Fisheries Committee on April 21st, 2010

[The Chair, Conservative, Rodney Weston]

Thank you.

Mr. Calkins.

[Blaine Calkins, Conservative, Wetaskiwin, AB]

Mr. Chair, I don't think I can say anything that hasn't already been said. When I put up my hand, I was going to make a few comments. I have nothing further to add. I'm ready to go to the question.

[The Chair, Conservative, Rodney Weston]

Thank you.

Mr. Kamp.

[Randy Kamp, Conservative, Pitt Meadows—Maple Ridge—Mission, BC]

Simply to correct the record, Mr. Chair, I know Mr. Byrne isn't at the steering committee, and when we worked on this work plan my recollection is that we did talk about aquaculture and B.C. issues. And as has been said a couple of times, I think, we were not clear in our minds whether by moving in that direction while there was a new regulation process going to regulate aquaculture and the Cohen inquiry taking place our presence would be helpful or counterproductive. But we did agree to get an update from the director general for aquaculture on the regulation-making process, and we did hear a motion from Mr. Donnelly, which we supported, to hear from Alexandra Morton. Our side introduced an amendment to that motion to also bring in Dr. Sheppard so we could kind of get a sense about where the issue is. So we've been interested in this issue, and to try to make it sound like we're not is disingenuous, I think.

It seems pretty clear.... I don't know how we'd get there at this point, because we've got multiple things on the floor, and I think Mr. Blais was trying to get there as well. We need to accept the fact that we've got the Fisheries Act coming at some point. It won't be that long, I think, and then we'll be interrupted by that, whether we like it or not. Until then, we've got a limited amount of time. We have two priorities kind of floating around and kind of equally represented, I think. Perhaps it needs to go back to the steering committee to try to work out about how we spend seven or eight meetings, perhaps, not to mention the main estimates, which are still out there, and eco-certification floating around too.

I think we're really confused at this point. So If we could find a way to dispose of these things or find a way to refer this to the steering committee for further study, or a motion to defer this, perhaps, until the steering committee has a chance to figure out how we would possibly do all the things on our plate.... You know, we understand the interest in all of these things, and we have a limited amount of time. Our concern is that, in the midst of a few witnesses, all of a sudden we're onto another topic unrelated to eco-certification, unrelated to the main estimates, unrelated to the Fisheries Act.... We look pretty silly at times going hither and yon without a real plan, and none of us wants to look like that.

[The Chair, Conservative, Rodney Weston]

Mr. Weston.

[John Weston, Conservative, West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast—Sea to Sky Country, BC]

I certainly know that for a year I've been pleading for this committee to look at west coast issues, including aquaculture. I always thought there was good support for that.

Maybe I was a Quebecker in another life because I agree with Mr. Blais. I listened to everything he said with great interest and I agree with him. I think that if we set a schedule for these projects we'll be in a better position to decide what we're going to do.

I don't know the procedure, Chair, for how we do this, or whether it requires that the movers withdraw that so we could ask that our steering committee, with enthusiasm, go back and review a plan to present to us, which would cover aquaculture, crab, eco-certification, main estimates, and the Fisheries Act. I think we'd all be happier and maybe less tense about how we decide what to do. Could we get some guidance on how we might get there, in case there's consensus that that would be a good thing to do?

[The Chair, Conservative, Rodney Weston]

Basically we need to deal with the amendment that's on the floor and the amended motion. The motion is amended. Then we'd move into the steering committee on how we do this.

[John Weston, Conservative, West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast—Sea to Sky Country, BC]

The only way to get there would be to withdraw those, or is that not possible? Do they have to be voted on as they are?

[The Chair, Conservative, Rodney Weston]

I'm not suggesting they have to be withdrawn. I'm saying we have to deal with them.

[John Weston, Conservative, West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast—Sea to Sky Country, BC]

They have to be voted on.

[The Chair, Conservative, Rodney Weston]

They have to be dealt with, whether they're withdrawn or voted on.

[John Weston, Conservative, West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast—Sea to Sky Country, BC]

Okay, so withdrawing them is a possibility.

[The Chair, Conservative, Rodney Weston]

That's within their purview.

[John Weston, Conservative, West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast—Sea to Sky Country, BC]

To Mr. Calkins and Mr. Byrne, through the chair, would you be willing to withdraw your motions so that we could just ask that our steering committee come to us with a plan?

Mr. Chair, maybe I could ask, through you, to get their responses on that.

[The Chair, Conservative, Rodney Weston]

I believe they've heard your comments, Mr. Weston.

Mr. Byrne.

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

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Since we don't actually have a motion on the table to study any B.C. issues, I would like to ask the clerk, through you, if the motion is actually in order. The motion actually refers to the committee completing a study that it has not actually embarked upon.

[The Chair, Conservative, Rodney Weston]

The clerk advises me, Mr. Byrne, that there are some issues with respect to discussing a study that has not been proposed. The amendment to the amended motion, if it were to be changed to refer to “a study” instead of “its study”, would certainly make life easier in that sense. There are complications that come from the wording as proposed.

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

Mr. Chair, I believe I still have the floor.

[The Chair, Conservative, Rodney Weston]

You still have the floor.

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

Thank you.

It's important for everybody to come here with their homework done. I heard a comment a little earlier, I'm not sure from whom, about one step forward and two steps back. Yes, that's probably true right now, because when you oppose an amendment to a motion calling on us to complete a study for which we actually have no terms of reference, and nothing on the table actually to complete, and if we were to go to the Liaison Committee asking for resources to be able to study that particular issue and they ruled this out of order because we have not actually voted any motion on it at committee, yes, I would have my concerns too, that this thing is not necessarily going in the right direction. It is going one step forward, two steps back.

What I'd like to do, given the fact that those who have their homework done should have their motions actually heard and voted upon, and vice versa, is to act accordingly. I hope for the sake of those involved in the B.C. aquaculture industry, and those who have concerns about the recreational fisheries, aboriginal fisheries, commercial fisheries, and outfitting businesses in the sport fishery and recreational fishery, that people will come to this table somewhere down the line with their homework done. But they haven't shown up yet.

So let's just get on with this and get this done, and when a motion comes forward for us to actually study B.C. aquaculture, I'll certainly be voting for it. But right now, we have decided there is one issue that is of importance, the east coast crab fishery. There is an actual motion on the table to be able to deal with that.

I'll just give some assurance to those who may have a passion equal to mine that we should look at the B.C. aquaculture industry that they will have my support.

So let's just get this done and move on, and if it requires the steering committee to get some work done, we will let the steering committee do its job, but right now the committee is meeting and is doing its job.

[The Chair, Conservative, Rodney Weston]

Thank you, Mr. Byrne.

Monsieur Blais.

[Raynald Blais, Bloc, Gaspésie—Îles-de-la-Madeleine, QC]

Quite frankly, Gerry, you're not doing yourself a favour.

Mr. Chairman, I don't think Gerry is doing himself any favours by saying what he did. I'll be frank. I'll continue to be so whether you like it or not. You heard me: whether you like it or not.

Perhaps I'm just too tired to understand everything, but the tone of that last statement was arrogant. It doesn't make sense. He said: “You don't do your homework. Some people do their homework. I do my homework” and so on. What is this? Sometimes you improvise, you do your homework in other ways. I don't like that tone.

Let's get to the bottom of this now. I still see two priorities: aquaculture in the west, that we'll have to define at some point, and snow crab in the east. Those are the two priorities. I've forgotten about eco-certification, we can't do that study. Unless you can convince me that there's a way of doing three studies at the same time—we already have two to do—I know that the steering committee is going to have problems in submitting a plan to you. However we'll do it. We'll find a way of submitting a plan.

It's 5:20 p.m. and in 20 minutes the bells are going to ring. There is perhaps something else that we could do with the most recent amendment. It would allow us to undertake a study on aquaculture in the west. I don't know if there's a procedure that would allow us to suspend a vote on Mr. Calkins' proposed amendment, so that we could come back to the main motion on the snow crab study and vote on that for once and for all. I guarantee that I will support another study that will be called a study on aquaculture in the west. I don't know exactly what it will be called.

Regardless, we have to stop speaking like this. If you are going to continue in this manner, you can be absolutely certain that that is not how you're going to win any points. It's possible that at times I am not right, but if that is the case tell me.

[The Chair, Conservative, Rodney Weston]

Thank you, Mr. Blais.

Mr. Weston.

[John Weston, Conservative, West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast—Sea to Sky Country, BC]

I'm wondering if there could be a motion to adjourn, with the understanding that we're hoping our steering committee will come back with a plan that we would vote on these things in a way that would accommodate both studies, which everyone seems to want to do anyway. I don't know my procedure, obviously, as well as the clerk, but I'm guessing a motion to adjourn takes precedence.

I move to adjourn.

[The Chair, Conservative, Rodney Weston]

Mr. Weston, were you proposing a motion to adjourn?