Categories: Capital Read, Inside the Queensway

Inexplicably In Camera Committee Meeting of the Day

by kadyomalley on Wednesday, February 25, 2009 10:40am - 22 Comments

Okay, it’s distinctly possible that ITQ is missing some crucial tidbit of information that would make the following make sense, but as it stands, we are officially baffled by the decision by the Fisheries committee to go behind closed doors for a briefing on the latest developments surrounding the European Parliament’s longstanding – and not remotely secret – opposition to the Canadian seal hunt – especially when no such provision was included when the study was originally added to the committee’s to-do list. Regardless of which side one falls on the debate, it’s hard to see how the prospect of “European legislative or regulatory actions” targeting Canada wouldn’t constitute a matter of extreme public interest.

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  • Alan

    Perhaps they feel that people wouldn’t be free to express their opinions were it not in camera.

    • http://www.macleans.ca Kady O’Malley

      Well, really, you could say that about witnesses at any committee meeting.

      • LeslieE

        Could it have something to do with Committee members’ opinions, especially members from the East Coast? It is a sensitive issue in the Atlantic Provinces. Especially now that some sealers want to ‘harvest’ seals on Sable Island.

  • onlinereader

    Perhaps this has to be kept secret from Williams and Cherest but included in
    mulrooney’s nafta II with Europe ?

  • madeyoulook

    Canadian intelligence on overseas activity contrary to Canadian economic interest?

  • Sean Stokholm

    They are trying to anticipate the Euroopean reaction to the latest top-secret Canadian carbon emmissions reduction strategy: seal burning power plants.

  • Just visiting

    Maybe the meeting is closed to avoid showing the embarrassment felt by MPs of all parties who support spending tens of millions each year on PR, lobbying and diplomacy to try to justify to a disbelieving world the continuation of the $12 million a year commercial seal hunt which costs us hundreds of millions in ill-will abroad.

    (I say that as someone who has nothing against the seal hunt other than its cost to the public treasury. Personally, I’d end it tomorrow and give the displaced sealers $12 million a year in compensation. Everyone would be better off, especially the taxpayer.)

    • archangel

      Instead of a cause célèbre, de trésorerie célèbre?

  • archangel

    Mayhaps they were to discuss what really happened to the Spanish trawler?

  • Jenn

    But the meeting on February 12th was also in camera. I didn’t see any reason for that one, either. Could it be that the fisheries MPs are shy and wary of the berry light? Have they had any meetings not in camera, I mean.

    Or, and I really think I’ve got this one figured out. Somebody on the committee brings datesquares to share with the class. It would be a cruelty to those not on committee or staff of same, when they didn’t invite spectators to partake.

  • http://macleans.ca kc

    Kady
    Why is the meeting in camera?
    I realise you probably have little leisure time for pleasurable reading, but i recommend the HHGTG.
    The fearsome bugblatter beast’s main defence basically constitutes the notion that if it covers it’s eyes so it cannot see you then ergo you cannot see it.

    • archangel

      In the absence of Jack Mitchell, I offer an alternative to THHGTG from Lewis Carrol’s introduction to THOTS:

      Girt with a boyish garb for boyish task,
      Eager she wields her spade; yet loves as well
      Rest on a friendly knee, intent to ask
      The tale he loves to tell.

      Rude spirits of the seething outer strife,
      Unmeet to read her pure and simple spright,
      Deem, if you list, such hours a waste of life,
      Empty of all delight!

      Chat on, sweet Maid, and rescue from annoy
      Hearts that by wiser talk are unbeguiled.
      Ah, happy he who owns that tenderest joy,
      The heart-love of a child!

      Away, fond thoughts, and vex my soul no more!
      Work claims my wakeful nights, my busy days–
      Albeit bright memories of that sunlit shore
      Yet haunt my dreaming gaze!

  • Camille

    Clearly, the Fisheries Committee knows the seal hunt is very unpopular among Canadians (most of us oppose the slaughter) and wishes to hide the details of Canada’s expensive lobbying effort from public scrutiny. No doubt Fisheries Ambassador Loyola Sullivan has updated the Committee on his propaganda campaign to convince Members of the European Parliament to vote against legislation to halt the EU trade in seal products. The Fisheries Ctee is obviously aware that most Canadians want an EU ban on seal product trade and so the closed-door, secret meeting is designed to avoid negative publicity for the government. Very contrary to the principles of democracy and transparency, if you ask me.

    I’m outraged that Loyola Sullivan is spending my tax dollars wining and dining European decision-makers, staying in fancy hotels and flying back and forth from Europe. Instead of spending millions to prop up the dying sealing industry, we should simply buy back sealing licenses – providing sealers with income to invest in alternate economic opportunities – and help develop coastal ecotourism. With the current state of the global economy, it is shameful that taxpayer dollars are being spent so recklessly on an industry that is in its last day.

    I’m equally angry that although the vast majority of Canadians oppose the seal hunt, none of the parties in the House have the guts to oppose the slaughter. They are far too concerned with grabbing votes and not concerned enough about democracy, animal suffering, damage to our international reputation and wasteful spending.

    • madeyoulook

      I’m equally angry that although the vast majority of Canadians oppose the seal hunt, none of the parties in the House have the guts to oppose the slaughter. They are far too concerned with grabbing votes and not concerned enough about democracy, etc.

      Is there a parallel universe where that statement makes sense? The vast majority of the country opposes something, so no party dares speak out against it because they’ll lose all those votes. Huh.

      • Camille

        The parties are concerned about winning votes and seats in Newfoundland and the Maritime provinces.

    • madeyoulook

      we should simply buy back sealing licenses – providing sealers with income to invest in alternate economic opportunities…

      …like fishing, perhaps? Fishing would be great! Remind us again what all these non-slaughtered seals eat? Oh.

      • Sean Stokholm

        Instead of fishing, maybe they could do something to draw more tourists. They could dress the seals up like English and French soldiers, for example, and host an annual reenactment of the Plains of Ab- er, nevermind…

    • Jenn

      How do you know the vast majority of Canadians are against the seal hunt? I’m not saying you are wrong, I just never saw the poll.

      I wonder if you are equally angy at the slaughter of, say, cows. They don’t get to be knocked unconscious first, you know. Surely, you must have some pretty choice words for veal farmers! Or is it because too many people eat beef, or because we breed and raise them specifically to kill them, that that makes it all right? I guess the thing that bothers me the most about objection to the seal hunt is that these are very cute animals. As one of the non-cute, I take great offense when the cute are defended so vigorously, while the non-cute or downright ugly are left to their own devices. I mean, why aren’t you outraged at the cod or crab fishery? They are ‘wild’ animals too, just not cute ones.

      So what are your parameters for what can and what cannot be killed? I’m just curious.

      • Sean Stokholm

        There’s been a few polls done in recent years. One by Fisheries showed a majority of Canadians support, but an Ipsos-Reid (can’t remember who sponsored it) had something like 60% against. Both had questionable phrasing of questions.

        In a related story, a recent poll showed 75% of Canadians were behind anything to do with clubbing Paul McCartney and all members of PETA. :)

        Agreed about the cute part. If the seals looked like me, you’d likely all be sitting down to a seal dinner tonight and planning vacations at a seal dude ranch resort.

  • Steph C

    It’s a shame, because I know that the more I learn about the seal hunt, the more IN FAVOUR I get. It’s a shame that the Committee couldn’t give people more credit. Not all of us are all/nothing, anti-everything simpletons.

  • Jake

    What many people fail to understand is that there are more people than sealers who depend on this seal hunt. You have the plant workers, truck drivers, furriers, businesses that supply the fuel and food for the hunt, dry dock workers that repair the fishing vessels, the businesses that make the seal oil pills, the people who sell the seal meat(of whom some are students trying to make some money to pay for school), and the list goes on. The H$U$, peta, and other animal rights nuts like them, use the seal hunt to raise lots of money to pay for their 6 and 7 figure salaries. Where were these groups when the dolphins were trapped in the ice at Seal Cove, NL? They were off in Vancouver and other parts of the world trying to ruin the 2010 winter Olympics in BC. If they win their fight against the seal hunt do you think that they will just go away? If you do you’d be wrong. For as long as there is money to be made, they will find something else to protest. And for as long as there are people that eat meat out there, they will be forcing vegetarianism/veganism on them. These animal rights nuts are like any terrorism organization……You never negotiate with them.

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