Dear "unelected" Premier Davis

Dear "unelected" Premier Davis,

I am writing this open letter to see if you are listening to the very loud and numerous voices of the people from all political stripes. If you are listening - I imagine you are hearing the following:


1. Premier Davis must fire Judy Manning

2. Premier Davis must call a Judicial Inquiry into HVP affair

3. Premier Davis must get to the election by February

Now let's see if it's Party of the people or if it's Party of the entitled.

Let's see if you "unelected" Premier Paul Davis are going to be accountable and transparent.

Let's see if you "unelected" Premier Paul Davis are going to listen to the people.

It's never been a communication problem - it's never been Kathy's fault. It's always been the policy choices, patronage and cronyism, arrogance and entitlement.

"With Respect"

Sue

PS - have you heard the very clear voice of Former Tory Premier Tom Rideout?
I have the audio attached for your convenience.

PRESS HERE CBC NL Central Morning Show

What happened to Good Public Policy? Ask Tom Rideout!

The following is a statement made by Tom Rideout when in government and Trevor Taylor was the Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture. 

Do they still believe it is Good Public Policy?

MR. RIDEOUT: Mr. Speaker, again, I cannot control the flights of fantasy that the Leader of the Opposition might engage in, but the fact of the matter is, he knows, everybody in Newfoundland knows, the people in Harbour Breton know, the people in Fortune know, the people in Marystown know, the people in other communities around know, that those quotas are assigned to a company. They are not assigned to a community.

Now, should there be community quotas? Maybe, but the fact of the matter is, the reality of the matter is, right now the quotas that used to be assigned to National Sea, we were able to purchase and have them repatriated to Arnold’s Cove. I think that is good public policy. When we speculate on doing that, in terms of the FPI operation, the Leader of the Opposition comes down on us like a ton of bricks.

Mr. Speaker, you cannot have it both ways. You are either for that as a public policy option or you are not. So, yes, that is one option and there are many others that we are exploring.

Whistle-Blower - Gross Mismanagement - and the DFO?

We are half way there - Headlines in the Nova Scotia Chronicle Herald says: Ottawa to probe DFO mismanagement claim.

Apparently the DFO has placed a tender call to:

Conduct a fact-finding exercise to determine if there are sufficient grounds to commence an investigation to validate the allegations of gross mismanagement.

Currently the DFO will not reveal the details of the allegation but if there are sufficient grounds to deal with the complaint then all will be made public.

Is it possible this has to do with fish? Our groundfish? Or the Coast Guard?
In either case our crack reporters should get on the ball to find a whistle-blower of their own - to get some information.

Does Risley want another piece of Newfoundland and Labrador?

Just two days away from the "vote" - and I am thinking about FPI. This once king of "seafoods" companies gone from our rural communities - gone from the memories of our politicians - as well.

John Risley - the "Danny" slayer has done what media and opposition could not. Risley has taken Danny on and won.

On Friday FPI issued a news release - advising of a special meeting of shareholders. On October 22nd - the shareholders will vote on the sale of FPI assets. The get-together will also be used to discuss the future of FPI. The release says in part:

FPI intends to transition from an operating company engaged in the harvesting, processing, global sourcing and marketing of seafood products to an investment and holding company.

So now that our politicians have allowed the company to moan and groan its way out of commitments to our communities - and at the same time making some millionaires of a select few - what are the boys going to do with the money? What exactly does the statement above mean? An investment and holding company?

Why not let John Risley answer that question. The Montreal Gazette attributes the following quote to Danny's conqueror:

"our historical business has been the seafood business and our future business will be something other than the seafood business"

Apparently the name of the new company will be FP Resources Ltd. What now - will they come after energy investments? Do they want a piece of the Lower Churchill? How about Labrador uranium? Or maybe gas projects? Will they suck the good out of other resources in Newfoundland and Labrador and then change-up again?

And in a twist of irony - FPI announced today the appointment of a new director - another "Newfoundlander and Labradorian" - Mr. Graham Roome - who started his career with the "Lake Group" - one of the fish companies that had to be rescued by the formation of FPI - when we the taxpayers became the owners. Talk about having sea-legs - apparently Mr. Roome who went from Lake to FPI in Bonavista - to Clearwater - and then back to FPI - is doing a hell of a lot better that our fishermen.

Danny - Tom - Gerry - Loyola - and Loyola - "hook line and sinker". Way to go Risley - no wonder you and Ches Penney have the personal wealth you have.

PEI drops lawsuit against Feds - Will we pay the Price?

PEI drops Lawsuit against Feds over fisheries management...according to a Canadian Press Story.

The action, launched two years ago by the former provincial Conservative government - challenged the absolute constitutional power of the federal minister to make licensing and management decisions.

It appears the legal challenge - which had no guarantee of being successful - was becoming too costly and apparently the government of PEI and the feds are making some headway in negotiations.

Provincial Fisheries Minister Allan Campbell cited progress on some outstanding issues, such as the herring seiner exclusion line - which the Minister says has been resolved.

Now what's next on the negotiation agenda? According to Ed Frenette - managing director of the PEI Fishermen's Association:

It rests now on negotiations between the two levels of government to increase access to various resources for Island fishers: specifically snow crab, shrimp and ground fish.

So Newfoundland and Labrador fishers - my question is and yours should be - what regional share of crab - shrimp - and ground fish? Now that Loyola Hearn and PEI appear to be cozy - and the law-suit is gone - will we pay part of the price with resources adjacent to us?

Maybe we should sue the feds - we might get some cooperation on our fisheries issues.

Eliminate Low-Margin Products

I'm left to wonder - how I should take a message from an FPI News Release this week. If I'm a shareholder - and I'm not - I would be delighted. But if I'm involved in the fishery - the words would spell gloom and doom. I would be angry.

Beverly Evans - Chief Financial Officer - of FPI said this of the company's over 6 MILLION DOLLAR QUARTERLY PROFIT:

"Profitability has improved through the execution of our strategy to eliminate low-margin products from our portfolio"

FPI's profits are up 3 1/2 MILLION DOLLARS from the same quarter last year.

Understand - that this news - while great for shareholders - is a reflection of human suffering in Newfoundland and Labrador. Communities in peril - fighting for their existence - people packing up and moving away before they lose everything.

When Beverly talks about eliminating low margin products - to you and me those products - in reality are people and communities. And all that to ensure that when Ches Penney - Nova Scotia and Iceland Corporates take over the company - they will not be the villains.

How do they all sleep at night? It's takes a special breed to fill your own arse pockets while you watch families and communities suffer. That is the mark of a "successful" business person - not necessarily a "good" one.

This is where the government of Newfoundland and Labrador had some control - had the ability to operate with a 2 million dollar profit instead of a 6 million dollar one. The shareholders should have been and should be the people of the Province - until some corporate entity would have accepted a couple of million a quarter - and communities and people (society) could have carried on.

You see this is not a swipe at the corporate elite - it is their swipe at us. The government neither has the vision nor the guts to do what's right. This will be another Williams' legacy.

News Break FPI FPI FPI

Looks like the FPI deal may be further off than thought. The company has just issued a News Release postponing the annual and special meeting of shareholders to seek approval for the sale of assets to Ocean Choice and Highliner Foods from August - 07 to an unspecified date before October 31-07.

The most interesting sentence in this Release is:

"Negotiations between FPI and these two companies are ongoing, and there is no certainty that definitive agreements and transactions will result."

CLICK HERE FOR THE NEWS RELEASE

ATTENTION POLITICIANS - TIME TO COME OFF THE BBQ CIRCUIT...MAYBE IT'S JUST GOING HAPPEN IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ELECTION.

If Applebaum is our Ambassador - it's really time for you and I to pack our bags!

Premier Williams


Is this right?

Newfoundlanders and Labradorians are going to raise money to send a retired DFO official from Ontario around Canada to tell the country what the current DFO and federal officials are proposing to do with NAFO and how this may hurt our industry.

Applebaum discovered some alarming NAFO information - but make no mistake he was until 10 years ago - a DFO official. This man also refuses to acknowledge interference by International Trade or Foreign Affairs. He calls the bartering of our fish for other deals on auto plants or wheat sales a myth. He also does not believe custodial management on the nose and tail of the Grand Banks and Flemish Cap is possible.

Without being willing to say why these things keep happening - we cannot fix the problem.

Perhaps the Ministers responsible for fisheries in 3 or 4 provinces should travel the land. Perhaps these people we already employ should be forced to know what's going on around them. Perhaps Rideout should tell us what happened in the meeting between Applebaum and the province. Perhaps Rideout can tell us why our people in the Canadian NAFO delegation did not pick up on these problems until Applebaum wrote a letter.

And now we know what the problems are - please tell me there are some local experts who have written endless reports on the fishery - the senior staff of Fisheries and Aquaculture - bureaucrats at the Department of Intergovernmental Affairs - Provincial - who are able to make our case. My god Danny - where are all the fish experts now? You want joint management!

There's something bloody awful about having to send Applebaum around the country on this issue. Where is your outrage at the feds pulling this type of stunt and your outrage that our people did not pick up on the problems themselves?

Steve 6 - Danny 0
Fallow Field legislation
Equalization
Custodial Management
Labrador Highway
NAFO amendments
New Defense Presence in Labrador

How many times can you get Norm Doyle - Loyola Hearn - and Fabian Manning unelected?
Instead you are pulling out a Joey stump - from the "pamper camper" while everything burns around you. You are drunk with power - time to sober up.

Fisheries Broadcast represents the fishery ...

better than all our elected politicians - fish merchants - and industry unions combined. If not for the Broadcast - the fishery would be completely off the sonar. John Furlong puts the tough questions to all parties and properly let's us the listeners make up our own mind.

Despite the attempts of politicians the FFAW and merchants to keep the fishery a secret - the Broadcast continues to bring the news - good and bad to the public. With respect to our federal and provincial lot of politicians and senior bureaucracy - all of which we pay - I have never seen such a cover up of planned resettlement - outmigration - and giveaway of this precious and renewable resource. We - the people - are not supposed to know.

Two things this morning - first the link to the Broadcast - where you can listen to John's interviews with Applebaum and Bevin on the latest NAFO fiasco and a story in the Globe and Mail where the writer describes us this way:

On the domestic front, after fighting against consolidation in the industry for decades, those shell shuckers in the Newfoundland and Labrador government have approved a preliminary agreement for the sale and breakup of FPI Ltd. (FPL-TSX). Some of those assets will likely come High Liner's way.

Thanks to a Sue's Blog reader for pointing out the Globe piece.

Thanks to the Fisheries Broadcast and John Furlong for keeping our history - culture - and future in the public eye. I recommend that all Sue's Blog readers consider adding the Broadcast to their daily regimen of news.

And a big Brick to our politicians who either through ignorance or duplicity are keeping the information from us. When you think about the HOA scandal the Mount Cashel cover-up - the latest healthcare disaster - and the wrongful convictions - and remember nothing good ever comes from keeping the truth from us. Speak now or lose this industry and resource for good.

Bob Applebaum brought 2 things to our Province:

New Update at bottom of Post

First he delivered very disturbing information on NAFO proposed reforms and negotiations and Second he delivered a typical mainland attitude.

Attendance - Poor

The attendance was poor - the usual interested parties - noted scientist - ex provincial government officials - 2 politicians one sitting and one wannabe - Scott Simms - and Siobhan Coady - a few fishermen a couple of people who have been around the fishery for many years and a couple of journalists. Notably there were some young people - I am not sure if they were students interested in the talk or given an assignment to cover it - or if they were youth simply interested in the resource. I know one was there for the latter. From the open-line circuit - there was Morris Budgell - Agnes - Carl Powell myself and of course organizer of the event Gus Etchegary. If one was an independent observer - one could conclude the fishery in the province was perfect - no problem. There were more people there who were not directly involved in the fishery and people retired from government ranks than were directly employed by the resource. All in all maybe 70 or so people.

There is no question that Applebaum had a captive audience and he delivered some very concerning news to say the least. Let me relate his story to you - the reader.
Applebaum was asked to appear in front of a Senate Committee headed by Senator Bill Rompkey - to address potential amendments to the NAFO convention. As Applebaum explains - he has been retired for 10 years - so at the time of the request he was not up on the latest goings on. (That tells me a little right there) If somebody is directly affected by the fishery collapse - or associated with a community being destroyed by the moratorium - that person would not be able to walk away without keeping up on the latest. (However Bob lives in Ontario and has not relied on the fishery in Newfoundland and Labrador for a living.) In either case Applebaum set about getting himself a briefing from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans.

Bob is a lawyer and as he was briefed by department officials he found himself skimming the documents he was provided. While listening and skimming he found the change from a simple majority vote to that of two-thirds. He was shocked and immediately interrupted the briefing to ask department officials about that. They all plead ignorant to the change and some of them scurried out of the room to find out what was going on. According to Applebaum all the experts for Canada missed it - lawyers - delegates - department officials - the whole lot of them. He explained that Canada started out with the right objective - to strengthen NAFO - by changing the simple member objection system to one of arbitration. This apparently is relative to nations agreeing to TAC (total allowable catches and quotas) - only to return to their country and have that country file and objection and set their own numbers. The idea was to change the system into one which has an arbitration board to respond to any nation's objection. He further explained that the panel would not have the right to issue a final decree - but nevertheless it would look better.

Next Applebaum discovered language in an amendment that essentially could give NAFO control inside our 200 mile limit. He was absolutely appalled that this one element which he said was solid (that is we have control to 200 miles) would be opened at all. Upon further research he discovered that this change had come about under very odd circumstances. Number one it was not an objective officially considered at the immediate past NAFO meetings - and in fact it was a passing comment by a Russian official as everybody was walking out the door. Secondly he discovered that the individual who was charged with putting language to that which WAS agreed to was a person within the EU delegation - something which Applebaum said was conflicting.

Throughout his presentation the former Director of DFO's International Directorate expressed surprise and disbelief at what the Canadian officials missed - and that the delegation including reps from Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador were supporting amendments which apparently nobody understood.

There is no question that Applebaum has delivered information which if let go would be disastrous to the Newfoundland and Labrador fishery and he caught red-handed the DFO and Canada either being entirely ignorant or ???

Throughout his presentation - Applebaum kept expressing surprise that this could happen and his shock that no official in the Canadian delegation picked up on it - including Department officials and lawyers advising.

He then let the officials go away and figure out what was going on and they would meet at a later date. When they got together again the people of the Department who claimed no knowledge of the sweeping and damaging changes began to justify those changes. This shocked him further as he noted their explanations were daft and in fact were dangerously flawed. He wondered again - out loud - what could have happened to these people.

He appeared at the Senate Hearings and then wrote a letter to Minister Hearn. He is not sure where the whole works stands at the moment.

The floor was opened for comments and questions and some interesting ones came forth. When I got my turn at the floor - I asked if it was possible that these unbelievable changes and the defence of them were resulting from interference from International Trade and Foreign Affairs. Here's where the mainlander and bureaucrat came out in spades. He first advised me I would not like the answer and then proceeded to state that this feeling was a Newfoundland and Labrador myth. In fact he would rather say that all officials from the Canadian delegation were ignorant - dozens of educated advisers just plain incompetent - rather than admit that the department under his guidance or any of his predecessors and successors buckled to the direction of another department.

Then it became interesting as Gus Etchegary took to the mike to explain to his guest that he was wrong and that in fact he (Gus)was present at meetings where quotas in our fishing zone was bartered to correct and international trade matter.

Applebaum also delivered his opinion that custodial management on the nose and tail of the Grand Banks and the Flemish cap was not real - he said that Loyola found that out when he became Minister - then he used a Department line that custodial management had many meanings. Again Gus took to the mike to take him to task over that.

There is no doubt that Applebaum delivered invaluable information - unfortunately when it came to explaining why the Department of Fisheries and Oceans and the Canadian NAFO delegation would allow this to happen - he grasped at ignorance rather than nefarious doings by others.

He demonstrated his bureaucratic prowess again when he stated that all NAFO members had only one vote each at the table - to which Jim Winter piped up and said one of the parties had 2 votes. When Applebaum asked which Winter informed him that it was France - one as France and one under st Pierre and Miquelon. To this Applebaum said that was not right because SPM could not be counted on by the French to take their side. Really? Imagine that!

All in all - I say thank-you to Applebaum for picking up on these potentially devastating changes and no thanks for delivering a typical Central Canadian attitude.

The biggest question of all should be - where is Tom Rideout our Great Premier and leaders of the Opposition Parties? These people we pay to look after our interests have apparently done nothing to educate themselves on this most significant matter. They can read - no differently than Applebaum and they have many more staff to conduct research than this retired Ontarian has. Again we go blindly into our future despite the absolute disaster which is our fishery. What's on the BBQ tonight guys?

As for Loyola Hearn - we know where he is - at the bottom of Stephen Harper's heap of discarded PC's - absent Newfoundland guts to fight for us.

Thanks to Gus for organizing the event.

Since I posted this David Bevin Assistant Deputy Minister Fisheries and Aquaculture management - DFO - appeared on Open Line with Randy Simms to respond to Applebaum's presentation. A few things are made clearer by Bevin - One: the Canadian delegation DID NOT pick up on the 2 significant amendments or were up to something else UNTIL Applebaum brought them to task. In other words backpedaling. Next he failed to tell Randy and Randy did not have enough information to ask - what happened to the EU fellow originally responsible for drafting the NAFO documents and finally that we would know nothing from our own paid politicians or from Ottawa unless Applebaum made the situation public. In other words everything normal - at the DFO. There is also a significant difference in legal opinion as it relates to the simple majority versus two-thirds voting mechanism.

For information of readers ... this is a copy of the letter sent by Bob Applebaum to the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans - Loyola Hearn. Applebaum pointed out that the letter has been widely circulated.

The Honourable Loyola Hearn

Minister of Fisheries and Oceans

Cc Minister of Foreign Affairs

Minister of Justice



Dear Sir,

I am writing in regard to the current negotiations on the reform of NAFO.

I am a former Director General of the International Directorate in the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, was involved in the Law of the Sea negotiations that resulted in the establishment of the 200-mile zone, and in the negotiations that resulted in the NAFO Convention. A major part of my work in the Department, until I retired in 1996, was in the implementation, year to year, of that Convention.

I spoke at the hearings conducted by Senator Rompkey a few months ago. At those hearings and in a subsequent consultation with DFO officials I raised two major concerns about the texts being developed at that time in the negotiations on NAFO reform:

A) that one of the fundamental, structural provisions in the existing NAFO Convention, the provision that expressly restricted the Fisheries Commission’s management jurisdiction to the area outside 200 miles, protecting Canadian sovereign rights and exclusive control over the 200-mile zone, was being eroded; and

B) that the proposal to change the voting system in the NAFO Convention, to require conservation and allocation decisions to be adopted by a 2/3 majority instead of the existing simple majority, would make it harder for Canada to achieve the adoption of restrictive TAC’s and to protect Canada’s allocation shares.

As regards the first point, it is worth remembering that one of the primary Canadian objectives at the Law of the Sea Conference was to terminate international management inside what is now the Canadian 200-mile zone. The NAFO Convention was negotiated soon after world-wide adoption of 200-mile Exclusive Economic Zones, and there was concern on the part of Canadian governments and stakeholders that, in the effort then underway to control fishing outside 200 miles, nothing be done that could be construed as giving away, to any degree, Canada’s exclusive right to manage inside the 200-mile limit. The NAFO Convention was constructed accordingly to ensure that the Fisheries Commission could not, under any circumstances, even with Canadian government approval, adopt management decisions which applied inside 200 miles. Putting it another way, in the absence of an amendment to the NAFO Convention, it was not possible for a Canadian delegation at a NAFO meeting, even with Canadian government approval, to support, or for the Fisheries Commission to make, a decision of this kind, by consensus or otherwise. TAC’s and quotas adopted by the Fisheries Commission could apply legally only outside 200 miles, and Canada, unilaterally and voluntarily, applied them inside 200 miles so that catches by Canadian fishermen would not be the cause of TAC overruns.

Any idea that an international fisheries commission would have management authority inside the Canadian 200-mile limit would have been inconceivable at that time, both to Canada and to the other States involved in the negotiations.

The foregoing will, I hope, provide the background for my concerns about current developments in the negotiation of NAFO reform. The most recent texts I have seen make it clear that DFO officials have agreed to allow NAFO Fisheries Commission management decisions to apply, legally, inside 200 miles. The terminology now being suggested, "by consensus" is intended to indicate that decisions in this respect cannot be adopted if the Canadian delegation, at the particular NAFO meeting, speaks out against them. However it is a weak term, used in international negotiations to open the door for overriding "hold-outs" when they are a small minority. No matter what terms are used, the current proposed texts expressly provide for international management of fisheries inside Canadian waters.

As regards the proposed 2/3 voting rule, it is difficult to conceive how it is not obvious that this will make it harder to achieve adoption of restrictive TAC’s (more participants will have to be paid off in some way, usually with allocations) and harder for Canada to get decisions that protect its own traditional shares (the most likely source of "pay-off" allocations).

I am aware, Minister, that you have dedicated yourself to NAFO reform, for the purpose of improving international control of foreign fishing outside 200 miles. However I do not believe that you intended to achieve NAFO reform at the cost of Canada’s sovereign rights, and, more particularly, exclusive management rights, inside the Canadian 200-mile limit. I do not believe you want to achieve a NAFO reform that strengthens the ability of the major foreign fishing States to achieve the establishment of TAC’s higher than those required for conservation, to reduce Canadian shares of those TAC’s, and, if the negotiations continue the way they have been going, to determine TAC’s and Canadian and foreign quotas in Canadian waters.



Yours sincerely,



B. Applebaum

Now let's see if they are Serious about FISH IMPORTANT FORUM

Politicians - FFAW Reps - Fishers - Media and the General Public will have the opportunity to hear an address by Bob Applebaum - former Director General of the International Directorate of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans.

Among other responsibilities Applebaum was extremely involved in the Law of the Sea negotiations resulting in the 200 mile zone and involved in establishing the NAFO Convention.

Bob has been retired sine 1996 but has kept a close eye on the continuing strife of what is our fishery and has appeared as an invited speaker to the Senate hearings on the fishery. More recently Applebaum sent a letter of great concern to Minister of Fisheries - Loyola Hearn. The correspondence outlined that NAFO negotiations currently underway may have the outcome of hurting Canada's position within NAFO and partial loss of control of our fish stocks. This talk should culminate in our increased awareness of the European agenda and how proposed changes to the voting mechanisms within NAFO could jeopardize advancements we have made and future protection and prosecution issues.

The public forum is July 23, at Hampton Hall, Monday evening 8 o'clock.

Sue's Blog thanks Gus Etchegary for his continued commitment to this most important issue to our people and our province by arranging this talk and providing the information.

I can't wait to see the 48 members or however many are left there with bells on - showing some level of commitment to why they are here to begin with. There are no BBQ's or come home fairs or regattas without our history - culture - and this renewable fishery.

Save our Youth - their communities - and our Future.

Hey Canada - Here it is!!! Our Scrapbook on Confederation

First things first...

Meet Loyola Hearn - Canada's Minister of Fisheries and Oceans and Newfoundland and Labrador's representative in the Federal Cabinet.

This is the fellow who promised custodial management of the nose and tail of the Grand Banks and Flemish Cap. He lied. This is also the fellow who voted against Newfoundland and Labrador by supporting a budget and amendments to the equalization formula - that did not deliver another promise to remove non-renewable resource revenues from equalization. He and the Prime Minister lied.




Now let me introduce you to Tom Rideout Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture for Newfoundland and Labrador. This is the fellow who just finished overseeing the destruction of Newfoundland and Labrador's greatest fishing company FPI. Rather than use the legislature to ensure the people of Newfoundland and Labrador would get the best of the deal - he allowed the great marketing arm of the company drift away. Further the fish will eventually be controlled by Iceland and Nova Scotia interests.


Then there is this fellow - John Crosbie the infamous Newfoundlander and Labradorian who oversaw the elimination of the railway for pittance and the grand announcer of the moratorium on ground-fish stocks for Canada. He was the federal Minister who said the moratorium would probably go one for a few years before the fish stocks recovered. That was 1992 - they are not back yet - it is now 15 years later. Pour me another Tequila Sheila "John" should pass the stuff around as....



60,000 people left Newfoundland and Labrador since the moratorium.

Term 22 gave the fishery to the feds shortly after confederation.

Also found Term 31

31. At the date of Union, or as soon thereafter as practicable, Canada will take over the following services and will as from the date of Union relieve the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador of the public costs incurred in respect of each service taken over, namely,

(a) the Newfoundland Railway, including steamship and other marine services;

(b) The Newfoundland Hotel, if requested by the Government of the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador within six months from the date of Union:

(c) postal and publicly owned telecommunication services;

(d) civil aviation, including Gander Airport;

(e) customs and excise;

(f) defence;

(g) protection and encouragement of fisheries and operation of bait services;

(h) geological, topographical, geodetic, and hydrographic surveys;

(i) lighthouses, fog alarms, buoys, beacons, and other public works and services in aid of navigation and shipping;

(j) marine hospitals, quarantine, and the care of shipwrecked crews;

(k) the public radio broadcasting system; and

(I) other public services similar in kind to those provided at the date of Union for the people of Canada generally.

and then
32(1)

32. (1) Canada will maintain in accordance with the traffic offering a freight and passenger steamship service between North Sydney and Port aux Basques, which, on completion of a motor highway between Corner Brook and Port aux Basques, will include suitable provision for the carriage of motor vehicles:

We will pick that up a little later.


Fsih gone and futures of thousands of children like the boy in the picture gone.

Please Canada notice 31(g)
At the date of Union, or as soon thereafter as practicable, Canada will take over the following services and will as from the date of Union relieve the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador of the public costs incurred in respect of each service taken over, namely,protection and encouragement of fisheries and operation of bait services

This has not occurred and as a result we have lost over 60,000 people of a population of 500,000 - over 10% - as a result of the federal government's mismanagement of the fishery.

If Ontario or Quebec or Alberta lost 10% of their population as a result of direct mismanagement of a renewable resource what would the people there demand???




Extinct
Then there is Term 31(a)
At the date of Union, or as soon thereafter as practicable, Canada will take over the following services and will as from the date of Union relieve the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador of the public costs incurred in respect of each service taken over, namely,the Newfoundland Railway, including steamship and other marine services.

The railway gone for a one time commitment of funds to complete the Trans Canada highway with four lanes. Oh well money gone and no funds for maintenance.

Check out the ruts in our highway as all the freight is on the road and not on the track. Canada off the hook again.

The there is the ferry - you know the one that connects the country - Port aux Basques to North Sydney. Term 32 (1)

Canada will maintain in accordance with the traffic offering a freight and passenger steamship service between North Sydney and Port aux Basques, which, on completion of a motor highway between Corner Brook and Port aux Basques, will include suitable provision for the carriage of motor vehicles:



We don't have one of these: The Confederation Bridge connecting Prince Edward Island to mainland Canada. No we have the "ferry". Expensive - often delayed - cancelled - and not pleasing to many consumers. This raises the rates of our consumable goods and detracts from our great tourism potential.

So Canada - we are not prepared to stay down - unable to use our non-renewable resource revenues to try and correct some of the damage the federal government is responsible for. And it's time you paid up - replace the value of the lost fishing renewable - and while you are at it. How about this?



The mighty Churchill River and Falls producing over 5000 mw's of power primarily used in Quebec for their economic development and tremendous hydro profits - significant in making Hydro-Quebec what it is today. You see Canada the feds did not stand up for Newfoundland and Labrador when it wanted the right to wheel power through Quebec to markets. Although PM Trudeau said it was the right of Canada to intervene - they did not.

Today Quebec looks forward to buying the power from us at 1/4 cent per KWH and reselling it at between 6 and 20 cents per KWH. You do the math Canada.

Where's the industry in Newfoundland and Labrador? Following our natural resources including renewable and non-renewable energy west to our neighbouring provinces - unfortunately our people are following.




Picture by the Independent Newspaper

Thousands of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians lined up to leave this province for mainland Canada. What a legacy of deceit and abuse. We have all the reason in the world to leave Canada - and certainly every reason to be asking for a fair share.

Again I want the inspection of all Slaughter Houses in the EU and the USA

Belgium - England - and maybe Germany...as the EU countries line-up to continue push for ban of Seal Harvest.

Belgium has already banned all seal products - England is lobbying the EU for a ban - and now the Agriculture Minister of Germany will introduce legislation.

Horst Seehofer, Germany's agriculture minister, said he has repeatedly urged the European Union to prohibit imports of all seal products, but has grown tired of waiting for action.

He said he will introduce a bill to ban imports in Germany, but it remains unclear when that will happen or if there is political support for a ban.

This from a CP story today.

And what is our Minister doing? Let me remind you - Loyola Hearn is inviting "observers" (protesters) from all over the world to come and watch.

It is time that the Departments of International Trade and Foreign Affairs took a stand. Let's start demanding inspections of all slaughter houses in Europe and the United States.

The games have begun again this year in earnest - these groups need to raise as much money as they can for the next month or so on the backs of our sealers. Fishers in New Brunswick and PEI are also throwing it back at Newfoundland and Labrador to deal with. Atlantica should be fun!

I want Canada to inspect all slaughter houses in Europe and the USA

Listen Loyola Hearn - you are what we call in Newfoundland and Labrador "a wimp".
Just as the seal harvest is about to begin again the money gouging "protest" groups are launching their campaign to kill the industry.

So what is Ottawa going to do? Well now you might have to stay back 20 metres from the harvest site. In fact Loyola says - to the Canadian Press reporter - "We are getting out the information and we are encouraging people to come and see for themselves and then make up their minds."
Enough is enough - we now have Canadian fishers questioning the hunt because their fishing enterprises are bring jeopardized by these opportunistic zealots. It's time the Department's of Foreign Affairs and International Trade got off their a**es and took some real action.

It is time that Canadians demanded to inspect each and every slaughter house in the USA and Europe. We should determine ourselves if the pigs chickens and cows are being raised and then killed humanely. But no - we invite more people to a location which is clearly unsafe - where harvesters are using high powered rifles in an open environment. We put our own people at risk to justify a sustainable and humane taking of seals.

We have New Brunswick and PEI trying to distance themselves from the harvest and have reps from these to provinces nailing Newfoundland and Labrador.

For anybody that has any doubt - this is about fundraising - this is the key event every year and these groups plan to take enough donations off our backs to last them the rest of the year. There is no doubt the largest continual running protest is against this province and our sealers. We have thousands of species around the world at risk and close to extinction - but the largest campaign is against us.

Whatever Loyola says or even believes - his bureaucrats are leading him - by the nose - to another slaughter house - the cessation of our harvest. Wake up Loyola - you're a Southern Shore Boy - you need to protect your people - your culture - and the livelihoods of people you represent.

Let's see if you can get Ottawa to show some muscle and start demanding the same "observation" rights that these people are demanding.

NAFO REFORMS SUCCESSFUL???

I read with interest our federal Minister's take on NAFO reforms. Loyola Hearn appears convinced all is well on the high seas because there have been ZERO citations beyond Canada's 200 mile limit. His confidence is a little naive and comes a little too soon (2 months).

Now I don't know if this is proof that foreign vessels are no longer plundering or if the ships they are inspecting are predictable or if they are simply not catching the right vessels. But to believe that greed has been curbed by NAFO reforms - is a little bit naive. The need to break the rules is always present - regardless of what system we are talking about. Now we need to question why realistically we have not managed to detect one violator.

I did find one other disturbing claim in the Minister's News Release

The truth is the new reforms hit vessel owners where it hurts–the wallet. Captains caught significantly misreporting their catch by at-sea inspectors must return to port for inspection.

Tell me what does "significantly misreporting" mean. Is there a threshold of abuse that we do tolerate? Who makes that call? What percentage of a catch is considered okay to be misreported?

Great news for an election - not much else though.

FPI must be purchased by the Province

If Fisheries Minister Tom Rideout was in anyway accurate in reflecting ongoing talks with FPI and their "committee" analysing options for the sale of the company's assets - a new level of arrogance has entered our fisheries industry.

That is very hard to do considering the pompous actions of many of our processors in the past. Not too long ago FPI and the Barry Group proceeded on with a sale of the Harbour Breton plant - had already started renovation work on the plant - before government sanctioned the sale. The government clearly embarrassed negotiated a position where the contract was dated reflecting the actual time government gave the two parties its "permission".

We know one of the parties in the current tangle is FPI and if one of the other is the Barry Group - it would be normal that they proceed on despite legislation or the protests and threats of the Minister.

In either case - the break-up of this company is sinister enough with respect to the new board and whatever objectives they claimed to have had - and the objectives they actually reached. There are far too many secret negotiations going on here - in what ultimately could lead to a new level of monopolization in an industry that is already controlled too much by the corporate sector.

We also have to deal with the lucrative marketing arm and offshore assets as well as the quotas currently held by FPI.

For all these reasons - it would be prudent for the NL government to buy out the shares of the company at a negotiated value that more clearly reflects an average of share value over the past 3 years. After that is done an open and transparent process can begin including the determination of what ultimately we want our fishery to look like - including federal legislation - the dispensing of FPI assets - a new federal-provincial plan on management - and meaningful public discourse with stakeholders and the people of the province.

When the corporate fishery was in trouble before - the Crown stepped in and slowly privatized the newly formed company (FPI) - with appropriate legislation to protect the taxpayers investment. It is time to repeat the process.

Currently the only thing we are driving is a process of escalated share value for some of the same people who have torn the company and rural Newfoundland and Labrador apart.

Breaking News....Clearwater goes shopping...

Clearwater raising money for possible acquisition...

Canada's Clearwater Seafoods Income Fund said Monday it is seeking up to $50 million in new financing to improve the company's capital structure and allow it to pursue potential acquisitions.

I wonder what Risley is looking to acquire?

Possibly a piece of the FPI pie?

Now that would be a surprise - wouldn't it?

Read the News Release

Clearwater Seafoods Income Fund Raises Funds to Enhance Capital Structure and Pursue Potential Acquisitions

/NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR
DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES/

HALIFAX, Feb. 19 /CNW/ - Clearwater Seafoods Income Fund (TSX: CLR.UN)
("the Fund") and Clearwater Seafoods Limited Partnership ("Clearwater") today
announced that the Fund has entered into an agreement with a syndicate of
underwriters led and bookrun by TD Securities Inc. with co-lead underwriters
BMO Capital Markets and Scotia Capital Inc., and including CIBC World Markets
Inc., National Bank Financial Inc., and Beacon Securities Limited, to issue to
the public on a bought-deal basis, convertible unsecured subordinated
debentures (the "Debentures") for $1,000 per Debenture for gross proceeds of
$43,500,000 (the "Offering"). In addition, the Fund has granted the syndicate
an over-allotment option, exercisable for a period of 30 days following
closing, to purchase an additional $6,525,000 of Debentures which, if
exercised, would increase the gross proceeds of the Offering to $50,025,000.
The Debentures will be convertible into units of the Fund (the "Units")
at the option of the holder at a conversion price of $5.90 per Unit, subject
to adjustment in certain events. Closing of the Offering is expected to occur
on or about March 9, 2007, subject to satisfaction of customary conditions
including receipt of all necessary regulatory approvals.

The net proceeds of the Offering will be used to enhance Clearwater's
capital structure and more importantly to provide the flexibility to allow
Clearwater to pursue potential accretive acquisitions that will be a strategic
fit with its plan for growth.

The Debentures will bear interest at a rate of 7.25% per annum, payable
semi-annually in arrears on March 31 and September 30 of each year commencing
on September 30, 2007. The Debentures will mature on March 31, 2014.
The Fund will file a preliminary short-form prospectus relating to the
issuance of the Debentures with securities commissions and similar regulatory
authorities in each of the provinces of Canada except Quebec.
This news release does not constitute an offer to sell, or the
solicitation of an offer to buy, any securities in any jurisdiction. The
Debentures being offered have not been and will not be registered under the
United States Securities Act of 1933 and state securities laws. Accordingly,
the Debentures may not be offered or sold in the United States except pursuant
to applicable exemptions from registration.

About Clearwater

Clearwater is recognized for its consistent quality, wide diversity and
reliable delivery of premium seafood, including scallops, lobster, clams, cold
water shrimp, crab and groundfish.
Since its founding in 1976 Clearwater has invested in science, people,
technology, resource ownership and resource management to preserve and grow
its seafood resource. This commitment has allowed it to remain a leader in the
global seafood industry.

Lloyd's Limerick Land

Well Lloyd a regular reader and contributor to Sue's Blog is beside himself over the various antics of our politicians these days - including Tom's plan for a cod pot when all the bait may go to the "fish farms".

and now he weighs in on the proposed holiday and double billing...

Here's Lloyd's Limerick and I encourage other readers to try their hand at poetically releasing their political frustrations.

O yes,let's have a new holiday,
Celebrate it the John Hickey Way
Bill the IEC,
In that we ,
Can have some fun without having to pay.

Tom Rideout didn't say...

On VOCM Back-Talk today did not offer any information on the $2875 he received. He did not tell us whether or not his constituency allowance was exhausted after the October 2003 election.

He did not say whether he threw a disproportionate amount out in the district in the 6 months leading up to the election.

He mumbled something about updating an "old - tired" system.

Okay - think about this people:

Tom Rideout - first elected in 1975 and was re-elected on four successive occasions – 1979, 1982, 1985 and 1989 - then again in 1999 and 2003.

Come on Tom - you expect us to believe it took Danny Williams to get you to see the light. If that's the case - quit!