Thursday 2 May 2024

2 Tory politicians join forces to demand feds remove sunken sailboat from St. John River

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/boat-sunk-st-john-river-removed-disposed-not-a-starship-mark-griffin-coast-guard-1.7275358

Journey of once-sunken sailboat reaches end, volunteer salvor feels left high and dry

Mark Griffin shares ordeal since he helped raise and haul Not a Starship from St. John River last month

No good deed goes unpunished. That's how Mark Griffin is feeling after he volunteered for public safety reasons to help raise and haul away a sailboat that sat at the bottom of the St. John River near Browns Flat for months with only the tops of its two masts visible.

Griffin, a Canadian Coast Guard contractor, took on the venture last month with hobby diver David Grandy and says it's been an ordeal ever since.

He estimates he spent between $5,000 and $10,000 in time, fuel and equipment between July 5 and 7 — closer to $30,000 if it had been a paid job he bid on.

That doesn't include the roughly 12 days he spent "babysitting" the moored Not a Starship at his Belleisle Bay marina to ensure the 13-metre boat didn't sink again. He had to wait for word from the coast guard about how the agency wanted to deal with the disposal, he said.

The boat did actually start to sink again at one point, when a 3,000-gallon-an-hour pump, which Griffin used for keeping pace with the water the vessel was taking on, malfunctioned.

"It wasn't down that far, but it was going down," he said. "If I would have went away somewhere for a day or two, that boat would have been sitting at the bottom at my place."

Grandy estimated the operation cost him close to $2,000 in time, materials and drysuit repair.

Meanwhile, according to Griffin, they both sought legal advice when Grandy allegedly received a letter from the coast guard warning that he, having taken possession of the boat as the salvor when they hauled it — and therefore assumed ownership —could face up to $6 million in fines or three months in jail if he didn't see to its disposal.

"That really, like, floored us," said Griffin.

Salvor assumed ownership, liability, says coast guard

Grandy declined to comment on this, and coast guard spokesperson Megan Gallant did not confirm or deny when asked by CBC News. She did say, however, that "a salvage company claimed salvor's rights and, therefore, assumed ownership of the vessel."

"At the same time, the company became liable and responsible for all the costs of the removal under the [Wrecked, Abandoned or Hazardous Vessels Act]."

Gallant declined to clarify to whom she was referring as the "salvage company," citing privacy, but before the salvor "took on full ownership and liability, [the coast guard] informed the salvor of their obligations and responsibilities under [the act]," she said in an emailed statement.

 An old, battered sailboat on the shore among some pieces of rusty metal.The sailboat was 'removed from the marine environment' on July 19, according to Coast Guard — about five months after it started to sink. (Mark Griffin)

Under the act, a vessel's owner is responsible for using the boat safely, keeping it in good working order and properly disposing of it when it reaches the end of its life.

"This also includes being responsible for any response efforts that may need to be taken to eliminate threats of pollution or hazards posed by the vessel," said Gallant.

"[The coast guard] can direct vessel owners to take measures to prevent, reduce, or eliminate hazards. We can also take actions to address hazardous vessels and hold vessel owners liable for the costs of addressing cleanups and remediation action we take."

Non-profit stepped up to cover disposal costs

To add insult to injury, Griffin said, the coast guard was prepared to pay a local salvage company to haul the boat out of the water and dispose of it, and he wasn't given an opportunity to bid on it.

The coast guard did not issue a tender, according to the spokesperson, but did receive a quote for the work from a local salvage company. Gallant declined to divulge the name of the company or the value of the quote.

That company didn't end up doing the work anyway.

"The owner of the vessel (the local salvage company that claimed salvor rights) indicated it had already been partially removed from the marine environment and they would complete it," Gallant said.

A tattered-looking sailboat.  Not a Starship, which sat on the bottom of the St. John River after the spring thaw, was eventually moored at Mark Griffin's property in Erb's Cove for about two weeks last month. (Michael Heenan/CBC)

Griffin said he had already arranged for a local excavation company to do the job — partly because he was tired of being stuck with the boat tied up at his property in Erb's Cove, the former Belleisle Bay Marina, which he used to operate, while awaiting further direction from the coast guard. 

"I have to go to work, I have to make a living too," he said.

He was also worried Grandy might get stuck with the coast guard contractor's bill, he said.

The longer that vessel was sitting at a dock … every day that was there, that was a moment of jeopardy.
- Dino Kubik, St. John River Society

The boat was ultimately hauled out, dragged up the beach, crushed, and disposed of in four dump truck loads at a "proper" undisclosed location on July 19, said Griffin. The St. John River Society, a local non-profit organization, stepped up to cover the costs.

"The society has a couple of main mandates and one of them is the wise, sustainable use of the river," said executive director Dino Kubik, before turning to what he called the environmental threat.

"And the longer that vessel was sitting at a dock … every day that was there, that was a moment of jeopardy.

"So anything we could have done to make sure that it came out in a timely manner and was disposed of correctly, that was within our mandate, and our directors in the Hatfield Point area … wanted to play that role," and ensure safe access to the river.

The total was in the "sub-$10,000 range," said Kubik.

'Didn't make a dime'

"I never got a dime of it," stressed Griffin. "Everybody's wondering how much money I made. I didn't make a dime doing this. Neither did Dave."

Griffin did salvage and keep one of the boat's two aluminum masts, which he previously told CBC could each be worth about $50,000 if the right buyer was found, but that could take years.

He said he'll probably "either cut it up for scrap, or if somebody wants a flagpole, come get it, cause it'll cost me that much to haul it to the dump."

A barge hauling an old sailboat.                                     Griffin said he kept one of the boat's aluminum masts but will give it away to whoever wants it and can haul it away. (Denise Miller)

That's what he did with the other mast, he said. He gave it to the owner of the exacavation company handling the disposal to make a flagpole. An old wooden steering wheel went to the river society.

Griffin said the boat was stripped of contaminants, including the motor, fuel tanks and anything containing oil, before it was scrapped.

No word on consequences for original owner

As for Jordan Tatton, the original owner and person who let the boat sink in the first place, the coast guard did not respond to repeated questions from CBC News about what penalties or costs he has faced — if any.

Gallant said only that the original owner agreed to give salvor's rights and ownership under the Wrecked, Abandoned or Hazardous Vessels Act to the local salvage company.

Tatton did not respond to a request for comment.

Double-masted sailboat submerged in ice nearly to the top of the roof of the cabin and surrounded by a circle of brownish water and then white ice outside the circle.  Not a Starship frozen into the ice on the St. John River near Browns Flat, as seen on Feb. 14. (Roger Cosman/CBC)

The boat, which slowly started to sink into the ice in February, wound up at the bottom of the river by April with an early breakup of the ice. 

It sat more than 400 metres offshore from Browns Flat until Griffin and Grandy raised and hauled it.

'Nobody got hurt'

"No good deed goes unpunished," Griffin said. " That's exactly what everybody's saying. That's the funny part about it. 'Why would you do it?' I heard that so many times."

Still, the boat's gone now and "nobody got hurt," he said. "If somebody would have got hurt, [the coast guard] would have been in a lot of kaka."

"Would I do it again? Within a second. I wouldn't even think about it," said Griffin. "Would I do it differently? I would not get in touch with anybody to tell them I'm doing it."

An excavator digs into a large, battered sailboat on the beach. Mark Griffin says he had already arranged for a local excavation company to dispose of the boat by the time the coast guard advised him July 18 that a salvage company the agency received a quote from would be on site the next day for removal. (Mark Griffin)

Grandy said he has no regrets either.

"I'm glad it's out. The hazard is gone," he said in a statement.

Asked what, if any environmental clean up was required, Gallant, at the coast guard, replied: "CCG was not involved in the removal, salvage or cleanup process of this vessel."

Two excavators dig into a large, battered sailboat on the beach, with a dump truck in the background. Griffin says all contaminants were removed from the boat and it was disposed of properly. (Mark Griffin)

She did not say which body would be responsible for ensuring a safe cleanup.

Gallant did say the coast guard conducted a pollution and hazards assessment Dec. 11, which concluded there was no risk "at that time."

The New Brunswick Department of Environment spokesperson Clarissa Andersen directed inquiries to the coast guard, as the lead agency.


154 Comments
 
 
 
David Amos
Interesting to see the coast guard get tough all of a sudden I smell politicking
 
David Amos
Reply to David Amos 
I suspect that Higgy knows why the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard will be expecting another email from me  
 
 
 
David Amos
Deja Vu Anyone?
 
 
 
 
David Amos
Deja Vu Anyone?

2 Tory politicians join forces to demand feds remove sunken sailboat from St. John River

MP John Williamson and MLA Bill Oliver want immediate action from Ottawa

Mia Urquhart · CBC News · Posted: May 02, 2024

 
 
 
Anna Knorr    
Wow, talk about gòvt incompetence. Where are the consequences to the original owner? This is just a tactic ok to the next guy who decides to let his boat sink unnecessarily
 
Steve Brockhouse
Reply to Anna Knorr   
Assuming it was insured, the original owner took the insurance payout and the insurance company was the responsible party from then on.
 
David Amos
Reply to Steve Brockhouse
True if it was insured  
 
Elliott Stranger 
Reply to David Amos  
I don’t think it was insured. 
 
David Amos
Reply to Elliott Stranger   
Nor I  
 
MR Cain 
Reply to Steve Brockhouse  
There was nothing wrong with the boat. It was due to neglect that it sank, so insurance should not be paying anything.
 
Steve Brockhouse
Reply to MR Cain 
Marine insurance is "All Hazards" insurance. It would be up to the insurance company to prove neglect and then charge the owner.
 
MR Cain 
Reply to Steve Brockhouse 
They just had to read the paper.
 
Marq See 
Reply to Anna Knorr   
not a government issue. 'the original owner agreed to give salvor's rights and ownership under the Wrecked, Abandoned or Hazardous Vessels Act to the local salvage company.' No more responsibility, unknown what they might do, if anything at all. The salvor is a Coast Guard Contractor, there may be more behind the scenes than is reported. 
 
 
 
Dennis Woodman 
Good job it wasn’t Greenpeace flagship, with its 100,000 litre diesel engine. That would have been an environmental disaster … 
 
David Amos 
Reply to Dennis Woodman
"Ottawa has reached a $5 million out-of-court settlement over the recovery of the Irving Whale.

The oil tank barge, owned by JD Irving Ltd, sank of PEI 30 years ago.

It was lifted off the ocean floor in 1996 by the Canadian Coast Guard after concerns about a large-scale spill from the oil in the barge's hold.

The settlement was announced Monday and should end further legal battles over who should pay for the $42 million cleanup.

JD Irving has already paid approximately $4 million toward the recovery and cleanup of the Irving Whale."

Stan Johnson 
Reply to Dennis Woodman
Do you think Greenpeace would leave their flagship to sink in the St Johns river?
 
Anna Knorr 
Reply to Dennis Woodman
Great so again taxpayers are on the hook while corporations abscond with their bags of cash 
 
David Amos 
Reply to Anna Knorr 
Par for the course 
 
John Murray 
Reply to Dennis Woodman
Imagine 15.9 million litres of Alberta bitumen sinking off the coast of BC.

Almost a tanker a day sails in this area with Alberta bitumen.

You are worried about just one fairly small ship.

Elliott Stranger
Reply to Dennis Woodman  
Good job it wasn’t any number of other boats and ships. Greenpeace is much more responsible for its self and its equipment though so that entire made up scenario is not possible.
 
James Nelson  
Reply to John Murray 
That oil pays the bills. 
 
MR Cain 
Reply to Dennis Woodman
A pipeline in the western Canadian province of Saskatchewan has leaked 200000 liters (52834 gallons) of oil in an aboriginal community, 2017

Pipeline Spills 290,000 Litres of Crude Oil Emulsion in Northern Alberta, 2018

Dennis Woodman  
Reply to Elliott Stranger 
Just pointing out the irony, of an environmentalist group with a diesel engine ship. 
 
Elliott Stranger
Reply to Dennis Woodman
There is no irony actually. They sail as much as they can and sometimes use the engine. Greenpeace is also mostly about preservation of the environment and protecting the animals that live there.

The thing the non climate change believers don’t get is no one is saying no oil they are saying we need to use far, far less of it than we do. If we stop burning it would be the first and best thing. We will still use it for solvents, pints, lubricants, plastics etc. but far less of it.

John Murray 
Reply to James Nelson  
That is what the Alberta oil and gas industry wants you to think. It is actually Ontario and Quebec who pay (by far) the most money into our federal coffers.  
 
Dennis Woodman  
Reply to Elliott Stranger
Greenpeace is quick to boast the Rainbow Warrior III is ‘as sustainable as possible,’ despite the fact that it is still, ultimately, reliant on fossil fuels. It’s engine, a Volvo Penta D65A MT 1850 HP, is a diesel-electric motor that uses fuel at the rate of 206 g/kWh of power as Greenpeace activists cruise it all over the world to protest the very resource its dependent on. This hypocrisy has been widely noted and the public record is rife with photos of the ship being refuelled by oil companies, including BP, which has often borne the brunt of Greenpeace’s campaigns.
 
Dennis Woodman  
Reply to Dennis Woodman 
Also it’s made of a lot of aluminum an intensive metal to manufacture. Of course, Greenpeace is philosophically opposed to aluminium, mounting campaigns against its use and manufacture, but is ultimately -like everyone else – reliant on it. Furthermore, the paint, rubber, seals and almost every other part of the boat is made possible by petroleum products. Every night the crew sit down in a galley with food prepared on a gas stove. Notice the trend emerging here?
 
Dennis Woodman  
Reply to Elliott Stranger 
Your wrong, it’s irony at it’s finest.   
 
Gene Herman
Reply to John Murray
Does PEI pay any into the federal coffers?
 
Gene Herman
Reply to John Murray 
Where have you seen it stated by Alberta Oil and Gas that they pay more money into the federal coffers than Ontario and Quebec? You made that up didn't you 
 
Elliott Stranger
Reply to Dennis Woodman
I’m not wrong, sorry. You were trying to make some lame point and crashed and burned. Beautiful.  
 
John Murray 
Reply to Gene Herman 
Every Islander who has enough income pays income tax to the federal government, at the same rates as all Canadians do.  
 
John Murray 
Reply to Gene Herman 
You didn't read the comments, did you? James Nelson, on this thread, specifically stated "That oil pays the bills."

It is a common misconception among Albertans, and some other right wing people, that is often stated here, so no need to make it up.

Vic Madison 
Reply to John Murray 
All ocean going oil tankers are double hulled and I heard rumblings that other countries and countries own and operate oil tankers.
 
Vic Madison 
Reply to John Murray
Between 2000 and 2021, the oil and gas sector paid $366.6 billion, or an average of $16.7 billion per year, in rents and royalties to provincial governments.

How much will those multi billion dollar corporations building battery plants in Eastern Canada paying in royalties for the $20 billion tax dollars they are getting?

John Murray 
Reply to Vic Madison   
Canada has an average yearly federal budget of about $330 billion. Oil income is minuscule compared to this. Anyone who thinks oil pays Canada's bills is just plain wrong.
 
John Murray 
Reply to Vic Madison 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2024_Manila_Bay_oil_spill

https://www.marinelink.com/news/crew-capsized-oil-tanker-off-oman-missing-515223

"A week later, an oil-storage vessel exploded off the coast of Nigeria. Within days, a Mauritian oil tanker had run aground off Reunión in the Indian Ocean. In Peru, workers are still cleaning up a spill that, according to some accounts, occurred when a tanker was rocked by tsunami waves. Experts are nervously watching another tanker off the coast of Yemen, which is slowly disintegrating in the midst of a war and an existing humanitarian crisis."

(The Atlantic, Feb. 2022)


 
Jimmy Vee   
volunteers by definition do not get paid unless they work for a bank.
 
David Amos 
Reply to Jimmy Vee   
Many a true word is said in jest
 
 
 
Jimmy Vee   
This whole drama highlights the gaps in good or best practices in international marine law, Canada Coast Guard rules of engagement, provincial operations and whatever should be done versus what can be done under current laws or agencies. If you tour Canada's coastlines you will see in all across this nation abandoned boats, some floating, some sunk near the shore and others pulled up on the beach rotting away, meanwhile local folks and government bodies pointing their fingers in every direction.
 
David Amos 
Reply to Jimmy Vee 
Well put 
 
 
 
james bolt   
How is it that someone in the salvage business does not know all of these laws of salvage?
 
David Amos 
Reply to james bolt  
Good question  
 
Joe smith 
Reply to james bolt 
Totally agree...  
 
 
 
Art Rowe
No good deed goes unpunished.

Meanwhile the "authorities" fail to pursue the real owner and make them pay for the salvage.

Oh NO, it's much easier to threaten the volunteers with having to pay for doing a service to the public.

Anyone else see something wrong with this?

Jimmy Vee   
Reply to Art Rowe
In Canada civil courts can not compel anyone to pay anything, you lose so what.   
 
David Amos 
Reply to Art Rowe  
I do 
 
Steve Brockhouse 
Reply to Art Rowe 
If the 'original owner' took an insurance payout, he was no longer the owner.  
  
Bob Ruin 
Reply to Art Rowe
It seems typical of any government entity these days, do very little that is productive, protect their cushy jobs, and fleece the population.
 
David Sampson 
Reply to Art Rowe
“As for Jordan Tatton, the original owner and person who let the boat sink in the first place, the coast guard did not respond to repeated questions from CBC News about what penalties or costs he has faced — if any.”

It remains unanswered Art if the coast guard assessed any fines/penalties on the original owner and further, the article doesn’t specify how, if any, ownership of the vessel was assigned to the salvage company. Additionally, we don’t know if the vessel was insured or if so, if any insurance claim was filed or paid. We do know that a volunteer organization took it upon themselves to remedy the problem.

Seems the author of the article truly wanted to focus their attention on the benevolent behaviour of the volunteer organization rather that focus on legal or regulatory matters.

Art Rowe
Reply to Steve Brockhouse 
OK, that computes, but then the insurance company is the owner so go after them.

Same difference no matter WHO was the legal owner.

 
 
Robert Fish  
Whatever will we do when we can finally stop reporting on this like its the Edmund Fitzgerald?
 
Art Rowe
Reply to Robert Fish
Well, they are again dredging up the Titan story and now there are more angles to pontificate about.
 
David Amos 
Reply to Robert Fish 
Vote    
 
 
 
Allan Marven
There's one born every day. Should have left it a the bottom of the river.
 
Art Rowe
Reply to Allan Marven  
Your point is taken, BUT it was a hazard to others wishing to enjoy the water because it was so shallow it was a navigation hazard.
 
David Amos 
Reply to Allan Marven  
Yup



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2 Tory politicians join forces to demand feds remove sunken sailboat from St. John River

MP John Williamson and MLA Bill Oliver want immediate action from Ottawa

The April 30 deadline to remove a sunken sailboat from the St. John River has come and gone and the Not a Starship is still sitting on the bottom. 

On Wednesday, the area's provincial and federal elected officials teamed up to call on Ottawa to "immediately remove the wrecked vessel." 

MP John Williamson and MLA Bill Oliver specifically want Transport Canada and the Canadian Coast Guard to remove the remains of the sailboat and, in a joint statement, criticized both for underestimating "the immediate risks posed by Not a Starship."

"Visible evidence of the vessel's diesel, generator fuel and battery fluid leaking into the river throughout the winter was not enough to convince federal officials that this wreck was abandoned," said the statement.

WATCH |  Not a Starship now a boating hazard:
 

Continuing saga of the sunken sailboat

Duration 1:43
MLA Bill Oliver describes the danger posed by the boat that now sits on the bottom of the St. John River, near Browns Flat, in his riding. He and MP John Williamson are calling on federal officials to remove it immediately.

"Now, its 17-metre mast pierces the water from the river's bed, posing a clear risk to unsuspecting boaters. Likelihood of a collision has only heightened as nearby boat traffic increases with warmer weather."

Last month, an official with Transport Canada said if the boat wasn't removed by the owner by April 30, it would be "deemed as abandoned under the Wrecked, Abandoned or Hazardous Vessels Act, and the owner could face enforcement actions, including monetary penalties."

This week, Transport Canada spokesperson Katherine Proulx said a department official made a visit Wednesday to Not a Starship to "assess the situation." She was asked for more details about the assessment but has not yet responded. 

Oliver, a Progressive Conservative MLA, said people have environmental and safety concerns about the sunken boat. 

"We need to have the boat removed immediately before boating activities increase, we've waited long enough, the time to act is now," he said.

Two men in foreground with a body of water behind them and a light-coloured pole barely visible out of the water.  MP John Williamson and MLA Bill Oliver pose at Beulah Camp, with one of the two masts of the sunken Not a Starship barely visible in the background. (Bill Oliver/Facebook)

Both Oliver and Williams called on Transport Minister Pablo Rodriguez and Fisheries Minister Diane Lebouthillier to "overrule their departments and use the federal powers granted to them under the Wrecked, Abandoned or Hazardous Vessels Act to remove this wreck immediately."

Williamson, a Conservative MP, said he has another worry, in addition to the environmental and navigational concerns. 

"The third one is bureaucratic — that the boat might not be removed anytime soon and that's the primary reason that I joined Bill Oliver today in voicing our concerns — to focus attention on this problem, so it's not studied to death, but in fact, it is acted upon as quickly as possible."

Man in sunglasses sits on a tub on the deck of a sailboat, smoking a cigarette.    In January, boat owner Jordan Tatton said he looked forward to returning to his boat and the hot tub. (Submitted by Jordan Tatton)

The boat's owner, Jordan Tatton, did not respond to interview requests. 

In an interview in January, however, Tatton said his boat was definitely not abandoned. In fact, at that time, he had planned to spend the winter on it.  

He also dismissed concerns about his boat, confident it would survive the winter. 

By that time, local residents had been expressing concerns about the sailboat for months — even long before the river froze. 

A double-masted sailboat is frozen into the ice on a body of water.  Sailboat frozen into the ice on the St. John River near Browns Flat on Jan. 9, 2024. The Not a Starship as seen on Jan. 9, 2024, frozen into the ice of the St. John River near Browns Flat. (Michael Heenan/CBC)

They worried about the environmental damage should the boat sink, since it was equipped with a diesel engine, a generator, and the batteries necessary to operate the solar panels. 

Even at the time the boat started to sink in February, the Coast Guard said it wasn't concerned about pollution.

Within days of it sinking, a spokesperson said there was a "minimal amount of non-persistent oils" on the vessel, meaning the type of fuel on board would have evaporated from the surface of the water within 48 hours.

Double-masted sailboat submerged in ice nearly to the top of the roof of the cabin and surrounded by a circle of brownish water and then white ice outside the circle.  Not a Starship frozen on Feb. 14 as it sank into the ice. (Roger Cosman/CBC)

Williamson said the boat's been on the bottom long enough. 

"I understand that fuels do evaporate and they can have minimum impact on the environment," he said in an interview on Wednesday. "Having said that, I do not want this studied to death."

Williamson and Oliver both said they've received a lot of messages from concerned constituents. 

Two masts sticking out of the water in a river, far from shore.  Not a Starship on April 11 in front of Beulah Camp on the St. John River. (Roger Cosman/CBC)

"I've also received many emails from boaters — mostly sailors and power boaters — that use the river on a regular basis that would just like to see the boat gone," said Oliver. 

He said there are already boats out on the river — and he expects the number to increase quickly as conditions improve. Most will not be on the lookout for large metal poles sticking out of the water, he said.

"These are just the tips of the masts that might not be visible — in the evening, they certainly wouldn't be," Oliver said. "So no, it's a concern, there's no question about it."

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mia Urquhart is a journalist with CBC New Brunswick, based in Saint John. She can be reached at mia.urquhart@cbc.ca.

 
 
 
67 Comments
 
 
David Amos
Deja Vu Anyone? This was in the news on my birthday the year after I had run for public office the last time 
 
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/irving-whale-deal-reached-1.249709 
 
 
David Amos
Reply to David Amos 
"Ottawa has reached a $5 million out-of-court settlement over the recovery of the Irving Whale.

The oil tank barge, owned by JD Irving Ltd, sank of PEI 30 years ago.

It was lifted off the ocean floor in 1996 by the Canadian Coast Guard after concerns about a large-scale spill from the oil in the barge's hold.

The settlement was announced Monday and should end further legal battles over who should pay for the $42 million cleanup.

JD Irving has already paid approximately $4 million toward the recovery and cleanup of the Irving Whale."

 
David Amos
Reply to David Amos 
Now some folks may understand why I think this nonsense is Too Too Funny 
 

 
David Amos

Too Too Funny 
 
 
Benoit Boudreau  

Reply to David Amos 
Now you're laughing alone at your own jokes?  
 
 
David Amos

Reply to Benoit Boudreau   
Methinks you should rethink that considering the fact that I am now laughing at you as well N'esy Pas? 
 
 
David Amos

Reply to David Amos  
Why is it that nothing surprises me anymore?
 
 
Al Clark

Reply to Benoit Boudreau 
Split personality?
 
 
David Amos

Reply to Al Clark   
Surprise Surprise Surprise He flags my replies just like you often do




David Amos
I wonder what would happen if I pulled a "Mary Ellen Carter" stunt 
 
 

David Amos
IMHO The are lots of folks who are very capable of making that boat float again

I have no doubt they are waiting to see if they have the legal right to do so

 
David Amos
Reply to David Amos  
I have every right to contact these people as well

"Both Oliver and Williams called on Transport Minister Pablo Rodriguez and Fisheries Minister Diane Lebouthillier to "overrule their departments and use the federal powers granted to them under the Wrecked, Abandoned or Hazardous Vessels Act to remove this wreck immediately."

 
 
 
Wilbur Ross  
Meh. People used to put old cars out on the ice and bet on when they would sink. But the Tories are environmentalists now.
 
 
David Amos
Reply to Wilbur Ross   
I dove and got the registration out of the glove box of an old Buick at the bottom of Grand Lake 40 years ago I bet its still there
 
 
David Amos
Reply to Wilbur Ross  
BTW the fella who was with me that day was the son of the local MLA and a former boss of NB Power
 
 
Wilbur Ross 
Reply to David Amos  
It bad but its not the end of the world. Boats sink sometimes.
 
 
David Amos
Reply to Wilbur Ross  
Its was Buick not a boat
 
 
Wilbur Ross 
Reply to David Amos  
Oh I know. I used to drive across everyday from the Peninsula. I've seen a tow truck go down.
 
 
David Amos
Reply to Wilbur Ross  
Where do you think I live?
 
 
Wilbur Ross 
Reply to David Amos  
Just nice to see the Tories care about the environment now. Things are going to be very different from now on I bet.
 
 
David Amos
Reply to Wilbur Ross  
They were not long dealing with this
 
 
 
David Amos
Reply to Wilbur Ross   
"Awaiting review" 
 
 
 
 
Lou Bell  
MTwo Tory politicians ..... . Meanwhile , no concern from the Liberals . And of the pretty blue / green / yellow oil slick .
 
 
David Amos
Reply to Lou Bell 
Say Hey to your buddies for me will ya? 
 
 
David Amos
Reply to Lou Bell  
I suspect Higgy has seen a lot of oil slicks  
 
 
 
Lou Bell  
I'm sure there's a Fed program where this person could apply and get paid for " raising the ship " . Like with CanApp , a nother company of 2 could get paid a large piece of the program , probably around 64 million to monitor the program .
 
 
David Amos

Reply to Lou Bell  
Time to bake some more butter tarts before closing time eh?
 
 
David Amos
Reply to Lou Bell   
Yea Right
 
 
 
 
B Johnny Kalibanos  
Yes. Take it to LPC headquarters. Very symbolic of that party and where they are taking this country.
 
 
David Amos
Reply to B Johnny Kalibanos  
I presume you mean the sunken boat
 
 
David Amos
Reply to B Johnny Kalibanos  
However methinks things are not all that hunky dory with their opposition N'esy Pas?
 
 
 
 
Frank Blacklock 
Sorry, they spent too much on consultants, UNRWA, and sole sourced contracts for buddies. No money left for Coast Guard, help with roads, or proper funded healthcare.
 
 
David Amos
Reply to Frank Blacklock 
All the Feds have to do is print more 
 
 
 
Anne Bochan
So. here's to all good salvagers, likewise to Ripper Rock and to Napoleon Brandy of which now we have much stock.

We eat a lot of chicken and sit on a couch of blue and we wait for Ripper Rock to claim another Not a Starship ll. oh the lovely Not a Starship ll

 
David Amos

Reply to Anne Bochan
Time for your nap? 
 

David Amos
Reply to Anne Bochan 
???
 
 
 
B Johnny Kalibanos  
Very symbolic of feds and where they are taking this country.
 
 
David Amos
Reply to B Johnny Kalibanos   
How so?
 
 
 
james bolt 
political photo op
 
 
David Amos
Reply to james bolt   
It was a dandy
 
 
 
Walter Vrbetic 
Not a con supporter and it shouldn't be a political issue.

- the boat is a hazard.

- its federal navigable waters.

- get it out and bill the last owner.

 
David Amos
Reply to Walter Vrbetic 
Ditto
 
 
 
Jim Lake
The only thing Williamson has done for his riding since being elected. Perhaps he should contribute his salary to the cost of raising it - his constituents need to get something of value for all he gets paid.
 
 
David Amos 
Reply to Jim Lake 
Amen

David Amos 
Reply to Jim Lake
FYI I encountered Oliver in 2004 when he was working for the Speaker and Williamson in 2005 when he was the head of the Taxpayer Federation
 
 
 
 
Noel Fowles
Oliver probably looks at that and thinks of his chances in the next provincial election
 
 
David Amos
Reply to Noel Fowles
The Speaker quite likely has a cottage in the area and his neighours are no doubt asking him why don't he do his job and say something
 
 
 
Greg Miller   
By all means and get the owner to pick up the tab!
 
 
David Amos
Reply to Greg Miller 
I concur
 
 
 
Al Clark
Just. Remove. It.

How long would they wring their hands if he abandoned his car in the middle of the road?

Companies exist in SJ that could do it in an afternoon. Or use the coast guard boats as a training exercise.

Sell it for costs. It should still have most of it's value. Even the electronics may have survived a dunking in mostly fresh water.

 
David Amos

Reply to Al Clark    
You appear to have connections with the Feds Why not pull some strings instead of just yapping about it?

"Last month, an official with Transport Canada said if the boat wasn't removed by the owner by April 30, it would be "deemed as abandoned under the Wrecked, Abandoned or Hazardous Vessels Act, and the owner could face enforcement actions, including monetary penalties."

This week, Transport Canada spokesperson Katherine Proulx said a department official made a visit Wednesday to Not a Starship to "assess the situation." She was asked for more details about the assessment but has not yet responded. " 

 
Al Clark

Reply to David Amos
"You appear to have connections with the Feds" ooookay then ;-)

I pay taxes, therefore I am connected?

The Trans minister means; we don't care, sounds like work.

 
David Amos

Reply to Al Clark  
You are a rather outspoken liberal living in the area Correct?   
 
 
David Amos

Reply to Al Clark 
There ya go again 
 
 
 
 
Benoit Boudreau   
Conservatives: "Climate change is a hoax!"

Also Conservatives, when it comes to their boats: "Save the environment!"

 
David Amos 
Reply to Benoit Boudreau   
Not funny Keep trying   
 
 
ralph jacobs 
Reply to Benoit Boudreau   
Probably there is much more damage from oil and gas leaking into the water than the boat's motor running. And don't forget the carbon tax was paid on the gas so it's okay to burn it.
 
 
Jim Lake 
Reply to David Amos  
You’re right - it’s not funny because it’s true. 
 
 
David Amos 
Reply to Jim Lake  
Did you laugh at what this dude said to yesterday?
 
 
David Amos 
Reply to Benoit Boudreau  
BTW Although the Powers That Be erased what you posted about me yesterday your pals posted it again  



 
Robert Brannen  
I can't imagine any Conservative constituents would be concerned by environmental degradation matters, and I cannot that these two would carry the concerns of non-Conservative constituents forward. I have to ask myself: Just with whom have they been interacting?
 
 
David Amos 
Reply to Robert Brannen  
Rich folks 



Frank Wadden   
Good old days we'd haul it out and use it for target practice then bill the owner the cost of the shells! We've gone to soft. 
 
 
David Amos 
Reply to Frank Wadden 
Yup
 
 
 
Rusty Shackleford  
He seems like a class A winner. Facial tattoos are always a sure sign of intelligence.
 
 
David Amos
Reply to Rusty Shackleford 
Perhaps my MP and our Speaker should get facial tattoos too 
 
 
 
 
Max Ruby  
If they took it out themselves and sold it would it be the same as the guy who fixed the pot holes:

- 'Pothole vigilante' of Saint John, N.B. ordered to unfix the road craters he fixed

 
David Amos
Reply to Max Ruby 
Welcome back to the circus 
 
 
 
Charles Neal 
and guess who gets stuck paying for its removal 
 
 
Peter Foster 
Reply to Charles Neal 
Who is that?? Tax payers?? Thats how government works.  
 
 
David Amos
Reply to Peter Foster
Bingo
 
 
 
 

Sailboat still sitting at bottom of St. John River, two months after removal deadline

Owner of Not a Starship was given until April 30 to take vessel away

With boating season in full swing, it's high time to remove a sunken sailboat from the St. John River, says one Greenwich resident.

"It's beyond time," said Rob Thom, calling it a marine hazard. 

"Stop using it as a re-election tactic and publicity stunt. Get it out."

The owner has had more than enough time to remove the boat, he said.

WATCH | 'Some governing body should step up': 
 

How long can you leave your boat at the bottom of a river? Months, apparently

Duration 0:55
Transport Canada gave the owner of the Not a Starship until the end of April to remove the boat from the bottom of the St. John River. More than two months have passed, and the boat hasn't budged.

"Some governing body should step up and make sure it happens," said Thom on Thursday. 

Until that happens, he said, the vessel will continue to present a danger to other boaters. 

The visibility of the two masts — which are all that remain above the water's surface — is highly dependent on lighting conditions, he said. On some days even those who know the boat is there have trouble spotting the masts, he said. 

"And of course nothing is [visible] at night," he said. 

Residents on both sides of the St. John River have been watching the sailboat since last fall. As winter approached, many wondered why the double-masted vessel remained moored in the water. 

Two light-coloured poles stick up out of the blue water. Rob Thom says the visibility of the two masts is highly dependent on light conditions. This photo was taken on a good viewing day. On others, he said the masts are barely visible. (Submitted by Rob Thom)

By January, ice had formed around the boat. But its owner, Jordan Tatton, dismissed concerns about the ice, saying he was confident the sturdy vessel could survive the winter. 

On Feb. 13, Thom noticed the boat slowly starting to sink into the ice. Before long, with an early breakup of the ice, it was sitting on the bottom. 

Man in blue shirt and sunglasses standing on the edge of a beach with a body of water behind him. Thom said it's time for some government agency to step up and remove the sunken sailboat, the mast of which is barely visible in the water to the right in this photo. (Graham Thompson/CBC)

Transport Canada gave Tatton until April 30 to remove it. 

When that deadline came and went — and with the owner making some attempts to lift the boat — Transport Canada said it "remains engaged with the owner to ensure the removal of the vessel." 

On May 1, officers "assessed" the boat "and confirmed the owner has taken initial steps to remove the vessel with the installation of lift bags."

Side by side photos of two vessels passing by the masts of a sunken sailboat. Thom snapped these images recently of a personal watercraft and a boat travelling close to the sunken sailboat in the St. John River at Browns Flat. (Submitted by Rob Thom)

When asked for an update earlier this week, a spokesperson for Transport Canada said they had been informed that the Canadian Coast Guard plans "to address the Not a Starship as a hazard under the Wrecked, Abandoned or Hazardous Vessels Act.

"Transport Canada will continue to collaborate with the Canadian Coast Guard and provide any expertise, guidance, or information needed as it works to have the vessel removed," Katherine Proulx said in the emailed statement.

She referred all other requests to the Canadian Coast Guard, which hasn't yet provided a requested update to CBC News. 

Tatton did not respond to repeated interview requests.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mia Urquhart is a journalist with CBC New Brunswick, based in Saint John. She can be reached at mia.urquhart@cbc.ca.

 
 
 

Sunken sailboat near Browns Flat towed closer to shore, says coast guard

Removal operation to continue next week as Not a Starship sits 100 metres offshore

The sunken sailboat in the St. John River near Browns Flat, N.B., has finally moved, but it's not out of the water just yet.

While it's still sitting on the bottom, the Not a Starship was dragged about 300 metres closer to shore on Friday. By the end of the day, it was sitting about 100 metres offshore.

"It's a step in the right direction," said local resident Rob Thom, watching the operation from the shore. 

"It's far enough from the main channel to reduce the risk of collision, but it still needs to come out." 

For months, the boat had been sitting on the bottom more than 400 metres offshore, with only the top portion of its two masts visible to other vessels.

Partially submerged sailboat as seen from shore.   By the end of Friday, Not a Starship was left about 100 metres offshore. (Mia Urquhart/CBC)

On Friday morning, two men arrived in a barge — one diver and one operating the boat. For several hours, the diver worked above and below the surface while the barge often repositioned itself around the sunken boat. 

For hours, it was difficult to tell from shore what the game plan was. At one point, they managed to position the masts — which had been tilting up river — straight up before they tipped and rested pointing down river. 

Then, at 3:15 p.m. AT, the barge suddenly started to drag the boat along the bottom toward shore. After a series of pulls and some repositioning, they hauled the boat to within about 100 metres of the shore. 

By 5 p.m., they again managed to pull the masts to a vertical position, before it tipped over once again. 

Around 5:30, they left the sailboat and motored away up river. 

A barge next to two masts sticking straight out of the water. Partway through Friday's salvage operation, the sailboat was pulled upright about 400 metres offshore. (Mia Urquhart/CBC)

Residents around Browns Flat have been keeping an eye on the sailboat since last fall. As winter approached, the sailboat was still moored in the river. 

By January, ice had formed around the boat. But its owner, Jordan Tatton, dismissed concerns about the ice, saying he was confident the sturdy vessel could survive the winter.

On Feb. 13, the boat slowly started to sink into the ice. Before long, with an early breakup of the ice, it was sitting on the bottom.

Initially, Transport Canada was the lead agency in the case and it gave the owner until April 30 to remove the boat, but with some efforts made by the owner, they gave him extra time.

Aerial shot of a barge next to a sunken sailboat. According to the coast guard, the salvage operation will continue next week. (Michael Heenan/CBC)

However, the file was transferred to the Canadian Coast Guard on June 11, according to an emailed response to CBC News.

On July 3, the coast guard ordered the owner to mark the vessel with a clear and visible buoy. As well, they ordered that a removal plan for the Not a Starship be provided by July 8.

The coast guard said a local salvage company assumed ownership and liability of the vessel on July 4. It said the salvor provided a removal plan for the vessel.

The email also said the salvage company began the removal process on Friday, which will continue next week.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mia Urquhart is a journalist with CBC New Brunswick, based in Saint John. She can be reached at mia.urquhart@cbc.ca.

CBC's Journalistic Standards and Practices|
 
 

---------- Original message ---------
From: LeBlanc, Dominic - député <dominic.leblanc@parl.gc.ca>
Date: Fri, Jul 5, 2024 at 4:17 PM
Subject: Automatic reply: Interesting news about our greedy MPs EH?
To: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.com>


(English follows)

 

Bonjour,

Nous accusons réception de votre courriel adressé à L’honorable Dominic LeBlanc, cp, cr, député de Beauséjour et nous vous en remercions.

 

Veuillez noter que nous recevons actuellement un volume élevé de correspondances. Veuillez prévoir un délai dans nos réponses.

 

En ce qui concerne les courriels relativement à des enjeux particuliers de nos commettants de Beauséjour, nous allons nous assurer de bien réviser votre message et un employé de notre bureau de circonscription communiquera avec vous si nécessaire. Si vous avez des questions ou vous désirez des clarifications, vous pouvez toujours communiquer avec notre bureau au numéro de téléphone suivant : (506) 533-5700.

 

Si vous écrivez à propos de sujets relatifs aux fonctions de sécurité publique du ministre LeBlanc, veuillez communiquer avec notre département de Sécurité publique à ps.ministerofpublicsafety-ministredelasecuritepublique.sp@ps-sp.gc.ca.


Pour toutes demandes des médias, veuillez contacter Kelly Ouimet à Kelly.Ouimet@iga-aig.gc.ca et Jean-Sébastien Comeau à Jean-Sebastien.Comeau@iga-aig.gc.ca.



Merci et bonne journée.

 

Bureau de L’hon. Dominic LeBlanc, cp, cr, député
Député de Beauséjour

 

---------------------------------------------------

 

Hello,

We acknowledge receipt and thank you for your email addressed to the Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, P.C., K.C., M.P. for Beauséjour.

Please note that we are currently receiving a high volume of correspondence. This may mean a delay in our responding to you.

 

For emails related to specific issues from our constituents in Beauséjour, we will make sure to review your message and an employee from our constituency office will be in contact with you if necessary. If you have any questions or require clarification, you can always contact our office at the following phone number: (506) 533-5700.


If you are writing with respect to Minister LeBlanc's public safety duties, please direct your correspondence to our Public Safety department at ps.ministerofpublicsafety-ministredelasecuritepublique.sp@ps-sp.gc.ca.

 

For all media inquiries, please contact Kelly Ouimet at Kelly.Ouimet@iga-aig.gc.ca and Jean-Sébastien Comeau at Jean-Sebastien.Comeau@iga-aig.gc.ca.


Thank you and have a good day.

 

Office of the Hon. Dominic LeBlanc, P.C., K.C., M.P.
Member of Parliament for Beauséjour


 

---------- Original message ---------
From: Ministerial Correspondence Unit - Justice Canada <mcu@justice.gc.ca>
Date: Fri, Jul 5, 2024 at 4:17 PM
Subject: Automatic Reply
To: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.com>

Thank you for writing to the Honourable Arif Virani, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada.

Due to the volume of correspondence addressed to the Minister, please note that there may be a delay in processing your email. Rest assured that your message will be carefully reviewed.

We do not respond to correspondence that contains offensive language.

-------------------

Merci d'avoir écrit à l'honorable Arif Virani, ministre de la Justice et procureur général du Canada.

En raison du volume de correspondance adressée au ministre, veuillez prendre note qu'il pourrait y avoir un retard dans le traitement de votre courriel. Nous tenons à vous assurer que votre message sera lu avec soin.

Nous ne répondons pas à la correspondance contenant un langage offensant.

 


---------- Original message ---------
From: Moore, Rob - M.P. <Rob.Moore@parl.gc.ca>
Date: Fri, Jul 5, 2024 at 4:17 PM
Subject: Automatic reply: Interesting news about our greedy MPs EH?
To: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.com>


*This is an automated response*

 

Thank you for contacting the Honourable Rob Moore, P.C., M.P. office. We appreciate the time you took to get in touch with our office.

 

If you did not already, please ensure to include your full contact details on your email and the appropriate staff will be able to action your request. We strive to ensure all constituent correspondence is responded to in a timely manner.

 

If your question or concern is time sensitive, please call our office: 506-832-4200.

 

Again, we thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts and concerns.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Office of the Honourable Rob Moore, P.C., M.P.

Member of Parliament for Fundy Royal

rob.moore@parl.gc.ca


On Fri, Jul 5, 2024 at 4:16 PM David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.com> wrote:
 

Monday, 21 February 2022

Deployment of Emergencies Act expected to pass with support of the NDP because of Trudeau's predictable confidence vote EH?

 
 
 
 

Southwest Magazine: MP John Williamson Interview - March 2024

CHCO-TV 
 
Mar 6, 2024 
 MP John Williamson discusses his work investigating the two scientists fired from Winnipeg disease lab as well as the ArriveCAN app scandal on an all-new Southwest Magazine. Williamson also looks back on the life and career of former Prime Minister Brian Mulroney. 
 
Original Broadcast Date: March 5, 2024 
 
Southwest Magazine is an original CHCO Television production hosted by Vicki Hogarth and recorded at the CHCO-TV studio in St. Andrews, New Brunswick, Canada.
 

1 Comment


Too Too Funny
 
 
 
 
 

Southwest Magazine: New Brunswick Southwest MP John Williamson Interview - May 2024

CHCO-TV
 
May 24, 2024  
MP John Williamson provides an update on the ArriveCAN app scandal and discusses the Loblaw boycott movement inspired by rising grocery costs, proposed legislation to decriminalize hard drug use, and more with host Vicki Hogarth on Southwest Magazine. 
 
Original Broadcast Date: May 23, 2024 Southwest Magazine is an original CHCO Television production hosted by Vicki Hogarth and recorded at the CHCO-TV studio in St. Andrews, New Brunswick, Canada.
 

1 Comment


Every time I call Our greedy MP like I just did again today they either hang up on me or deny that he is my MP. However there is an interesting recent article about him in the Telegraph Journal Trust that I will email it to you people
 
 
 
 

Sponsored travel by MPs questioned amid foreign interference claims

There’s now calls for the commonplace practice to end

Author of the article:
Adam Huras
Published Jun 24, 2024 
 
0624 lb sponsored travel

 
The sponsored travel accepted by New Brunswick MPs, and dozens of other politicians, is commonplace on Parliament Hill where it's entirely within current parliamentary ethics rules for members to accept trips to destinations all over the world as long as the purpose, cost, and sponsor of the trip is publicly disclosed. Photo by Adam Huras /Brunswick News

Dominic LeBlanc once took paid trips to Taiwan and Israel.

Ginette Petitpas Taylor had travel paid for by the government of Qatar.

More recently, John Williamson and a group of Conservative MPs grabbed headlines for their trip to London.

Williamson’s tab was paid for by a think tank in Hungary.

The sponsored travel accepted by New Brunswick MPs, and dozens of other politicians, is commonplace on Parliament Hill where it’s entirely within current parliamentary ethics rules for members to accept trips to destinations all over the world as long as the purpose, cost, and sponsor of the trip is publicly disclosed.

But amid growing concerns of foreign interference in Canada’s elections and a bombshell report by a committee of parliamentarians that found some unnamed MPs are “witting or semi-witting” participants in foreign meddling, there’s now calls for it to end.

“Is there really a free lunch in politics?” Green Leader Elizabeth May said last week.

“I don’t see any reason that a member of Parliament should accept a free trip anywhere from a foreign government. I don’t think they offer free trips to visit their country without expecting that they’ve at least influenced the MP a bit.

“I just think it is bad practice and while we’re tightening up the rules and looking at foreign influence and foreign interference, I think they should not be allowed.”

May herself took a trip in 2018 that was sponsored by the Palestinian Authority to visit disputed territories.

She says she’s since reimbursed the costs of that trip.

Asked by Brunswick News about the value of sponsored travel and whether it should still be allowed, Williamson also suggested the rules should be tightened.

“Foreign interference is a problem for an unknown number of Trudeau Liberal MPs and if sponsored travel is enabling foreign agents to capture members it should be limited or ended,” Williamson said in an email.

The New Brunswick Southwest MP’s disclosure shows his travel to London last June was paid by the Danube Institute, based in Budapest.

He left Ottawa for London three days before the House of Commons adjourned for summer break to attend a meeting of the International Democrat Union, a global conservative political organization currently chaired by former prime minister Stephen Harper.

It also states that Williamson met on the topic of energy with the IDU and U.K. parliamentarians.

Roughly $4,000 in flight costs and $7,000 in hotels are listed.

That trip grabbed national headlines as Conservative MPs Stephen Ellis, Rosemarie Falk, Shannon Stubbs, Phillip Lawrence, along with Williamson, dined at high-end restaurants including the Savoy, Bentley’s, and the Guinea Grill.

The dinner at Bentley’s oyster bar came to $404.87 a person. The tab at Guinea Grill shows several expensive bottles of wine and champagne on the bill.

The sponsored travel registry shows Moncton-Riverview-Dieppe MP Ginette Petitpas Taylor was part of a delegation of Parliamentarians that travelled to Qatar’s capital city of Doha in 2016, paid for by the Qatar government.

Petitpas Taylor brought her husband, according to the documents.

Qatar covered $5,743 in flights and $1,000 for a hotel stay.

LeBlanc travelled with his wife to Taiwan in 2014 on a trip paid for by the Chinese International Economic Co-operation Association, a Taiwanese business organization.

That included $9,120 in flights and $2,128 for a hotel in Taipei.

LeBlanc, his wife, and stepson also had a trip to Israel paid for by the Canada-Israel Committee, now known as the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs.

In disclosure documents, LeBlanc wrote that it was to “meet with Israeli government officials, parliamentarians, and defence forces.”

Roughly $15,000 in expenses were covered.

MPs racked up $840,000 in 2023 on travel bills paid for by lobby groups and foreign countries, nearly four times what was spent five years ago, according to analysis by Postmedia.

Politicians flew to 92 destinations, including places like London, Israel, Taiwan, Paris and Seoul.

That number is twice what it was in 2022, when MPs were given $412,332.86 worth of travel, and nearly four times what it was in 2019 when MPs were comped $221,627.76 in travel bills.

The pandemic years of 2020 and 2021 saw relatively little travel with only seven trips in either of those years.

Both LeBlanc and Petitpas Taylor’s offices declined requests to speak on the value of their trips.

Instead, both offered very similar statements.

“I suggest you address this request to the International Board of Economy, which is represented by all parties and makes its decisions by consensus,” Petitpas Taylor’s press secretary Isabelle Arseneau said.

Jean-Sébastien Comeau in LeBlanc’s office added: “It is preferable for this question to be dealt with by the Board of Internal Economy, which has representations from all parties and arrives at its decisions by consensus.”

A request for comment made to the board’s chair, Speaker Greg Fergus, wasn’t immediately returned.

Members of the Board of Internal Economy, which oversees the operation of the House of Commons and its spending, adopted a proposal last month made by Liberal MP Mark Gerretsen to examine exceptions to the rule that prohibit MPs from claiming expenses related to partisan events.

But that relates to how MPs can claim expenses for things like travel to a caucus meeting held at the same time and place as a party convention. It doesn’t directly deal with sponsored travel.

Last year, Lobbying Commissioner Nancy Bélanger banned any group that is federally registered to lobby from offering free trips to MPs.

Earlier this year, the House of Commons ethics committee passed a motion calling for the end of sponsored travel, with the idea to replace it with an expanded budget for MPs that allows for two international trips a year.

That moved the question of sponsored travel to the procedure and house affairs committee.

“Ultimately, I look at these trips as part of a perk that is not justifiable in the present economic context, nor is it accountable in terms of transparency and accountability,” said NDP MP Matthew Green, who put forward the original motion.

Williamson suggested the questions on sponsored travel come as Canadians want to know what MPs are helping foreign states.

The report by the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians, known as NSICOP, cites “particularly concerning examples of behaviour by a few parliamentarian,” including “knowingly or through willful blindness” accepting funds or benefits from foreign governments.

It further alleges these Canadian officials worked to “improperly influence parliamentary colleagues or parliamentary business” at the direction of foreign actors.

The report was heavily redacted, not naming the MPs or which party they belong to or whether they are still sitting in the House of Commons.

The Trudeau government should reveal the parliamentarians who have helped our adversaries and enemies so they could explain themselves and be accountable,” Williamson said.

LeBlanc, the Trudeau government’s Public Safety minister, has maintained that it is up to the RCMP to investigate and lay charges if warranted, while maintaining that intelligence reports often contain “uncorroborated or unverified” information.

MPs have since voted to see an ongoing inquiry into foreign interference investigate.

 
 
 
 

Parliament Hill Office Contact Information


Phone Number: 613-995-5550

Fax Number: 613-995-5226

E-mail Address: John.Williamson@parl.gc.ca

Address (no postage necessary):
John Williamson, MP
Room 204 — Justice Building
House of Commons
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0A6

 

Constituency Contact Information


St. Stephen Constituency Office

Phone Number (local): 506-466-3928

Phone Number (toll-free): 1-888-350-4734

Fax Number: 506-466-2813

Address:
69 Milltown Blvd
St. Stephen, New Brunswick
E3L 1G5

 

None

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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