Mr. Speaker, the market for Canadian seal products has never been as desperate as it is today, under the Conservative government. The province of Newfoundland and Labrador is even considering asking sealers to stockpile seal products this year for lack of market.
Under the Conservative government, the European Union and Russia have imposed bans on Canadian seal products. Russia was the primary market for Canadian seal products, purchasing up to 95%.
The government is supposed to be so focused on trade and the economy, and is supposed to be such a champion of the Canadian seal harvest. Yet the news of the Russian ban only came to light through the International Fund for Animal Welfare, an animal rights group.
What does that say to Canadian sealers about the Conservative government's supposed unwavering commitment to the Canadian seal harvest?
First the EU ban, now Russia. It says that commitment is a joke.