Surf clam decision has Merv Wiseman rattling inside his Liberal shell
Liberal hopeful in Bonavista-Burin-Trinity says quota decision comes at 'weak moment' for riding
Criticizing the very government he wants to join in the House of Commons is a risky move for Merv Wiseman, but he doesn't seem to care.
"Am I taking a risk? Well, yeah, maybe," Wiseman said. "But I have to stand on certain principles."
Liberal decision 'fundamentally wrong'
Wiseman issued a news release this week condemning a proposal by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's Liberals to shake up the surf clam quota allocation, one that Wiseman suggests could mean economic hardship for the Grand Bank area.
Wiseman argues that taking 25 per cent of the quota away from Clearwater Seafoods, which operates a year-round processing plant in Grand Bank, and reallocating it to a yet-to-be-determined Indigenous group is the wrong thing to do.
He said it contradicts the Liberal Party's commitment to the principle of adjacency, and he's not mincing his words.
"I am against it," Wiseman told CBC News Thursday.
"Against this kind of a backdrop, when will they look at, say Beothic [Fish Processors] or Golden Shell [Fisheries Ltd.] and say, 'Hey look, we need to take some of your quota because we have to make amends for some transgression that we made.'"
He added that the decision comes at a "weak moment" for the federal riding of Bonavista-Burin-Trinty because it does not have a representative in Parliament.
Grand Bank Mayor Rex Matthews has led opposition to the proposed changes, and Wiseman is not satisfied with that.
"We need solidarity against this move. I challenge everyone to come out and speak and support the mayor on this," Wiseman said, adding that the surf clam fishery creates 400 land and sea-based jobs on the Burin Peninsula.
Willing to take the risk of speaking out
Those are harsh words from a man who's fighting to win the Liberal nomination in Bonavista-Burin-Trinity, a seat that was vacated with the resignation of longtime MP Judy Foote, who was an influential member of Trudeau's cabinet and highly regarded in the region.
If it means that I'm not elected, well then I guess that's the price I have to pay.- Merv Wiseman
Is it the type of criticism that could make the federal Liberals think twice about having Wiseman on their team?
Wiseman said it's possible, but he's willing to take the risk.
"I can't capitulate on these principles. And if that means that I don't get green-lit, if it means that I'm not elected, well then I guess that's the price I have to pay," he said.
Wiseman has never been shy about voicing his opinion, even if it contradicts those of the same political stripe.
He's also butted heads with provincial Liberals over environmental concerns related to a massive sea-cage aquaculture project proposed for Placentia Bay.
Wiseman supports land-based aquaculture, and said he will lobby for a large pilot project for the Marystown area if elected.
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