Debates of May 30th, 2022

Department of Fisheries and Oceans—Main Estimates 2022-23

[Joyce Murray, Liberal, Vancouver Quadra, BC]

Madam Chair, keeping the peace is also part of our responsibilities, so it is not in anyone's interest for there to be conflict.

[Rick Perkins, Conservative, South Shore—St. Margarets, NS]

Madam Chair, CMP does not enforce the law under this minister.

Bill C-68 in the last Parliament amended the Fisheries Act to say that all DFO agreements needed to be published in the Canada Gazette before they are signed. Is the minister aware of this?

[Joyce Murray, Liberal, Vancouver Quadra, BC]

Madam Chair, could the member clarify what he is asking a question on?

[Rick Perkins, Conservative, South Shore—St. Margarets, NS]

Madam Chair, do I get more time, since she wants clarification?

[The Deputy Chair, NDP, Carol Hughes]

No, it just keeps going.

[Rick Perkins, Conservative, South Shore—St. Margarets, NS]

Madam Chair, Bill C-68, a bill passed in the last Parliament, requires the government to publish any agreement in the Canada Gazette before it is signed. Are you aware of that?

[The Deputy Chair, NDP, Carol Hughes]

Are you aware of that?

[Joyce Murray, Liberal, Vancouver Quadra, BC]

Madam Chair, I am.

[Rick Perkins, Conservative, South Shore—St. Margarets, NS]

Madam Chair, the government has not published in the Canada Gazette the three rights and reconciliation agreements, either before or after they were signed. The government has had three years to do this. The government refuses to release these agreements. Why is this minister ignoring the Fisheries Act and breaking the law? What are you hiding?

[The Deputy Chair, NDP, Carol Hughes]

Again, I want to remind the member to address all questions and comments to the Chair. He may try to not use the word “you”.

The hon. minister.

[Joyce Murray, Liberal, Vancouver Quadra, BC]

Madam Chair, gazetting is not required for rights and reconciliation agreements.

[Rick Perkins, Conservative, South Shore—St. Margarets, NS]

Madam Chair, there is no exception in the law in the section of the Fisheries Act. It does not say that indigenous agreements are not published; it says that all the agreements the government signs have to be published in the Canada Gazette. Why is the minister ignoring the law?

[Joyce Murray, Liberal, Vancouver Quadra, BC]

Madam Chair, RRAs are not subject to that.

[Rick Perkins, Conservative, South Shore—St. Margarets, NS]

Madam Chair, the minister needs to get new lawyers, I believe.

The DFO human resources department has grown by 66% under this government, with 833 full-time equivalent employees alone. With not enough science on the fisheries side, why would DFO increase employees in the department by 66%?

[Joyce Murray, Liberal, Vancouver Quadra, BC]

Madam Chair, I can say that we at DFO are very committed to equity and inclusion measures. We want to make sure that our workplace is safe for all of our employees and that it is inclusive, so that probably means more—

[Rick Perkins, Conservative, South Shore—St. Margarets, NS]

Madam Chair, do temporary moderate licence-holders for lobster agree not to fish out of season?

[Joyce Murray, Liberal, Vancouver Quadra, BC]

Madam Chair, I did not catch the question. Could he repeat it?

[Rick Perkins, Conservative, South Shore—St. Margarets, NS]

Madam Chair, do temporary, moderate-livelihood licences for lobster have a condition that requires them not to fish out of season?

[Joyce Murray, Liberal, Vancouver Quadra, BC]

Madam Chair, yes, they do.

[Rick Perkins, Conservative, South Shore—St. Margarets, NS]

Madam Chair, at the parliamentary committee the deputy minister said that they do not. Who is right, the deputy minister or the minister?

[Joyce Murray, Liberal, Vancouver Quadra, BC]

Madam Chair, I will stick with the answer I gave.

[Rick Perkins, Conservative, South Shore—St. Margarets, NS]

Madam Chair, Nova Scotia first nations now hold more than 10% of all licences but represent only 2.9% of the population. What percentage of licences need to be held by first nations to satisfy the Marshall decision?

[Joyce Murray, Liberal, Vancouver Quadra, BC]

Madam Chair, the Marshall agreement does not set a limit, so when nations come forward and request to have access to a moderate livelihood fishery in a particular fishery, we, on a—

[The Deputy Chair, NDP, Carol Hughes]

The hon. member.

[Rick Perkins, Conservative, South Shore—St. Margarets, NS]

Madam Chair, the Chrétien government created the Marshall response initiative and spent more than $600 million buying licences for boats and first nations. Did this not satisfy the Marshall Supreme Court decision?