44th Parl. 1st Sess.
March 31, 2022 10:00AM
- Mar/31/22 2:54:25 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, as I already mentioned, the mackerel stocks have been in a very critical state for a decade, and the time has come to give them a chance to regenerate and rebound, because we need mackerel stock for our fishers for bait for the very lucrative crab and lobster fishery and also for the whole ecosystem.
I am sure the member opposite would not want to be presiding over the extinction of such an important fish. We are going to protect it and regenerate it for the generations to come.
91 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Mar/31/22 2:55:03 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, after she was defeated in the last general election, the former minister of fisheries issued temporary moderate livelihood lobster licences to four first nations for the lobster season that ends in May. The former minister had the right and ability to impose conditions on the fishery in return for the issuing of these licences, which would sell in today's marketplace for over $1 million.
Did the former defeated minister put in place a condition that these licences were not to be fished outside the DFO's commercial regulated seasons for lobster fishing areas 33, 34 and 35, yes or no?
103 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Mar/31/22 2:55:45 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, I know how important the lobster fishery and all fisheries are to the communities in Atlantic Canada as well as on the Pacific. I also know how important it is for reconciliation with indigenous peoples that they be able to satisfy their court-ordered or moderate livelihood fisheries rights.
With respect to the question, I am happy to look into it for the member. We do our very best to work with indigenous peoples to satisfy their rights and work with harvesters to make sure they are included in any changes of quota that will affect them.
99 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Mar/31/22 2:56:37 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, flights must be chartered to bring Ukrainian refugees to Canada.
According to Michael Shwec, president of the Quebec council of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress, the organization thinks that would be a good thing. Imagine a mother who winds up in Poland with her two children. She has to book and pay for plane tickets herself, so that is a barrier. If the government can help, that is one huge obstacle out of the way for her.
That is what Ukrainians want in terms of help for exiled Ukrainian mothers and their children.
When will an airlift be arranged?
101 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Mar/31/22 2:57:03 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, Canada must welcome many Ukrainians who are fleeing Vladimir Putin's unjust war.
We have been working very hard to make sure that we can get as many people here as quickly as possible. That is why we introduced new expedited programs, and I am pleased to share that more than 12,000 Ukrainians have arrived in Canada already this year, with another 12,000 who have been approved just in the past two weeks. Previous to the new program coming on, there were an additional number, more than 7,500.
We are going to continue to welcome tens of thousands of Ukrainians. We are having conversations with the private sector to see what we can do to bring people here as quickly as possible. Every day we are working to introduce new measures to not just get people here, but to support them after they arrive.
150 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Mar/31/22 2:57:44 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, let us come back to the Ukrainian Canadian Congress, which was asked yesterday what more the Canadian government could do to help. The answer was this: Relax the visa application process and help with travel. Send planes to bring these good people to Canada. Right now, they have to foot the bill and find their own way to Canada.
These people found a way to flee the war. The minister must now find a way to bring them to Canada. We have been saying for a month now that planes need to be sent in.
When is the minister going to wake up and charter flights?
108 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Mar/31/22 2:58:25 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, I remind the hon. member that typically refugee resettlement programs take years to implement to welcome people in large numbers. Over the past number of weeks, we have implemented new programs to allow those in Canada to stay. We have waived fees for new applications. We have found every application by a Ukrainian national that is in our queue already and are processing those applications in a priority way.
We introduced a new program so that people could get here in two weeks. We just this week extended new settlement supports to make sure people have language training and that they have access to employment assistance. We are continuing to do everything we can to support people. We will not stop and we will continue to introduce new measures to make it easier for them to get here.
140 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Mar/31/22 2:59:08 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, when the government's decision put salmon farms in the Discovery Islands on notice, there was no transition plan for affected workers. Now, 15 months later, the government has spent over $20 million in PR exercises, but not a dime for worker transitions. The government's decision on the Discovery Islands deadline is three months away and there are still no transition supports for the workers who have lost or will lose their jobs.
Will the government provide targeted transition resources for displaced workers?
86 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Mar/31/22 2:59:45 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, I am committed to implementing a responsible plan to transition away from open-net pen salmon farming in coastal British Columbian waters. As confirmed by my mandate letter and as a west coaster, I know just how important this transition will be.
Last year, the department held preliminary engagements with first nations and many other stakeholders. That report was published last July and will be critical in developing our plan forward. We are going to do a lot more consultation, and budget 2021 provided funds to do just that.
91 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Mar/31/22 3:00:25 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, there is still no answer for workers. With regard to the expropriation of quota from crab and elver fishers, the minister told the fisheries committee that no decisions have been made on either the crab or elver fishery, yet DFO officials have written to crab fishers that the quota cut of 50% was final. They also told elver fishers that the 14% cut was final.
Does the minister understand that this will hurt the industry and kill jobs?
80 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Mar/31/22 3:01:02 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, indigenous communities have a court-ordered right to fish in their traditional waters or to fish for a moderate livelihood. It is a principle of our government to satisfy those rights. There is not always the ability to add quota to satisfy those rights while also maintaining conservation of the stock for the long term, which is absolutely critical. That is why we have been in consultation with the crab fishers and the elver harvesters to have an industry-led way forward on these matters.
87 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Mar/31/22 3:01:46 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, wharves are the Trans-Canada Highway of our commercial fishery. Without them, there would be no fishery.
They are a collective asset for the whole country, but the Liberals do not see the small craft harbours program that way. The Liberals see it as being just for Liberals. Here are the facts. In 2021, 74% of all projects went to Liberal ridings. Also, 15 of the 19 ridings that received more than one project were Liberal, and 20 of the 24 largest projects went to Liberal ridings.
This is just more misappropriation of funds for partisan purposes. As my colleague from Lévis—Lotbinière said, it is a scandal.
115 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Mar/31/22 3:02:30 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, I understand the importance of small craft harbours to rural fishers who depend on these facilities for their livelihoods. Livelihoods such as fishing, farming and tourism build resilience in rural and coastal communities.
It is a non-partisan program. The Conservatives did not invest in harbours, and we invested $1 billion in a new fund under the small craft harbours program.
64 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Mar/31/22 3:03:20 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, as we all know, tax season is now half over. Millions of Canadians have already completed and filed their tax returns, and many others are about to join them by filing their returns in the next few days.
Can the Minister of Revenue tell us how this year's tax season is going?
55 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Mar/31/22 3:04:00 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Marc‑Aurèle‑Fortin for his question and for his work.
Tax season is going well thanks to all the employees of the Canada Revenue Agency, who are doing an extraordinary job day after day. I would also like to take a moment to remind Canadians that they should file their returns by the deadline to receive the benefits and credits to which they are entitled as quickly as possible.
80 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Mar/31/22 3:04:32 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, invasive zebra and quagga mussels are devastating the ecology of waterways. They are harming natural species and ruining beaches, and they are costly to waterway infrastructure. Last summer, 17 boats were confirmed carrying invasive mussels coming into British Columbia.
With the summer fast approaching, we cannot have another year of inaction. DFO has a responsibility to stop the spread. What is the NDP-Liberal minister's plan to stop the spread of invasive mussels from coming to western Canada?
81 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Mar/31/22 3:05:07 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, my department is very seized with preventing and dealing with invasive species that are indeed a scourge of Canadian waters from east to west. We recently actually stopped zebra mussels from coming—
Some hon. members: Oh, oh!
40 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Mar/31/22 3:05:27 p.m.
- Watch
Order. As much as I like the fisheries questions, I like the fisheries answers and I want to be able to hear them.
23 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Mar/31/22 3:05:36 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, as I was saying, my department and I have a very important responsibility to stop, and to prevent and reduce, the invasive species in the waters across Canada. Zebra mussels were discovered through work that my ministry did with our border agency. They were coming into Canada from aquarium supplies, and we stopped that. This is something we are seized with. We will continue to work on it, and our budget allows us to do just that.
79 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Mar/31/22 3:06:15 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, salmon anglers in my province have been told that a decision is being made to stop all retention of salmon in the upcoming season. Last year, the Exploits River had returns that were nearly double the average returns for the past 10 years. Stopping salmon retention will take anglers off the rivers and put poachers in the driver's seat. Given that many rivers were stable or up in their returns last year, there is no reason to take away the right to retain salmon. In fact, retention of salmon can be increased.
Will the minister allow local anglers to retain salmon this year in Newfoundland and Labrador?
110 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- menumenu
- notificationsnotifications
- home
- mailmail
- searchsearch
