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November 24, 1997
(Development and Rural Renewal)


The following statement was issued today by Beaton Tulk, Minister of Development and Rural Renewal. It was also read in the House of Assembly:

Last evening the provincial government took the unusual step of sending two ministers of the Crown to appear before the House of Commons Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans. I am today tabling a copy of Honourable John Efford's and my comments to the committee.

As the Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture, the Honourable John Efford, stated last night, "We felt it was necessary to do so because of the urgency and importance of the impending expiry of TAGS in May 1998." It is the single most important issue facing this province and the nation today.

It is to the credit of the federal government and the Standing Committee that they have come to this province to listen to the cries of anguish of our people as they talk about the destruction of their

livelihoods, the stress on their families and the personal crises all of them are facing as a result of the groundfish moratorium and the pending expiry of TAGS in May 1998. They cannot help but be affected by what they heard last evening; and, what I am sure they will continue to hear during their stay.

Last evening was an important night; it was not a good night.

I say it was not a good night, because in the middle of the effort to address this national crisis by the Standing Committee on Fisheries - made up of Liberals, Reformers, NDPers, Progressive Conservatives, and Bloc Quebecois members, there was, on Friday past, a shadow of cynicism, a shadow of mistrust, and a shadow of insidious manipulation cast upon the efforts of all of us, as politicians, to serve our people.

I refer to a memorandum circulated in the managerial abyss of the federal Department of Human Resources Development Canada.

This memo written for the managers of HRDC by "Merx" Limited refers to the ending of The Atlantic Groundfish Strategy (TAGS) in May 1998. It goes on to speak of the political situation that may arise as a result of the expiry of TAGS in a manner reminiscent of countries torn apart by civil strife.

Let me quote from the memo:

"There have been a number of very serious demonstrations and illegal occupations concerning the Program changes of HRDC. This has led to wide spread concern and fear from staff that there is a perception that local offices are not fully prepared. For example, staff have enunciated and demonstrated these fears by: taking different routes to offices; obtaining non-published telephone numbers; shopping for basic necessities ie. food and clothing in other towns rather than their local businesses; refusing to use designated employee parking lots; leaving the building in groups rather than fear the darkness alone, especially now that it is getting darker earlier."

"Failure to meet these requirements and fears will result in increased concerns, such as stress, anxiety and will adversely affect staff's ability to perform their professional duties."

"If management are not fully trained and prepared we will encounter increased problems such as: management will not be fully prepared to deal with local authorities (i.e. police, fire, emergency); damage to Government property; compromised safety of management, staff and clients; increased stress levels resulting in personal time away from the office; inability to provide ongoing quality service to our clients."

It goes on to say,

"Time frames to meet these potentially serious, life-threatening situations is very limited. It is important that the training be ready to deliver in January, 1998 in order to avoid an explosion of dangerous situations. We must eliminate the very real threat to our local management, staff and clients."

The memo then goes on to say that $351,655.50 will be spent in the production of a video and management training to deal with these "potentially serious, life-threatening situations."

This memo refers specifically to TAGS recipients and since 70 per cent of those on TAGS are from Newfoundland and Labrador we can only assume that cynical managerial mandarins in Ottawa must regard us as a somewhat uncivilized people that need to be subjected to mob control.

Words cannot describe the deep sense of hurt and insult that all of us feel.

We are a people that has seen the ecosystem of which we are a part destroyed. We are a people that are seeing numerous homes being boarded up, as our rural communities are decimated. We are a people whose very culture and way of life is being threatened as we see our youngsters, the brightest and the best, leave.

When are these mandarins going to learn that we are proud Canadians who need a helping hand to reach self-sufficiency.

I cannot believe that this represents the political will of the Prime Minister of Canada, the federal Minister of Fisheries and Oceans or the federal Minister of Human Resources Development Canada.

These managerial mandarins need to be told to help people solve this national problem rather than manipulate them in their poverty.

Consequently, on Friday when this diatribe was brought to my attention an immediate contact was made with HRDC officials in Ottawa. This morning they advised us that the context for this initiative was not accurately reflected in the MERX memorandum and it was never intended to be directed at the TAGS situation specifically. It was, they reported, intended to address the need to enhance the capability of HRDC staff across the country in dealing with the challenges of conflict resolution generally. HRDC officials indicated that the current situation will be corrected and revisions will be made.

These assurances are insufficient. Consequently, this morning I wrote the Honourable Pierre Pettigrew asking him to investigate this matter fully and disown publicly the type of strategy outlined in the MERX proposal.

I also asked him to confirm for the people of Newfoundland and Labrador that the Government of Canada's priority remains the development of an effective Post-TAGS Program, not improvements to HRDC security. I am tabling a copy of that letter herewith.

Any other action is incomprehensible.

These people must realize the reality for fishers in this province captured in the song performed by the Ennis Sisters,

"I don't want to leave but I can't live for free. I can't eat the air, can't drink the sea."

 

I give Notice that I will on tomorrow ask leave to introduce the following Resolution:

WHEREAS the collapse of the groundfishery has had a devastating impact on individuals, communities and the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador as a whole;

AND WHEREAS the Government of Canada accepted its responsibility and obligation to address this national crisis with the introduction of The Atlantic Groundfish Strategy (TAGS);

AND WHEREAS the responsibility to address this crisis continues to rest with the Government of Canada;

AND WHEREAS TAGS is presently scheduled to end in May of 1998;

AND WHEREAS the Federal Government has recently indicated that a recovery of the commercial groundfishery is expected to be very limited over the foreseeable future;

AND WHEREAS a successor program to TAGS is essential to address the continuing crisis in the groundfishery and the effects of that crisis on families and communities in Newfoundland and Labrador;

AND WHEREAS the House of Commons Fisheries Committee has come to Newfoundland and Labrador to hear the views of those whose livelihoods have been devastated;

AND WHEREAS the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador has taken the unusual step of appearing before the Committee to underline the critical importance of an effective successor program to TAGS;

AND WHEREAS the media has reported that Human Resources and Development Canada is planning to engage a security consultant to assist its field staff in dealing with fish harvesters and processors leading up to and following the expiry of TAGS;

AND WHEREAS this news represents an insult to the honest, law abiding people of Newfoundland and Labrador;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT this House call upon the Honourable Pierre Pettigrew, Minister of Human Resources and Development to disown publicly the type of security strategy reported by the media; to listen to the views expressed to the Commons Fisheries Committee on the essential elements of a post-TAGS response; and to ensure that the Government of Canada's priority remains the development of an effective post-TAGS program, and not improvements to HRDC security

1997 11 24 4:20 p.m.

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