Brian Tobin

[Fisheries, November 20th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans that has the responsibility for coast guard is currently engaged in a broad consultative process to ensure that fees for service are imposed on a fair and reasonable basis.

For the member to stand to single out one or two harbours and to ask for a response today in advance of the end of the consultation is not only not useful but not a fair way to proceed.

The Canadian Coast Guard will go on doing an excellent job for Canadians who require the services and will do so in a manner in so far as fees are concerned that is a fair and reasonable, and the member knows that.

[Fisheries, November 20th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, when it comes to hanging on to a shred of credibility, the hon. member has no fingernails.

When it comes to presenting a fair licensing regime to ensure that fishermen who are in difficult circumstances are not impacted, we brought that forward. We put in place a licence freeze for all of those affected by the groundfish crisis. We have already said to the fishermen in British Columbia who have been affected by the decline in salmon runs that there will be no dramatic increase in fees. We are saying to those who make very large incomes in a way which is progressive and fair that they ought to pay a little more for the privilege of those very large incomes.

If the hon. member is serious about speaking with authority for fishermen, he ought to do a little more homework on the wharf before he comes here to make a fool of himself in the House.

[Fisheries, November 20th, 1995]

Hon. members want to hear and I know the Reform Party is truly interested in a responsible exchange.

There are fishermen today who pay $10 for a licence and make upwards of $1 million in income. Is the hon. member suggesting that is reasonable? Others pay $30 for a licence fee, the case in point which the hon. member mentioned, and make incomes of $500,000, $600,000, $700,000 and $800,000.

We in this party believe that if a person's income is low, the access fee should be low, and if their income is high, they should pay fair rent on the privilege of the income.

[Fisheries, November 20th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, I would certainly hear the view of the hon. member on what he thinks the access fees should be because the Reform Party consistently tells the House that the government has to do more to responsibly control expenditures to get the deficit under control.

There are fishermen today-

[Fisheries And Oceans, November 8th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for her very thoughtful question, which I know my colleagues in the Reform Party are interested in. Her question acknowledged the contribution of women in the Department of Fisheries and Oceans and the contribution of women on shipboard platforms in both DFO and the coast guard.

In response to the question about a safe and healthy working environment for women within the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, we have recently taken steps to improve the environment, including the removal of alcohol from research vessels in the maritime region, sensitivity training for DFO vessel crew members, and leadership training for senior officials, promoting a safe and healthy working environment for all our employees. Harassment will not be tolerated in 1995. We are taking steps to ensure that the full contribution of women can be made in a safe, healthy and secure environment.

[Fisheries, November 7th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for giving notice of this question, important as it is to the people of British Columbia.

The suggestion of the minister of health in British Columbia to the Government of Canada that it is holding up or is stopping a public consultation process is absolutely false. It is an absolute red herring.

The people of British Columbia should know that the Government of British Columbia and Alcan have engaged in secret negotiations. They have prepared a secret report on the outcome of these negotiations. They have refused to give that report to the Government of Canada or to any other interested stakeholder.

I would say to the Government of British Columbia that managing the salmon resource is not a bingo game, it is not a game of chance. It has to be done properly and it should be done openly.

[Immigration, October 30th, 1995]

Bravo. The Reform Party might have to learn to live with a no. That will be tough.

[Points Of Order, October 26th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, if anything I have said has caused any cause for alarm by my colleague opposite, whose sensitivities are well known, I withdraw.

[Points Of Order, October 26th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, there are only three things in the world I am sure about.

One is that we should have a no vote on Monday night; two, we should all be in Montreal tomorrow; and, three, I should have called them donkeys.

[Referendum Campaign, October 26th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, what various transportation companies are doing is entirely up to them. The only thing I am doing is taking my wife, my children and I am going to Montreal. I suspect some other Canadians who love this country and love Quebec may join me.