Evidence of meeting #31 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 quebec.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Gerry Ritz
Well, then, put “approximately 1.5 million kilograms”.
I have Mr. Atamanenko and then Mr. Boshcoff.
NDP
Alex Atamanenko NDP British Columbia Southern Interior, BC
So James, this basically addresses the concerns of the Cattlemen's Association, which you're part of. I imagine the concern that--
Conservative
James Bezan Conservative Selkirk—Interlake, MB
Definitely. I consulted with CCA in moving ahead with this, and this does address those concerns. I strongly feel this is what we need in the industry.
Since the border closure, I don't see any hardship falling upon the meat processing sector. I just don't see that happening. We haven't been bringing in a bunch of cheap Uruguayan beef for the institutional trade.
There are one or two products out there that we don't produce in Canada, or in North America for that matter. But they will have to access some offshore markets. Hopefully they can get those in underneath the current permits of 76,000 tonnes. If they require supplementals and can't access that product here, then in those situations the minister is free to put permits in place for those specialty products.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Gerry Ritz
Just for a point of clarification, you're simply targeting the WTO supplementals, not the NAFTA requirements that are roughly the same amount.
Conservative
James Bezan Conservative Selkirk—Interlake, MB
Right. The NAFTA is still there, and they can still access those products from NAFTA partners.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Gerry Ritz
Okay. There are two streams of outside beef coming in; you're simply addressing the supplementals.
Conservative
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Gerry Ritz
And the only push-back we'd expect would be from secondary processors.
Liberal
Ken Boshcoff Liberal Thunder Bay—Rainy River, ON
Just to confirm where those numbers come from, it is the Canadian Cattlemen's Association. They are feeling that it is around 2%, which comes to the 76,409 that Larry was asking about. They're using the 1,500 tonnes.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Gerry Ritz
Okay, because the kilograms don't work out. You actually cut it. You were forgetting the .2. It's actually 10% higher than that.
Conservative
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Gerry Ritz
All right.
Gentlemen, the math doesn't quite work out to 1.5 million kilograms, because it's 2.2 pounds per kilogram, not 2. So we're just going to stick with the 76,405 tonnes. We can say metric tonnes, if we want to make sure it's metric. That's 76,405 metric tonnes. Is that okay?
Okay, so that will be the wording.
Is there any other discussion on this motion?
The question stands on the motion put before us, amended now to read “76,405 metric tonnes” in place of “1.5 million kilograms”.
(Motion agreed to [See Minutes of Proceedings])
Now you are asking for this to be reported to the House, James?
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Gerry Ritz
That's part of the motion?
All right, we'll leave that with the clerk.
Okay, that piece of business is done.
Is there anything else of a housekeeping nature, as we're waiting for our witnesses, gentlemen?
Mr. Miller.
Conservative
Larry Miller Conservative Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound, ON
I have a small thing, Mr. Chairman.
I'd just like to have it on record, if it's appropriate--and I'll use your judgment--that there be a motion to send condolences to our clerk on the loss in his family.
Conservative
Larry Miller Conservative Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound, ON
No, but I was going to suggest that the committee send a card.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Gerry Ritz
It just went around this morning. I guess you weren't at the table yet.