What a thrill it was last month to congratulate the Irving Halifax Shipyard on its successful bid for the $25 billion combat ship contract! I would also like to congratulate Les Holloway, CAW Atlantic Canada area director, Karl Risser, president of Canadian Auto Workers Marine Workers Federation Local 1 and the many other people I've worked with in Ottawa for many years to advocate for a long-term shipbuilding strategy or who were involved in initiatives like Ships Start Here.

The shipbuilding procurement strategy is an opportunity to ensure that once again Canada has a world-class shipbuilding industry.

I`ve heard from many people in Halifax West who work in the shipyard or who have family members who work in the industry, and I know they are excited about this contract and anxious to see the first steel cut. We expect to see thousands of new jobs and enough work to last several decades.

The combat ship contract is a fantastic opportunity for the entire Atlantic region and it was encouraging to see the level of support the Halifax bid received. Our job now, is to make sure it becomes a reality. For months, I've proudly worn my Ships Start Here lapel pin. Our next task is to make sure the contracts flow smoothly. We don't want to see any repeats of the Navy supply ship fiasco, where the Liberal government announced the program, but the Conservatives still have not issued any tenders. Or the search and rescue aircraft that were promised, but still haven't been delivered.

There are also many valuable subcontracts that will be part of this project and it will be important to work with companies like IMP, Ultra Electronics, Cherubini, Russell Metals and many others here in Nova Scotia to give them every chance to benefit from that work.

With this opportunity come some challenges, but we can meet them with good planning. For example, Nova Scotia is already facing a shortage of skilled trades people and classes at the Nova Scotia Community College (NSCC) are full. We have to plan to train the next generation of shipbuilders without draining the labour market for small businesses and I was encouraged to hear Irving will be working closely with the community college.

We also have to ensure adequate infrastructure is in place to accommodate people coming to our city to work. That includes everything from housing to transportation. Of course, these are challenges we already face, but there will be some added pressure for all levels of government.

I look forward to working with my colleagues to ensure this contract creates a boost for the Canadian economy and a jump start to new development in Halifax.

If you have any questions or concerns, you can reach me at geoff@geoffregan.ca or 426-2217.