Keith Ashfield

[Fisheries and Oceans, May 2nd, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, the member opposite is, of course, inaccurate as usual.

There are massive improvements to the act that the opposition is blatantly ignoring. In fact, our government's changes will improve several areas of the act, provide tools that will identify ecologically sensitive areas that require enhanced protection, make the Fisheries Act conditions enforceable and allow higher maximum penalties for rule breakers. It will also allow the creation of new, clear and accessible guidelines for Canadians to follow for projects in or near the water.

[Fisheries and Oceans, May 1st, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians are concerned about the way that DFO operates in certain jurisdictions. Farmers, cottage owners and the municipalities are all important and we are listening to them.

The Federation of Canadian Municipalities also said:

The federal government has pledged to give the Fisheries Act more teeth by introducing enforcement provisions where none have existed before and giving regulators new legal tools to keep invasive species from entering Canada....

Municipal leaders have consistently called for common sense reforms in Ottawa that deliver better results for Canadians.

[Fisheries and Oceans, May 1st, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, the member opposite is totally wrong in his questioning. We are refocusing our efforts away from farmers' fields and focusing on fish and fish habitat protection, as I said yesterday.

This has the support of many people, and I might like to mention one quote from the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities, which says:

...municipalities have been paying inflated costs to accommodate the provisions of this Act for over 10 years. SARM thanks the federal government for these changes....

[Fisheries and Oceans, April 30th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, I was pleased to announce new measures to focus on managing threats to Canada's fisheries to ensure their ongoing productivity and sustainability. These changes will provide greater certainty and consistency for stakeholders such as landowners and will enhance partnership opportunities with provinces, territories, conservation organizations, aboriginals and others.

[Fisheries and Oceans, April 30th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, I welcome the question from the member opposite and congratulate him on his new position.

We are focusing our fish habitat protection rules on Canada's fisheries, not on farmers' fields. For too long, we have heard countless stories about DFO protecting ditches and man-made reservoirs and flood plains when they should have been protecting the rivers, lakes and oceans that are home to our fish.

[Fisheries and Oceans, April 25th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, that is two questions in a row where members had their facts entirely wrong.

As I said, the Federation of Canadian Municipalities said:

These reforms will make it easier for governments to set clear, sensible priorities for protecting fish habitats. Currently the Fisheries Act applies the same protections to rivers and streams as municipal drains and farmers' irrigation canals. That doesn't make sense.

[Fisheries and Oceans, April 25th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, again, the member opposite has his facts all wrong. In fact, we are focusing fish and fish habitat protection rules on Canadian fisheries, not on farmers and their fields.

This is not about paving the way for pipelines. It is about allowing cottage owners to build a dock, farmers to clean an irrigation ditch, and municipalities to repair their supports and conduct routine maintenance on ditches.

As a matter of fact, I have a quote from the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, which said, “These reforms will make it easier for governments to set clear, sensible priorities for protecting fish habitats. Currently the Fisheries Act applies the same protections to rivers and streams--”

[Fisheries and Oceans, April 24th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member opposite for his question.

Certainly the changes I announced today will enhance habitat protection. There is no question about that.

We should not be in the fields of farmers. For example, the long-running Saskatchewan jamboree was nearly cancelled after newly flooded fields were declared fish habitat, and in Richelieu, the application of rules blocked a farmer from draining his flooded property.

That is not protecting habitat. We will protect habitat.

[Fisheries and Oceans, April 24th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member opposite for his totally inaccurate question.

The current fisheries policy goes well beyond what is necessary to protect fish and fish habitat. I have been saying that for some time now.

Our government is committed to protecting Canada's commercial, recreational and aboriginal fisheries. The changes I announced earlier today will move the current regime from an indiscriminate one that treats farmers' fields and drainage ditches the same as major projects to one that actually protects Canada's fisheries from real threats, such as aquatic invasive species and habitat destruction.

[Search and Rescue, April 24th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, again, the member opposite is wrong. As I stated many times before, the change does not affect the availability of search and rescue resources. Nor does it affect the availability of officially bilingual personnel in those locations.

We in fact have delayed the transfer of the Quebec office to Trenton to such time as we have the bilingual capacity to ensure the safety of mariners.