Harper government has failed to protect Canadian jobs
With today’s news that the Harper government has failed to prevent a European ban on seal products, Liberal MPs are calling for government action to protect Canadian seal-hunting jobs.
An earlier draft of the European legislation would have allowed exemptions for countries that could certify their hunting methods as humane, but this exemption was struck from the legislation.
“We support a humane seal hunt – and the seal hunt is conducted in a perfectly legal and sustainable manner,” said the Hon. Gerry Byrne, Liberal Fisheries and Oceans critic. “We need to hold the Harper government to account for its failure to educate Europeans on this issue – any how they’ve put the industry in peril.”
The bill banning the sale of all but Inuit communities’ seal products passed resoundingly in the European Union assembly in a 550-49 vote on Tuesday.
“This result shows just how ineffective the Harper government has become at protecting sealing jobs in Newfoundland and Labrador and Quebec – and now they’re scrambling when it’s too late,” said the Hon. Denis Coderre, Liberal Quebec Lieutenant. “Why couldn’t they convince the European Union to treat seal products the same as all other hunting-related exports?”
Conservative Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon said earlier today that the government would not discuss the seal hunting issue at Canada-EU free-trade negotiations in Prague.
“On the one hand, the Harper government doesn’t want to threaten trade talks by raising this issue, but on the other hand, they threaten the EU with full-blown WTO retaliation,” said the Hon. Mark Eyking, chair of the Liberal agricultural caucus. “Canada doesn’t limit European hunting products, and now the Harper government has failed to prevent Europeans from limiting ours.”
