Evidence of meeting #115 for Fisheries and Oceans in the 44th Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was study.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Clerk of the Committee  Ms. Geneviève Dubois-Richard

The Chair Liberal Ken McDonald

Mr. Kelloway, do you have your hand up?

Mike Kelloway Liberal Cape Breton—Canso, NS

I do.

I'd like to move a motion, Mr. Chair.

The Chair Liberal Ken McDonald

Okay.

An hon. member

Mr. Small is up.

The Chair Liberal Ken McDonald

Mr. Small is up for his motion.

Mike Kelloway Liberal Cape Breton—Canso, NS

Okay. I thought that when you went back into public—

The Chair Liberal Ken McDonald

Go ahead, Cliff.

11:25 a.m.

Conservative

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

Mr. Chair, I'd like to move a motion, please.

The Chair Liberal Ken McDonald

On a point of order, I have Mr. Morrissey.

Bobby Morrissey Liberal Egmont, PE

We were in camera and then we came out to the public part of it. Nothing that was being conducted in camera carries automatically to the public part, does it?

The Clerk of the Committee Ms. Geneviève Dubois-Richard

We were with Mr. Small and we returned to Mr. Small, but it's at the discretion of the chair.

The Chair Liberal Ken McDonald

Okay.

Mr. Small, go ahead.

11:25 a.m.

Conservative

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

Thanks, Mr. Chair.

I'd like to present this motion:

Given that, after nine years and six fisheries ministers, Justin Trudeau's Liberal government has betrayed harvesters and made a mess of Newfoundland and Labrador's inshore fishery, the Liberal government has ignored Canadian fish harvesters and is not listening to their concerns, the Fish, Food and Allied Workers Union (FFAW-Unifor) has recently stated that the “federal Liberal government [has] completely and utterly failed our province and the recovery of the great Northern cod stock”, and that because Canadian fish harvesters need their voices heard so that those who are adjacent and reliant on this stock can reap the benefits of their 32 years of conservation efforts, the committee begin a study of at least four meetings into the impact of Justin Trudeau's Liberal government's betrayal of Canadian fish harvesters, and that the meetings consist of:

(a) one 2-hour meeting with the Honourable Diane Lebouthillier, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard;

(b) one 2-hour meeting with officials from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, and the Canadian Coast Guard;

(c) one 2-hour meeting with the Fish, Food and Allied Workers Union (FFAW-Unifor); and

(d) at least one meeting with stakeholders deemed relevant to the subject;

and that the committee report its findings to the House.

Thank you.

The Chair Liberal Ken McDonald

Is there any discussion on that motion?

Mr. Kelloway.

Mike Kelloway Liberal Cape Breton—Canso, NS

I would like to make some suggested amendments, if possible.

I'll start off with this. Remove “after nine years and six fisheries ministers, Justin Trudeau's Liberal government has betrayed harvesters and made a mess of Newfoundland and Labrador's inshore fishery, the Liberal government has ignored Canadian fish harvesters and is not listening to their concerns”. Remove “that...Canadian fish harvesters need their voices heard so that those who are adjacent and reliant on this stock can reap the benefits of their 32 years of conservation efforts” and replace it with “that cod is a culturally, socially and economically significant fishery that impacts many coastal communities in Newfoundland and Labrador”.

Remove “four” and replace it with “two”.

Remove the following:

Justin Trudeau's Liberal government's betrayal of Canadian harvesters, and that the meetings consist of:

(a) one 2-hour meeting with the Honourable Diane Lebouthillier, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard;

(b) one 2-hour meeting with officials from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, and the Canadian Coast Guard;

(c) one 2-hour meeting with the Fish, Food and Allied Workers Union (FFAW-Unifor); and

(d) and at least one meeting with stakeholders deemed relevant to the subject;

Replace it with “reopening of the cod fishery in Newfoundland and Labrador”, and then add “and pursuant to Standing Order 109, the committee ask that the government provide a comprehensive response to the report.”

I'll read the new version. It would say:

Given that the Fish, Food and Allied Workers Union (FFAW-Unifor) has recently stated that the “federal Liberal government [has] completely and utterly failed our province and the recovery of the great Northern cod stock”, and that cod is a culturally, socially and economically significant fishery that impacts many coastal communities in Newfoundland and Labrador, the committee begin a study of at least two meetings into the impact of the reopening of the cod fishery on Newfoundland and Labrador, and that the committee report its finding to the House and, pursuant to Standing Order 109, the committee ask the government to provide a comprehensive response to the report.

The Chair Liberal Ken McDonald

Is there any discussion on that motion?

11:30 a.m.

Conservative

Rick Perkins Conservative South Shore—St. Margarets, NS

Can we suspend to review it for a moment?

The Chair Liberal Ken McDonald

Do you need a few seconds or a few minutes?

11:30 a.m.

Conservative

Rick Perkins Conservative South Shore—St. Margarets, NS

A few minutes. A few seconds is a little short.

The Chair Liberal Ken McDonald

We'll suspend for two minutes.

The Chair Liberal Ken McDonald

Where were we?

It's on your motion. It's Ms. Barron, and then you.

Lisa Marie Barron NDP Nanaimo—Ladysmith, BC

Thank you, Chair.

I wanted to propose a subamendment to MP Kelloway's amendment. I'm sorry. I don't have it written out exactly, so I might need some help from the clerk.

Ultimately, at the very end of MP Kelloway's motion, at the end of the first paragraph, it says, “the committee begin a study of at least two meetings into the impact of the reopening of the cod fishery on Newfoundland and Labrador”. I'd like to remove “two meetings” and replace that with “four meetings” and add after that “and that this study begin immediately, interspersed with the derelict and abandoned vessels study”. That way we can have meetings on both of these topics as witnesses are available, so that they're both being taken care of, but recognizing that this is time sensitive.

The Chair Liberal Ken McDonald

Basically instead of two meetings it would be four, and you want it to intertwine with the derelict vessels study. Is that correct?

Lisa Marie Barron NDP Nanaimo—Ladysmith, BC

Yes. Thank you.

The Chair Liberal Ken McDonald

Okay. Do you want it to alternate from one meeting to the next?