Oh, oh!
Evidence of meeting #53 for Agriculture and Agri-Food in the 41st Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was farm.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Evidence of meeting #53 for Agriculture and Agri-Food in the 41st Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was farm.
A recording is available from Parliament.
5:10 p.m.
Voices
Oh, oh!
5:10 p.m.
NDP
5:10 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Bev Shipley
We do have a little business, and I have a sense that when this part ends it will take a minute or two before we get back just to say goodbye to you. But before I do that, I want to tell you that right now we're studying interprovincial barriers. I think we all understood that there were some interprovincial barriers, but I'm not so sure we understood the complexity and the number of regulatory barriers in front of us.
I made a comment the other day that it's a bit like having barriers on steroids just trying to move products within our own country.
In terms of innovation and research, Bill C-18, the agriculture growth act, will be coming to fruition very soon. That is going to be one of the largest steps forward for agriculture with regard to plant breeders' rights and UPOV 91, etc., so I look forward to that.
With regard to that, I think as a country we can make great strides in research partnerships by involving as many partners as possible in the research and in moving this great industry forward.
I have to tell you that I think this app initiative is quite something. I sort of interrupted, but this would never have been a discussion 10 years ago and maybe not even five years ago. I've farmed all my life, but I think it tells all of us and the young people who are coming along that there is an excitement about the agriculture industry that I'm not so sure I've seen for a long while. Sure it has been profitable, and any industry should be. But we also recognize that there are valleys and hills in this industry. There isn't one of you who could not sit down with the CEO or the CAO of any advanced technology company or any business in this country and have a serious business discussion. That's the way it is. I think for many years this agriculture industry was looked at as farming. Kerry said, “Well, I just farm”. We don't do that. That's not it. It's actually the most significant industry in this country.
Why is that and why are we doing our trade agreements? It is because there isn't a country that is not interested and that doesn't know that it needs to have a safe supply of good quality food. Everything else gets built on top of that.
So I say thank you for those initiatives, and I encourage you, and likely you already do this, to become members of the chambers of commerce, become members of the business organizations in your community where there aren't farmers, so that they know that we have business people and leaders like you in them, wherever you can do that. We have a great industry. We have so many positive things to talk about in this industry, and I look forward to hearing about those great things that come out of your forum as you promote the agriculture industry going forward.
I want to thank all of you from all of us for taking the time to be here. The timing worked really well. As I mentioned when Mark brought the idea up, it didn't take much discussion to move into the action part of inviting you. So thank you very much.
We'll take about a two-minute recess if we can and then we'll come back and quickly wrap up the business part.
5:10 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Bev Shipley
People don't have to leave. We're not going in camera. I just need to get members of the committee back here for a minute.
Folks, I'm going to turn the meeting over to Michel in a minute, because Madam Ruth Ellen Brosseau has been first vice-chair, and she's going to step down.
Mr. Allen may be the member that would be proposed for the position, but this is the time that I would step away and let Michel run the meeting.
5:10 p.m.
The Clerk of the Committee Mr. Jean Michel Roy
Pursuant to Standing Order 106(2) the first vice-chair must be a member of the official opposition.
I'm now prepared to receive motions for the first vice-chair.
5:10 p.m.
Liberal
February 26th, 2015 / 5:10 p.m.
The Clerk
It has been moved by Mr. Eyking that Mr. Allen be elected as first vice-chair of the committee.
Are there any further motions?
Is it the pleasure of the committee to adopt the motion?
5:10 p.m.
Some hon. members
Agreed.
5:10 p.m.
The Clerk
I declare the motion carried, and Mr. Allen duly elected first vice-chair of the committee.
5:10 p.m.
Some hon. members
Hear, hear!
5:10 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Bev Shipley
We don't allow speeches, and I'm going to start now.
Anyway, folks, thanks a lot. It was a great day.
We are back at 131 Queen Street, and we'll see you when we come back. Next week is a break week.
5:10 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Bev Shipley
We're at 131 Queen Street, yes. It's good. It's exercise.
Thank you. Have a great week.
The meeting is adjourned.
