Fisheries Committee on Jan. 20th, 2022

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

I'm always in the hands of the committee, but we still have a number of motions to go through, and there are some others to be tabled that we don't have notice of motion of yet. I think it's just easier if we put the two together, because they're just being tabled in the House. It's simpler that way. I have another motion, which is one that we gave a notice of motion on, as you know, and for this motion we'd like a report, as opposed to its being tabled in the House.

I think it's easier to put these two on the House procedure. Since the clerk said it's in order, I would prefer doing that, if that's possible.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ken McDonald]

Okay.

Tina, do you still need to speak to me?

[The Clerk]

As long as the committee agrees to adopt it as it has been proposed, that's fine as well.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ken McDonald]

Mr. Hardie, you have your hand up.

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

I do indeed. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

The motion says at the end, “that the Chair present the reports to the House”. Is it Mr. Perkins' intention to ask the government for a response? If so, that should be included in this motion.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ken McDonald]

Go ahead, Mr. Perkins.

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

We're not intending to ask it in this way. These motions are just being tabled in the House, so the answer is no.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ken McDonald]

Okay.

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

Then you don't want a report or a response back from the government?

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

I'll leave that to House leaders to decide once the report is tabled.

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

That gets us into the potential for concurrence motions and other things that tend to chew up time in the House. Perhaps it would be better, then, just looking ahead at all the things that need to be dealt with in the House itself, if this were amended to request that the government provide a response to the studies.

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

I'm not open to amendment, but obviously others can propose it.

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

I would propose, Mr. Chair, to amend this motion by adding, “and that pursuant to Standing Order 109, the committee request that the government table a comprehensive response to these reports.”

[The Chair, Liberal, Ken McDonald]

Okay. Thank you, Mr. Hardie.

We've heard the amendment by Mr. Hardie. Is there any discussion?

Hearing none and seeing no hands raised, I'll ask for a show of thumbs-up for yea to the amendment, and then I'll ask for thumbs-down.

I think we have six thumbs-up.

Tina, are you counting the thumbs-up?

[The Clerk]

I would just remind you, Mr. Chair, that pursuant to the House order of November 25, all votes in committees must be decided on unanimously or carried on division or by recorded vote.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ken McDonald]

Would you do a recorded vote, please?

[The Clerk]

On the amendment of Mr. Hardie, it is agreed to.

(Amendment agreed to: yeas 7, nays 4 [See Minutes of Proceedings])

[The Chair, Liberal, Ken McDonald]

Okay, the proposed amendment is passed.

We'll now go back to discussion on the main motion as amended.

There is no further discussion. Is it passed on division? Is there any dissent?

I'm seeing thumbs up on all sides, so it is passed on division.

(Motion agreed to on division [See Minutes of Proceedings])

Thank you, Mr. Perkins.

Go ahead, Madame Desbiens.

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

Mr. Chair, I didn't think my turn would come so soon. I was under the impression that I would speak later, but I am very happy to read the motion to you now.

That, pursuant to Standing Order 108(2), the committee undertake a study about foreign ownership and corporate concentration of fishing licences and quota through transactional agreements, and review the Department of Fisheries and Oceans’ process for allocating and transferring commercial fishing licences and quota; and that the committee receive witness testimony from officials from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, industry representatives, and experts; that the committee also accept written briefs from individuals or organizations who wish to submit input; that the committee hold five (5) meetings for this study; that the committee report its conclusions and recommendations to the House of Commons.

I hope I did not read the motion too quickly.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ken McDonald]

That was just a little bit quick for the translation.

Have the members received the text of that motion? Tina has her hand up saying yes.

[The Clerk]

I just—

[The Chair, Liberal, Ken McDonald]

I'm just confirming.

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

I think Madam Clerk has had time to send the text of the motion to everyone.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ken McDonald]

Thank you.

Everybody has seen the text of the motion and has heard the motion as presented.

Go ahead, Mr. Cormier.

[Serge Cormier, Liberal, Acadie—Bathurst, NB]

Mrs. Desbiens, I read your motion quickly.

It talks about what the committee studied in the last session, including some transactions made by large foreign companies that invest in Canada to buy our fish processing plants, for example. Sometimes, some even go to the docks to offer rock-bottom prices to fishermen.

The effect of this is that after two or three years, the prices are at the lowest possible level. So the fishermen have to deal with a company that has a monopoly in the area. It becomes difficult to preserve the gains of our coastal communities.

Are foreign investments and the large corporations exercising extraordinary control the subjects of your study?