Mr. Speaker, the situation is extremely serious. We know these communities, and we are aware of the situation with the fisheries.
The problem is that fish stocks are diminishing in the Atlantic because of overfishing by previous generations.
Lost his last election, in 2006, with 38% of the vote.
Atlantic Groundfish Strategy June 11th, 1998
Mr. Speaker, the situation is extremely serious. We know these communities, and we are aware of the situation with the fisheries.
The problem is that fish stocks are diminishing in the Atlantic because of overfishing by previous generations.
Atlantic Groundfish Strategy June 11th, 1998
Absolutely not, Mr. Speaker. As I said repeatedly, I hope to soon be in a position to make an announcement.
Consultations with the five provincial governments were successful. Yesterday, the Bloc Quebecois—which was misinformed about the situation in Quebec City—said that the Quebec government was not even in a position to know what was going on. This is not true.
Perhaps there is a problem in Quebec City between the Department of Intergovernmental Affairs, which centralizes everything, and the Department of Fisheries, but meetings were also held at that level. I hope to soon be in a position to make an announcement.
Atlantic Groundfish Strategy June 11th, 1998
Mr. Speaker, I can assure you that what we want to do in partnership with the provinces—which I hope will work with us on this—is to create jobs in these communities so that people will have something to do other than wait for the fish to return.
These Atlantic communities must learn to live with a much reduced fishing industry, a situation which unfortunately is unlikely to change any time soon. This is why we have to make structural changes to the economy.
Atlantic Groundfish Strategy June 11th, 1998
Mr. Speaker, as I said to his leader and to the entire House a few minutes ago, the situation of the people in Atlantic Canada at the moment concerns us enormously. We are very much aware of the fact that these people are facing considerable uncertainty.
Our government acted responsibly in setting up the TAGS program at the time, and we have consulted widely. We have met with people from the fishing industry, with fisher and community representatives, and I hope we will soon be able to announce the programs we will implement.
Atlantic Groundfish Strategy June 11th, 1998
Mr. Speaker, I see that once again the Bloc Quebecois is calling for passive measures, income support, and still wants to keep people in a state of dependency. Two or three years down the road, it will be the same impossible situation all over again.
We are looking to the future, and what we are interested in is a genuine restructuring, if that is what is required.
We may want to pursue the idea of licence buybacks. We want to introduce measures to help people re-enter the labour market. We want economic development. We are interested in active measures, not in keeping people dependent, which is what the members opposite always seem to want.
Atlantic Groundfish Strategy June 11th, 1998
Mr. Speaker, as I have said on several occasions in the House, this is an issue that concerns us enormously.
We have met with people from the communities and we know that many of them are finding the situation extremely difficult. Some people are living with terrible uncertainty. That is why the issue must be handled very carefully.
I have spoken, through my officials, with representatives from each of the provinces. We will, I hope, be in a position to make an announcement shortly.
Employment June 10th, 1998
Mr. Speaker, the member should be very happy because the number of unemployed has gone down in New Brunswick. It is why the project is being reallocated.
Our government has doubled the jobs program. We have taken it from $60 million to $120 million Canada-wide, and the funding allocation formula is based on the number of students in a province, its unemployment rate, and its needs.
Employment Insurance June 10th, 1998
Mr. Speaker, I have been very clear on this issue.
We are well aware that after 25 years we have made the most important reform of the employment insurance system to overhaul it, update it and modernize it to better serve Canadians with the new conditions in the labour market. We will have to monitor it very closely. We are well aware of it.
This is the reason that I tabled in the House last January the first report of the impact of our EI reforms on Canadians and the unemployed. We will do it every year to make sure that the impact of our reforms serves Canadians well.
Employment Insurance June 10th, 1998
Mr. Speaker, first of all the number of people on welfare in Canada is the lowest that it has been in five years because of the performing economy.
Second, the member can look at his own province of New Brunswick. He will find that 80% of people in New Brunswick are covered by the employment insurance system and not the number that he mentioned this afternoon in the House for his own province.
Atlantic Groundfish Strategy June 10th, 1998
Mr. Speaker, ours was the first government to react to the very difficult situation facing the population there. In the very strained fiscal situation of the time, we invested $1.9 billion in Atlantic Canada to help the fishers and the communities, and we remain very sensitive to their concerns.
I can assure you that our compassion for what these people are experiencing is—