No, I'm going to be done here in one minute. I just think it's important that this issue be on the record.
Mr. Chairman, I asked the local reporter, and I got a comment from Mr. Bill Otway on this thing. Mr. Otway said:
Be aware that on a quick glance I'm aware that Wild lied or misled the committee on a key point. He claims the comments made in the paper were not his and the reporter erred.
Well when this happened I e-mailed Sprout immediately and he responded that he had taken it up with Wild and both agreed that these were not responsible comments and that they were not acceptable and he assured it would not happen again.
At no time did he indicate that this was a misquote by the newspaper.
The reporter, Robert Freeman, said:
Mr. Wild did make the comment about “local animosity” toward the Cheam. I have it in my notes and a good recollection of it in my memory because it surprised me so when he said it. No recreational fisherman made any comment (at least not a disparaging one) about the Cheam Band running the removal operation--just about their concern for the habitat and what DFO was doing. ... Nobody from the DFO has said anything to me about any alleged misinformation or misquotes in the story since it ran in March.
Mr. Chairman, I think this committee was misled by Mr. Wild and Mr. Sprout. I think it's a matter that requires addressing by the committee at some point.