John Barlow
Foothills, Alberta · Conservative · Canada
“Mr. Speaker, the president of Grain Farmers of Ontario warned that we cannot have affordable food if farmers cannot afford to farm. Fertilizer prices are crippling, and suppliers are now telling farmers they may not even have enough supply for next season. Canada is the only G7 country that has a tariff on fertilizer imports.”
“We have not had an opportunity to even talk about that and why it is exempt from their Canadian free trade agreement, when they are closing down seven critical research centres and experimental farms, which again will impact food affordability and food production here in Canada.”
“Mr. Speaker, Foothills families are shaken. A local man was charged with more than 500,000 pieces of child exploitation material, and he was released. Ten-year-old Grace asked me why this man was not in jail. She does not feel safe playing outside with her friends, and that is not right.”
“Madam Speaker, it is great to see you back in the chair today. It is a sight for sore eyes. In my colleague's comments, he was talking about trade, not just north and south but east and west, even though our trading partner to the south of us is the most important trading partner for our economy, and the Liberals are turning their backs o…”
“Mr. Speaker, well, that is no answer from the minister. We have 30 more of those. I sure hope they upped their game with the answers. The CEO of Farm Credit Canada last year, Justine Hendricks, spent more than $213,000 just on travel. She spent another $53,000 on hospitality, including one meal for more than $6,500.”
“Mr. Speaker, it is clear they are not taking any lessons from the business leaders in this industry. The CEO of Cenovus was crystal clear that building a new pipeline and expanding oil production to fill it is “unfinanceable”.”
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“Mr. Speaker, the president of Grain Farmers of Ontario warned that we cannot have affordable food if farmers cannot afford to farm. Fertilizer prices are crippling, and suppliers are now telling farmers they may not even have enough supply for next season. Canada is the only G7 country that has a tariff on fertilizer imports. Can the minister tell me exactly how much the Liberal government has collected from the 35% tariff and how much it has robbed from the pockets of Canadian farmers?”
“Mr. Speaker, Foothills families are shaken. A local man was charged with more than 500,000 pieces of child exploitation material, and he was released. Ten-year-old Grace asked me why this man was not in jail. She does not feel safe playing outside with her friends, and that is not right. Okotoks families want to know why a man charged with such a heinous crime was released into the community. Conservatives offered a solution, jail not bail for serious offences, but the Liberals rejected it. When will the Liberals fix the bail system they broke so Okotoks families can feel safe again?”
“We have not had an opportunity to even talk about that and why it is exempt from their Canadian free trade agreement, when they are closing down seven critical research centres and experimental farms, which again will impact food affordability and food production here in Canada. The Prime Minister himself spoke of food sovereignty and how a country that is unable to feed itself has few options. Well, we have hardly been able to scratch the surface of the impact that the decisions in this budget bill would have on food production and food affordability in Canada. Would the member not agree that food affordability is a top priority for all Canadians, and worth some time to discuss?”
“Madam Speaker, it is great to see you back in the chair today. It is a sight for sore eyes. In my colleague's comments, he was talking about trade, not just north and south but east and west, even though our trading partner to the south of us is the most important trading partner for our economy, and the Liberals are turning their backs on it. Regarding the east-west comment, the member knows that food transportation was exempt from the Liberals Canadian free trade agreement. We are talking about food affordability and food production and the importance of that issue.”
“Mr. Speaker, well, that is no answer from the minister. We have 30 more of those. I sure hope they upped their game with the answers. The CEO of Farm Credit Canada last year, Justine Hendricks, spent more than $213,000 just on travel. She spent another $53,000 on hospitality, including one meal for more than $6,500. This is more than a third of what a family of four spends on groceries for an entire year. Can the minister tell me how much more out-of-control spending he is going to approve this year?”
“Mr. Speaker, it is clear they are not taking any lessons from the business leaders in this industry. The CEO of Cenovus was crystal clear that building a new pipeline and expanding oil production to fill it is “unfinanceable”. That means the Liberals' anti-energy policies and carbon tax make investing in nation-building projects impossible, but the Liberals supporting these anti-energy policies should not be a surprise. When he was Trudeau's fiscal adviser, the Prime Minister endorsed those policies and implemented the carbon tax. Why does the Prime Minister still support these policies that have plunged Canada into a recession?”
“Mr. Speaker, Canada is the only G20 country in a recession, and the business leaders who actually create the jobs and attract the investment are raising the alarm. The CEO of one of Canada's largest energy companies said the Liberals' industrial carbon tax and antidevelopment laws make investing in new projects “unfinanceable”. That is interesting, because a year ago the Prime Minister promised Canadians we would “build, baby, build”, but “build, baby, build” is now another Liberal broken promise. Will the Prime Minister just admit that his vision for Canada's energy sector is to tax it, regulate it and eventually kill it?”
“Mr. Speaker, I certainly understand that during question period there could be some heated moments. However, during the questions from my colleague, the member for Thornhill , who is a Jewish member of Parliament speaking about the very real threats to her community, the member for York South—Weston—Etobicoke called her a liar on a number of occasions. I would ask the hon. member if he would stand in this House, apologize and withdraw those words.”
“That is why Conservatives are asking the Prime Minister to hold an emergency debate on this economic crisis, which his government has caused.”
“Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister told Canadians he had a plan, but he did not say his plan was to plunge Canada into a recession. Every G7 country is facing global instability, economic headwinds and tariffs, but Canada stands alone as the only G7 country in a recession. Canada stands alone as the only G7 country whose economy has contracted in three of the last four quarters. Canada stands alone in a recession because of Liberal policies that have stalled our economic engines, like natural resources, agriculture and manufacturing. There are consequences, as more than 100,000 Canadians have lost their jobs over just the last few months. Canadians have already suffered through the lost Liberal decade. They do not need any more economic mismanagement, deficit spending and high taxes. Canadians want answers, not photo ops.”
“Through the Donald and Eleanor Seaman Family Foundation, he supported education, health care and community development, and he improved countless lives. Now as we celebrate Don's beloved Dawgs' 20th baseball season in Okotoks, I will remember him sitting in the warm summer sun watching baseball, savouring a life well lived with thousands of friends in what we now call our field of dreams.”
“Mr. Speaker, I rise today to remember the remarkable life of the iconic Albertan Don Seaman. His influence in Alberta and all of Canada will be felt for generations, especially by his friends and family and by the business leaders he mentored. A visionary pioneer of Alberta's energy sector, Don helped build Canada's economy, but his impact will reach far beyond business. In the true spirit of “build it and they will come”, Don helped build a field of dreams in Okotoks, where Seaman Stadium is the crown jewel of Canadian baseball. He literally placed the building blocks not only of a stadium but also of the renowned Okotoks Dawgs Baseball program, which stands as a proud symbol of his commitment to youth, sport and country.”
“Mr. Speaker, I find it interesting that our Liberal colleague does not believe that Canadians are going without and having to skip meals. We know that the facts tell a very different story. There was the Great Depression, World War I, World War II and the global recession, and never had a Canadian government had to borrow money to help Canadians buy groceries, but that has happened twice in the last three years as a result of Liberal policy that is driving Canadians to food banks. I would like to ask my colleague, after his excellent speech, about the impact Liberal policies are having on food inflation and grocery prices that are resulting in two million Canadians lining up at a food bank every single month.”
“Mr. Speaker, on a point of order, in reference to the study that is being tabled by my colleague, I think it is very important to highlight that of the recommendations in that report, which were unanimously supported by all parties, there is a recommendation to reverse the closures of those—”
“Mr. Speaker, Canadian farmers expect the government to defend them at the negotiation table, not leave them behind, yet the Liberals constantly fail farmers in trade disputes. Canadian beef and pork exports to Europe and the United Kingdom dropped to zero last year, yet the Liberals are rushing into a Mercosur agreement despite the risk to Canadian cattle, pork and poultry. Mercosur countries do not meet our standards on animal health, food safety or the environment. Why are the Liberals rushing in to sign an agreement that puts our food security, our food safety and Canadian farmers at risk?”
“Mr. Speaker, as the Liberals make more promises and more announcements, they are driving farmers into the ground. Farmers lost $3.3 billion in 2024 and are expected to lose another $30 billion over the next decade, yet the Liberals continue to double down, closing research centres, imposing a fertilizer import tax and increasing the industrial carbon tax. This is why 75% of farmers are telling their kids not to take over the family farm, and 84% of farmers think the Prime Minister has been an epic failure. Why not remove all of the tariffs and all of the fuel taxes and give farm families a fighting chance?”
“Mr. Speaker, with elbows firmly down, the Prime Minister made a promise to Donald Trump to invest a trillion dollars into the United States. The promise was kept. An RBC statement shows that a trillion dollars of investment has fled Canada. The Liberal policies have caused the largest exodus of capital in Canadian history. Canadians are paying the price, with 74% saying that fuel and food costs are straining their finances, and 43% saying they are $200 away from economic ruin every single month. Why are Canadians paying the price for the Prime Minister 's promises to Donald Trump?”
“No, these are Liberal policies that they themselves put on Canadians, and now they have finally admitted that Conservatives have been right all along, but the contrition is not complete. The industrial carbon tax is still here and the GST on fuel is still here. Will the Liberals cleanse their conscience, go the entire way, ask Canadians for forgiveness and remove all the taxes on all the fuel?”
“Mr. Speaker, finally the Liberals have acknowledged that they are indeed the reason for and the cause of the affordability crisis Canadians are enduring. For years, the Liberals have tried to blame everyone else for the cost of living crisis that lays at their feet, and they know it. Donald Trump is not the one who asked them to increase the industrial carbon tax by 16% on April 1, driving up the cost of food and fuel. COVID did not ask them to put an escalator tax on beer, wine and spirits, which is devastating our wine growers, brewers and distillers and taking $1.2 billion out of the pockets of Canadians. The Middle East conflict did not ask them to put a 35% tariff on imports of fertilizer, causing a cost-of-input crisis for Canadian farmers.”
“Mr. Speaker, it is incredible how the Liberals can twist themselves in pretzels. It was not that long ago they were accusing all Conservatives of taking a summer vacation while the planet burned, and now they are saying we can travel around the world. It is not a benefit when the Liberals are pocketing billions of dollars in gas tax revenue right from the pockets of Canadians who are struggling just to buy the basics. Why do the Liberals take these half measures? Why do they not follow a Conservative policy and eliminate all of the Liberal taxes on fuel so Canadians can afford that summer vacation we would all love to take?”
“Mr. Speaker, the Liberal gas price change amounts to what is really chump change. It is only for a third of the year, for a third of the tax. It is not relief when Canadians barely save 10¢ a litre on gas and four cents a litre on diesel. It is not relief when Canadians still have to pay the GST and the Liberal fuel tax. Canadians are going to get back pennies. Meanwhile, the Liberals are collecting billions of dollars in federal gas tax revenue. Why the half-measure? Why not adopt the Conservative plan to remove all the Liberal taxes on fuel, diesel and gas?”
“Mr. Speaker, I would like the minister to know that the Liberals' fuel regulations are so complicated and has made it so expensive that three-quarters of the feedstock comes from the United States or used cooking oil from China, not canola farmers in Alberta. It is the clean fuel standard, the industrial carbon tax, the escalator tax and tariffs on fertilizer that are making food unaffordable and farming unsustainable. Will the Liberals realize that it is their own policies that are causing these problems? Will they cancel their fuel tax, their industrial carbon tax and their escalator tax and help make Canadians' life more affordable?”
“Mr. Speaker, we are not talking down the economy. The Liberals are bringing down the economy. A recent survey shows that 84% of farmers think the Prime Minister is an epic failure. I am wondering if the Prime Minister could tell me which one of his policies have made farmers so angry. Is it the fact that the Liberals are closing seven research centres and firing hundreds of scientists? Is it because we are the only G7 country with a 35% tariff on fertilizer imports? Is it the fuel standard or the industrial carbon tax, which goes up again on April 1? Which one of these policies is the reason the Prime Minister is an epic failure?”
“Mr. Speaker, the numbers do not lie. The levers that the Liberals are pulling are obviously wrong, with 73,000 private sector jobs lost and youth unemployment at more than 14%. It is clear that young Canadians are being locked out of the workforce, cannot afford housing and cannot afford food, while the Prime Minister jet-sets to cocktail parties with global elites. Will the Liberals admit that their policies and fiscal plan have failed? Will they adopt the Conservative youth jobs plan that will give Canadian youth hope to build a future here at home?”
“Mr. Speaker, February's job numbers are crushing, with 108,000 full-time jobs lost, the largest collapse in full-time employment since 2020, since COVID. Youth unemployment is more than 14%. Canada now has the second-highest unemployment and the only shrinking economy in the G7. Let us be clear. It is because of Liberal policies that the private sector is hemorrhaging jobs, making the affordability crisis more acute. Will the Liberals admit that Conservatives were right and scrap their carbon and fuel taxes that are killing Canadian jobs?”
“Mr. Speaker, my colleague brings up an excellent point. The Prime Minister has gone to the United Kingdom on a number of occasions, and he is on his way there again later this week or next week, I believe. It is his second home, for all intents and purposes. He keeps talking about his close relationship with the Government of the United Kingdom and the EU. He calls himself a European. Why is he not resolving any of these issues? The Prime Minister says he has this close relationship, and our agriculture commodities could be taking advantage of these opportunities, not only in the United Kingdom but certainly around the world. The Prime Minister is a big talker, but there is no delivery. That is where we are seeing the frustration coming from Canadian farmers.”
“Mr. Speaker, I apologize, but I am not aware of the amendment that my colleague moved at committee. However, I want to be clear that our agriculture stakeholders have changed their position. They want to support the United Kingdom, in good faith, joining the CPTPP. They are upset because the Liberal government should have addressed these issues before the continuity agreement expires and before the United Kingdom's accession to the CPTPP. We are a party of free traders. Our agriculture groups are free traders. They rely on that. Again, our point is that the Liberals had the leverage to address this issue and failed to do so.”
“Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the question from my colleague, who is doing a great job as the chair of the agriculture committee. I spend time pretty much every day speaking to producers right across the country. I will say that there is guarded optimism. There is no opportunity to take advantage of these trade agreements, because they do not trust that the elements of those trade agreements will actually come true. We have seen that in what is going on with the United Kingdom and the European Union, in the games that have been played, certainly with China, and in the inability of the Liberal government to rebuild our most important trade relationship, which is that with the United States. More than 70% of our agricultural commodities go south across the border.”
“Last, I would be remiss if I did not mention the other issue that the Liberal government did not address, and that is British pensioners' not seeing their pensions indexed to inflation, which happens in the United States. Our cousin in the United Kingdom is not allowing the same rights to 100,000 Canadians who are suffering with that indignity here in Canada, including my wee mother-in-law from Scotland, who is also not seeing her pension indexed. I know she would like to be treated just like British expats right around the world.”
“It costs our producers about $60 a head to deal with SRMs. The United States does not have to do it, and it puts our producers at a competitive disadvantage. Time and again the Liberal government says it is going to address the SRMs. Time and again it has failed to do so, and that irritant is still in place. Every single time Canadian producers need the Liberal government the most, it is nowhere to be found, and now, when we need to be focused on research and development and sanitary and phytosanitary to push our standards around the world, the Liberal government's response is to close seven research centres across Canada. Two of them, in Lacombe, Alberta, and in Nappan, Nova Scotia, focus on the beef industry and the things we do here in Canada that we need to convince the rest of the world to meet or exceed their standards.”
“Only a few years ago, for example, we had a deadline with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and the World Organisation for Animal Health for Canada to get negligible risk status for BSE. I was at a conference with ranchers from across Canada and members of CFIA when CFIA said it forgot about the deadline, forgot to apply for negligible risk status and that it would have to wait until the next year. It made it sound like just “Sorry about that. The government forgot.” That cost Canadian ranchers tens of millions of dollars in lost market access. It took us more than 20 years to regain that access after the BSE outbreak. We have also seen that when the Liberal government has said now and again that it will address the specified risk material, SRMs, which is once again an additional step we have to do in Canada.”
“The secondary issue is that the CPTPP has been an outstanding trade partnership, in that all of the decisions in the trade relationships have been science-based. We have not had any of the non-tariff trade barriers and shenanigans that we are seeing currently between Canada and the United Kingdom. However, if the United Kingdom joins the CPTPP, our concern is whether it would be bringing that philosophy with it to the agreement. Into what has been a very solid partnership among a number of countries, we would now perhaps welcome non-science-based decision-making and non-tariff trade barriers, for all intents and purposes throwing a wrench into a wheel that has been running very smoothly. However, this is not the first time we have seen the current Liberal government fail when it comes to Canadian agriculture and trade.”
“The United Kingdom does not recognize our breeding and hormone practices and animal livestock protection practices here in Canada, even though the standards are recognized around the world. Instead of addressing these non-tariff trade barriers, the Liberals are willing to hold the hand of the United Kingdom, ignore those problems and ensure it is joining the trans-Pacific partnership. We do not oppose the United Kingdom's being a member of that critical trade partnership. What we are concerned with or oppose is the fact that the Liberals are not addressing any of the long-standing non-tariff trade barriers before being a partner to the United Kingdom's joining that trade partnership.”
“In 2024, the European Union exported 92 million dollars' worth of beef to Canada, while Canadian beef exports to Europe fell by 40%, down to only $14 million, less than a quarter of what is being imported into Canada. Pork is much the same. From the numbers we have seen, the discrepancy continues to grow. (1600) This is yet another failure by the Liberal government to stand up for Canadian producers. It is signing onto these agreements or shepherding the United Kingdom into the trans-Pacific partnership without addressing any of these long-standing issues. The United Kingdom will not recognize our carcass-washing practices here in Canada, which are of a higher standard than what is done in the United Kingdom and the European Union. It is simply a non-tariff trade barrier that the Liberal government refuses to address.”
“While the United Kingdom's imports continue to flood into Canada, there is no reciprocal or fair trade going the other direction. The Liberal government has been at the helm for more than 10 years and has done nothing to resolve this, as we have seen the discrepancy in those numbers continue to increase. Pork is no different. In 2024, the United Kingdom exported nine million dollars' worth of United Kingdom pork to Canada. In the first half of last year, that number was already at $3.6 million. By contrast, Canadian pork exports to the United Kingdom in 2023 were zero. In 2025, we were at $120,000, pennies on the dollar compared to what is being brought into Canada. I want to highlight that it is not any different when we look at the numbers in the European Union, where the trade imbalance is just as bad.”
“Under the trade continuity agreement, the United Kingdom has imposed non-tariff trade barriers that have literally shut out Canadian beef and pork exports to the United Kingdom and to the European Union. We are not just raising rhetoric here; the facts speak for themselves. I will start with beef as the first example. In 2024, Britain exported 42 million dollars' worth of beef from the United Kingdom into Canada. Last year, in the first half of 2025 alone, that number was already at $28 million. The amount of beef imported into Canada has increased year over year. In contrast, in 2024, Canadian beef exported to the United Kingdom was just 25,000 dollars' worth. Last year, the amount of Canadian beef imported into the United Kingdom was zero.”
“To put our agriculture commodities, producers and farmers at risk as part of this agreement without resolving some long-standing trade issues is a failure of the current government. In 2024, Canada exported approximately $100 billion of agriculture and agri-food products around the world. The sector employs 2.3 million Canadians and is $150 billion of Canadian GDP. To put that in perspective, that is more than the automotive and aerospace sectors combined. That is the impact of Canadian agriculture. However, while we are seeing success in some parts of the world, we are seeing a reversal of our success in the United Kingdom and the EU. I want to highlight just how stark the contrast has been with respect to what is going on with Canada, the United Kingdom and the European Union.”
“We have heard a number of times from my Liberal colleagues today that they understand the unfair advantage that beef and pork producers in the United Kingdom and the European Union have over Canadian producers, and that they feel for them, yet once again, when the Liberals could have had some leverage to try to address the non-tariff trade barriers, the Liberal government has done absolutely nothing. In fact it has ignored the issue by trying to fast-track the accession of the United Kingdom into the CPTPP. Let us be clear: There is some leverage. The United Kingdom cannot join the CPTPP without Canada on its side. A unanimous agreement must happen for a new member to join this trade agreement.”
“Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure to rise in the House. I will be splitting my time with the hon. member for Peace River—Westlock . The focus of my speech today is going to be on what the difference is between free trade and fair trade. As members have heard today, Conservatives are not opposed to the United Kingdom's accession to the CPTPP. However, what we are frustrated with is that once again the Liberal government has backed down when Canadian business and industry need it the most.”
“Mr. Speaker, he is disappointed. The agriculture minister gave his word to farmers. He gave his word to the provinces. He broke that promise again when farmers needed him the most. This summer, and I cannot understate this, if we do not have access to strychnine and the gopher population continues to explode, the damage on the Prairies will be catastrophic. Again, will the minister keep his word to farmers? Will he reassess this decision, or will he see another disaster on the Canadian Prairies?”
“Mr. Speaker, the agriculture minister gave his word to farmers that he would support a request for emergency use of strychnine. Prairie farmers were devastated last season, with some losing 20% of their yield. Denying the request from Alberta and Saskatchewan is another Liberal broken promise when farmers needed help the most. It is also further proof that the agriculture minister does not have clout at the cabinet table. Will the minister keep his word to farmers? Will he reassess this decision with a lens on economic impact and food security?”
“Mr. Speaker, I am tabling a petition on behalf of more than 600 of my constituents who signed this petition about the Canada pension plan. They are concerned by amendments that the Liberal government made to the pension plan in 2018. They are worried about the security of their pensions, especially those with disabilities. The news that the Liberal government may be dipping into the Canada pension plan to pay for some of its overspending is a concern to my constituents. I would table this petition on behalf of the residents of Foothills.”
“Mr. Speaker, the minister is right: It is not the farmers who are making the money. This is why 90% of agri-food business owners say that Liberal policy is restricting their ability to be productive and grow, and 70% of Canadian farmers are telling their kids not to take over the family farm. This is devastating for the future of Canadian food production and food security. It is making Canada less productive, less competitive and less food-secure. Canadians are already paying among the highest grocery prices in the G7. Why is the Liberal government so determined to drown farmers in red tape and taxes and make food unaffordable for Canadians?”
“Mr. Speaker, the Liberals are shutting down agricultural research, and now their red tape is literally choking the life out of agri-food businesses. A survey said that 90% of agri-food business owners believe that Liberal policies are putting the future of Canadian agriculture at risk. Red tape and regulations have already increased Canadian food inflation to 7.3%, by far more than double the rate in the United States. Experts are clear: Red tape, inflationary spending and the industrial carbon tax are increasing the cost of food production. How expensive do groceries have to get before the Liberals stop strangling Canadian farmers?”
“That is why I would encourage my colleagues in the House to at least send Bill C-237 to committee so it can be studied further.”
“What my colleague from Newfoundland and Labrador is asking for is some stability and predictability for individuals who would come to Newfoundland and Labrador to participate in the recreational fishing industry. I want to conclude with this. We cannot underestimate the value of this industry to provinces and territories right across this country. As I highlighted, many people would be surprised by the impact the fly fishing industry has in southern Alberta. It is probably one of my riding's most critical industries. The same can be said, if not more, for Newfoundland and Labrador. All we are asking for is some flexibility to grow what could be an impactful industry, which would have a very low impact on the environment and climate but a very high impact on the local economy in Newfoundland and Labrador.”
“Instead of dealing with the root cause of the problems, which would be an overpopulation of seals, or enforcing the rules that are in place, whether that is in commercial fishing in Newfoundland Labrador or the elvers fishery in Nova Scotia, the Liberal government seems to put its head in the sand and hope that it will all take care of itself. We have seen that is certainly not the case, and these things do not take care of themselves. They require a stiff spine and tough decisions by the government, and certainly a minister, whether that is the Minister of Agriculture or the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans , to show some intestinal fortitude and ensure that the rules are being followed. That is what we are asking the government to do on many of these types of issues, and certainly this one is no different.”
“The agriculture minister promised he would support those applications that came in early October, but now we are told that the agriculture minister has changed his mind. He has broken yet another promise to Canadian prairie farmers with the government not supporting the emergency use of strychnine to deal with the overpopulation of Richardson's ground squirrels. There are no other options, and the consequences of that are putting our food security and the economic viability of many prairie farmers at risk. I compare that to a similar situation with this private member's bill.”
“I find the Liberals' inability to enforce the rules that are already in place frustrating. I am going to compare that to something we are dealing with. I talked about the seal population being out of control. We are dealing with something very similar in western Canada, in the Prairies, with the Richardson's ground squirrel. The population has grown so out of control that many farmers in Alberta and Saskatchewan are seeing upward of a 20% yield loss in their crops and, even more so, damage being done to native grazing land and grassland where cattle are being raised and finished. We have asked the Liberal government to support an emergency application for the use of strychnine that was brought forward by Alberta and Saskatchewan.”
“Some great points were made by my colleague from New Brunswick, the member for Tobique—Mactaquac , and my other colleague from Newfoundland and Labrador has talked about this extensively as well. We talk about the amount of fish that the seal herds in Atlantic Canada are consuming compared with what we are asking for as part of this bill. (1145) The seal population has grown so out of control that it is consuming more fish than the entire Atlantic commercial and recreational fishing industries combined. When we compare some of these things, we really have to look at what the source of the fish population concerns may be. It is certainly not a handful of recreational fishers who are looking to fish only on a Tuesday or a Wednesday rather than adhering to these very arbitrary numbers.”