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News
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Foote seeks update on federal-provincial
issues
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Innovation, Trade and Rural Development Opposition Critic and MHA for the
District of Grand Bank, Judy Foote, is seeking an update on
federal-provincial issues that were viewed by the premier as vital to
resolving the problems in the fishery which continue to cripple rural
economies of this province. "When the premier emerged from his one-day fishery summit back in May, he stated that any solutions to the complicated problems in the fishing industry would require the support of both levels of government," says Foote. "The federal minister at the time also indicated that his department was looking at all the problems in all aspects of the Atlantic Canada fishery. We assume that the governments have been working behind the scenes in the interim and, given the crisis in the fishery, now would be a good time for the premier to provide a full update on these critical issues and what level of support we are receiving from the federal government. "As our province and some communities are still reeling from the fishery crisis, and more and more people are leaving the province, it would be reassuring to hear from government that they have made some headway on issues such as early retirement, license buy-back, quota control, cod recovery and other important policy proposals that would mean a future for the fishery in Newfoundland and Labrador. " The people and communities of such places as Harbour Breton and Fortune are in turmoil and they too are awaiting some news and an update concerning these possible federal-provincial solutions that would mean some hope for their future in their home province. "I see a premier very much fired up in the media on the oil and gas issues and yet when recently asked at a press conference about a fishery question, he referred the matter to his minister. This is the same premier who stated unequivocally that "ahead of the Atlantic Accord, ahead of the oil and gas industry and ahead of the Lower Churchill is the fishery". Yet, the silence on dealing with the fishery on these federal-provincial issue is troubling. The government has a moral obligation to reassure the people of the province that its vision for a healthy rural sector includes a wild fishery and that efforts to get their federal counterparts to recognise this as well is meeting with some success. "
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