Herb Dhaliwal

[Fisheries, March 23rd, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, I am happy to announce to the House that we already have two signed agreements with the first nations bands. Discussions are going on at this moment. I hope that in the near future I will be able to announce more.

We said from day one that resolving this problem would be through dialogue and through sitting around the table and negotiating, unlike the Tories who said to use the notwithstanding clause to take away the treaty rights won by the supreme court. We rejected that position.

[Fisheries, March 23rd, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, what we have done is we have followed the consultations.

The hon. member and the fishing community have said that one of the ways to bring new entrants into the fishery is through a voluntary buyback of licences. Of course some of those include a whole enterprise, not just the licences themselves. That is exactly what we are doing. Through a voluntary retirement program we are buying up licences to make sure that we follow the law and follow the supreme court ruling which recognized the treaty that the Mi'kmaq signed more than 240 years ago.

[Fisheries, March 20th, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, I am very happy to answer this question. It is the first one I have had in this millennium from the hon. member.

We are working very hard. We have federal representatives meeting with first nations bands. In fact, we have already signed agreements with two of the bands. We will continue to make sure that as the fishing season starts we take every opportunity to have agreements so that we can have an orderly and regulated fishery with conservation being our priority.

[Fisheries, March 15th, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the hon. member for Miramichi for taking an interest in the subject.

I had the opportunity to visit the International Boston Seafood Show which, by the way, was started by Canadian companies and is now world renown.

At the International Boston Seafood Show I had the opportunity to announce our export figures. We have broken all records for our fish and seafood products which are at $3.7 billion, a $500 million increase over last year.

[Questions On The Order Paper, February 8th, 2000]

(a) Licences retired: 240.

(a) (i) 240 are inshore; (ii) zero are offshore.

(b) and (c) 222 have been issued to first nations; 18 are being retained and will be issued under future agreements with first nations.

First Nation—Species

Annapolis Valley (2)—Herring, Scallop

Chapel Island (4)—Bluefin Tuna, Lobster, Mackerel, Squid

Eskasoni (6)—Bluefin Tuna, Groundfish, Herring, Lobster, Mackerel (2)

Fort Folly (2)—Groundfish, Lobster

Horton (4)—Groundfish, Lobster (2), Mackerel

Kingsclear (5)—Groundfish, Herring, Lobster, Scallop, Sea Urchin

Membertou (5)—Bluefin Tuna, Groundfish, Lobster, Mackerel, Scallop

Millbrook (10)—Bluefin Tuna, Groundfish (2), Herring, Lobster (2) Mackerel (2), Snow Crab, Swordfish

Native Council of Nova Scotia (13)—Lobster (3), Scallop, Hering (2), Mackerel (2), Groundfish (2), Swordfish, Bluefin Tuna, Gaspereau

Saint Mary's (2)—Lobster (2)

Wagmatcook (6)—Groundfish, Lobster (2), Mackerel (2), Swordfish

Waycobah (3)—Lobster, Mackerel, Swordfish

Woodstock (3)—Herring, Lobster, Scallop

Abegweit (13)—Groundfish, Herring (2), Lobster (3), Mackerel (2), Scallop, Squid, Clam, Swordfish, Oyster

Big cove (27)—Eel (3), Herring (6), Mackerel, Lobster (16), Smelts

Buctouche (7)—Herring (2), Lobster (2), Mackerel, Scallop, Smelts

Burnt Church (25)—Herring (5), Lobster (13), Mackerel (4), Oysters (3)

Eel Ground (7)—Herring Lobster, Mackerel, Eel, Oysters, Gaspereau, Clams

Eel River Bar (7)—Herring, Lobster (4), Mackerel, Smelts

Indian Island (9)—Groundfish, Herring, Lobster (5), Scallop, Gaspereau

Lennox Island (20)—Herring, Lobster (5), Mackerel (5), Squid, Oyster (4), Clams (2), Mussels (2)

Listuguj (3)—Rock Crab, Lobster (2)

Native Council of PEI (21)—Lobster (2), Swordfish, Squid, Clam, Scallop, Groundfish, Eels, Mackerel, Oyster (12)

New Brunswick Aboriginal Peoples Council (4)—Lobster (2), Herring, Mackerel

Pabineau (3)—Herring, Mackerel, Lobster

Pictou Landing (4)—Herring (2), Lobster (2)

Red Bank (2)—Gaspereau, Lobster

Tobique (5)—Groundfish, Herring (2), Lobster, Scallop

Question No. 53—

[Coast Guard, December 14th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, if anybody would know about wasting money it is that party, the Conservative Party, which left a $40 billion deficit that we had to clean up.

With regard to Mr. Tobin, this is the Premier of Newfoundland on behalf of his people requesting an opportunity to be transported on a coast guard vessel. We believe in working with provincial governments. That is what—

[Coast Guard, December 14th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, as the hon. member knows, from time to time the coast guard provides services for a community, and in this case the premier of the province—

[Coast Guard, December 13th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, as I said, the closest ship that could have responded was the Cape Roger . It was appropriate to make sure that we called the closest ship that could have gone to the destination in the quickest fashion, and that is exactly what happened.

[Coast Guard, December 13th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, as I said last week, we have informed our managers that what happened on the J. E. Bernier was not acceptable. However, let me say that the Cape Roger , which was in the vicinity, was the closest coast guard vessel to respond to the rescue centre, along with the RCMP and the Canadian forces' helicopter from Gander.

All the standards were fulfilled. Unfortunately the young man, Mr. Collins, died. I think all members of the House would want to express their condolences to Mr. Anthony Collins' family.

[Coast Guard, December 13th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, I withdraw it.

As I said last week, no lives were at risk. The coast guard ship Cape Roger attended to this as soon as it was alerted. The RCMP, which has jurisdiction because of the action on the shoreline, responded, and the DND helicopter from Gander also responded. They responded exactly in accordance with the rescue standards which we have established in this country.