Herb Dhaliwal

[Fisheries, October 13th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, the Reform Party which makes the most noise spends the least amount of time with the aboriginal community hearing about aboriginal concerns.

I went to Atlantic Canada and in fact encouraged dialogue and discussion. I was very happy to see that in Nova Scotia native and non-native fishing communities working together. We have said that we needed community based solutions and we have been there encouraging that.

I am very happy. I think we should applaud what is happening there. This is the way to resolve the problem. We have been working on a long term solution to get all the groups together to have a long term arrangement.

[Fisheries, October 13th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, in fact I went to Moncton and met with the commercial people. I also spent a whole day with the aboriginal people.

[Fisheries, October 13th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, all fisheries are based on conservation. There is no fishery that is not based on conservation.

As I said in my statement last week, if there is a fishery it will be a regulated fishery. I assure the hon. member that the fisheries out there now are regulated. We are enforcing conservation practice and conservation rules.

[Fisheries, October 13th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, I assure the member and the House that conservation is a priority. We shall ensure that we protect the resource.

However we do have a judgment of the supreme court. I took great honour in recognizing that treaty right and will ensure that we live in the spirit of the judgment.

We need to focus on the long term and make sure that we bring everybody around the table to work on a long term arrangement to fulfil and ensure that the Mi'kmaq and the Maliseet can exercise their treaty rights.

[Fisheries, October 13th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, let us examine the position of the Reform Party. The Mi'kmaq people, after 240 years, a quarter of a millennium, were given a treaty right. What the Reform Party wanted to do right away was to take that right away from the aboriginal people. We will not do that.

[Fisheries, October 13th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, as I said earlier, clearly we have a different point of view on this side. Our view on aboriginals is that we have to include all Canadians to make sure they can participate. We have to make sure that we respect the treaties that we have signed. That is exactly what we are doing and that is exactly what we are going to do.

[Fisheries, October 13th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, let us be clear. We have a different position from the Reform Party.

The Reform Party believes that if everybody is treated the same, it means everybody is treated equally. I have three children. I treat them equally but I do not treat them the same. As a country we were built taking into consideration the regional differences across the country. We want to make sure we include Canadians and take into consideration the needs of Canadians right across the country.

[Fisheries, October 13th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, let me take the opportunity to thank members on both sides of the House who provided excellent input. One of the things I did was a lot of consultation. Following those consultations I said that we have to sit down, have a dialogue and co-operation.

Today we should applaud those aboriginal leaders, 33 out of the 35, who on a voluntary basis decided to have a moratorium and not fish for 30 days. That is co-operation and that is dialogue.

[Fisheries, October 13th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, on the contrary, we have acted in a very expeditious manner. This has been a priority for me. We have been working around the clock to make sure we respond. Three days after September 17 we responded. We set up a short term plan and a long term plan.

We believe in dialogue and co-operation. That is what works. It has paid off. It is working.

[Ways And Means, June 10th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 83(1), I wish to table a notice of ways and means motion to amend the Customs Tariff. I am also tabling explanatory notes. I ask that an order of the day be designated for consideration of the motion.