Bill C-18 Committee on Nov. 2nd, 2011

Evidence of meeting #3 for Bill C-18 (41st Parliament, 1st Session) in the 41st Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was farmers.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

Bill C-18, An Act to reorganize the Canadian Wheat Board and to make consequential and related amendments to certain Acts

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Allen Oberg Chair, Canadian Wheat Board

Ian McCreary Former Director and Farmer, Canadian Wheat Board

Kenneth A. Rosaasen Professor, University of Saskatchewan

Stewart Wells Director, District 3, Canadian Wheat Board

Henry Vos Former Director, Canadian Wheat Board

Ron Bonnett President, Canadian Federation of Agriculture

Jeff Nielsen Former Director, Canadian Wheat Board

John Knubley Deputy Minister, Department of Agriculture and Agri-Food

Greg Meredith Assistant Deputy Minister, Strategic Policy Branch, Department of Agriculture and Agri-Food

8:45 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Blaine Calkins

Understood, Mr. Valeriote--

8:45 p.m.

Liberal

Frank Valeriote Liberal Guelph, ON

—nor do Canadians need a sermon by him.

8:45 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Blaine Calkins

Minister, I believe Mr. Valeriote's simply asking you to get to the point of your answer in as efficient a manner as possible.

Please continue.

8:45 p.m.

Conservative

Gerry Ritz Conservative Battlefords—Lloydminster, SK

His preamble took three minutes, and I get a yes or a no answer. That's not tenable, Mr. Chair.

Mr. Valeriote, I fully believe in the strength of farmers. Yes, they will elect their own board after the interim period. After the interim period, where we control it as a government, yes, they will elect their own board, should they decide to do that.

8:45 p.m.

Liberal

Wayne Easter Liberal Malpeque, PE

After you expropriate the....

8:45 p.m.

Liberal

Frank Valeriote Liberal Guelph, ON

Why not in the interim period?

8:45 p.m.

Conservative

Gerry Ritz Conservative Battlefords—Lloydminster, SK

Because in the interim period the taxpayers of Canada, through the Department of Agriculture and the Government of Canada, will be backstopping that whole entity. We'll guarantee the initial prices, we'll guarantee the moving forward on price premiums as they're paid, we'll guarantee the pools, and at that point taxpayers' money is at risk. So once we're past that interim—

8:45 p.m.

Liberal

Frank Valeriote Liberal Guelph, ON

Understood.

8:45 p.m.

Conservative

Gerry Ritz Conservative Battlefords—Lloydminster, SK

—absolutely, farmers will run it.

8:45 p.m.

Liberal

Frank Valeriote Liberal Guelph, ON

Understood.

So four years go by, and they want to incorporate. Why do they need your permission?

8:45 p.m.

Conservative

Gerry Ritz Conservative Battlefords—Lloydminster, SK

If they do it in two years, it'll be great.

8:45 p.m.

Liberal

Frank Valeriote Liberal Guelph, ON

Whenever they do it—

8:45 p.m.

Conservative

Gerry Ritz Conservative Battlefords—Lloydminster, SK

Absolutely.

8:45 p.m.

Liberal

Frank Valeriote Liberal Guelph, ON

—why do they need your permission?

8:45 p.m.

Conservative

Gerry Ritz Conservative Battlefords—Lloydminster, SK

Simply to make sure that taxpayers are done and move forward, that's all.

8:45 p.m.

Liberal

Frank Valeriote Liberal Guelph, ON

What do you mean “taxpayers are done”? An application—

8:45 p.m.

Conservative

Gerry Ritz Conservative Battlefords—Lloydminster, SK

That we're not longer guaranteeing.... There has to be that period where the new board, elected by farmers and run by farmers, will take over—

8:45 p.m.

Liberal

Frank Valeriote Liberal Guelph, ON

Minister, if you understand—

8:45 p.m.

Conservative

Gerry Ritz Conservative Battlefords—Lloydminster, SK

—they will guarantee pooling that, and we will move away.

8:45 p.m.

Liberal

Frank Valeriote Liberal Guelph, ON

—incorporating, you'll understand that you file articles of incorporation, period. Nothing more.

8:45 p.m.

Conservative

David Anderson Conservative Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK

A point of order.

8:45 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Blaine Calkins

There's a point of order, Mr. Valeriote.

8:45 p.m.

Conservative

Gerry Ritz Conservative Battlefords—Lloydminster, SK

They may not incorporate. They may do a cooperative, they may do a not-for-profit—

8:45 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Blaine Calkins

Minister, the chair has the floor.

I am recognizing a point of order.

Mr. Anderson.

8:45 p.m.

Conservative

David Anderson Conservative Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK

Mr. Chair, this is ridiculous. Mr. Valeriote does not want to let the minister answer his question—and that's okay. But it's time to let him answer his question with some respect for him, and I'd appreciate it if he'd back off and let him do that.