Madam Chairman, I would like to ask the minister a question. He may think the NDP cannot count, but there is one thing for sure: the NDP knows when there are fish in the ocean and when there are not, and at present there are not. So being able to count is not important.
I remember when the Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans carried out a study and former Liberal MP George Baker—whom I can name, now that he is no longer a member of this House—and the other committee members presented recommendations to the government. I remember that George Baker did not even come to the House because the Liberals were going to vote against his recommendations. Even the member for Miramichi, who had promoted his recommendations, voted against them. Never mind not being able to count, he did not even know what he had recommended.
Did the government not agree at that time that there was a problem? First, the Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans had done its job and presented recommendations to benefit the fishery. Second, this week there were news reports that the minister is prepared to take a look at the situation for Newfoundland and Quebec, but what about the fishers of New Brunswick, P.E.I. and Nova Scotia?
Take groundfish as an example. Whether there is one fisher or two or three hundred of them, each should have equal treatment, regardless of where he or she comes from.