Fisherman's Road

I gave the following speech today (Sept. 27th) in the House of Commons. Mr. Speaker, I stand today in opposition to Bill C-10 — the Omnibus Crime Bill. I do not stand in opposition to every part of the bill. Indeed, some parts of Bill C-10 are worthwhile. As a father, Mr. Speaker, I have no objection with protecting children against pedophiles and sexual predators. Of course not. Even though the Conservatives may have you believe otherwise. But then that’s the rub with Bill C-10, which throws so many pieces of legislation (9 bills), aboard the one bus. The one omni bus bill. I may agree with coming down hard on pedophiles, but I don’t agree with filling prisons with people who probably shouldn’t be there — like the student who gets caught with some marijuana plants. What will throwing that student in jail do for him or her, or for society in general? Besides costing us a fortune in new human cages. My answer, Mr. Speaker, is nothing — it will do absolutely nothi...

The following letter to the editor is published in today's (Saturday, Sept. 24th) edition of the Weekend Telegram . Russell Wangersky began his Sept. 17 th column ( Fish and ships – and politics ) with an old saying that I first heard years ago from politicians in the House of Assembly: Never ask a question unless you already know the answer. He was writing in the context of my calls for a fishery inquiry. I’m well ahead of you, Mr. Wangersky – I have the questions and answers (Coles Notes version below). Is the Newfoundland and Labrador fishery broken? More than broken — she’s as cracked as the practice of shipping raw fish to China. Is fisheries management working? Definitely not for the 80,000-plus people (and 39,000 jobs) we’ve lost since the early 1990s, and certainly not for the few fish left clinging to the Grand Banks by their fingernails (to borrow a phrase from Brian Tobin). What’s the status of fishery science? Gutted and bled. Is the Northwest Atlan...

This past July I was urged by officials connected with 9 Wing Gander to tour the base, to witness first-hand the operation of the military’s Search and Rescue Cormorant helicopters. I have been critical of the Cormorants in the past, specifically in terms of emergency response times – 30 minutes wheels up during business hours, Monday to Friday; 2 hours wheels up during evenings and weekends. Those response times have led to the deaths of Newfoundland and Labrador mariners. Case in point, the Melina and Keith II . The request for a tour was turned down by Defence Minister Peter MacKay’s office. “In short, conducting such tours would undoubtedly detract from the high operational tempo of this important facility and aircraft, and thus limit the normal functioning of both facility and aircraft and that of its personnel,” read the email from Merv Frame, senior special assistant in MacKay’s office. Then, news broke Wednesday evening that MacKay had reportedly used a Cormorant in July 2010 ...

The new parliamentary session opened Monday in Ottawa with a tribute to Jack Layton. “Day after day he fought for the little guy.” - Nycole Turmel, New Democrat Interim Leader. “It’s hard to believe he isn’t still there.” - Prime Minister Stephen Harper. “As an adversary and as a friend, we shall miss him.” - Bob Ray, Interim Liberal Leader. “He could tear a strip off you, but when you left the House you still felt like shaking his hand.” - Louis Plamondon, Bloc Québécois Acting House Leader. "The chalk at City Hall has worn away, but the messages will be with me forever." - Olivia Chow.

"The question shouldn’t be how much a fishery inquiry will cost, but how much Newfoundland and Labrador’s economy has already lost — and WILL lose — because of the gross mismanagement of the resource." — A quote from my Monday (Sept. 12) news conference .

I gave the following statement this morning (Monday, Sept. 12th) at the Delta Hotel in downtown St. John's. The press conference, to announce a Private Members' Bill calling for an inquiry into the NL fisheries, was made in the same hotel room where then-federal Fisheries and Oceans Minister John Crosbie shut down the northern cod fishery in 1992. Welcome, and thank you for coming. Before I begin, I should note that my office sent out invitations to this news conference to all of Newfoundland and Labrador’s MPs and Senators, the leaders of each of the province’s three political parties, as well as fishing industry representatives, industry players, the union, mayors – people with a concern about the future of the Newfoundland and Labrador fishery. I’ve called this news conference to announce that I will be presenting a Private Members’ Bill this fall in the House of Commons calling for a Commission of Inquiry into the Newfoundland and Labrador fisheries. The call for an inquiry...