Evidence of meeting #23 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 board.
A recording is available from Parliament.
1:25 p.m.
Bloc
André Bellavance Bloc Richmond—Arthabaska, QC
This deserves an answer. I am listening very well. The member knows very well that I understand English and that I don't need translation.
Also, the member who has just spoken, Mr. Gourde, frequently falls asleep during meetings. Some witnesses could confirm that. You should know that this never happens to me. I'm always fully awake.
1:25 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Gerry Ritz
Thank you, gentlemen, for waking everybody up at the end of the meeting.
Ms. Jolly-Nagel, please, your final comments.
Order.
1:25 p.m.
President, Western Canadian Wheat Growers Association
I'll just quickly address the notion that.... Excuse me.
1:25 p.m.
President, Western Canadian Wheat Growers Association
I've raised this question before. I really have to wonder, who's listening?
1:25 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Gerry Ritz
Gentlemen, let's continue on with the meeting and finish it off, please.
Ms. Jolly-Nagel, please.
1:25 p.m.
President, Western Canadian Wheat Growers Association
My comment is that I had to go to a lot of work to reorganize my life and my schedule to be here today. I'm a new mother, I'm a farmer, and I'm a small-business owner, in addition to that. It was a four-hour plane ride, and all the way here I had to ask myself, will there be anybody around that table at the standing committee who is actually going to listen to me? Are their minds already made up?
What is the point of our being here today, if you've already made up your minds? If you don't need this information, we don't have to give it to you. What we're telling you is that we have a story to tell, and we're looking for somebody to hear it.
1:25 p.m.
Liberal
Wayne Easter Liberal Malpeque, PE
I can tell you we're listening; I took notes. Although I didn't have time to ask questions, I put notes in my own notes of further stuff we want to research on what you said. So I think you will find that even though we're on opposite sides, we are listening.
1:25 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Gerry Ritz
At this time, let me thank the witnesses for coming forward.
We have asked for a bit of information back from you on Mr. Boshcoff's questions and a couple I raised. Could you get that back to us? The clerk will give you a list of those questions, if you didn't get a chance to get them down, so that you can respond to us. It will be very helpful. Thank you.
Again, thank you for taking time out of your lives to come and present. We know how important this issue is to you.
To the committee, you each received a copy of the calendar at the beginning of the committee meeting. Have a look at it and get your witness lists in as quickly as possible. Then the clerk will start to work on getting those witnesses before us to fill in next week. We have the broad-strokes agenda. We need the witness lists coming in.
Point of clarification, Mr. Anderson.
October 26th, 2006 / 1:25 p.m.
Conservative
David Anderson Conservative Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK
As a point of clarification, I want to respond to a statement made earlier, which was inaccurate. It was Mrs. Holm's statement regarding the minister and the loss of her job. Western Producer management has said that the minister's office had nothing to do with her release. The editor of Western Producer has written a column referring to that. If members want to read it, they can do that.
I wanted to make that clear at this point, and I also wanted to commend my colleague Mr. Gourde, who is always paying attention in committee.