International Trade committee  Was a bad decision?

International Trade committee  I don't mind answering, Mr. Chair. As you may know, the vote on Confederation was 50.2% for, as against 49.8% against. A lot of people in Newfoundland were not that over-anxious about it because of the fact the fishery was that important to us. The negotiations leading up to Con

International Trade committee  If I were the fisheries minister what would I do to—

International Trade committee  Well, the point we're bringing forward here is that there was little consideration given to the importance of opening up the minimum regulations and the removal of those. There wasn't sufficient consideration given to it. Otherwise, if they knew and recognized it, we would hope t

International Trade committee  Yes. There were three amendments. Number one had to do with a dispute mechanism where, for example, if a country participating in the fisheries had a dispute with respect to overfishing or some infraction, or this, that or the other, the amendments to that dispute mechanism made

International Trade committee  We don't have any paid members; it's a strictly voluntary organization.

International Trade committee  I wouldn't have any idea how many we have, but there are quite a few people across the province who are members.

International Trade committee  I beg your pardon?

International Trade committee  We have regular meetings from time to time, but it's a voluntary organization that has been the voice of the people who are extremely interested in rebuilding the resource to a level we delivered to Canada in 1949. That's what the organization is all about, and there is a great d

International Trade committee  How many people come to the meetings?

International Trade committee  It would be 15 or 20; something of that order.

International Trade committee  Intervention on what?

International Trade committee  Do you mean Canada's intervention on that?

International Trade committee  Canada's intervention on that has been as useful as you-know-what. We've had a sealing industry that was very important to the northeast coast of the province and Labrador for hundreds of years. It's been knocked out of existence, and the Government of Canada, as you can in fact

International Trade committee  The alliance was formed in 1992 when the fisheries collapsed and the moratorium was declared. It came together with representatives in the group, including fishery scientists, most of whom are retired; federal and provincial bureaucrats; fishermen; former processors, including me