stewardship of the land and their unwavering dedication to keeping food on our tables.”

“The spring lobster season has started in Prince Edward Island. It supports over 8,000 jobs and brings nearly $1 billion to our economy. I want to wish all fishers good weather, full traps, and a safe return home.”

“Mr. Speaker, spring lobster season is under way in P.E.I. Traps were set on the southeast shore of the island this morning, and the north side will be setting their gear tomorrow morning. As islanders, setting day reminds us how important the lobster industry is for P.E.I. More than 8,000 jobs and close to $1 billion in economic activity are connected to the seafood industry. Setting day reminds us of the personal connections we all have to lobster fishing and the generations of work behind those handmade traps and uniquely coloured buoys. Islanders all know someone braving the winds and the waves with that first load of traps. We all worry a little, especially for the younger fishers entering the business. It is my nephew Jarrett’s first setting day with his own fleet. Good luck, Jarrett, and good luck to all fishers. When that first trap comes up over the washboard, we are all waiting for that first feed of lobsters with some good old ADL butter. On setting day 2026, I ask this House to join me in wishing fair weather, a safe return to port and full traps for all.”