Lawrence MacAulay, MP

Presenting Petitions – Fleet Separation and Owner-Operator Policies

 Hon. Lawrence MacAulay (Cardigan, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to present a petition on behalf of a large number of Prince Edward Islanders who are very concerned about the fishing industry.

    They want to inform the Prime Minister and the government that the DFO fleet separation and owner-operator policies form the backbone of the Atlantic inshore and mid-shore fishery. The removal of these policies would directly affect over 30,000 jobs in the fishing industry, end the independence of our fishery and have a devastating effect on coastal communities throughout the region.

    The Conservative government has refused to properly consult with our fishers on this issue. The Conservative government has refused to answer the question on these policies and has voted down a motion to hear from the affected stakeholders, and study what the effects of the removal of the policies would have on Atlantic Canada and coastal Quebec.

    Complete corporate control of the fishery has proven, in many areas, to be devastating to the income, economy and social fabric of the coastal regions, such as British Columbia, New Zealand and Iceland.

    We, the undersigned residents of Canada, call on the Prime Minister to maintain and strengthen fleet separation and the owner-operator policies.

MacAulay Slams Conservative Cuts to Parks Canada

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 9, 2012 

OTTAWA – The Honourable Lawrence MacAulay, Member of Parliament for Cardigan, is slamming the Conservative government’s decision to drastically cut staff and services at Parks Canada, including significant cuts to Prince Edward Island National Park, Province House National Historic Site, Port-la-Joye – Fort Amherst National Historic Site, and Green Gables Heritage Place.

Eighteen full-time employees will be fired from Parks Canada on P.E.I. while another sixteen positions will be affected by reducing employment length, especially in the shoulder season, reducing pay levels, or moving from full-time to part-time.

“Our National Parks are one of the most important iconic images of our country”, said MacAulay. “This is a devastating blow to parks across the country and here in P.E.I., and it will affect not only the great employees of our National Park but also affect education programs which teach about the importance of our Parks and National Historic Sites, environmental protection, and even public safety.”

“The Conservatives are significantly slashing this important department and trying to replace highly skilled and trained Parks Canada employees with volunteers. While volunteers do wonderful work, they simply cannot replace all of the work done by the scientists, ecologists, mechanics, park wardens, and other employees who work in our National Parks.”

The P.E.I. National Park is especially important to the Cardigan MP, as he was instrumental in adding Greenwich to the Park system while in the federal Cabinet in the 1990’s. MacAulay added, “We worked very hard to make Greenwich a part of P.E.I.’s National Park in 1998 in order to protect the vital resources it holds, and provide top-notch services and an interpretation centre. I have been assured by the Parks Canada Superintendent for P.E.I. that there will be no reduction in positions at Greenwich and I truly hope that this is in fact the case. These reductions around the Island will only harm our tourism and economy and are yet another attack on P.E.I. by the Conservative government.”

MacAulay Calls on Islanders to Rally Behind Independent Atlantic Fishers

 Montague, PE – The Honourable Lawrence MacAulay, MP for Cardigan and Liberal critic for Fisheries and oceans is calling on all fishers, Islanders, and members of the media to join Liberal Leader Bob Rae and Liberal Members of Parliament at a town hall media conference Friday April 13 at the Stratford Town Hall to discuss the importance of DFO’s fleet separation and owner-operator policies.

“The fleet separation and owner-operator policies form the backbone of the inshore and mid-shore fisheries in Atlantic Canada and coastal Quebec”, said MacAulay. “We can’t let the Conservative government eliminate these policies. It would mean a massive loss of employment and income for our fishers and crew members, and the destruction of rural communities across the region.”

“Other jurisdictions have gone forward with similar fisheries reforms and the result has been the same across the board. Fishing licenses and quota end up centralized in the hands of a few wealthy individuals or companies in urban centres, employment significantly decreases, remaining fishers see a large drop in income, and fisheries-dependent communities become marginalized while the economic benefits of the fishery flow to cities and corporations rather than fishers and rural communities.”

“We are calling on all Islanders and all people of eastern Canada to stand up to the Conservative government and express support for our fishers and rural communities.”

Conservative Budget Hits PEI and Atlantic Region Hard

  Montague, PE – The Honourable Lawrence MacAulay, MP for Cardigan, is expressing great concern with how the federal Conservative government’s budget is going to affect Prince [...]

Read more