Evidence of meeting #22 for Agriculture and Agri-Food in the 39th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was board.
A recording is available from Parliament.
4:40 p.m.
Conservative
David Anderson Conservative Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK
Do you recognize theirs as having validity?
4:40 p.m.
Minister of of Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives, Government of Manitoba
Alberta's question was not the one I would ask.
4:40 p.m.
Conservative
David Anderson Conservative Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK
But do you recognize the validity of their plebiscite?
4:40 p.m.
Minister of of Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives, Government of Manitoba
Alberta has the ability to hold a plebiscite, just as we will. But we will form a more unbiased question.
4:40 p.m.
Conservative
David Anderson Conservative Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK
I'm sure you will. But do you recognize their plebiscite as being valid? Yes or no.
4:40 p.m.
Minister of of Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives, Government of Manitoba
Alberta can have a plebiscite if they want to. But I want a plebiscite for all producers across the country.
4:40 p.m.
Conservative
David Anderson Conservative Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK
What voters list do you intend to use? I understand that if the Wheat Board gives you their list, that's breaking the law. How do you intend to formulate a voters list?
4:40 p.m.
Minister of of Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives, Government of Manitoba
We will develop our own voters list.
4:40 p.m.
Minister of of Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives, Government of Manitoba
We have lists of producers in the province, and we will be using our own lists. We will not be using the Wheat Board list.
4:40 p.m.
Conservative
David Anderson Conservative Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK
Do you intend to go to grain producers? Are you going to go to everyone who has an interest in the grain? What group are you going to be taking on?
4:40 p.m.
Minister of of Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives, Government of Manitoba
We're looking at the details right now. What we want to do is give a voice to grain and barley producers in the province.
4:40 p.m.
Conservative
David Anderson Conservative Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK
How much money have you committed to your Wheat Board fight? You said you were absolutely opposed to change and would not endorse a policy that would change the single desk. What have you budgeted for this fight?
4:45 p.m.
Minister of of Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives, Government of Manitoba
Our budget will be minimal. I can tell you we will not be spending anything like the $1 million that was spent in Alberta over four years. We anticipate that this will cost less than $2 per voter. We haven't got the details.
4:45 p.m.
Conservative
4:45 p.m.
Minister of of Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives, Government of Manitoba
Close to 8,000.
4:45 p.m.
Conservative
4:45 p.m.
Minister of of Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives, Government of Manitoba
There are about 8,000 wheat and barley producers in Manitoba.
4:45 p.m.
Conservative
David Anderson Conservative Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK
Mr. Horner, do you know how big your survey was?
4:45 p.m.
Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development, Government of Alberta
Actually, I don't have those numbers in front of me. When the survey was brought up, I mentioned that I know the results.
4:45 p.m.
Conservative
David Anderson Conservative Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK
I want to come back to this cost-benefit thing. It's been interesting sitting here, because we've heard numbers that have ranged quite a bit. We heard that the board can give a benefit of $200 million; then it was $500 million. Somebody has come up with $525 million to $565 million. It went to $820 million yesterday, then to $852 million. I'm waiting for somebody to bid $1 billion. But we've also heard that the board does not a bring a premium. We have studies to indicate that it costs producers $15 to $22 a tonne, that it costs up to 15,000 jobs in western Canada.
Mr. Horner, what do you think you will able to do in your province if choice is given? What's going to happen there? What opportunities does that provide?
4:45 p.m.
Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development, Government of Alberta
We're currently on new generation cooperatives in our biofuels and beef-packing facilities. I believe there are opportunities for new generation cooperatives. These are producer-owned venture capital companies that would invest in the value chains they're going to be in. It could be a biofuel plant, ethanol or diesel, or it could be a wheat flour plant. In the future, you could be looking at a pasta plant. You would look at everything involved in the export of these products.
4:45 p.m.
Conservative
4:45 p.m.
Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development, Government of Alberta
I see huge opportunities.
4:45 p.m.
Conservative
David Anderson Conservative Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK
Mr. Wartman, were you serious when you said that you didn't want producers appointed to the board?