Mr. Chair, the member talked about the stability being provided to the new entrants in the lobster fishery. What is important for fishermen for the long term, especially when they are investing heavily in enterprise, is stability. We talked about the capital gains tax exemption, for example. That is great as long as they do not lose their boat because of the costs of gasoline and all the expenses that go into it. If the market price is so low or the total allowable catch is so low that they cannot make it and they lose your boat, the capital gains tax exemption will not help them. It is a good thing but we need stability and part of stability is depending on the Government of Canada playing a role in ensuring fishers are capable of having a stable income over time.
There are variations, obviously, from year to year. We are not expecting everything to be exact. However, part of stability depends on consistency of government, on leadership from government and on knowing that when times are particularly tough for reasons beyond the control of fishers and plant workers that there will be assistance available so they can stay in the fishery and be there the next year or the year after when that market comes back. That does involve the kind of commitment that we have not seen or have seen in bits and pieces from time to time, programs that are designed for one thing trying to shoehorn into something else. What is needed is directed programs to support the fishing industry.