DISSENTING OPINION OF THE OFFICIAL OPPOSITION

THE NUNAVUT REPORT

Pursuant to Standing Order 108(1)(a), we the undersigned submit a dissenting opinion on behalf of the Reform Party of Canada, the Official Opposition.

We find it completely unacceptable that the previous committee did not complete its reports prior to the end of last summer's recess, June 1998. This committee has not only written this report close to a year after it traveled to the Arctic region, but the committee has an entirely different makeup. The Government, after firing the former Chairman George Baker, appointed a new chairman who did not travel to the Arctic to participate in the committee hearings. The committee also has a number of new members who never had the opportunity to participate in the committee hearings. The fact that current issues are forced to wait while the committee finishes last year's work is of serious concern, but the most troubling aspect is that Canadian people in the Arctic are forced to wait almost a year for a report that should have taken less than a month to complete.

The Reform Party believes that the federal Government must include regional representation in the management of the Arctic region. Political interference has compromised management of the fisheries on both the East and West coasts. It is important that we learn from past mistakes and protect the Arctic fisheries from unwarranted interference.

This report contains numerous recommendations which in essence gives the government a "blank cheque". Department of Fisheries and Oceans has a budget in excess of a billion dollars at the present time. The Reform Party submits that any new expenditures must come from the existing budget of DFO through restructuring of the department.

The Reform Party of Canada must consider permanent solutions with respect to the management and the Canadianization of our fishery. We believe we must identify both current and future fisheries and ensure they are sustainable both environmentally and economically. We must move towards greater regional control. Again, the government's record with respect to fisheries management over the past twenty years has been a disaster. It is time to completely restructure the Department of Fisheries and Oceans.