Federal Fisheries Minister Hires "Mini Me"

Thanks to the re-instatement of the office of the “Ambassador for Fisheries Conservation” (yes the post existed before under former American Idolizer contestant Brian Mulroney) Canada now has:

A Federal Fisheries Minister
A Federal Fisheries Ambassador
Multiple Provincial Fisheries Ministers (do they have one in Manitoba?)
Countless Federal and Provincial deputy ministers
NAFO representatives
Thousands of DFO scientists, technicians, enforcement officers and general staff
And hundreds of outspoken fisheries activists

The only thing we don’t have is fish.

The fish we need. What we don’t need is another layer of bureaucracy and, with no insult intended to Loyola Sullivan, we don’t need another highly paid government representative flapping his gums on orders from the Foreign Affairs Office.

Simply put, the Harper government has opted for the path of least resistance when it comes to Canada’s needs. While they still don’t understand the importance of the fisheries, they have realized that the environment is a major issue for Canadians and with that realization is the need to address fisheries conservation. That doesn’t mean they intend to actually do anything about it. They see the problems but, like past governments, they also see the formidable task ahead and have decided it’s much easier to appear to be doing something than to actually do it.

Suddenly Harper has become “The big green machine”. He started by firing his former Environment Minister for releasing a laughable clean air act. Never mind that it had his finger prints all over it. Then he started running around his office like a madman recycling whatever tired old Liberal programs he could find lying about the floor and re-introducing them under the Conservative banner. Of course it never occurred to him that while those programs were in place green house gas emissions continued to soar and the state of the environment declined. It doesn’t matter you see because Stephen Harper is in the process of re-painting himself in such a pretty shade of green nobody will ever be able to find him. They won’t be able to tell if he’s the Prime Minister or some happy little leprechaun that just wandered onto the Hill.

Now in his latest environmentally unfriendly move we find ourselves paying the tab for Canada’s newly minted “Ambassador of Fisheries Conservation”. A patronage appointment that’s sure to be a win, win for the Conservatives. Unfortunately it won’t do anything for fisheries conservation.

With this recycling of a Mulroney initiative Harper is able to personally thank Loyola Sullivan, a long time supporter, for his tireless efforts. He can also spread the blame around a little more so it doesn’t all stick to him or his Minister of Fisheries (especially with this year’s seal harvest only a few months away and the latest science showing population levels down slightly). I can almost hear the response coming out of the Fisheries Office in Ottawa when Rebecca Aldsworth calls:

“Oh, hi Rebecca, I’m afraid you’ll have to speak with Loyola about that.”

“…Loyola, which Loyola?”

“Sorry, I didn’t quite hear you Rebecca. You’re breaking up, it sounds like you’re in a zodiac that’s about to be rammed.”

In another plus for Harper, with an election looming this appointment may even convince a handful of voters in Newfoundland and Labrador that he’s serious about fisheries issues. He won’t convince many of them mind you but there are a few dim bulbs in every box. Most of them are the same ones that insist on voting for Gerry Byrne every election.

Regardless of these minor perks, the big bonus for Stephen Harper is being able to bill this move as another example of how he has magically transformed himself from a bean counting corporate apostle to a tree hugging, alfalfa munching environmentalist, accent on the “mental” part.

Do we really need an “Ambassador for Fisheries Conservation” at a cost of $500,000 a year? Everyone knows the problems that exist in the fisheries. Everyone knows what needs to be done, including the Fisheries Minister. He shouted about it hard enough while he was in opposition. The problem is that nobody will actually do what needs to be done, not even the new “Ambassador” because even if he wants to make a difference he won’t be allowed to do it. In Harper’s world Federal Ministers can’t even speak publicly without his personal approval so what chance does a lowly “Ambassador” have, especially a “Fish Ambassador”?

Anyone who saw the press conference last Thursday will no doubt have noticed that it was the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Peter McKay, who made the big announcement about this new “Ambassadorship”, not the Fisheries Minister, which would have been the logical choice. This wasn’t accidental. Foreign Affairs took the lead, with the Fisheries Minister bringing up the rear, because Ottawa wanted to send a clear message to our trading partners around the world that it was business as usual in Canada. It was also meant to ensure that the new Ambassador clearly understood what the Minister of Fisheries already knows. Nothing is done in the fisheries portfolio without the explicit blessing of the Foreign Affairs office.

When you pit the needs of the fisheries against the interests of foreign affairs, and Canada’s international trade agreements, fisheries issues don’t have a hope in hell. As much as Loyola Sullivan’s heart may be in the right place, like the other Loyola before him, he’s now entered the twilight zone. There’s no turning back now and there’s no better way to take the fight out of any public figure than to hand him a plum federal position (Ever notice how quiet things are in the Commons these days with George Baker collecting dust in the Senate?)

We won’t hear anything from Loyola Sullivan again until the proverbial crap hits the fan and Harper, McKay and Hearn need a sacrificial lamb to feed to the masses.

If Harper was serious about protecting fish stocks he wouldn’t appoint another impotent mouth piece. Instead of paying lip service to fisheries issues he’d invest in sound science. He’d take control of the fisheries out of the hands of vote hungry politicians and give it to a board comprised of federal, provincial, scientific and industry representatives. He’d extend the 200 mile limit past the nose and tail of the Grand banks and the Flemish Cap and he’d assign a half a dozen destroyers to patrol our waters with a clear mandate to shoot if necessary. If nothing else he’d start by saving the taxpayers a cool $50 bucks a month and get rid of that direct phone line running between the offices of the Fisheries Minister and the Minister of Foreign Affairs. That move alone would be a major step forward.

New Conservative Slogan: "A Promise Made is a Promise Broken"

Saskatchewan Finance Minister, Andrew Thomson was recently quoted saying the “federal government appears to be using western oil money to buy votes in Quebec”. To that I’d like to say that the current government is also using eastern oil money to finance the same morally reprehensible purchase.

For two election campaigns in a row Steven Harper promised Canadians a modified equalization formula that excluded non-renewable resource revenues. He signed a letter saying exactly that and sent it to the premier of Newfoundland and Labrador. He made the same promise to the premier of Saskatchewan and he even said it a third time in correspondence with former Alberta premier Ralph Klein. (Is three strikes and you’re out a legal argument? Maybe it should be.)

In a trial balloon floated by his government last week Harper said good-bye to yet another election promise (remember income trusts?). Now, for your voting pleasure we unveil the new Stephen Harper, a man who hopes to win the hearts of Quebec voters by embarking on a vote buying spree. Promise or no promise, it looks like non-renewable resource revenue is back in the equalization mix. Rather than live up to his written promises to the provincial leaders, and more importantly the voters, Harper has taken a long look at his poll numbers and realized he needs to shore up support in Quebec. Essentially the rest of the Country can go straight to hell.

For months the premiers of Ontario and Quebec have been screaming that non-renewable resource revenues (which they have few of) are no different than revenues from manufacturing and other industries (which they have a plenty of) and as such those revenues should be included in the formula. Not true and no matter how long they chant that mantra it doesn’t make it any truer.

There is a big difference between the two types of revenue and I’ll tell you what it is. We hear all the time about the oil “industry” or the gas “industry” or the mining “industry” but these terms are misleading. Yes, technically they are industrial sectors but they aren’t really the same as other industries because they’re very limited in how long they provide any real benefit. That’s the crux of the problem for resource based economies and it’s a difference some premiers don’t want to admit.

For example, while the auto or textile industries of Ontario and Quebec can potentially provide revenues forever and a day, once an oil well or mineral deposit is tapped out so is the revenue it generated and the jobs it created. This means that resource based economies, like that of Newfoundland and Labrador, have a very small window of opportunity to capitalize on the money generated by those resources. They have to use as much of that revenue as possible, while it’s available, in order to diversify their economy and pay down debts. Once the resources are gone, or if Ottawa claws back those revenues through equalization, what future is there for the people of that province and, by extension, what future is there for Canada as a successful nation?

Think about it. The prosperity of Canada isn’t generated by Ottawa. Success is based on the value of the combined economies of the provinces and territories. If a province prospers so does the nation as a whole, but if a province is denied its best and perhaps only opportunity to grow, the entire nation suffers as a result because it has to continue to help support that province. Don’t we all want to see every province in Canada build strong diversified economies that allow them to add to the overall strength of the Country?

The concept is not a new one and apparently Stephen Harper is quite familiar with it or he wouldn’t have made the promise he did. The approach has been proven in places like Ireland where, not so long ago, the economy was essentially in the toilet. Unemployment soared and out migration was the only thing keeping local airlines in business. Now, thanks to funds made available through a lengthy “holiday” from equalization claw backs (or at least their version of the scheme) Ireland’s economy is one of the brightest lights in Europe and growing at an amazing rate.

I can’t even imagine the balls it must take to put a promise in writing to the leaders of at least 3 provinces, promote it to voters for years, know full well it’s in the best interests of the nation, yet go ahead and sell the Country down the river anyway for a few votes. It’s amazing Harper can even keep a straight face, but if it’s any consolation I doubt it’ll work for him.

As much as the government of Quebec may be on side with this and as much as Stephen Harper believes the people of Quebec will fall in line as well, I don’t think they’re that dumb. I predict Quebec voters will see through this scheme to buy them off in the same way Harper’s “nationhood” motion was meant to do the same thing. I predict that in the end Harper’s Conservatives will actually capture fewer seats in Quebec than they did in the last election.

Adding to Harper’s election woes, all of his own doing by the way, is the fact that after the equalization scam and income trust lies, he can no longer claim, that “A promise made is a promise kept”. Cracks are starting to appear in his traditional western support base and the cross Country campaign by Saskatchewan’s Lorne Calvert and Newfoundland and Labrador’s Danny Williams to “spread the truth about the lies” may all combine to mean a very short future for this Conservative government.

The reality is such that Harper and his Conservatives might even fall when they introduce the budget containing their newly revamped equalization plan. I doubt it though, since most of the MPs on the Hill are from Ontario and Quebec, two provinces that eagerly support inclusion of non-renewable resource revenues. If the plan passes some provinces will be hurt and the nation itself will have to live with the consequences but if it fails to pass the result may be as bad. Failure to implement a revamped equalization plan now will likely mean the people of Canada will have to once again sit back and watch the governments of Ontario and Quebec, along with their federal MPs, do their best to pick the carcass of the Country even cleaner than anyone could ever have imagined possible. Nice legacy Steve.

The Search for Intelligent Life Continues

I sincerely hope that if aliens ever launch a probe searching for life on this little planet of ours they don’t accidentally scan the Liberal party of Newfoundland and Labrador. If they do I doubt they’ll find anything even resembling intelligent life there. I live in the province and even from this close vantage point I can’t find any, not lately anyway.

I know the Liberals are far more accustomed to holding power in the legislature than they are to sitting on the opposition bench but is that any reason to give up all sense of reality? As things now stand, the Williams government is enjoying a solid majority that's likely to become even more solid after the next election. There may be many reasons for that but I’m starting to believe it’s at least partly due to the ramblings of Liberal leader Gerry Reid and the severe mental breakdown happening inside the Liberal party.

Whether you support the current PC government or not, the fact of the matter is that a strong government, of any stripe, needs strong opposition. An opposition that can ensure things are done properly and that nothing slips through the cracks. Unfortunately the Liberals have abdicated that duty. They’ve effectively left the real job of opposition up to the only sane voice around these days, the understandably lonely leader of the provincial NDP party, Ms. Loraine Michael.

Ever since accepting the leadership of the Liberal party from an inept and aging Roger Grimes, Gerry (cry me a river) Reid, has done nothing but bitch and moan about anything and everything the government is doing. There are those who will say, “…but Myles, that’s the job of the opposition party to “Oppose” right?” Wrong.

The job of an effective opposition is to ensure that the government of the day is held accountable for its actions, that the best possible results come from legislation under consideration and, where possible, to move its own agenda forward under difficult conditions. It isn’t simply a matter of taking a contrary stand whether it makes sense to do so or not. That approach to debate is best left to the kids in the school yard.

The latest example of Liberal idiocy came last week when the provincial government rejected a proposal by Hibernia management to move forward with the so called “South Hibernia” oil field. Never mind that government hasn’t squashed the idea of development but is simply asking for clarification on some issues, Gerry Reid once again saw this as an opportunity to spout off anyway.

One of the answers government is looking for is whether or not the companies involved intend to pull oil from this new area at the expense of the existing Hibernia well. As the level of available oil in the existing Hibernia field dwindles it becomes more troublesome and expensive to extract and the government is looking for assurances that the intention is not to leave that valuable oil in the ground while going after the cheaper oil in the south, a reasonable question in my book.

Even putting aside whether or not government’s decision is the right one, from a purely political perspective Gerry Reid and the entire Liberal party has become suicidal and hell bent on destroying any chance of holding onto the few seats they have left. The saddest thing is that neither Gerry nor his merry band of grits seems to see the harm they’re doing to themselves.

It’s clear that most people of the province support the government’s move with Hibernia. Right or wrong, they support it. A recent “question of the day” posed by provincial radio station (VOCM) asked this very question and (though not a scientific result) the answers received show that about 90% of respondents agree with the stand taken by government. In fact NOIA, a group made up of companies supplying the offshore oil industry itself doesn’t have any issue with the move. Why then would the Liberals, under Gerry Reid’s watch, continue to shout from the rooftops that it will send a bad message to the poor mistreated oil companies?

Not only is Gerry showing a total lack of intelligence from the perspective of protecting provincial interests he’s also displaying a complete lack of political savvy. Here’s a lesson for you Gerry, if you oppose a stand that 90% of the population supports it's highly unlikely to translate into a lot of votes when the polls open in October. For heaven’s sake, I know you guys are disappointed and maybe even a little dejected about losing the last election but that was then and this is now. There’s another election looming on the horizon. It’s time to get over yourselves and get on with doing the job you’re being paid to do. Show at least one grain of sense before it’s too late.

By all means speak out when you feel something is going wrong. Speak out when you have an agenda item that deserves attention, but also work with the current government when the stars align and you agree on specific issues. Finally, for the good of the province get over this idea that if it comes from Danny Williams mouth you have to no option but to oppose it. Life’s too short Gerry and the window of opportunity we have in this province to ensure our collective survival is narrowing more with every passing day.