Hon. Dennis Glen Patterson: Honourable senators, I’m pleased to be able to rise today and pay tribute to Mr. Yoanis Menge and Mr. Ruben Komangapik. These gentlemen are the friends and business partners behind Reconseal Inuksiuti. As the clever portmanteau suggests, they have developed a new hunting project that aims to bring about reconciliation through understanding the importance and significance of the Inuit practice of hunting seals, while also bringing traditional country food to the Inuit in Ottawa and Montreal.

Mr. Menge is a photographer, and his black-and-white photographs of seal hunting are meant to challenge viewers to see the beauty in a tradition that brings a source of sustenance, clothing, income and spirituality to families throughout the North.

Mr. Komangapik is originally from Pond Inlet, although he now describes himself as a nomad.

In a CBC article that was published on October 30, Mr. Komangapik describes how this project advances reconciliation:

We’re just not talking, we’re actually doing the actions of reconciliation (between) the sealing industry, the animalist and all those people that (hunt) the seal the wrong way. They made a big, big rift between the South and the North seal hunters.

To avoid taking from Nunavut’s Inuit, who are among the most food-insecure Canadians in the entire country, this team has decided to hunt in the Magdalen Islands where there is a healthy seal population.

Colleagues, the fact is that Canada is home to over 400,000 grey seals which are the type being hunted. It is a true delight that these gentlemen can take a few of those seals and bring the meat back to the Inuit living in the South who, like Manitok Thompson of Ottawa, believe the meat “tastes like happiness.”

As an aside, I would say it’s a bonus that they’re helping to alleviate some of the huge pressures on fishing stocks caused by adult seals that consume up to 1,500 pounds of food each per annum. Given that there are approximately 8 million grey and harp seals in Canada, I’ll leave you to do the math.

I applaud Mr. Komangapik’s and Mr. Menge’s efforts to break down the stereotypes and misconceptions surrounding the Inuit seal hunt — all done without any government funding or support.

So qujannamiik for pushing for reconciliation in this way, and thank you for bringing nutritious, omega-3-rich country food to Ottawa and Montreal’s Inuit populations. Qujannamiik. Taima.

Hon. Dennis Glen Patterson: Honourable senators, I rise today on Senator Black’s subamendment to the motion that would return Bill S-236 to the Standing Senate Committee on Agriculture and Forestry for further study. Being that I am a lawyer, and given Senator Cotter’s speech on Tuesday, maybe I should stay out of this debate, but I won’t.

I am not an expert on P.E.I. Employment Insurance and the impact that one zone versus two would have on the working poor, who have been central to our conversations on this bill to date. I am, however, somewhat knowledgeable about how our committees work.

I have found that our committees do excellent work when they have the ability to hear all sides of an issue and the time to thoughtfully consider those viewpoints as they decide how to move forward with new information. For studies, that means thoughtful and impactful recommendations. For bills, it can mean amendments or observations.

I’ve sat in this chamber and listened carefully to the debate on this bill. I’ve noted the Parliamentary Budget Officer’s report, but I’ve also noted the letter sent to all senators and addressed to one senator in particular, which takes a different view. Senator Ringuette addressed this letter in her speech on Tuesday.

I’m not an expert on this matter. I’ve certainly not spent a week researching it, but I do believe that committees should be masters of their own destiny, and that includes being able to choose witnesses that they feel are credible and that they feel will give compelling testimony.

Unless we’re calling in a minister to answer pointed questions on something, I’m loath to support only calling one witness on anything. Much like there are two sides to every coin, there are multiple facets to every issue. Whether that means calling in labour groups and/or poverty groups from P.E.I. in this case, I will leave that to the committee to decide, but that is why I support the first part of Senator Black’s subamendment, which would clarify the ability of the committee to call other witnesses as they deem necessary.

As a former chair, deputy chair and member past and present of several steering committees, I also appreciate how difficult it can be to organize a committee schedule and get witnesses confirmed in a timely fashion. I also recognize that today is the Thursday before a break week, and it might well take some time to get the necessary agreements to issue invitations, et cetera, making the original reporting deadline of Senator Ringuette’s motion difficult — and by this I mean nigh impossible — to meet. That is why I support the second part of Senator Black’s subamendment, which would give the committee more time to do its work.

I’ll be voting in favour of Senator Black’s subamendment, and I would encourage colleagues who believe that committees should keep control of their witness lists and timelines to do the same.

Thank you.