Yes, Mr. Speaker, I am fully aware of that rule. It was my desire to reflect the full responsibility and authority of the hon. member for Dartmouth in Hansard when it is recorded for purposes of householder mailing to refer to him by name. The Speaker of course would be unfamiliar with such considerations.
We all know that the model of Canada is from sea to sea. The Canada oceans act recognizes that Canadians from one end of the country to the other, in every region and in every province, are owners of our seas. Together Canadians from every part of the country have unbelievable opportunities to gain and to keep sustenance and wealth and pleasure from our oceans. Together Canadians from every part of Canada, from sea to sea to sea, hold those oceans in trust for the future. The Canada oceans act is one key move to exercise that trust that has been bestowed upon us with pride and with care.
In coastal Canada for the last number of years we have suffered tremendously from economic loss, economic dislocation, real human suffering. We can find it in every part of coastal Canada. We can certainly find it along the coastline of Newfoundland, where 300 communities have been displaced from the traditional way of life because of the groundfish failure, where 30,000 people find themselves not hauling up their boats and repairing their gear but are contemplating the end of another year when they have been absent from the sea.
We can find it in Nova Scotia, in particular the groundfish failure in northern Nova Scotia but also along the south shore as well. We can find it in P.E.I., less so in New Brunswick, certainly in the province of Quebec along the north shore, in the Gaspé and the Îles-de-la-Madeleine, where people have suffered real hardship.
We can find a sense of fear and concern on the coast of British Columbia, a concern that the groundfish failures of the Atlantic not be repeated in the west. There are conflicts between stakeholders about who has access to resources, who ought to have access to resources, and what gear types are most resource friendly. These are ongoing discussions and difficult ones between stakeholders.
Whatever our backgrounds, whatever our political stripe, whatever our ideology, the one thing we all must know in this place-and notwithstanding the public perception that we never agree, we have demonstrated it in the past in this place-is that we understand the tremendous importance and value of the oceans heritage. We can and we must. I call on colleagues again to work together to expand and protect and ensure that oceans heritage.
As I am fond of frequently saying, as I think it is a wonderful piece of advice for all of us, may we be guided by the words of the Haida people, who say that we do not inherit the land or the sea from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children.