Mr. Speaker, Newfoundland's terms of union of Canada transferred jurisdiction over Newfoundland's ports and harbours to the Government of Canada.
The Department of Fisheries and Oceans is currently divesting itself of 325 harbours nationwide and 136 of them, fully 42%, are in Newfoundland.
Given the harsh economic realities in many rural coastal communities in Newfoundland, that is not a fair move by the federal government. If the Government of Canada cannot or will not find the money to manage these harbours, how does it expect the harbour committees to do it?
First it was our airports, now it is the harbours and, according to today's news reports, tomorrow it may be our nation's water supply. Is nothing sacred to the government?
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