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Roland Butler, Liberal MHA for the District of Port de Grave, has tabled a
Private Members Motion concerning the current crab dispute to be debated
during Private Member’s Day in the House of Assembly on Wednesday. "Today
I put forth a motion calling on the government to re-evaluate their position
in the current crisis in the crab fishery," said Butler. "I will be
listening to the speeches by PC MHAs on Wednesday afternoon and watching
very closely to see whether members of the PC caucus vote with their
constituents or with the Premier.
"Thus far in the debate, many members of the PC caucus have been standing
united with the Premier at caucus meetings, while telling their constituents
that their views have been heard and voiced to the Premier. We will find out
Wednesday afternoon where they truly stand. Each member of the Williams
government will be forced to stand in the House of Assembly and choose to
vote either with their party or with their constituents who elected them."
Butler has called upon PC MHAs in rural districts impacted by the current
crab dispute to stand up to the Premier and have the raw material sharing
system taken off the table until consultations take place. "I have been
asking MHAs Harry Harding, Loyola Sullivan, Tom Heddersen, Charlene Johnson,
Clyde Jackman, Paul Oram, Paul Shelly, Roger Fitzgerald, Ross Wiseman and
others to publicly state what their constituents have been telling them with
regard to this system. With the exception of Fabian Manning, these MHAs
continue to turn their backs on the people who elected them in rural
Newfoundland and Labrador.
"I want the Premier to commit to allowing his caucus to have a free vote
on this motion. Each and every one of these members must be held accountable
to the people in their districts. It is through their actions that crab
harvesters, plant workers and others affected by this shutdown are suffering
today."
Private Members Motion
Crab Fishery
Roland Butler
WHEREAS government has not met the conditions outlined in recommendation
9.12 of the Dunne Report prior to implementing raw material sharing in the
crab industry of this province;
WHEREAS in a letter to fish harvesters dated April 21, 2004, the Minister
of Fisheries and Aquaculture promised consultations before raw material
sharing would be implemented in this province;
WHEREAS the 2005 crab fishery in Newfoundland and Labrador, valued at
$500 million to the provincial economy, is in jeopardy;
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that this House of Assembly calls on government
to drop the raw material sharing system for this year and do the proper
consultations with harvesters and processors before bringing the plan
forward again.
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