For info, here's the Liberal's Response to the SDA's questions:-
Liberal Party of Canada
81 Metcalfe Street, Suite 400
Ottawa, Ontario K1P 6M8
September 15, 2008
Bill Otway
President
Sportfishing Defence Alliance
P.O. Box 326
Merritt, BC V1K 1B
Dear Mr. Otway,
Enclosed, please find the Liberal Party response to your questionnaire.
For more information on the Liberal Party of Canada’s vision for Canada, please take a moment to review our platform online at
www.liberal.ca. This document provides details on Liberal goals and priorities.
On behalf of our Leader, Stéphane Dion, and the entire Liberal team, thank you for writing to identify the major concerns of your membership. We appreciate your interest in the Liberal Party’s policies as they relate to the issues which affect you.
Sincerely,
Doug Ferguson, President
Liberal Party of Canada
A Liberal Response to the Sportfishing Defence Alliance
1. What position does your party have on the Common Law Right of Canadians to participate in the fisheries? The Liberal Party believes in the rights of all Canadians to participate in our fisheries while respecting environmental concerns and realities. That is why we respect provincial fishing regulations and why we will continue, to take measures to improve and protect our rivers, lakes and oceans.
2. Over the last few years the Habitat Protection Staff (Enforcement) of Fisheries and Oceans Canada has been reduced by over 60%. What is the policy of your
party with regard to rebuilding and expanding the enforcement capability to protect our threatened fish habitat? In the fall of 2007, the Conservatives introduced a new Fisheries Act. It, includes measures to deal with the protection of fish habitat. The Liberal Party supports, in principle, the attempt to update the current 138 year old Fisheries Act, however the Conservative government has not conducted formal consultations with stakeholders or those affected in the industry.
The Liberal Party feels that improvements need to be made to the Fisheries Act; however a new Liberal government would ensure stakeholders are properly consulted.
3. Recently the Government of Canada voted to approve legislation bringing into and under constitutional law, a Treaty with the Tsawwassen First Nation in British Columbia. This legislation went to Parliamentary Committee for review and report back to the House before the House vote. This Parliamentary Committee refused to hear submissions from many concerned Canadians and Canadian Organizations regarding the impacts of this Treaty on the Rights of other Canadians.
Does your party support this refusal to hear from concerned Canadians as a standard policy or will you provide for the opportunity for such Canadians to appear before Committee in the future when similar legislation is before the House? The Tsawwassen First Nation Final Agreement finalized a tentative agreement reached by the previous Liberal government in November 2004. The agreement settles a longstanding claim, and is Canada's first urban land-claims treaty. The Liberal Party is pleased to see the successful conclusion of this settlement.
However, the Liberal Party does not support the refusal to hear from concerned Canadians as standard policy. We welcome the valuable guidance and advice from Canadians across the country on any issue.
4. The Tsawwassen Treaty just recently adopted by the House of Commons provides for the allocation of a fixed percentage of salmon for commercial harvest to the Tsawwassen band in perpetuity. This action, of excluding forever from public access, a percentage of the public resource is an infringement on the Public Right To Fish. Such an action is illegal without accompanying “competent legislation”.
Does your party support this permanent infringement on the Public Right? Will your party bring in “competent legislation” to legalize this infringement? The Liberal Party stands by the Constitution which recognizes fishing rights for Aboriginals. The Supreme Court has defended this right with the Sparrow and Marshall
decisions.
5. Canadian negotiators have just recently successfully negotiated a new agreement with the U.S. for the Canada/U.S. Pacific Salmon Treaty. The negotiated terms for this Treaty, particularly as they relate to Chinook and Coho salmon are a major step forward in aiding in the rebuilding these stocks and ensuring Canadians have a greater opportunity to reap the benefits of our own fish production.
Upon completion of this election campaign and the return of the House of Commons to operation, will your party vote to have the currently negotiated Pacific Salmon Treaty, approved, confirmed and adopted by the government of Canada? The Pacific Salmon Treaty was signed in 1985. Since then, former Liberal governments have been instrumental in the negotiations to renew it. Protecting and rebuilding our salmon stocks is very important and the Liberal Party supports discussing the latest negotiations of the Pacific Salmon Treaty.
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Topic: 2008 Federal Election - Questions to be asked (Read 30819 times)