Mr. Speaker, government intervened to enable Canadian Airline employees to vote on issues affecting their future but now denies Pacific fishermen the same right on licence stacking.
In January, when the minister lifted the moratorium on licence stacking, he stacked the deck to favour large fishery operations with deep pockets. They can afford to buy the additional licences, assuring themselves the lion's share of the catch.
At the same time, the minister denied small fishermen and communities their right to stay in business and keep their jobs.
By delaying the vote on stacking until November, the minister assures himself an affirmative response because only those who buy into this expensive plan will be eligible to vote.
Reducing the size of the fleet does not address the survival of the salmon because the smaller fleet still has more catch capacity than the resource can withstand.
There are avenues readily available and easily instituted to limit the efficiency of the fleet, spread the wealth and protect the resource but the minister ignores this option.
So much for the Liberal promise of jobs, jobs, jobs.