Conservative commitment to Canadian seal harvest a ‘joke’



I gave the following statement today (Feb. 1st) in the House of Commons. Statements are a maximum of one minute in length. While I was delivering the statement, Conservative MP Gerald Keddy (South Shore-St. Margaret’s, Nova Scotia) barked like a seal. The political equivalent of a trained seal.

Mr. Speaker,

The market for Canadian seal products has never been as desperate as it is today, as desperate as it is under this Conservative government.

The province of Newfoundland and Labrador is even considering asking sealers to stockpile seal products this year … for lack of market.

Under this Conservative government the European Union has imposed a ban on Canadian seal products.

So have the Russians.

Russia was the primary market for Canadian seal products, purchasing up to 95 per cent.

For a government that’s supposed to be so focused on trade and the economy …

For a government that’s supposed to be such a champion of the Canadian seal harvest …

The news of the Russian ban only came to light through the International Fund for Animal Welfare, an animal rights group.

Mr. Speaker,

What does that say to Canadian sealers about the Conservative government’s supposed unwavering commitment to the Canadian seal harvest?

First the EU ban.

Now Russia.

It says that commitment is a joke.

Comments

Anonymous said…
When the federal government sent samples of 'Canadian' food products to Japan following the devastating earthquake last year (ie:blueberries and Maple syrop) in an attempt to open them up to the Japanese market, why wasn't sealmeat included - if they are so dedicated to the seal hunt?

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