Gail Shea

[Business of Supply, May 28th, 2009]

Mr. Chair, our government, as I have said to a previous speaker, has put a lot of effort into trying to convince the European Union not to go down this road of bringing in a ban on Canadian seal products. It has gone through a couple of votes. There is still another vote to be held, which I am told is basically a rubber-stamping of what the European Parliament has voted on, which is unfortunate.

We are going to continue our campaign of getting the truth out there about the Canadian seal hunt and that we do have a humane hunt. We of course have said that if—

[Business of Supply, May 28th, 2009]

Mr. Chair, I think the hon. member said two million metric tonnes. When the management plan is finished, it will be made public. We hope to do that within the next week or so.

[Business of Supply, May 28th, 2009]

Mr. Chair, we have a number of fishing plans that are still being finalized. We hope to have those out the door in the next week or so.

[Business of Supply, May 28th, 2009]

Mr. Chair, with the wonders of modern technology, I have already checked. We are doing plans and the specs on Rimouski this year.

[Business of Supply, May 28th, 2009]

Mr. Chair, certainly not. Safety weighs in at 20% of our prioritization of criteria for these projects. We also look at functional need. We look at economic participation, economic benefits, the amount of harbour activity and where the harbour is located.

If it is in a remote area and there are only a few fishers in it, it is possible that it can be consolidated with another harbour before we make decisions to spend money in it. I can assure the hon. member that the safety of fishers is number one and we will ensure that someone has a look at Rimouski.

[Business of Supply, May 28th, 2009]

Mr. Chair, safety is the number one concern. Safety of the structure is what is taken into account. I know that is the number one concern when the officials look at these structures.

[Business of Supply, May 28th, 2009]

Mr. Chair, the small craft harbours are all rated and safety concerns are the number one issue. I do not know the condition of the other harbours on the list ahead of Rimouski, but I do not have the list for next year's work. It is possible that Rimouski is on that.

[Business of Supply, May 28th, 2009]

Mr. Chair, I assume the situation the hon. member is referring to is dredging. This happens in a lot of places in the spring because of the winter storms and whatnot. We try to dredge the harbours as fast as we possibly can in the spring.

I do not see the Rimouski wharf on the list for this fiscal year.

[Business of Supply, May 28th, 2009]

Mr. Chair, I would be pleased to provide examples of investments in other provinces, which we have announced over the past month.

Aside from the harbours that are in the hon. member's riding, we are spending $52.5 million for Newfoundland and Labrador over the next two years in addition to the regular program of $14.1 million for projects in the province this year. Over the next two years, $22.5 million will go to Quebec in addition to regular program funding of $6.5 million for projects in the province this year. Over the next two years $4.6 million will go to Ontario in addition to $1 million in regular program funding for projects in the province this year. We will be spending $40.2 million in Nova Scotia over the next two years in addition to the regular program funding of $7.9 million.

We are investing in these areas because we believe, like the member, that they offer the most direct benefits to the Canadian economy. As a native of Prince Edward Island, I understand the importance of small craft harbours to coastal communities and to this country's economy.

[Business of Supply, May 28th, 2009]

Mr. Chair, I appreciate the opportunity to speak in further detail about our small craft harbours program.

As he mentioned, communities have waited a long time in vain, through several governments, to deliver funding that never came. I am pleased, however, to be a member of the government that is able to deliver this funding.

Through our economic action plan, the government is delivering direct support to fisheries, marine industries and the coastal communities that they support. I am pleased to say we are moving quickly to get shovels in the ground. In the Maritimes and gulf regions, for example, $12 million in projects are already underway and another $14 million in projects have been awarded or are being tendered.

In P.E.I., for example, we will invest $13.9 million for projects at core commercial fishing harbours over the next two years. This is in addition to our regular program funding of $3 million that will also be taking place in the province this year.