Federal Conservatives defeat motion to ban importing shark fins

[MarchHare]

I'm the furthest thing possible from a PETA-supporting animal rights extremist, but even as a carnivore and seafood-lover I realize what a cruel and barbaric practice shark finning is. Polls show that 81% of Canadians support a ban on shark fins. Making shark fin imports illegal (finning in Canadian waters is already banned) should be a clear bi-partisan issue that all MPs can get behind, right?

Wrong. The Conservatives just defeated a private member's bill to ban shark fin imports by a margin of 143-138. Why? Because they're cynically trying to appeal to older Chinese voters. Shameful.

Read more: http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/...nadian-values/

Shark finning already is banned in Canadian waters. But a private member’s bill put forward this week by NDP MP Fin Donnelly would have gone further, banning the importation of foreign shark fins into Canada, where they end up in soup served at Chinatown restaurants. An estimated 100 tons of shark find are brought into our country every year — a harvest that corresponds to thousands of dead sharks, many of them trafficked by criminal gangs in Central America and elsewhere.

The bill seemed like a no-brainer: After all, we have a majority Conservative government that regularly (and properly) insists that Canadian immigrants adapt themselves to our values. Jason Kenney even put out a new citizenship study guide in 2011 to ensure that newcomers adopt “values and institutions that are rooted in Canada’s history.”

Unfortunately, Conservative MPs defeated Mr. Donnelly’s bill by the narrow margin of 143-138. And the reason is simple and crass: ethno-politics. Many older Chinese immigrants in this country still eat shark-fin soup. Just a few months ago, in fact, the government’s Minister of State, Alice Wong, made a deliberate spectacle of eating the dish at a restaurant in her B.C. riding, an event broadcast on Chinese-language television.

I have it on good authority that young staffers within the Conservative Party — who take animal cruelty a lot more seriously than ethnic votes — are appalled by this. A while ago, before the current controversy, one Tory staffer friend of mine even had the courage to post his support for a shark-fin ban on a private blog. He got a call within hours from the party’s social-media police, angrily demanding that the post be taken down.

The full voting record on this bill can be found here: http://www.parl.gc.ca/HousePublicati...&DocId=6066281

I don't have time to look up the party affiliation of each MP to see if it was only Conservatives who opposed the ban, but the list of Nays reads like a who's who of CPC members and ministers (Harper, Kenney, Ambrose, MacKay, Baird, Paradis, Toews, Van Loan, and, of course, Anders).

[rubecube]

Are we at all surprised? The party's track record on environmental issues speaks for itself.

[PsYcNeT]

What a bizarre thing to oppose.

[Temporary_User]

Another win for capitalism and freedom of choice

[burn_this_city]

Stupid

[Cheese]

bill put forward this week by NDP MP Fin Donnelly

[MarchHare]

Originally Posted by Cheese

bill put forward this week by NDP MP Fin Donnelly

Yeah, I was going to point that out in the OP but couldn't think of a decent joke.

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by Cheese

bill put forward this week by NDP MP Fin Donnelly

I actually knew this guy years ago and lost touch. I had no idea he was an MP now.

He once swam the length of the Fraser River to raise awareness... for something.

[burn_this_city]

Didn't make you terribly aware then.

[KelVarnsen]

I guess rabbit is happy.

[Zulu29]

Such a blatantly stupid thing to defeat. It's a barbaric and disgusting practice and frankly has no place in the civilized world. Cons just gave me one more reason to vote against them in the next election.

[The Yen Man]

Probably not going to be a popular opinion around here, but oh well. Nice! I'm gonna have to order some next time I'm out for dinner to celebrate.

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by burn_this_city

Didn't make you terribly aware then.

That was the joke. It was actually to promote the protection of rivers, the salmon fishery and stewardship. I think he swam a few rivers. I remember asking him when he was going to do it again and he asked me with total seriousness; "When are YOU going to do it?" It was actually a pretty motivating statement for me.

I know the NDP isn't popular around here, but you'll never meet a more passionate person. He used to volunteer for everything and really cares about people and the environment... it's nice to see him doing well.

[Huntingwhale]

Must have been the oriental conservatives who voted that way.

[troutman]

I visited Sea Life in Phoenix last week, and the presenter said that sharks will be extinct in 100 years. That sounded a bit alarmist. Any truth to that claim?

[Reaper]

Originally Posted by troutman

I visited Sea Life in Phoenix last week, and the presenter said that sharks will be extinct in 100 years. That sounded a bit alarmist. Any truth to that claim?

You should ask sharkman.

[Zulu29]

Originally Posted by troutman

I visited Sea Life in Phoenix last week, and the presenter said that sharks will be extinct in 100 years. That sounded a bit alarmist. Any truth to that claim?

I don't know about the entire species in 100 years but certainly a lot of them could. Their environment and prey are being destroyed.

[Skootenbeeten]

Ugg it would be nice if their was a non conservative choice that wasn't corrupt or ######ed.

[Kavvy]

Originally Posted by Skootenbeeten

Ugg it would be nice if their was a non conservative choice that wasn't corrupt or ######ed.

Federal politics is strangely mirroring our provincial politics...

I was naive when I grew up and my grandpa's brother would say all politicians are crooks, and I didn't believe him with my fan fare for Joe Clark. But now, on both levels of government, I really can't support anyone, my apathy is at an all time high.

Do you not vote? Seems to be the excuse other people use which I generally pass of as just that - an excuse for being lazy.

[troutman]

Originally Posted by Reaper

You should ask sharkman.

troutman always releases his trout.