Mike Allen

[Committees of the House, May 11th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, it is really great sitting in on the fisheries committee when we get a chance to talk about these issues and about how important this industry is.

As to how that fishery has evolved, I think the first organized hunt was in 1723. It has evolved over almost 300 years. DFO has worked very hard with the fishers and the seal hunters to actually engage them in this process. I think the apprenticeship program is very important. It just underscores how important the consultation process is and how important it is that the government wants to work with the sealers to understand what is going on in these small communities, but also to work hard to make sure that we can sustain this harvest for generations to come.

We all know this harvest is sustainable, and it really has to be developed for all fishers concerned, because at the end of the day, just looking at what the seals eat, they eat other fish. So it is important for a long-range, sustainable hunt, and for all fishers, that we continue to work with the sealers to ensure this harvest for many years to come.

[Committees of the House, May 11th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, the fisheries and oceans committee is a great committee to work on because, generally, we can get that consensus on reports. I think everybody understands the importance of the fishing industry to all of us. Even though I represent an inland riding, I represent a rural riding, I do understand the importance of these rural ridings and the importance of these types of industries to them.

I do concur with my hon. friend that when all the members of a committee get together and we do not have a dissident report, maybe is the best way to put it, that has tremendous leverage for the government. It is also important because it gives us reinforcements. When we get someone like Norway's foreign minister indicating that the Norwegian government has decided to initiate consultations under the WTO dispute settlement mechanism should the EU take a decision on the lines it now seems to be developing, that is a great thing for us as a government because this is the power that we can all get behind.

[Committees of the House, May 11th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, I move that the fourth report of the Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans, presented on Wednesday, May 6, be concurred in.

Today I will be sharing my time with my hon. friend from New Brunswick and the member of Parliament for Saint John.

I am pleased to rise here today to support the fourth report of the Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans on Canada's seal hunt.

One of the main concerns provoking the debate in Europe and the movement to ban seal products has to do with considerations related to the well-being of the animals. Our government has committed to applying the strictest standards in this area. That is why we are seeking the best scientific advice, and adapting our regulations and licensing criteria based on that advice.

This year was no exception. I am grateful for the opportunity to describe the measures we have taken this year to improve hunting methods, monitoring and oversight. Regulating the seal hunt is a very complex activity undertaken in an ever-changing marine environment in which human safety and the well-being of the animals must be taken into consideration.

It is important at this point in time just to talk a little bit about the motion which actually came out of committee. It is important on the wording. It states:

The Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans fully endorses the harp seal hunt, it approves of current regulated killing methods, approves that the harvesting of harp seals is fully acceptable and that the Canadian harp seal hunt is humane, responsible and sustainable and should continue for generations to come and the Committee strongly condemns the ban of Canadian seal products by the European Union.

I also want to say how pleased I am for the Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans to have passed this motion unanimously, by recorded vote.

What is important also to understand is that to enhance the safeness and humaneness of the harvest, our government recently amended the marine mammal regulations and licence conditions that govern the hunt. Changes were made in consultation with sealers, veterinarians, provincial and territorial representatives and others, and they were quickly put in place before the 2009 harp seal hunt. The regulations now reflect the latest scientific advice and enable us to continue adopting sophisticated technology, which will increase our capacity to monitor sealing activities.

The purpose of the regulations has not changed. The regulations continue to spell out the proper tools and methods required for a humane kill. Changes have been implemented, however, in a number of key areas, including definitions to improve clarity, prohibitions against unacceptable behaviour and new requirements regarding the broadly supported three step process: striking, checking for unconsciousness and bleeding. Getting these changes in place in advance of the 2009 harp seal hunt was a significant accomplishment and reflects the goodwill and cooperation of all those involved.

The department has also worked with sealers to develop conditions of licence that work in tandem with the new regulations. Successfully finalizing the licence conditions well ahead of this year's hunt is further evidence of sealers' willingness to work among themselves and with officials in establishing these detailed rules.

The industry has evolved over the past several hundred years or since the early 1700s when the first organized occurrence of an annual hunt was actually documented. This hunt has been going on for well over 500 years and in documented cases of our first nations people well before that, so our people, our fishers and our seal hunters have had to evolve.

Education and training is an important aspect of a professional workforce, especially one that is formally adopting a new set of practices. Training centres reinforce a two year apprenticeship process, whereby new entrants are licensed as apprentice seal harvesters. As apprentice sealers, they must be accompanied by a professional sealer during the course of their apprenticeship. There is significant support among industry representatives for further education and skills development through a training and certification process focused on humane killing. Discussions with stakeholders to create a joint strategy for training and certification are ongoing.

Commitments are in place and efforts are under way at the regional and provincial levels to develop and pilot enhanced training tools and to ensure this work remains part of a broadly supported strategy.

Significant efforts have been made and will continue to be made to ensure that the new rules are clearly understood by sealers throughout Atlantic Canada.

The department has worked with the Atlantic provinces, the Fur Institute of Canada, the Canadian Sealers Association, veterinarians and others to design and deliver information workshops. These have been extremely well received by all stakeholders. They gave departmental officials a chance to engage sealers and others in a dialogue about implementing the new rules.

The government believes in collaboration, and high collaboration was the key to preparing for the 2009 seal hunt. I want to share just a few examples of the collaboration that took place before the 2009 hunt.

DFO and the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade partnered to ensure a focused and effective strategy to counter the threat of trade restrictions.

Hundreds of meetings have been organized by representatives and ministers with member state ministers, members of the European Parliament and commission officials.

The Canadian Coast Guard, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the Quebec Provincial Police are collaborating with Fisheries and Oceans enforcement staff to monitor compliance and to enforce regulations.

Government representatives, veterinarians and seal hunters have been working together to develop new regulations.

The Fur Institute of Canada provided its expertise and helped bring sealing leadership together through its seals and sealing network.

Finally, the Canadian Council of Professional Fish Harvesters, with support from Human Resources and Skills Development Canada, developed a process for further training and eventual certification. The hard work and goodwill demonstrated by participating organizations reflect this shared commitment to a well-managed and professional hunt.

As important as regulations are, it is also important to note that DFO also carries out effective monitoring, control and surveillance programs in Atlantic Canada, including some of the enhanced program operations that were implemented in 2009. We continually make improvements to our monitoring program to ensure compliance with regulations, which results in a humane and sustainable hunt. These actions help dispel the notion the seal hunt is impossible to regulate and manage effectively.

Canada's enforcement of the sealing regulations is thorough and comprehensive. Fully trained professional fisheries officers, designated under Canada's Fisheries Act, closely monitor all commercial and recreational fisheries in Canada, including the seal hunt. Fisheries officers conduct monitoring operations of the seal hunt, using a variety of platforms, including aerial surveillance; vessel monitoring systems, also known as satellite tracking; at-sea patrols and inspections; dock-side landing site patrols and inspections; and inspections of buyer processor sites and facilities. The integration of these different tools and methods enables a well-balanced monitoring and enforcement program.

The Canadian Coast Guard is an integral partner in supporting seal hunt monitoring operations through the use of a dedicated icebreaking vessel from which many of the on-site monitoring activities are coordinated and deployed.

As part of Canada's ongoing initiatives to enhance program delivery, DFO has made several modifications to its strategies for 2009 seal hunt monitoring activities. For this year's hunt, monitoring operations were enhanced by deploying additional shipboard fisheries officers on the dedicated icebreaker. The helicopter surveillance capability was also augmented this year, with the leasing of a private long-range helicopter and remote surveillance technologies; that is, a powerful high-resolution video camera.

To enhance the data, we developed a report to augment the standard inspection data. It contains more observations, including more detailed information on the humane aspect of this harvest.

In conclusion, the Government of Canada is mobilizing considerable resources to ensure that the seal hunt remains sustainable and humane.

The Canadian seal industry is supported by a professional workforce committed to upholding a high standard with regard to animal welfare.

We invited the world to watch the 2009 hunt, and this year's hunt has demonstrated Canada's leadership among sealing nations.

We support an industry that is humane and sustainable, a harvest that reflects the best interests of all fishers, a harvest that has officially gone on for over 300 years, a harvest that is so critical to our small rural communities and our Inuit people.

We strongly condemn the ban of Canadian seal products by the European Union.

[Seal Hunt, May 5th, 2009]

Mr. Chair, I just came back from an Atlantic coast tour of the lobster fishery. In every meeting place, whether it was Iles de la Madeleine, P.E.I., Nova Scotia or New Brunswick, people constantly talked about seals.

I am glad the member mentioned the grey seals and said that we would need to have a cull anyway, which is what it will come to. This resolution is specific. It does not rule out that we will have a hunt and that we will probably need to have a cull because the seals will grow out of control. If they grow out of control, the fish will not grow out of control.

A seal has value and there is value in its products. Could the hon. member tell us how ludicrous this decision is to take the complete value by eliminating this hunt and turning it into a cull?

[Fisheries, May 5th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate the Miramichi Headwaters Salmon Federation, which has received one of the 2009 National Recreational Fisheries Awards from the honourable Minister of Fisheries and Oceans.

The federation has contributed directly to the development of recreational fishing in the Miramichi Headwaters region, much of which lies in the riding of Tobique—Mactaquac. The group helps to protect and improve fish habitat by operating a fish rearing facility and promoting conservation.

The organization is actively involved in recreational fishing issues and the development of fishing through campaigns targeting young anglers, support for other groups, and involvement in habitat restoration and the stabilization of riverbanks.

Its fish rearing facility also enables other associations to stock rivers and streams that develop the sport fishing potential in various waterways in the area.

The Miramichi Headwaters Salmon Federation is very much deserving of this very prestigious national recreational fisheries award, and I sincerely congratulate the group's president, Randy Lutes, his wife Judy, and all the volunteers for this tremendous achievement.

[Atlantic Lobster Fishery, April 24th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, thank you for giving me the opportunity to speak to the motion introduced by my colleague from Cardigan. I made a first visit to Magdalen Islands and to Yarmouth.

When we travelled around with the fisheries committee a few weeks ago, it was a very good experience. We had an opportunity to visit four locations, including a location in the riding of my colleague and friend who moved this motion today.

I do agree with him in some respects, in terms of taking the pressure off the stock and that it is going to take a reduction and effort to actually do that. The question is whether we should implement a program that is a licence retirement plan. I appreciate his comments that we might view this a little differently, but I think we all realize that this is important. From my perspective, we certainly support the underlying goal of the hon. member's motion to ensure a viable industry for future generations. It is the method of how we go about it that we have to discuss. We are going to have some recommendations on that from our fisheries committee, which will be coming about very soon.

Without a doubt, all of us and all the members of the Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans recognize that the lobster industry faces significant and daunting challenges. The member went through those, and therefore I do not have to do that. He talked about a number of things in terms of the cost pressures that have gone up. We have seen that in the agriculture industry. I represent a rural riding, and these cost of production issues are hitting us. We also heard about a number of other challenges that are facing the industry too. One of them under discussion was the grey seals which are starting to have an impact. Whether it be predation, or taking the bait and destroying traps, all these things are causing problems for the fishers and are worthy of a discussion as to what we do about them.

In my remarks today, I want to discuss several of the initiatives and strategies the government has launched to help the industry adjust to the challenging economic times and foster sustainable communities in Atlantic Canada. To understand the nature of the issues that inform the motion now before us, allow me to provide some vital context. If I have time, I am also going to talk about some of the testimony that we heard, which leads me to the conclusion that maybe we need to think about this just a bit more.

Atlantic lobster is Canada's most lucrative fishery. The value of lobster landings in 2007 alone was $560 million. This amount represented some 35% of the total value of commercial landings in Atlantic Canada fisheries.

Lobster is a major export for Canada. In 2008, lobster exports earned $920 million, or approximately 24% of the total value of the country's seafood exports. Consumers around the world, particularly in the United States, Europe and Japan, all enjoy Canadian lobster as a high quality, healthy food. Many of us in Atlantic Canada look forward to the opening of the season when we can start enjoying it on our decks.

The lobster industry is the economic cornerstone in many communities in Atlantic Canada. There are nearly 10,000 lobster enterprises in operation, providing jobs for approximately 30,000 harvesters. Most of these harvesters work inshore on relatively small boats and they are determined to protect the quality of both their product and the marine environment.

Given the importance of the lobster fishery, the government continues to do its utmost to support the viability over the short and long terms. Budget 2009, Canada's economic action plan, included a number of measures designed to assist many industries, including the lobster fishery.

One area of particular focus is access to credit, a factor crucial to the success of businesses all along the lobster value chain. Several components of the recent federal budget improve access to credit. The Business Development Bank of Canada received $250 million in capital to increase the market's lending capacity. For instance, budget 2009 also invested a further $100 million in the bank to create a time-limited working capital guarantee. To support greater collaboration among the Business Development Bank of Canada, the Export Development Bank and public sector financial institutions, the government established a business credit availability program and allotted up to $5 billion in new financing.

Canada's economic action plan also established a new Canadian secured credit facility to support financing vehicles and equipment. We also increased the Business Development Bank's paid-in capital limit to $3 billion so that it can benefit from future injections of capital.

We also were in Montague, and I appreciate the intervention made by my colleague from Wetaskiwin on hearing about all the challenges regarding access to credit in this industry. He said that maybe it was time that the fisheries committee, as part of its study, heard from some of the financial institutions. The committee agreed unanimously that was an important factor which will be coming up very soon.

Another component of the recent federal budget is the community adjustment fund which will provide $1 billion over two years to stimulate the creation and support the maintenance of jobs in communities impacted by the current economic downturn. Designed to prioritize single industry communities dependent on the resource of manufacturing sectors, the fund will support transition plans, science and technology initiatives and other measures that promote economic diversification.

Regional agencies, such as the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, are responsible for the delivery of these investments. I fully expect entrepreneurs and communities dependent on the lobster industry will develop and submit CAF proposals. Funding could then be eligible to flow to proposals that support initiatives that may include seafood marketing, eco-certification, which we also heard was a major issue and could potentially have a cost impact on this industry, traceability and harvester managed conservation activities.

It is also important to note that the government recently partnered with Canada's Maritime provinces on an international lobster marketing initiative worth $450,000. The initiative will include advertising and media campaigns, retail promotions, chef events and market research, all intended to help boost the currently low market demand for lobster products.

Along with these and other measures, the government continues to work with all stakeholders to address structural issues in the lobster fishery. Fisheries and Oceans, in its ocean to plate approach to fisheries management, calls on stakeholders to work toward a common goal of sustainable, economically viable and internationally competitive industry, which is exactly what my colleague from Cardigan is looking to do with the lobster industry.

We want to adapt readily to changes in the resource and market conditions, extract optimal value from world markets, generate comfortable incomes for workers, drive economic activity in coastal communities and attract and retain skilled workers.

When we talk about some of the consensus issues across the stakeholders, I want to draw on some presentations that were made to the committee. When we talk about the diverse opinion on this industry and what should happen.

Mr. Jenkins said, “Getting back to the buyback, we're wide open here”.

Ms. Richardson said:

I guess the buyback is not on the table for us either. We have not contemplated it. We have not talked about it. Well, we've talked about it, but it's not on the table. Our guys feel like their enterprises are there.

They feel that there is a continual thing that they can do.

Mr. Christian Brun said:

In other words—and I think this has been documented in literature—buyouts in the past have often proven that there's an effort creep-up afterwards. In other words, if you eliminate some fish harvesters or participants, the people who remain get better gear or better equipment, fish harder, and actually end up fishing relatively somewhere around the same amount.

I tend to concur with the recommendation by the Fisheries Resource Conservation Council which said:

The FRCC supports options that involve self-rationalization within the industry. The FRCC concludes that a government-funded buyout of licences is not an effective means to deal with the over-capacity in the lobster fishery. If it is decided that a buyout is preferred then it should be done in conjunction with other mechanisms that will ensure that the fishing effort is not allowed to increase following a buyout.

In my view, the motion now before us, although it does have good intentions and I really appreciate the members' comments, would fail to achieve this goal as it suggests one solution when I think there may be others and when there is a wide array of evidence which suggests that maybe it would not be workable and it would need to have the buy-in of industry and it might not lead to the lowering of fishing effort.

I agree with the solution that we can work with industry to help it self-rationalize and we do need to decrease the fishing effort. That is one of the things I am hopeful will come out with strong recommendations from the Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans.

[Supreme Court Act, March 23rd, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, it is a real pleasure and honour to rise today and speak to the bill introduced by my colleague, the member for Acadie—Bathurst. When I was first asked to speak to this bill I thought it was quite interesting, and as a unilingual anglophone and a person who at this stage of my advanced years is trying to learn French and is spending a fair amount time at it, it is quite an honour for me to be able to stand and speak to this issue today.

There is a requirement in this bill that all individuals appointed to the Supreme Court of Canada be able to understand the proceedings before them in both English and French without the aid of an interpreter.

The Government of Canada strongly supports the promotion of both official languages, French and English, in our society. It is a reality in my province of New Brunswick and in my riding of Tobique—Mactaquac. Our bilingualism is a fundamental aspect of our national identity. Consequently, it is crucial that the Supreme Court, which is at the pinnacle of our legal system, reflect this aspect of our country's character.

Since the Supreme Court sits at the pinnacle of our justice system, it is very important that it reflect an element of our country's character, that French and English are our official languages. In New Brunswick, 33% of our population is francophone, so this is very important.

Allow me to outline briefly the constitutional context in which language rights are exercised in our judicial system. Section 133 of the Constitution Act, 1867, and subsection 19(1) of the charter provide that either English or French may be used in any court established by Parliament.

Subsection 16(1) of the Official Languages Act sets out the obligation, for federal courts, to appoint judges who can hear a case in their official language or in the official languages of their choice, directly, without the assistance of an interpreter.

Furthermore, we are required to hear the parties in their chosen official language without the aid of an interpreter.

Because of the special nature of it being the highest court and the fact that it is comprised of only nine judges chosen from different regions of the country, I think it is important that we reflect on that. The Supreme Court has to reflect the values and principles of all of Canada and all our different regions, and that includes Quebec, New Brunswick, the western regions, and the north as well.

That is why it is important that these judges be chosen from the different regions of the country. Because of that, Parliament chose to exempt the Supreme Court from this extension of the constitutional rights in 1988.

The government's commitment to ensuring that there is sufficient linguistic capacity in our courts includes the Supreme Court of Canada. As mentioned, the Supreme Court provides all its services and communications in English and in French, much like the House of Commons. In addition, every individual who appears before the court is free to use either English or French in written and oral proceedings. The court's decisions are issued in English and French as well, thereby—and this is also very important—contributing to what we call a growing body of bilingual case law that is accessible to all Canadians.

Furthermore, as the hon. members are aware, all but one of the current judges of the Supreme Court are fully competent in both official languages and are able to hear cases in either official language without the assistance of simultaneous interpretation. That is eight out of nine judges. That said, high-quality interpretation and translation services are available during the hearings before the court, and all judges have the assistance of one or more bilingual law clerks. Ongoing language training is available to all members of the court.

I really appreciate the fact that we have this ongoing language training available to members of Parliament.

Most members of the Conservative Party are learning French.

As a result, the court demonstrably has the capacity to conduct its business in both official languages. I am aware of no suggestion that the court has failed to consistently provide all Canadians with the highest quality of justice they expect and deserve. To the contrary, the Supreme Court of Canada is recognized nationally and internationally as a model of collegiality, professionalism and superior capacity. Canadians may take tremendous pride in the stature that our judges hold around the world.

As hon. members may be aware, the national status of the Supreme Court is reflected in the historical practice of providing for its regional representation. Not only is the Supreme Court ensured its bi-juridical strength through the appointment of three judges from Quebec, but its legal pluralism more broadly is made possible through the long-standing tradition of ensuring that the courts complement is drawn from all regions of Canada. Canadians from coast to coast to coast may thus see the country's geographic diversity represented in their highest court.

The government clearly accepts that linguistic ability is an important factor in selecting judges of the Supreme Court. We will continue to ensure that it will be given serious consideration as it was in the most recent appointment.

When I was asked to speak to this bill last Friday and thought about it over the weekend, it was interesting to pause and reflect on the appointments. Filling the vacancy of Mr. Justice Bastarache, who took his retirement from the bench, led us to searching for a quality judge. What is important for us to recognize also is that in our country, and reflecting on the regional balances, we must ensure we have representation who can provide the services both in French and in English. It is also important to ensure that reflects the broad diversity of our regions.

When we think about our broad regions and diversity, we have a small population in the Atlantic provinces, with 32 seats in this great place. We also have the Senate, which gives us the ability to balance things from a regional perspective. It is important that we reflect this as well in our judiciary.

The government, in filling the vacancy created by the departure of Mr. Justice Bastarache, indicated that proficiency in both official languages was an asset that would be given serious consideration in appointing his replacement. The government delivered on that promise with the recent appointment of Justice Thomas Cromwell on December 22, 2008.

Mr. Justice Cromwell, an eminent, fluently bilingual jurist, is a testament to the continued commitment of the government to appoint highly meritorious and qualified jurists to our highest court. With all the judicial appointments, but particularly given the fundamentally important role of the Supreme Court, the government remains committed to merit as an overriding consideration, based on legal excellence and personal suitability.

We recognize there must be sufficient linguistic capacity in our courts to provide equal access to justice in both English and French. The government has and will remain vigilant in seeking competence in both official languages to achieve that goal.

[Seal Hunt, March 2nd, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, in previous Parliaments all parties in this House worked together to combat the campaign of misinformation on the Canadian seal hunt.

Given that the European Parliament will soon vote on a potential ban on seal products, it is important that we parliamentarians continue to stand together in this House to support our sealers. However, we now see that a Liberal senator intends to introduce legislation to ban the seal hunt. Add to that the fact that the Liberal leader's top adviser, Warren Kinsella, has called the seal hunt appalling, we should all be concerned about where exactly the Liberal Party stands on this issue. Is that stand to eliminate the seal hunt in Canada?

[World Pond Hockey Championship, February 9th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, once again this year the village of Plaster Rock, New Brunswick, will welcome the world as people gather for the World Pond Hockey Championship, running from February 19 to 22.

This world-class event that began in 2002 has often been copied but never duplicated. What started as an event with 40 teams from the Maritimes and Maine has grown, and this year's event will feature 120 teams representing communities from all across Canada, the American states and nine countries.

In 2007, the Prime Minister made the trip to Roulston Lake in the small Tobique--Mactaquac community, further adding to the worldwide media attention gathered by the event, including this February 19 when CBC's Hockey Night in Canada will broadcast from the competition.

Congratulations to event manager Danny Braun and the hundreds of volunteers who make this event happen each year, and of course a hearty welcome to all the players who will make the pilgrimage to this very welcoming community. I look forward to attending this year's event and encourage everyone to join me and the anticipated 8,000-plus visitors as we enjoy hockey the way the game was meant to be played.

[Petitions, January 30th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to rise today to table a petition containing thousands of signatures from people all across Canada, from the young to the young at heart, who are concerned about the serious issue of bullying; a serious problem that we face as Canadians and an act that has brought fear into the lives of many, including our young people.

Many organizations and individuals across the country are working to put an end to this type of behaviour. The petitioners are asking the government to recognize the work of these anti-bullying organizations.

They are therefore calling on Parliament to declare December 17 Blue Day, an official day to recognize the work of anti-bullying organizations in Canada.