Fisheries committee  There's one other aspect to the EI program. It would not only provide a financial base for our fishers to be able to continue on in the fishery itself, but you mentioned a very important factor, and that is how you keep communities together, how you build the fabric of the community.

Fisheries committee  I have just one brief comment. I think Lawrence has brought up a very appropriate topic. If you look at the various programs that the fishermen are considering for buybacks and lobster buybacks, I'd like you to take particular notice, if you would, that as far as I can recall, with none of the programs are we asking, “Give it to me free.

Fisheries committee  Thank you. Lawrence, you bring up an excellent point, as usual. You hit the nail right on the head. The fishermen in the Southern Kings and Queens Fishermen's Association are very concerned with this issue. You've raised this a number of times, and we commend you on that. The government, whether Liberal, Conservative, or whatever, should work as a team to protect the communities and the fishermen--whether they're from Newfoundland, P.E.I., Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec, or British Columbia--to make sure these programs are not counted as subsidies, and they should make every effort to protect the community network.