Monday, May 22, 2006

 

It's time to SUE Canada from Rant and Roar

It's Time to Sue Canada

From the shores of Newfoundland to the Plains of Alberta, Newfoundlanders have been torn from their roots. By none other than the Federal Government of this Country! The process of destruction continues today at an increasing pace.

It is time residents past or present, SUED CANADA for the following:

1. The Destruction of Sustainable Natural Marine Resources.
2. Not creating a plan to rebuild the Atlantic Cod Stocks, after tabling a plan in the Legislature.
3. The misuse of allocated tax dollars within DFO for fisheries management and protection.
4. Not protecting the remaining Cod Stocks from 1992 to present as indicated post Moratorium on Cod.
5. Permitting and managing the destruction of other species like Flounder, Shrimp, Crab and Turbot.
6. Held responsible for the breakup of families and Rural Communities of Newfoundland.
7. Held accountable for the impact on and the destruction of a Distinct Society in Canada via the following:
1. Culture
2. Language
3. Traditions
8. The Hippocratic and unjust measures of Canadian Law, preventing residents to utilize their right to ocean resources, primarily the Cod around the shores of Newfoundland. (Nova Scotians can still catch cod for personal consumption, some 600 miles from Newfoundland.)
9. Not protecting or preserving the rights, cultures, traditions, history, or future of the province of Newfoundland since joining Confederation. (This is in reference to the money and legislation dedicated to protecting the rights and soverigninty of Quebec.)
10. Lack of proper and just negotiations and renegotiations of the Churchill Falls agreement, which results in the failure to protect the rights of this Province and its people.
11. For burdening Newfoundlanders with the economic and social inequities created by federal government mismanagement and injustice of the Act of Confederation, removing our God Given Rights to the resources and vitality of the this province and it's people.

Our governments have failed in their promises and commitments for many changes in our province in the last 14 years. This year they reduced fish quotas, lowered catch prices, all in the wake of a Fishery Crisis that was spawned in 1992. In 1992 our government injected themselves into the lives of people of this province by preventing any further cull of Cod fish in our waters. With promises and commitments to rebuilding the stocks, and millions of spending creating jobs in Ottawa and overseas conference spenditures, it is evident today what governments role is for Rural Newfoundland and Newfoundland as a Province.

* Commitment to reduce foreign overfishing - Result: No protection of our Ocean Borders, yet our government do rescue sick fishermen from foreign vessels with our Coast Guard and Search and Rescue. The tax dollars we contribute to this Country provides that service.
* Commitment to rebuilding Stocks - Result: 14 years later, Cod stocks and many other species are worse than 1992 levels

FPI is in trouble, communities are shutting down, people are moving to other provinces, all in the wake of Governments inaction and continued disregard for the people who built this province and it's historic place in Canada and the World. Canada has forgotten our place in this Country. Fishermen all around Newfoundland are scrambling to catch their meager government approved quotas, at insulting prices, while plant operators are trying to process catches as fast as they can. All resulting in fishermen and plant workers not being able to get hours to qualify for employment insurance. A strategic plan to eliminate rural Newfoundland. take away hope and you will get them to leave. Newfoundlanders have lived in and succeeded in a place not many in this world would dare to challenge. We have made industries here, we have contributed to society and the world with our inventiveness and dedication. Yet leaders believe St. John's will carry on the tradition of making great navigators, skilled boat builders, ace explorers, and historians with their Arts and Culture plan at 'The Rooms'. What a joke!

The governments plan was set in motion in 1992 and is fueled by government today through inaction and strategic dismissal of any strategic mangement of our ocean resources. They see an opportunity to reduce the number of fisherpeople in this province and an opportunity to decline the number of rural and outport communities. In turn this plan will allow more tax dollars to support the remaining few people in these areas through 21st Century resettlement. When the number of fisherpeople gets low enough from outmigration, government will step in and clean up the mess. Their plan - force people! Newfoundlanders have to be pryed from the rocks they live on. For years this Country has tried to do just that to no success. But today in the year 2006, they are finally achieving their goals and we are giving in by leaving. We should all stay and go on welfare until they rebuild the fishery stocks. If they consider us a burden lets give them one!

Why protect the fish stocks with a rebuilding plan or a strick foreign overfishing policy when all they have to do is increase quotas on other species like red fish, crab or shrimp. Deplete it all so that their is no recourse, no lingering fishermen making it to 14 weeks to get their stamps! When the cod was stopped, we turned to other resources and for 14 years we have been making it, until now. According to our great Government who cares about us! The fishing stocks and prices are gone in Crab, Turbot, Shrimp, Flounder, and Cod. So there is nothing left for us to burden government with, no Choices either anymore, so we must now leave!

Every person, who live or have lived in Newfoundland should file to sue the Government of Canada for all it's worth and more. We have too long been portrayed as Newfies, ridiculed for our place in Canada, subjected to and belittled with defamation of our Country and last but not least, forced from our homes. Qubeccers can have french on our food packaging, they were granted a distinct place in our society, they are allowed to utilize our energy resources for their gain, they are permitted to influence government leaderships with threats of leaving our Country.

Doesn't all this just boil your guts!

Have you seen a community literally destroyed by government and a grown man cry? Come to one of the communities here in Newfoundland that is going through a massive out-migration and see for yourself the destruction and breakdown of families, cultures and communities. See for yourself the hardships people are subjected too at the ages of 40-75. In other regions of the Country families are looking for old-age homes for their parents, here in Newfoundland Outports they are looking for jobs for their parents in Alberta! Sealing on open ice on the high seas was once as task many a newfoundlanders endured upon themselves to feed their families. Now, men and women could only wish they had that opportunity, for it bears less hardship than leaving all they have worked for, all they have lived for and all they have grown to know!

I copied this in it's entirety because I couldn't find a way to link to the full article and I feared it would be pushed to the back burner in time and lost.
I apologise to Rant and Roar for this blatant copyright infringement but his words summed up my thoughts so well I couldn't resist.

If you think it can't be done check out the PEI Supreme court case where by they sued Ottawa for their mismanagement of the fisheries.
http://www.gov.pe.ca/courts/supreme/reasons/20819.pdf
Comments:
Question: What was the result of the PEI court case?
 
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