Evidence of meeting #34 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 emerson.
A recording is available from Parliament.
3:40 p.m.
The Clerk of the Committee Mrs. Carol Chafe
Honourable members of the committee, I see a quorum, a full house.
Our first order of business today is to elect a chair; therefore, I am ready to receive nominations to that effect.
Mr. Shipley.
3:40 p.m.
Conservative
3:40 p.m.
The Clerk
Are there any further nominations?
3:40 p.m.
The Clerk
Are there any further nominations?
Seeing no further nominations, I declare Mr. Bezan your new chair.
Mr. Bezan, would you like to come forth?
3:40 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative James Bezan
I want to thank everyone for their confidence in me to take this illustrious chair. I think the committee, since I've been sitting on it since 2004, has done an excellent job. As was said, we had a great chair in Gerry, and I got to serve under Paul as well, when he was chairing the committee. We've often been able to get by our political differences and focus on the issues that are important to farmers. And that's what we're here today about--laying out the groundwork for this next session and making sure we always keep in mind that we're serving our agricultural community from one end and from one side of this country to the other.
We do have the planning of future business and a few motions here, from Mr. Bellavance and Mr. Miller.
I would entertain how you want to deal with this, if you want to go in camera or stay out of camera. It's your pleasure.
Wayne.
3:40 p.m.
Liberal
Wayne Easter Liberal Malpeque, PE
I also have a motion coming forward for 48 hours' notice.
I think on the motions we've always dealt with them in public, but on the planning for the agenda we would go in camera.
3:40 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative James Bezan
I do have the motion from Mr. Easter. We don't have to deal with this right now. It's been tabled, so we'll allow everybody to peruse it.
Does the committee wish first to deal with motions and then we'll move on to future business in that way?
Monsieur Bellavance.
3:45 p.m.
Bloc
3:45 p.m.
Bloc
André Bellavance Bloc Richmond—Arthabaska, QC
That is what I understood. All right.
First, I congratulate you on your election, well, your appointment to the position of Chairman. I am sure that you will be able to continue in the same vein as your predecessor.
Regarding my motion, I call on my colleagues to support it, of course. I think it is important to present my proposal in the form of a motion. Indeed, during the holidays, I was reading The Western Producer, and to my great surprise, I saw that the Minister of International Trade, who is responsible for negotiations with the World Trade Organization, the WTO, was holding forth there. Of course, the Minister of Agriculture and AGri-food also participates, but it is the Minister of International Trade who is sort of our standard bearer for international trade and agriculture.
We know the extent to which some of the countries participating in the negotiations attack every aspect of the supply management system. The same holds true for the Canadian Wheat Board. Now, in the article in The Western Producer of December 21, last, Mr. Emerson was saying that the days of supply management are numbered. We are not talking about a simple quote, a single phrase where he might have blurted out something about supply management perhaps not being the best idea in the world and that changes had to be made; we are talking about a whole article in which Mr. Emerson, the Minister of International Trade, is delivering that message.
So, it’s very disturbing. In any case, I think it would be irresponsible on our part not to invite the Minister to appear before the committee to answer our questions, even though we all know that the day after or a few days after the publication of that article, a press release circulated in which Messrs. Strahl and Emerson said they support supply management.
That entire interview is still very disturbing, and I would like to know more. I am also persuaded that agricultural producers of Quebec who are subject to supply management, and the others elsewhere in Canada, would be very interested in Minister Emerson’s evidence here before our committee. I think that we should make it a priority.
3:45 p.m.
Conservative
Michael Chong Conservative Wellington—Halton Hills, ON
I'm of the view that Minister Emerson has clarified his comments and has come out quite strongly in support of supply management. After that article went to press, he and the Minister of Agriculture issued a joint statement indicating their full support for supply management.
In my view, the committee has a lot of work in front of it in terms of items that have to be tackled. The agricultural policy framework is under way right now with some of the public consultations. I think that should be the focus, as opposed to calling Minister Emerson in front of the committee to clarify some comments that he has already clarified. I don't think that's a productive use of the committee's time.
3:45 p.m.
Liberal
Wayne Easter Liberal Malpeque, PE
I'll speak very strongly in favour of the motion. Clearly what we had in the original statement from Minister Emerson was a statement that obviously slipped by the message machinery of the Prime Minister's Office. We got some real facts in terms of where at least the Minister of International Trade stands on the issue of supply management.
As we can see from the government's attack on the Wheat Board, if you apply marketing choice to orderly marketing, then the same principle will eventually apply to supply management marketing choice, and if people requested the right to market on their own, as some are doing under orderly marketing through the Canadian Wheat Board, that same principle, no doubt, would apply to supply management.
What we've seen from Minister Emerson is the straight facts in terms of where Minister Emerson, and probably the government, is really at. I know Michael mentioned the joint statement. Clearly the joint statement, from my reading of it, was something that probably was drafted in the PMO, and Minister Emerson was ordered to abide by it.
This is a critical issue for supply management producers in the country. Minister Emerson made the original statement. He didn't deny the facts of what was in The Western Producer. He did massage it a little bit in his second statement. I believe we have to hear from the minister directly. This is a very critical issue for dairy, poultry, turkey, and egg producers in this country, and it also outlines the government's intent of where it will go in the future. We need to hear from the minister.
I would suggest, André, that we need to put a qualifier in there of “as soon as possible”. What we'll likely get from this government is delay, delay, delay. I would suggest we need to look at it within 30 days.
3:50 p.m.
Conservative
David Anderson Conservative Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK
Mr. Easter is trying to make this as partisan as he can, and we want to move away from that. Obviously the agriculture minister, the trade minister, and the Prime Minister made it clear that our party supports the present system's supply management system as it is. I don't think there's any need to bring Minister Emerson here. We'll be opposing the motion.
3:50 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative James Bezan
Are there any other comments?
I know the committee is somewhat limited in calling ministers from other departments. We can extend the invitation. I know that. He's not obligated to appear, but if we want to entertain that....
Are you ready for the question?
3:50 p.m.
Liberal
Wayne Easter Liberal Malpeque, PE
I would suggest, Mr. Chair, on your comments, that this statement is, in my view, of a serious enough nature that if Minister Emerson doesn't show up, then the committee has the power of subpoena. I'd certainly be willing to go that far.
3:50 p.m.
Conservative
3:50 p.m.
Bloc
3:50 p.m.
Conservative
3:50 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative James Bezan
I declare that motion carried.
Let's move on to our next motion, which was tabled by Larry Miller. Mr. Miller couldn't be here today.
Do you have a copy of it?
3:50 p.m.
Liberal
Paul Steckle Liberal Huron—Bruce, ON
Both Wayne and I have spoken to Larry about this, and I have committed--and probably Wayne has too--that if he wasn't able to be here, we would take that motion forward under our name. We're supportive of the motion, by the way. But we're not trying to steal it from you guys.
3:50 p.m.
Conservative
David Anderson Conservative Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK
You're comfortable with the motion going ahead.
