Mark Eyking

[Business of Supply, May 28th, 2009]

Madam Chair, that is not really going to help until maybe next year. What we need is immediate assistance.

The Liberals have three examples of how the government can help. The first is to improve the employment insurance, the second is to ease credit to support inventory costs, and the third is to implement government support for capacity reduction. Those are three simple ways that this minister and the Conservative government can help these fishers get through this year.

So my question to the minister is, why do you not step up and use those three examples that we recommend to your government?

[Business of Supply, May 28th, 2009]

Madam Chair, it is very disappointing that she would allude to the possibility that the fishing dates being changed would not have a big impact because they could make money from the crab industry. We do not know how that is going to turn out.

The lobster industry is $1 billion industry, as was said here tonight, and it is now in a perfect storm, a perfect financial storm, really, and it will not recover unless the government makes substantial assistance available. Up until now, this minister has committed only $10 million, and that is just for marketing.

This is peanuts, and it is an insult when we look at all the bailouts for the rest of the industries that are in dire straits right now.

I have another straightforward question: What substantial assistance is going to be proposed that will give immediate assistance to the fishers of, not only Cape Breton, but the rest of Atlantic Canada?

[Business of Supply, May 28th, 2009]

Well, Madam Chair, I would appreciate a quick response.

When the lobster fishers of area 26B on the western side of Cape Breton requested their opening day to be the same as the rest of the region, the minister delayed the opening day by two days, which caused them a great loss of revenue.

Again my question to the minister is quite simple: Why did the minister suggest in her letter of response to their opening date that it is okay for some lobster fishers to have a delayed opening because they will not lose money, because they can get it from their crab licences, which they can fall back on? I will be tabling this letter tomorrow.

Why did the minister respond in that way?

[Business of Supply, May 28th, 2009]

Madam Chair, I am pleased to be able to participate in this important estimates debate on our fishing industry.

To put it simply, the government is out of touch. Lobster fishers in my riding from New Waterford to Pleasant Bay have been telling DFO and this minister that action needs to happen.

For months, the fishers of North of Smokey have been asking this minister for a meeting. So my first question to the minister is simply this: When will she meet with the fishers from North of Smokey?

[Rural Communities, May 26th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to salute the Federation of Canadian Municipalities whose representatives were on the Hill today to release their report on the needs of rural communities, which is titled, “Wake-Up Call: The National Vision and Voice We Need for Rural Canada”.

Our rural communities and the industries that support them have been hit hard by the Conservative recession. Whether it is forestry, fisheries, agriculture, mining or tourism, the federal government needs to step up and do more to support these vital sectors during the downturn. A true recovery for Canada will only be achieved when the economy of rural Canada begins firing on all cylinders again. It is critical that the government stop taking rural Canada for granted and finally come forward with a focused strategy to address the many issues facing rural Canada.

We offer our thanks to the FCM representatives who have brought their message to Ottawa today.

We need action more than ever. The future of Canada relies on our rural regions.

[CBC Cape Breton, March 24th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, CBC Cape Breton is a vital part of our island. It provides a unique voice for Cape Bretoners and it is vital to open discourse and democracy. It provides the island with a town square where people of all walks of life gather daily to share news, culture and their ideas.

Programs such as Information Morning with Steve Sutherland and Laurel Munroe, and Mainstreet with Wendy Bergfeldt, provide Cape Bretoners with a link to their neighbours, their culture and the world.

It means that somebody in Sydney can understand the concerns of somebody in Inverness. It brings together rural and urban, and it bridges cultures both old and new.

Cape Bretoners have suffered many economic blows over the years, but we have taken strength in our culture. CBC Cape Breton has been there during our triumphs and our tragedies.

I want all members to join with me in calling on CBC to keep CBC Cape Breton as a local independent voice well into our future.

[Employment Insurance, March 23rd, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, this past week we met with 300 auto workers in Cape Breton who just lost their jobs. They are not receiving EI benefits yet and therefore they are not eligible for training assistance. The minister must realize that the current EI system is not working for them. These are hard times but these workers are facing hardships.

Will the minister waive the rule requiring workers to be on EI in order to get training assistance?

[Cape Breton, March 4th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, recently Cape Breton has seen its heroes and stars.

On January 27, the Baddeck Volunteer Fire Department rescued six passengers from a bus that crashed into the ice filled river.

This past weekend we had winners at the ECMA Awards. Tom Fun Orchestra won the rising star recording, Sydney Mines Brenda Stubbert took home the roots/traditional solo, the Burkes from Waterford took home the gospel recording, Ronald Bourgeois from Chéticamp won francophone recording and, last but not least, Gordie Sampson won Vibe Creative Single and SOCAN Songwriter of the Year.

Two basketball teams also made us proud. CBU's Caper's women claimed their third AUS banner and Breton Education Bears won their first Coal Bowl.

On February 23, our entire island celebrated the 100th anniversary of the first flight of the Silver Dart with a re-enactment on Baddeck Bay.

We are proud of each and every one of these outstanding Cape Breton accomplishments.

[Business of Supply, February 26th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, in the last week I visited two municipalities in my riding, Victoria County and Cape Breton Regional Municipality.

When I met with those two councils to get a better sense of what requirements they have in infrastructure, they said that their municipalities were tapped out. They do not have the money to step up to the plate and they are worried it will pass them by. They simply do not have the funds to access the infrastructure programs.

My hon. colleague, the member for Madawaska—Restigouche, has a similar riding to mine, with a low tax base and a high demand for infrastructure. Could he tell the House how the Conservative government's present infrastructure program will pass those rural, small and cash-strapped communities by?

[Aboriginal Affairs, February 12th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, Eskasoni is the largest native community in Atlantic Canada. It had four young people die by suicide just last week. I visited the community. It is in crisis.

The recent funds from Health Canada are only a short-term solution. Eskasoni has presented the government with a long-term proposal. The people of Eskasoni need to hear from the Minister of Indian Affairs. Is he going to act on their proposal to stop the tragic loss of lives?