Fisherman's Road

I delivered the following one-minute statement in the House of Commons on Wednesday, Oct. 23rd.  Mr. Speaker, Coming from Newfoundland and Labrador I love a good laugh, which you’ll often find in the most unexpected of places. Take last week’s Speech from the Throne, for example, and this little gem of a line: “Our Government has supported fishermen by supporting proper management of fish stocks.” Yes Mr. Speaker, the best lines are always delivered with a straight face. Today there’s a demonstration in Grand Bank on Newfoundland’s south coast over the closure of the Fisheries and Oceans office that was there for decades.  Last month DFO shut down the library in St. John’s. Proper management to DFO means eliminating whatever it is they manage. How about this quote about the oil industry, Mr. Speaker: “Our Government will create higher safety standards for companies operating offshore.” In that case, Mr. Speaker, where’s the independent safety regulator for the of...

I gave the following speech in the House of Commons today (Tuesday, Oct. 22nd).  Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise today to speak in support of the Opposition Day Motion put forward by the honourable Member for Toronto Danforth. And a very fine member he is, Mr. Speaker. There needs to be accountability in the Senate — that’s obvious. Measures must also be taken to END partisan activities of Senators — including participation in caucus meetings, and to limit Senators’ travel allowances to those activities CLEARLY and DIRECTLY related to parliamentary business. I don’t think that’s asking too much, Mr. Speaker. I see this motion as common sense. I see this motion as for the good of Canadian democracy. I see this motion as asking for what’s right. Mr. Speaker, as Member of Parliament for St. John’s South-Mount Pearl, I tend to view the world — the parliamentary world — through a Newfoundland and Labrador lens. I make...