December 4, 1997
(Development and Rural Renewal)

The following statement was issued on December 3 by Beaton Tulk, Minister of Development and Rural Renewal. It was also read in the House of Assembly:

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the members of the House of Commons' Fisheries Committee for taking the time to come to Newfoundland and Labrador to hear from the people most profoundly affected by the closure of the ground fishery.

As you know the committee completed its hearings Monday. The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador appreciates the efforts of George Baker and his colleagues, who travelled to a wide range of communities, listening to the views of a large number of people within a relatively short time-frame. These meetings gave the committee the opportunity to hear, firsthand, the fear and anxiety of a people faced with uncertainty about their future. The livelihoods of many people in Newfoundland and Labrador have been devastated through no fault of their own.

The federal government has a responsibility to the people of Newfoundland and Labrador. There must be a meaningful follow-up program.

Provincial officials followed the progress of the committee around the province. They, too, heard about the frustration and stress of living in rural Newfoundland and Labrador, without the fishery. Through them, we know that the Commons' committee was presented with a clear, accurate picture of the situation.

Judging from recent media reports, it appears that all members of the committee, regardless of their political stripe, have been struck by the seriousness of the problem and the need for an immediate response. Media reports also suggest unanimity in the views and comments of those members who visited the province. It is my hope that these views will translate into a unanimous report of the committee, one which sets out the basis for a strong and effective post-TAGS response.