In the National Assembly, Quebec Minister of Parks, Wildlife and Forest Luc Blanchette stood during question period stating that “ providing fishing advice should not be an exclusive activity and to pretend that only fishing guides be allowed to provide fishing advice is too restrictive.”
This was in response to the fishing industry’s uproar against the introduction of Bill 505. The position of this industry is that fishing advice is complex and that changes to the law as proposed under Bill 505 would allow anyone to offer fishing advice. “Putting a worm at the end of a hook is difficult and a complex task which could lead to the loss of the worm and worst; the finger being pricked by the hook.”
The fishing industry is not the only organization opposing changes under Bill 505. Options Consommateurs which is is a non-profit consumer organization dedicated to promoting and defending the interests of Canadian consumers is throwing its hat in the ring by releasing a report on this subject. The conclusion is simple. By comparing what is done around the world, Options Consommateurs is strongly against opening fishing in Quebec to the concept of the public having direct access to the lakes and being allowed to fish by themselves without the presence of a guide.
We have been observing this debate and our position can be summarized by these simple statements: “Whaaaaaat!!!!!! What the fuck are you talking about? Are you losing your mind in Quebec? I have been fishing by myself LEGALLY in Quebec for the last 40 years without the use of a guide. If you don’t believe me; I can send you pictures. So why do you think it’s a bad idea to allow fishing without a guide when this is how it is done and how it’s been done!”
When we contacted the representative of the fishing industry to clarify this issue asking what is the current law in Quebec that would prevent people to fish without the use of a guide, the representative refused to answer our question instead choosing to respond with insults and accusing us of wanting to destroy the fishing industry.
We then contacted Options Consommateurs asking them why did they publish a report stating that direct access to lakes by fishing without a guide was not currently done in Quebec and that such direct access should not be allowed. Options Consommateurs did not respond to our questions.
We then contacted different Quebec journalists. As journalists, they would certainly be interested with the facts. However no journalists in Quebec have been willing to ask one question on this issue by instead publishing the positions of the fishing industry and Options Consommateurs as is without providing any facts that would challenge the position of this industry and organization.
Now before you go all angry at the folly of Quebec, I have to state that this story is not entirely true. What is amazing is that I cannot state that it is entirely false either. The only false fact in this text is that we are not talking about the fishing industry. We are talking about the financial industry. The rest is all accurate.
The financial industry is in uproar against Quebec Finance Minister Leitao for introducing Bill 141 which they believe will allow anyone to offer financial advice. The problem is that there is nothing in the current law that would prevent anyone from offering financial advice. The current law prohibits someone that is not licensed from offering financial products to the public and this is how it always been in Quebec and the rest of Canada. So how can you say that Bill 141 would allow something when the law has always allowed it?
Same thing for Options Consommateurs which stated that you cannot buy insurance products directly from insurers in Quebec and to allow this in the future would be a bad idea. The problem is that insurance products have been sold directly to the public for the last 40 years in Quebec. So what are you talking about and why are you lying?
Quebec journalists have refused to confront the financial industry and Options Consommateurs on their fake assumptions and fake statements.
Why is all of this lying occurring? The reason is not hard to comprehend. If your position was that people should not been allowed to go fishing without a fishing guide or that fishing advice should only be provided by fishing guides, it’s a lot simpler to defend this position if you pretend that for the last 40 years, people have never been able to fish by themselves.
