Yesterday in The House of Assembly, Opposition Fisheries Critic Gerry Reid questioned the Premier on their approach towards tackling the problem of foreign over-fishing.

The line of questioning is below.

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Twillingate & Fogo.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. REID: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I have a question for the Premier.

Mr. Speaker, in The Telegram yesterday the Premier credited himself, as he is apt to do, with prompting the EU to back Canada’’s demand to allow Canadian inspectors to board Portuguese vessels that were caught illegally fishing on the Grand Banks. In light of the fact that this request has now fallen on deaf ears and the Portuguese government will not allow our inspectors to board these vessels in Portugal, will the Premier now admit that diplomacy is not the answer, as it has never been with regard to this issue? Will he now push Ottawa for more decisive actions on this issue?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Premier.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

PREMIER WILLIAMS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

As indicated in my previous answers to questions, diplomacy is worth trying. We tried that, of course, with Ottawa and it seems to be working very, very well. That is an approach, as well, that we have tried with our European friends and hopeful trading partners in the future.

I must say, I was extremely disappointed when it, in fact, did not happen. However, it was not because of the exercise that I went through with the officials of the EU. I encouraged them to do it. They wrote a letter and, of course, as the former minister clearly understands, it is a prerogative of the country to say no, and they, in fact, said no.

We will be taking further initiatives. I did indicate in the strongest terms that we were resolved in this issue, that if they were not able to be effective in their own jurisdiction that we would, in fact, take action ourselves. I can assure him, he can rest assured that I, in fact, spoke with the Prime Minister within the last thirty-six hours on that very issue. I spoke with him directly on that very issue. I have an assurance from the Prime Minister that he is going to take it even further. Yes, if diplomacy has not worked - but I do honestly feel that it is worth a try because the confrontational attitude of himself, as a former minister, and of his former leader as a Premier, obviously -

MR. SPEAKER: Order please!