Ernie Klassen

“Madam Speaker, tonight’s debate is about fisheries policy on the west coast, but it is also about something bigger. It is about whether coastal communities on Vancouver Island and across British Columbia are treated with the same fairness and respect as other parts of the country. On the west coast, commercial fish harvesters, the people actually doing the fishing, are being pushed out. Corporate concentration and growing foreign ownership of licences and quota are driving up costs and draining wealth out of coastal communities. We actually do not even know who owns much of the quota because there is still no public registry. Meanwhile, on the east coast, an owner-operator model protects independent fish harvesters and keeps the value in local communities. Eight years ago, the Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans made unanimous recommendations to bring those same protections to the west coast, yet eight years later, there still has not been any meaningful action. That delay has real consequences. Every year, more access, control and wealth leave the hands of independent fish harvesters and coastal communities. It is a huge economic leakage. This is not a new problem. The solutions have already been identified, but what has been missing is the Liberal government’s willingness to act. For many Vancouver Islanders, this is part of a larger problem. We often hear about western alienation. It is real and few large populations in Canada understand that feeling better than Vancouver Islanders, not because we want to leave Canada. Vancouver Islanders believe that Canada is stronger together, but people begin to feel alienated when they are ignored, under-represented and treated unfairly for decades. A perfect example is our ferry system, which is a huge cost barrier to getting our seafood products to market. As coastal peoples, we understand that ferries are not a luxury. They are essential highways that connect communities to the rest of Canada, which is why we deserve strong federal ferry support. According to the Library of Parliament, last year, BC Ferries received approximately $1.63 in federal support per passenger, while federally supported east coast ferry systems received approximately $291 per passenger, roughly 178 times more support than BC Ferries received. Marine Atlantic received 300 times more support. This is not about taking away support from Atlantic Canadians. Their ferry systems are essential national infrastructure. The issue is that Vancouver Islanders are asking why essential marine highways on the west coast are not treated with the same level of federal importance. The federal government keeps pointing to constitutional agreements signed more than 80 years ago and funding formulas created nearly 50 years ago, when Vancouver Island had about 450,000 residents. The government now points to temporary pandemic relief and repayable Infrastructure Bank loans as proof that the system is fair, but emergency COVID funding was temporary. Atlantic ferry systems also receive pandemic support. Loans still have to be repaid by British Columbians through fares and borrowing costs. That is not the same as ongoing federal operational support. Today, Vancouver Island is approaching one million people and BC Ferries carries more than 22 million passengers annually. These are essential marine highways connecting workers, seniors, families, students, truckers and businesses, including those in the blue economy and our supply chains. Premier Eby made the point clearly. The federal government should not reward provinces that threaten separation while ignoring regions that continue working constructively within the federation. Unlike some provinces, Vancouver Islanders are not threatening to separate from Canada because they are frustrated by this unfairness, but people are asking why consecutive Liberal and Conservative governments have continued treating us like an afterthought. It does not stop there. Nearly one million people live on Vancouver Island, yet not a single senator clearly rooted on Vancouver Island has been appointed in more than 55 years. Meanwhile, New Brunswick, with a comparable population, has 10 Senate seats. Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador together have fewer people than Vancouver Island, yet they also hold 10 seats. That means no Vancouver Island senator on the Senate fisheries committee. This is what being ignored looks like. Vancouver Islanders are not asking for special treatment. We are asking for fairness: fair ferry funding, fair representation and fair fisheries policies that protect coastal communities. As Vancouver Islanders, we love this country. We believe in Canada, but we know this country is—”