[English]
EVIDENCE
[Recorded by Electronic Apparatus]
Tuesday, May 16, 2000
• 1047
[English]
The Vice-Chair (Mr. John Duncan (Vancouver Island North, Canadian Alliance)): We'll start the meeting.
We are here pursuant to section 52 of the Oceans Act. We're going to resume our review.
We thank you very much, Deborah Baker, for showing up, on behalf of Area 19 Snow Crab Fishermen's Association of Nova Scotia.
Just for your information before we start, I know that you're under some time constraints. We certainly are as well. We have your brief. We've had it for some time. So my recommendation is that we try to do this very quickly. If you can summarize what you would like to highlight in just a few minutes, then we'll go straight to questions. We may only have about twenty minutes.
The only other thing I'll say is that any side conversations in the room will be a problem with this mike set-up for our translators. So we'll keep our sidebar conversations to zero. Thank you very much.
Maybe you could explain any time constraints you might have and then proceed, Deborah.
Ms. Deborah M. Baker (Legal Representative, Area 19 Snow Crab Fishermen's Association): Can you hear me now?
The Vice-Chair (Mr. John Duncan): Yes, we can.
Ms. Deborah Baker: Are you getting feedback? We are.
The Vice-Chair (Mr. John Duncan): We can hear you if you just proceed. But if it's impossible for you to hear yourself, then I guess that's difficult.
Ms. Deborah Baker: It's difficult, because I get the feedback while I'm talking.
[Technical Difficulties—Editor]
• 1050
The Vice-Chair (Mr. John Duncan): Just for your clarification, we understand now that there's a filibuster going on in the House, so this group is not going to be called away. So we now have time to hear your presentation and to ask questions. However, I do understand you are under some time constraints. You have a speaker problem. Perhaps you can give us some sign language as to how many minutes you have before you have to run away.
Ms. Deborah Baker: I'm fine today. I can carry on for an hour or so, whatever is convenient with you.
The Vice-Chair (Mr. John Duncan): Okay. We just heard you with some feedback. Is that still impossible for you deal with?
Ms. Deborah Baker: It's quite difficult, because I hear myself talking. It's very difficult.
The Vice-Chair (Mr. John Duncan): Can you try speaking now, Deborah?
Ms. Deborah Baker: Yes. I can still hear myself, but I can perhaps speak slowly and we might be able to carry on.
The Vice-Chair (Mr. John Duncan): When we speak, can you hear us fine?
Ms. Deborah Baker: I can hear you fine. It's just that I can hear myself duplicated as I speak.
The Vice-Chair (Mr. John Duncan): Okay. One thing we could do is we all have a copy of your presentation, and you might just want to point us to the most significant parts. We've read the thing and I think we understand what you're saying. So we can probably at least try it, and while we're trying it, if the technicians want to keep trying to improve things that would be fine.
I think probably the second paragraph on page two is where you want to start.
Ms. Deborah Baker: Well, first of all I would like to thank you on behalf of the area 19 snow crab fishermen, who have asked me to come to speak to you today. They're out lobster fishing, all 111 of them, and they were not able to make it.
This is the second time we have appeared before you with respect to the Oceans Act. Our main concern was that fishermen have not been mentioned in the act.
It is still very difficult to speak. How is it for you?
The Vice-Chair (Mr. John Duncan): We actually can understand you and we can hear you.
Ms. Deborah Baker: Is it tedious?
The Vice-Chair (Mr. John Duncan): We're used to worse things.
Ms. Deborah Baker: The thing we're most concerned about are the sections where the minister seeks advice and counsel from various groups. The first place it states this in the Oceans Act is in the preamble, but it's mentioned again in the sections I list on page three of my brief. We notice that he may seek advice from provincial and territorial governments, aboriginal organizations....
• 1055
[Technical Difficulty—Editor]
The Vice-Chair (Mr. John Duncan): Excuse me. Just hang on. I was overestimating our ability to understand. We're not able to pick up enough to follow you clearly, so we'll just have to hang on.
I'm told at this end that if they can kill the audio monitor coming back in while you're speaking, we should be okay. But it's something the technician at your end will have to do when you're speaking.
Ms. Deborah Baker: They're coming.
The Vice-Chair (Mr. John Duncan): We have done this on multiple occasions before, and this is the first time we've run into this problem. Everything seems to be happening this morning, unfortunately.
An hon. member: Ask her if she could maybe do the macarena or something to keep us amused for a while.
Ms. Deborah Baker: I didn't hear any of that.
The Vice-Chair (Mr. John Duncan): One of my colleagues was suggesting that you could entertain us. That's why the mikes were turned off.
[Technical Difficulties—Editor]
• 1100
The Vice-Chair (Mr. John Duncan): Do you now have a technician in the room with you, Deborah? Can you hear me, Deborah? Can you hear me?
Ms. Deborah Baker: I can hear you.
The Vice-Chair (Mr. John Duncan): Do you have the technician in the room with you now?
Ms. Deborah Baker: Yes, I do.
The Vice-Chair (Mr. John Duncan): Okay. And are you still getting feedback?
Ms. Deborah Baker: I am.
The Vice-Chair (Mr. John Duncan): My suggestion is that we reschedule this. I think that's probably the best thing to do: reschedule it for a later date. Do you have some appropriate times, or should I just leave it between you and the committee clerk to come up with some alternative time?
Ms. Deborah Baker: Well, considering the difficulty we're having now, perhaps I should call Bill Farrell and make arrangements by phone.
The Vice-Chair (Mr. John Duncan): Yes, we'll agree.
An hon. member: We could meet her when we travel to the east coast.
The Vice-Chair (Mr. John Duncan): Well, that's the other opportunity.
Okay, we'll leave you with that understanding, then. You'll be in touch with Bill. Bill is sitting right beside me, so he has heard you as well.
Mr. Marcel Proulx (Hull—Aylmer, Lib.): Mr. Chair, could you suggest that she be available when we travel to the east coast?
The Vice-Chair (Mr. John Duncan): I'll leave that with the chair.
Mr. Marcel Proulx: Oh, I see.
The Vice-Chair (Mr. John Duncan): Or with the clerk, I'm sorry.
Mr. Marcel Proulx: I thought you were the chair this morning.
The Vice-Chair (Mr. John Duncan): The clerk.
Mr. Marcel Proulx: Oh, I see.
The Vice-Chair (Mr. John Duncan): Thank you very much for your patience, and I'll say goodbye. We're going to adjourn the meeting now, so you're free to go. Thanks very much, Deborah.
We're adjourned.