Madam Speaker, where I come from, this is quite a serious issue.
We have a number of fishermen who are trying to make a living and who cannot catch enough fish to pay their bills. I asked a couple of questions in the House today, and I was very sorry that I did not receive an answer.
The first question was about the rationalization program. We cannot find out if there is going to be one or there is not going to be one. If there is not going to be one, we are going to destroy the industry.
I hope the government members do not believe that rationalization can happen anyhow. It cannot. If they lose their boats, if they lose their fleet, the financial institutions take them back and sell them to somebody else and the pressure is kept on the stock.
I have been around here for a number of years, and I have seen what took place with the cod stock and with the herring. I hope and pray to God that we did learn a few lessons. There are people who risk their lives to go out and make a living.
Fish does not come from the store; it comes from the sea. We have people who risk their lives to go out and get the fish.
We talk about the bailouts in the banking industry, about the forestry industry, and about the automotive industry. Everybody I represent supports that we support these industries to make sure we continue to have a strong country. However, in Atlantic Canada and Quebec, we have an industry too, the lobster fishery.
I also asked a question on employment insurance today. I feel the minister responsible for employment insurance would like to do it, but she needs the support of the government and the Prime Minister. The mechanism is there to put the dollars into the hands of the fishermen so they can survive for one more winter. It is a matter of survival.
The motion indicates that the Government of Canada should implement a program to reduce the effort on the Atlantic lobster fishery, in fact to remove the licence. The licensing is the responsibility of the Government of Canada.
It makes no difference to me, and it does not affect the motion and what the government does if there are provincial governments or other agencies that have dollars to put in, but it is the responsibility of the Government of Canada to come forward and help this industry.
Why is the fishing industry left out? Why would we want to leave out an industry that has been around for hundreds of years?
The government is in the position to do this. Take the credit and do it. It will save an industry, and it will do nothing but help the government's own situation.
I hope it is in the process of making some announcements, first on the EI program. It is simple to do. The mechanism is there, so just do it. It would put dollars in the hands of people who need it. If the government puts the rationalization program in place, then it saves an industry, an age-old industry in this country. That is why I pushed so hard in the spring to have the fisheries committee tour Atlantic Canada and Quebec.
My hon. colleague from the government indicated that there should be an industry-led rationalization program. I am sure he does care. However, we cannot put a rationalization program in place on the backs of fishermen who are going broke and losing their own fleets. That would make absolutely no sense.
I am asking the Prime Minister and the government members, when this comes up, please support this motion, or even better still, implement what I have recommended to make sure this industry survives.