A taste of irony

There was a little taste of irony in the recent legislature debate on the job description of Allan Campbell.

A promise to separate the fishery and agriculture portfolio was a key plank of the Liberals during last year’s election. The previous Conservative government united the portfolio in its last term, despite the fact they too criticized the move when they came into office. The Liberal government from 1993-1996 also had a combined ministry.

Campbell was a popular choice since he came from within the industry. However, a recent move by Premier Robert Ghiz gave the fisheries and aquaculture minister responsibility for rural development.

Opposition fisheries critic Jim Bagnall maintains that moves breaks the Liberal promise of a separate portfolio. Bagnall was the last agriculture, fisheries and aquaculture minister in the last Conservative government.

However, Campbell calls such criticism "nonsense" saying the fishery is centered in rural areas so the two ministries are a natural fit. He threw out the names of several fishermen who have told him he has been more visible at the wharf than his predecessor and now fisheries critic.

It certainly may be a natural fit but it is yet unclear just how much of the minister’s time it will take away from fisheries issues. The portfolio will now include responsibility for the Employment Development Agency, which traditionally looks after short-term government workers. How much will the task of helping to find seasonal work for islanders outside the fishery take away from his time dealing with fisheries issues?

"He’s a fisherman and he’s let down the industry. He’s let down himself," Bagnall countered.

“His integrity now is gone because he’s campaigned on one thing and he’s done another. Are you going to stand up and ask the Premier to put back the department of fisheries as a stand-alone department again?"

Campbell said the fishermen he has talked to embrace the change. In addition to expanding the department’s focus, government also intends to move the department from Charlottetown to Montague– about 50 kilometres to the east.

Bagnall was unimpressed with his speech saying it’s great to live in the past but the minister now has the opportunity to help shape the present and the future. He asked the minister to name just one thing he has done since assuming the office last June.

The minister stood up, cracking a smile about a mile wide, and said, "here we have a great question and I’ll answer it with three words: low interest loans."

Industry had asked Bagnall to set up the loan program throughout his last year in office to help south shore lobster fishermen deal with declining catches. He launched a comprehensive study on the issue but never brought in the program.

Now Bagnall is accusing his successor of favouring lobster fishers, saying a similar program should be offered to the mussel industry. The minister indicated a mussel program is in the works but needs further development.