Mr. Speaker, in 1997 the Supreme Court of Canada ruled that the fisheries of Canada is a “common property resource” and must be managed in the interests of all Canadians.
The Government of Canada has just released Bill C-45, one of the most sweeping changes to the Fisheries Act we have ever had in this country. It privatizes the fishery, corporatizes the fishery, destroys fish habitat and allows DFO officials to be off the hook for their decisions.
In 1992 the cod collapse cost the Canadian taxpayer $4 billion and nobody was held accountable.
Will the minister now bring in a new act that reflects the real wishes of fishermen in this country?