Fisheries Committee on March 21st, 2024

[Lisa Marie Barron, NDP, Nanaimo—Ladysmith, BC]

What I'm hearing are concerns from indigenous chiefs and from members of the community that there is a discussion that it's going to be an extension of licences on the higher end of that spectrum of two to six years. It presupposes, I guess, what that transition plan will look like. Can you see...? Using logic here, if we put a licence in place for six years, again, that's going to provide the framework of what that transition plan is going to look like. It should be the other way around. That's a concern that's being brought to my attention.

Can you speak to that, please?

[Annette Gibbons]

Yes. We've heard a variety of views on this issue. As the minister noted, there are different perspectives on licence renewals, just as there are different perspectives on the transition, the future of the sector and how it is regulated. As she noted, she heard about one year to 10 years. It's quite the spectrum. The range settled on for consultation purposes for the licence renewals was two to six years.

There is no decision at this point on what the licence renewal period will be. That is the purpose of the consultation. We gave a band so that people would have something specific to react to.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ken McDonald]

Thank you, Ms. Barron.

We'll now go to Mr. Arnold for five minutes or less, please.

[Mel Arnold, Conservative, North Okanagan—Shuswap, BC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I regret that our time is so short here, but since we are discussing estimates, I have a motion to move regarding estimates. It reads as follows:

That, the committee invite the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard to appear for no fewer than two hours regarding the 2024–25 Main Estimates and that this meeting take place as soon as possible, but no later than April 12, 2024.

That motion is being sent to the clerk right now for distribution. It's simply another invitation for the minister to appear on the main estimates before the budget is released.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ken McDonald]

Mr. Kelloway, go ahead.

[Mike Kelloway, Liberal, Cape Breton—Canso, NS]

I'm wondering if we could have a few moments, maybe two minutes, for us to chat over here. Perhaps we could suspend for two or three minutes.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ken McDonald]

Okay, we can suspend for a couple of minutes to allow some conversations to take place.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ken McDonald]

We're back.

We have a motion on the floor.

I don't know if there are any comments.

We'll go to Mr. Morrissey.

[Bobby Morrissey, Liberal, Egmont, PE]

I thought that at the last meeting we agreed for the subcommittee to hash out an agenda going forward that we'd stick to. Now we have somebody coming, and the minister was just here. That's my point. That was the whole debate that we had here. Was that at Tuesday's meeting? What meeting was it, about the subcommittee? Our agenda was pretty jammed with a host of studies and reports that hadn't been dealt with. This would be another two-hour meeting. If it went ahead, it would occur, I believe, before the budget even comes down.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ken McDonald]

Go ahead, Mr. Small.

[Clifford Small, Conservative, Coast of Bays—Central—Notre Dame, NL]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

With all due respect to Mr. Morrissey, this committee is basically the only outlet in Ottawa that gives any voice at all to the fishing industry. The stakeholders would love nothing more than to hear from the minister. I must say, she doesn't need anyone to carry her water for her. She's quite capable of throwing her own smacks.

I think there's no better use of committee time than to have the minister here defending her decisions and maybe enlightening us on why she made some of her decisions.

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ken McDonald]

Mr. Arnold, go ahead.

[Mel Arnold, Conservative, North Okanagan—Shuswap, BC]

I hear Mr. Morrissey. If we can pass this motion, then it can be forwarded to the subcommittee as part of that discussion on what we're going to study as a committee. I think that, by having it there in the mix, we can determine further if it's valid to have her.

It is traditional that we invite the minister on the main estimates, so I don't think there's anything out of the ordinary here.

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ken McDonald]

You're next, Ms. Barron.

[Lisa Marie Barron, NDP, Nanaimo—Ladysmith, BC]

Thank you.

I just wanted to speak in favour of this motion. I was the mover of the motion to have a subcommittee meeting—

[Caroline Desbiens, Bloc, Beauport—Côte-de-Beaupré—Île d’Orléans—Charlevoix, QC]

Mr. Chair, I am sorry, but I am not getting the interpretation.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ken McDonald]

Please hang on a second, Ms. Barron. I'm getting translation from English to French in my ear, and I can't understand a word that you're saying.

Okay, now there's no problem.

Ms. Barron, could you start again, please?

[Lisa Marie Barron, NDP, Nanaimo—Ladysmith, BC]

Thank you, Chair.

I feel like it's always a good opportunity to acknowledge the incredible work of the interpreters. Thank you for everything you're doing.

I want to speak in favour of this motion. Any opportunity to get the minister here and to be able to ask her the very important questions that we have is a good opportunity. As the mover of the motion for the subcommittee, I want to reiterate that. Absolutely, we need to have a subcommittee meeting to ensure that we're all on the same page around our priorities as a committee, but I will always make room for the minister to come. That is a priority. I wanted to make my voice heard on that.

Thank you, Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ken McDonald]

Mr. Perkins, you have the floor.

[Rick Perkins, Conservative, South Shore—St. Margarets, NS]

I have a quick comment, which is unusual for me. I thought I'd save it for you.

I just want to remind everyone that estimates take precedence over everything. Estimates are the priority over government legislation, private legislation or anything else we're doing, so when a motion is moved to have a minister come on estimates, then I think it's for the committee to put that in. It's over government legislation.

This is to make sure that that's the priority and that everyone knows that, because when I got here, I certainly wasn't aware of that.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ken McDonald]

Go ahead, Mr. Hardie.

[Ken Hardie, Liberal, Fleetwood—Port Kells, BC]

I think the motion is a little aspirational in terms of the timing requested, particularly because the budget isn't going to come down until the 16th, and the minister may or may not be able to attend. We can pass it, but in the knowledge that the timing we're requesting may be subject to change.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ken McDonald]

Mr. Kelloway.

[Mike Kelloway, Liberal, Cape Breton—Canso, NS]

I think I may be the last person speaking to this, by the looks of it.

It was mentioned that the minister doesn't need anyone to hold her water. You bet your bottom dollar she doesn't. She'll come to speak to the main estimates.

To MP Hardie's point, whether it's on the 12th or somewhere around that time frame, I think we all believe it's important for the minister to come to speak to that. She came here today for an hour. The main estimates are a key point of government, of the ministry and of the department in terms of funding, what we do and do well.

I would like to go back, if I can, to Mr. Arnold. He touched upon the motion and passing the motion with—I don't want to put words in his mouth—some flexibility. Would that be fair to say? If it's not the 12th, let's say sometime in April. Is that doable?

I want to make sure that we are concrete on what our asks are so we can plan accordingly. As MP Barron said, we're going to have a subcommittee meeting to give, I think, greater direction to where we go.

Maybe we could go through you, Mr. Chair, to Mr. Arnold in terms of what I think I heard. I want to make sure that's accurate.

[Mel Arnold, Conservative, North Okanagan—Shuswap, BC]

The motion is to invite the minister. We're not summoning her. We're not demanding. We're inviting her to appear, and inviting her to appear no later than April 12.