Brian Tobin

[Fisheries, May 17th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the hon. member for Delta for his question. I know of his interest in the protection of the salmon resource.

However, the member will know that what the Fraser panel reflected on, both in the report and in the press conference which was held, was the need to ensure that early sales agreements were signed in order to ensure that proper management routines were put in place.

I would have thought that the member would have wanted to stand in his place, given his comments on this matter in the past, and reflect out loud on the fact that this year for the first time since sales have been implemented we have agreements in place fully two months earlier than was the case last year. All of these agreements were reached by the May 15 deadline put in place by the federal government. As a consequence of the early agreements, we will have the best managed, best conservation regime in place for salmon this year for the sales programs in British Columbia.

[Fisheries, May 16th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the member for his question. Of course, with 31 of the 32 members from Atlantic Canada on this side of the House aware that the fishery is not finished, proper consultation is the order of the day in terms of dealing with the fishermen of Atlantic Canada.

I want to assure the member and all members from Atlantic Canada, including the one on that side of the House, that when it comes to any new fee structure, cost recovery structure or professionalization structure within the fishery in Atlantic Canada, consultations will begin in the region with the fisher-

men themselves. The process will be driven from the ground up, not from the top down. The process will start at the end of this month.

[Old Age Security Act, May 15th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, I missed the first vote of the day. If the question now being put applies to the first vote, of course I shall cast my vote with the government.

[Fisheries, May 15th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, I do not have an announcement but I will do my best.

The Fraser panel report indicated that the late negotiations of sales agreements last year, negotiations that went into July, contributed to poor management performance with respect to the management of the sales agreements. The member for Delta has said that once or twice in the House.

Having listened to both members, the member for Saanich-Gulf Islands and the member for Delta, as well as members on this side of the House, I am pleased to announce that effective today all sales agreements will be signed two months earlier than was the case last year.

[Fisheries, May 12th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, when it comes to making his case, having ensured that he used a good source for the information he has just given to the House, the member has lost his fingernails. He is skidding on his chin.

I know the member has a genuine interest in the health of the salmon stocks. The individuals in the case in question, because I checked yesterday, pleaded guilty. They entered a guilty plea and it was accepted by the court. The amount of product in question, contrary to reports in British Columbia, which were erroneous, was not $1 million. It was $70 and it was confiscated by the court and returned to the crown.

On the question of whether or not there was confusion and whether these individuals had been advised, I am told by a lawyer that they had a right to engage in this fishery. The judge came to the conclusion that there was sufficient doubt and that no further penalty would be imposed.

With respect to future activity of this sort DFO will prosecute. There can be no doubt that charges would be laid and substantial fines for those who engage in this kind of activity.

[Atlantic Fishery, May 12th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, regrettably I have to inform my colleague it is true that the hon. leader of the third party, after 15 seconds of deep contemplation and thought about the future of the fishery, did say-here it is on the front page-"it's over".

After his spending this valuable 15 seconds reflecting upon the problem and coming to the conclusion that it is over, I want to inform the people of Canada that indeed the Atlantic fishery still represents a $1.6 billion export industry employing tens of thousands of people in 1995.

[National Defence, May 12th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, I do not know what the member is getting so excited about.

One of the very first actions of this government upon assuming office was to cancel the EH-101 helicopter contract. We are now performing the appropriate duty of concluding this whole arrangement in a responsible and appropriate way.

If the member is worried about people acting under undue influence, and he is raising the notion that someone is being cajoled into acting under undue influence, then he ought to be worried about a government that threatens people with a tax hike if they do not separate.

[National Defence, May 12th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, answering on behalf of my colleague, I want to assure the member that the Government of Canada, certainly this government, has no knowledge of the kind of practices that have just been described.

With respect to the cancellation of the EH-101 contract, the Government of Canada is now negotiating a settlement with E.H. Industries Limited of London, England and the other EH-101 contractors. As the member knows, the company is owned equally by Agusta of Italy and Westland Helicopters of England. Our intention is to arrive at a fair and judicious settlement and to proceed as quickly and as reasonably as possible.

I would say this to the member with great respect for the importance of the question he asked: The onus is not on the government to assure the House that something improper has not happened; the onus is on the member, if he has some evidence, to produce it.

[Fisheries, May 3rd, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, let me say with the utmost seriousness that all of us without exception on this side of the House, and I would like to think all without exception on that side of the House, deeply appreciate and take the time to give thanks for the tremendous freedom we enjoy because of the contribution of Canadian soldiers in two world wars and in other conflicts around the world, including the contribution today.

If the member thinks it inappropriate to remind others of the sacrifice we have made, all I can tell him is I strongly disagree with him.

The only party in the House that condemned the deal the day it was announced with the EU was the Reform Party.

[Fisheries, May 3rd, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, about a week and a half ago, along with delegations from Australia, New Zealand, Great Britain, Turkey and Pakistan, I represented Canada in memory of the Royal Newfoundland Regiment. I was at Gallipoli where I had the honour and the privilege on behalf of Canadians everywhere to visit seven war cemeteries commemorating the loss of young lives, in this case young Newfoundlanders and all other allied forces that fought in the Gallipoli campaign.

Having participated in the ceremonies, yes, it was very much on my mind yesterday. Just days before the celebrations commemorating the 50th anniversary of V-E Day is an appropriate time for Sir Leon Brittan to come to Canada giving thanks and not complaints about the country's contribution to the world.

I do not make any apologies for reminding Sir Leon of that. I am proud of it. Canadians are proud of it. We ought to celebrate it.