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Kelvin Parsons, Opposition Justice Critic and MHA for the District of
Burgeo-Lapoile, is asking Fisheries and Aquaculture Minister Tom Rideout to
step away from the Fishery Products International (FPI) file in light of
comments made last week that the company broke the law by shipping fish to
China without permission from government. Since making the comments last
Tuesday, FPI has denied any wrongdoing and stated they would defend their
company through legal avenues if necessary. In his comments, Minister
Rideout stated that the company had broken the law before any formal
investigation had concluded. This public battle has deflected attention away
from the immediate issue of finding a solution to the layoffs and plant
closures facing the Burin Peninsula.
"It is obvious that the comments made by Minister Rideout have strained
the relationship between government and the company," said Mr. Parsons. "We
are currently in a situation where the company and government must work
together to find solutions that will get the people on the Burin Peninsula
back to work. By concluding that FPI had broken the law before an
investigation was finished has obviously damaged this working relationship.
"In an effort to have productive negotiations with the company, I am
encouraging Minister Rideout to step back from the FPI file and transfer
responsibility to another minister, or even the premier. This would ensure
that any potential negotiations or legal ramifications are not bogged down
in personality conflicts. The main concern is to find immediate solutions
for the Burin Peninsula and I fear these attempts would not be best served
at this time by Minister Rideout."
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