International Trade committee  Thank you, Mr. Chair. I think it's very interesting that Mr. Easter said he was going to ask two questions, and I think I have seven. Anyway, on bilateral and regional agreements, I hope Canada aggressively goes after bilaterals and regionals, and I hope this committee recommends that they do and recommends that they have all the support, all the money they need to get it done, that it doesn't take away from WTO negotiations.

International Trade committee  I don't think we can ever give up on the WTO. I hope Canada does become a leader in making sure it stays on the rails. In this set of negotiations, I see a lot of trouble if we're not able to make some progress by July 31, but there's no alternative to the WTO for going after those subsidies, so I hope we can have progress.

International Trade committee  It's an easy answer, Ted. The only way to go after subsidies is through the WTO. We tried to launch the round in 1999. We eventually did launch it in 2001. The Uruguay Round was signed 10 years ago. We've been at it a long time. It's time to make some decisions and soldier on.

International Trade committee  It is a very political question and a very political statement. I hope all the fine honourable members in the House step up to the plate for all producers in Canada and all the jobs associated with agriculture in Canada, and that we don't put ourselves in a position where we're not actively engaged in the negotiations.

International Trade committee  I bet Bob Friesen knows. Isn't the amount about €66 billion or something like that--€71 billion?

International Trade committee  As well, the support I'm talking about from the U.S. is amber. That is the most distorting. Let's be clear. Bob makes an excellent point in talking about the need in these negotiations to tighten criteria around the green box spending, to make darned sure that people can't simply shift boxes and continue to distort markets.

International Trade committee  They're both playing by the rules we've agreed to. I hope they won't keep doing it and I hope the reason they stop is that we have a successful conclusion to Doha that says they can't keep doing that to us.

International Trade committee  I have just a comment, sir. It's very interesting that you mentioned the wine industry, because they were all doom and gloom when CUSTA and NAFTA came in. They said they would not survive, and now they are the poster child for industry adaptation to free trade. They're now much stronger and better than they were 20 years ago.

International Trade committee  That's awesome. Let's just remind ourselves that on grains and oilseeds products, the products I produce, the tariff for products coming in is zero. We compete on that and we compete against subsidized product. When you talk about competing in a free way, look to the grains and oilseeds sector.

International Trade committee  Thank you, Mr. Chair. Hello, Mr. Easter, how are you today?

International Trade committee  Thank you, Mr. Chair, and thank you, Mr. Menzies, for that question. Again, if we do not get a deal, there is no status quo. Last year, the Americans spent $15 billion in trade-distorting support for the grains and oilseeds sector. We saw what that did to the feed industry in Canada; it was absolutely devastated.

International Trade committee  I'm just going to go back to the Doha mandate. Part of the Doha mandate is substantial improvements in market access, and clearly, for exporters who face huge tariffs, we need this addressed on our behalf. The goal of the WTO is trade liberalization. That is the reality of it, and that is very, very positive for Canadians because this country is so dependent on international trade.

International Trade committee  The WTO is about trade liberalization and tariffs coming down, and every commodity will have to adjust to the new rules of the game. Let's put it in perspective from my point of view. I grow corn, soybeans, and wheat in southern Ontario. I sit about 250 kilometres away from the American border.

International Trade committee  Thank you for the question. I took economics at the University of Guelph, and I absolutely love numbers. You made a statement that I think I heard correctly, but it's hard in this room because the acoustics aren't the best. You said that the majority of farmers are supply management.

International Trade committee  Over 91% of farmers in Canada are not supply management. If we decided not to go into international markets, this is what it would do to Canadian farms. We would have to set aside close to 28 million acres of land, because we wouldn't need it. We'd have to tell 36,000 grains and oilseed producers to go away and do something else.