Fisheries Committee on Oct. 3rd, 2006

[The Chair, Conservative, Gerald Keddy]

Mr. Stoffer.

[Peter Stoffer, NDP, Sackville—Eastern Shore, NS]

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Along that line of questioning, along with Mr. Lunney's concerns about the drug issues in Bamfield and illegal immigration coming across our borders, and all kinds of issues, would you not see it—at least I've been saying it, and you may not be able to answer this because it is a political question.... You have an SOA now, a special operating agency. I would prefer, and I'm sure some of us would prefer, to see it be a stand-alone agency, completely out of the clutches of DFO, where you would answer to the Minister of Public Safety. I know Anne McLellan, the previous minister for that department, was looking at that. I'm not sure where the discussions went, but have there been any discussions at your level regarding making the coast guard a special operating agency?

[George Da Pont]

Well, the coast guard is a special operating agency.

[Peter Stoffer, NDP, Sackville—Eastern Shore, NS]

No, I meant to say stand-alone.

[George Da Pont]

No, I haven't been part of any discussions of that nature.

But let me add that we do support strongly the RCMP and the border agency in some of those activities. Right now about 70% of what we do is on coast guard mandated programs, about 25% of what we do is in support of fisheries science and fisheries enforcement, and about 5% of what we do is primarily supporting security and other related activities. That gives you a general sense of the existing mandate of the coast guard and the degree to which we're involved in various things.

[Peter Stoffer, NDP, Sackville—Eastern Shore, NS]

This committee made a recommendation in the previous coast guard report to have a 50-millimetre gun on board some of the coast guard vessels. Have you ever had a chance to look at that recommendation, and if you did, can you tell us what your view would be of it? It's similar to what Iceland has on their coast guard vessels.

[George Da Pont]

Yes. That is actually a significant policy issue that I don't think is appropriate for me to comment on in this forum. But I will say I have read all of the committee's reports on the coast guard. It seemed judicious to do that.

[Peter Stoffer, NDP, Sackville—Eastern Shore, NS]

My last question for you is this. We've seen border officials and customs agencies ask to be armed. Have your employees, especially those with the coast guard unit, come to either you or anyone else asking for the same consideration customs officers are asking for?

[George Da Pont]

No, in the period I've been in this position on an acting basis and since my appointment, no one has raised that with me--although as I mentioned in my previous response, for about 20 years we've had about 50 coast guard people trained to support armed boardings in very selected situations, so there is a little bit of experience with it.

[The Chair, Conservative, Gerald Keddy]

Thank you very much, Mr. Da Pont. I appreciate your coming to committee today. On behalf of the committee, I would like to say that your discussion has been extremely straightforward and thorough, and we don't always receive that at committee. So it's much appreciated, I think, by all the members.

I have one final question about some of the challenges the coast guard is facing, especially with the fleet renewal--the new midshore patrol vessels that you desperately need in your department--and the whole issue of staffing.

It's been my understanding for some time that a lot of crewmen aboard the coast guard vessels are temporary. They're actually not full-time. I know that a number of those temporary crewmen have tried to get full-time positions on the coast guard vessels. Is it your intention to change that policy if you need well-trained, well-qualified individuals and there are a number of them already working for the coast guard?

[George Da Pont]

Yes, Mr. Chairman, it's actually an issue I have some concern about.

As you correctly point out, we employ an awful lot of casual and term people, many of whom have been employed with us in that capacity for many years.

[The Chair, Conservative, Gerald Keddy]

Ten years.

[George Da Pont]

Exactly. And they have developed considerable experience and expertise.

I have spoken to some of our key union representatives to try to work with them to look at the possibility of setting up some sort of permanent relief pool to replace, over time, our use of a lot of casual and term positions. I hope to engage in those discussions on the mechanics, which would at least, I think, give people more security in terms of the job.

[The Chair, Conservative, Gerald Keddy]

To follow up on that, am I correct in saying that if you have a temporary position, that employee has to work short of six months? If they work more than six months, it's automatically carried to a full-time position, or at least there is the option of full time.

[George Da Pont]

No. I think that would only kick in after three years of continuous employment.

[The Chair, Conservative, Gerald Keddy]

Okay. I certainly know a number of employees who have worked for half a decade or a decade for the coast guard, and they're still in temporary positions. And we have a shortage of qualified personnel here.

Once again, I very much appreciate your straightforward answers. Thank you.

[George Da Pont]

Thank you very much.

[Gerry Byrne, Liberal, Humber—St. Barbe—Baie Verte, NL]

At a previous meeting on small craft harbours, we had witnesses from the Fisheries and Oceans Canada small craft harbours program, and I had asked a series of--

[The Chair, Conservative, Gerald Keddy]

We still haven't adjourned. Gerry has one other question on another matter.

[Gerry Byrne, Liberal, Humber—St. Barbe—Baie Verte, NL]

I had asked witnesses appearing before the committee to provide further clarification on three issues. They agreed, and the committee agreed that we would accept the answers to those questions in writing from departmental officials. I don't believe the clerk of the committee has yet received those three answers. I'd ask the committee that if I don't receive them in the next seven days, we call those witnesses before this committee and ask them why they have breached the trust of this committee.

[The Chair, Conservative, Gerald Keddy]

I have no difficulty with that. But first of all, let's check back in the records and find that and then call the individuals. We can also prepare a letter ASAP and fax it to them under the chair's signature. If that doesn't work, we'll bring them back to committee, guaranteed.

[Gerry Byrne, Liberal, Humber—St. Barbe—Baie Verte, NL]

Good. Thank you.

[The Chair, Conservative, Gerald Keddy]

We're adjourned.