Canada in Brief, April 19-25

Fisheries Minister Dominic LeBlanc stands during question period in the House of Commons on Dec. 6, 2017. (The Canadian Press/Fred Chartrand)

Fisheries minister calls for G7 ‘naming and shaming’ on overfishing

Canada’s fisheries minister wants the G7 to use military and other surveillance technology to name and shame countries that are conducting massive illegal overfishing operations.

Dominic LeBlanc isn’t ready to name countries yet, but he says he has seen recent Canadian Forces satellite images that shocked him—and would shock the conscience of others if they were made public.

LeBlanc says one image was especially disturbing—it depicted an eight-kilometre long net that was scooping more than 400,000 kilograms of wild salmon in the Pacific Ocean. He hastened to say that none of Canada’s G7 allies are involved in illegal and unregulated fishing.

Alberta fuel ban bill a ‘bluff,’ says BC’s attorney general

In the latest moves in an escalating dispute over the $7.4 billion Trans Mountain pipeline expansion, B.C.’s attorney general is calling Alberta’s proposed fuel restriction law a “bluff” that will result in an immediate lawsuit from his province and likely lawsuits from oil companies.

David Eby says their experts have looked at the Alberta legislation tabled April 3 and conclude it’s unconstitutional and against the law.

He says he believes the legislation was intended to never be adopted, but if Premier Rachel Notley’s government does pass the law, then B.C. will immediately apply for an injunction.

Feds want court to toss lawsuit to end Atlantic monument

The federal government wants a judge to dismiss a lawsuit from fishermen trying to eliminate former president Barack Obama’s Atlantic Ocean monument.

The fishing groups sued to challenge the 2016 creation of the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument, a 5,000-square-mile area off New England and the first of its kind in the Atlantic Ocean.

The government is arguing Obama clearly had the authority under the federal Antiquities Act to establish national monuments.

Marine national monuments are underwater areas designed to protect unique or vulnerable ecosystems. Fishing groups say it takes too large of an area away from fishermen who harvest valuable species such as lobsters and crabs.

Country stars join Humboldt Broncos tribute concert

Some of Canada’s biggest names in country music are banding together for a Saskatoon tribute concert to honour the Humboldt Broncos.

Juno Award winners Dallas Smith, Brett Kissel, and Jess Moskaluke are among the musicians who will join former NHL players and other special guests at the city’s SaskTel Centre on April 27.

The concert is being organized by the Country Thunder Music Festival, which holds a number of four-day events each year in the United States and Canada.

It’s the latest in a number of fundraisers that sprouted up after the tragic Humboldt Broncos bus crash earlier this month, which killed 16 players and staff.

NDP urge Liberals to take quicker action on pay equity

The New Democrats say if the Liberals were serious about ensuring men and women get equal pay for work of equal value, they would be moving faster on introducing legislation—and attaching a dollar amount.

The 2018 federal budget included a promise to implement proactive pay equity legislation but did not include any details on what it would cost. The budget implementation bill also did not contain any steps toward making that a reality for those who work in federally regulated sectors.

NDP MP Sheila Malcolmson says, at the very least, the budget should have set aside funding to establish a pay equity commissioner to start trying to hammer out the details needed to make it work.

With files from The Canadian Press