House of Commons photoLost her last election, in 2015, with 29% of the vote.
Government Grants April 12th, 2010
Mr. Speaker, upon being elected in 2008, I did disclose to the ethics commissioner my relationship with the CEO of the Wind Energy Institute of Canada, which is the organization that received the funding.
I have followed the advice of the commissioner. The allegations in the media are baseless and they are unfounded.
Fisheries April 12th, 2010
Mr. Speaker, we certainly sympathize with those who were impacted by the reduction in the snow crab quota. I can assure the House that this decision was not arrived at easily. We took into consideration scientific advice and the information we received from the harvesters.
Ultimately, conservation must remain our top priority and we will work with the stakeholders on policy flexibility to help reduce the cost to them.
Fisheries April 1st, 2010
Mr. Speaker, our government supports a sustainable aquaculture industry. This industry contributes over a billion dollars a year to our economy and employs over 15,000 people.
We are also concerned about our wild fishery. That is why our Prime Minister appointed Justice Cohen to investigate the declines in sockeye salmon. Justice Cohen will investigate all potential reasons for the decline, including the effects of aquaculture.
I look forward to receiving this report and I am sure the hon. member does too.
Crab Fishery March 18th, 2010
Mr. Speaker, as I said, sharing allocation decisions are always difficult decisions. I was not here when the licence was issued. Our main focus, our main priority, is conservation of the stocks for the future. That is why we have stabilized this industry.
Crab Fishery March 18th, 2010
Mr. Speaker, sharing allocation decisions are always difficult decisions. I received advice from many sources, from the department, from the various fleets, from the report, and from direct submissions.
It is impossible to accept and agree with all the advice, but a decision had to be made. The panel's recommendations were carefully considered. Each licence gets an equal share of the quota. All fishers benefited from the modest increases in quota last year, and they will in the future.
Fisheries and Oceans March 15th, 2010
Mr. Speaker, I was very pleased to attend the International Boston Seafood Show. I can say that I was certainly very proud to be a Canadian.
There I heard firsthand not just from Americans but also from global buyers that there is increasing demand for our Canadian seafood, because it is high quality and our fishers have a reputation for producing the best seafood in the world.
It was also evident that Canada is a leader in the emerging trend of traceability and eco-certification. With our historic investments in lobster marketing and new initiatives such as traceability and catch certification, our Canadian fishing industry stands to emerge from this global recession stronger than--
Fisheries and Oceans March 12th, 2010
Mr. Speaker, our government recognizes the need to protect the livelihood of our fishing communities. Budget 2010 provided $7.2 million over two years to support a new catch certification program. Through this program, Fisheries and Oceans will issue certificates to exporters, ensuring that Canadian fish products can be traced back to their origin and back to sustainable fisheries.
The European market alone is worth approximately $500 million annually to the Canadian fish and seafood industry, so this is a very sound investment. Our Conservative government proudly supports the fishing industry—
Sealing Industry March 9th, 2010
Mr. Speaker, it is unfortunate that the Liberal leader continues to condone the actions of a caucus member, who seems determined to outlaw a legitimate economic activity for coastal and northern Canadians. This is shameful.
While our Conservative government fights to defend the hunt against the misinformation campaigns of the professional anti-seal hunt lobby groups, the Liberals continue to caucus with a man focused on putting these Canadians out of work. They should be supporting job creation.
It is time for the Liberal leader to take—
Sealing Industry March 8th, 2010
Mr. Speaker, it is very unfortunate that the Liberal leader is allowing a member of his caucus to attack the seal hunt at a time when all Canadians should be united behind our sealers and behind our northern and coastal communities.
I can assure this House that our Conservative government will defend the legitimate economic activities of Canadians. We will fight to improve market access. We will work with the industry to develop new markets for Canadian seal products.
I would also encourage the Liberals to take a clear stand on this issue. If they support Canadian coastal communities, then please stand up for them.
Questions on the Order Paper December 10th, 2009
Mr. Speaker, in response to (a), there has been no change in the level of funding for salmon stock assessments since 2002. Funding for salmon research and monitoring has been stable at about $16.6 million annually and this fiscal year is actually slightly above average at $17 million.
DFO science is evaluating a wide range of potential contributing factors to the low returns, and will then consider what further scientific work should be undertaken with regard to forecasting, marine survival, and the health of the oceans.
In response to (b), the Government of Canada wishes to take all feasible steps to identify the reasons for the low returns and the long term prospects for Fraser River sockeye salmon stocks. On November 5, 2009, the Prime Minister announced a judicial inquiry to investigate and report on the reasons for the decline of sockeye salmon in the Fraser River. The final report of the inquiry is due by May 1, 2011. Fisheries and Oceans Canada looks forward to this inquiry and we look forward to co-operating fully.