Evidence of meeting #3 for Agriculture and Agri-Food in the 40th Parliament, 3rd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was we've.
A recording is available from Parliament.
5:05 p.m.
Assistant Deputy Minister, Strategic Policy Branch, Department of Agriculture and Agri-Food
It is primarily to the industry, yes.
5:05 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Larry Miller
For clarification, Mr. Meredith--for me more than anybody--when Frank asked about being approached by the industry, did you say that it was minister or ministers?
5:05 p.m.
Assistant Deputy Minister, Strategic Policy Branch, Department of Agriculture and Agri-Food
I said ministers, collectively--federal, provincial, and territorial ministers.
5:05 p.m.
Conservative
5:05 p.m.
Assistant Deputy Minister, Strategic Policy Branch, Department of Agriculture and Agri-Food
Yes.
5:05 p.m.
Conservative
5:05 p.m.
Assistant Deputy Minister, Strategic Policy Branch, Department of Agriculture and Agri-Food
I apologize.
5:05 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Larry Miller
No, it's not your fault, it's my farmer's ear.
Alex, do you have a question?
5:05 p.m.
NDP
Alex Atamanenko NDP British Columbia Southern Interior, BC
I have a very quick question. I know that the “Product of Canada” now is 98%. At committee it was recommended there would be 85%, and I know that there have been some movements and discussion. I am wondering what's happening with that now. Is there some movement to move it to 85%? Where are we at?
5:05 p.m.
Vice-President, Policy and Programs, Canadian Food Inspection Agency
I'll answer part of that.
On the “Product of Canada”, it's been just over a year since the implementation of the policy, and as is typical, we look at our policies to see how they are being implemented and whether they are effective. There have been concerns expressed by industry, in particular related to those substances or foods that aren't homegrown in Canada, so we are beginning consultations both with industry and with the consumers, because the consumer's view might be somewhat different.
For a point of clarification, with respect to products of Canada, there are two standards. One is “Product of Canada”, which is all, or virtually all, Canadian; and then there's “Made in Canada”. We're consulting on the policy. We're checking to get the views of industry as well as consumers, looking at whether there are potential options moving forward.
5:05 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Larry Miller
Thank you.
Just a comment on that, and André I'll go to you in a second.
What consumers are telling me is that they're not happy with 98%, they want 100%, but the industry and some people believe we should go to 85%. What I get out of hearing that is some processors want to be able to have the ability to add 15% instead of adding 2% of foreign product. I'm certainly opposed to that. I've always supported the 98% for that reason.
The intention of that “Product of Canada” labelling when it came out was to identify the main products. If you were producing strawberry jam, the intent was that as long as 98% of those strawberries were in there, it could be labelled. The other stuff, some people want to make a deal out of the salts or the sugars or the spices that might go in something; the consumer isn't worried about that. At least that's the message I'm getting.
Mr. Bellavance.
5:05 p.m.
Bloc
André Bellavance Bloc Richmond—Arthabaska, QC
I do not want to spend too much time on this, but consumers are telling me that if they want a product of Canada, they have only to look on the shelves. There are products from the U.S., China, but if they want a product of Canada, they just have to take the one without a label, the one that does not say anything. We cannot put “product of Canada” on jams made in Canada.
Mr. Meredith, you have obviously taken the time to look at the budget carefully. So you must know that all departmental budgets have been frozen except for the Department of National Defence and the Prime Minister's Office. That shows where this government's priorities lie.
How has or how will the departmental budget freeze impact the Department of Agriculture and Agri-Food? Will jobs be lost? Will cuts be made to certain programs? A number of announcements were made for several years. Is the money available, and will we still be able to move forward with those programs?
5:10 p.m.
Assistant Deputy Minister, Strategic Policy Branch, Department of Agriculture and Agri-Food
Thank you for your question, Mr. Bellavance, but I am going to let my colleague, Pierre Corriveau, answer.
5:10 p.m.
Pierre Corriveau Assistant Deputy Minister, Corporate Management, Department of Agriculture and Agri-Food
It will not affect contributions to producers, be they statutory programs or voted programs. There will be cuts to the department's operating budget. As for salaries, no layoffs are planned during the course of the year, but we are always talking to the people at Treasury Board Secretariat, as it depends on when the collective agreements expire. We are also trying to make the department more efficient in order to find money in our operating budget, but contributions to producers will not be affected.
5:10 p.m.
Conservative
5:10 p.m.
Conservative
Brian Storseth Conservative Westlock—St. Paul, AB
Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman.
I didn't want to interrupt my honourable colleague, Mr. Bellavance, but I for one am very happy that the Department of National Defence has been left out of this. I think it's important that we continue to support our men and women of the Canadian armed forces.
But on his “Product of Canada” comments, and he was part of the committee, it is important. When we had our testimony here it was very obvious, as you said, that we need a gold standard in this country. It's important that we recognize that this is voluntary labelling. You can still go “Made in Canada” and you can still go other labels, but “Product of Canada” now means Canadian content, and that is what my farmers and my producers want to have.
We can go out and sell this, not only here in Canada but around the world, but we have to have a gold standard that's no longer 50% of the product was packaged here. It has to be a gold standard. You don't get a gold standard by diluting it to 80% or 75%. It's all, nearly all, or nothing, as far as my producers are concerned.
I think it was an excellent move and I hope we continue with that.
5:10 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Larry Miller
Thank you.
On that note, again I'd like to thank all our staff from the agriculture department and from CFIA. I think we had a lot of questions answered here today, so thanks for coming.
The meeting is adjourned.
