Evidence of meeting #22 for Agriculture and Agri-Food in the 39th Parliament, 2nd session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was commission.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Conservative
Larry Miller Conservative Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound, ON
On a point of order, Mr. Chair, it's irrelevant, it's not allowable, and the member knows that.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative James Bezan
Mr. St. Amand, before you came here, I did read into the record pages 863-864 and pages 876-877 of Marleau and Montpetit, saying that we cannot question appointees as to their political affiliation or on issues of policy development. We're here to look at their qualifications and competence.
Liberal
Lloyd St. Amand Liberal Brant, ON
I'm looking at what I assume is a resumé prepared by Mr. Hermanson.
Conservative
Liberal
Lloyd St. Amand Liberal Brant, ON
In his resumé he talks about being the Reform Party agriculture critic from 1993 to 1997, so I just wanted to--
Conservative
The Chair Conservative James Bezan
I'll read for you the one sentence that's particularly important here. It's on page 876 of Marleau and Montpetit:
Among the areas usually considered to be outside the scope of the committee's study are the political affiliation of the appointee or nominee, contributions to political parties and the nature of the nomination process itself. Any question may be permitted if it can be shown that it relates directly to the appointee's or nominee's ability to do the job.
We're talking about his ability to do the job and not about his political affiliation. Those are the rules. That's according to Marleau and Montpetit.
Go ahead, Mr. Miller.
Conservative
Larry Miller Conservative Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound, ON
The member can talk about the witness's role as an agriculture critic, but not his affiliation. Is that correct?
Conservative
Liberal
Lloyd St. Amand Liberal Brant, ON
It sounds, Mr. Hermanson, that some of your colleagues are getting a little defensive about what is clearly obvious: your involvement with....
Mr. Hermanson, would you agree that ideally it would be preferred by everyone if the commissioner were a person with no antecedents in any political party, or does that help? Does it help to be a member of a certain political party?
Chief Commissioner, Canadian Grain Commission
No. I think what is important are the skills and qualifications a candidate brings to the position. Let me just paint the picture for you of the three commissioners of the Canadian Grain Commission.
I mentioned that all three of us have farm backgrounds. One of the commissioners, the one who is called “the commissioner”, has a background on the industry side. He was involved, among other things, with Agricore United. Of the three of us, he is probably the best expert at technical issues.
The assistant chief commissioner's background, other than being a producer himself, which is very important, is in producer organizations. He was the president of the Grain Growers of Canada and has been involved with B.C. producer organizations, so he brings that perspective to our management team.
My background is in many leadership and management positions and in communication. I've got business experience plus experience as an elected person. Those of you sitting around the table would know the skills required in that regard.
The three of us, by the way, work very well together. Based on my almost two months of experience now, I'd say we work well together. We're a good team. We have some common background and skills and we have some diversity. That makes us a strong team. I don't know if there was an architect behind all this, but I'm quite excited about the commissioners who are in place and the backgrounds, skills, and history that we bring to the table.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative James Bezan
Thank you.
Before I turn this over to Mrs. Skelton, I notice on your resumé that you've been a farmer since 1975, and I take exception, as a farmer myself, to Mr. Boshcoff's comment that just because you're a farmer, you have a very thin resumé. I think farmers are business operators and--
Liberal
Ken Boshcoff Liberal Thunder Bay—Rainy River, ON
Under no circumstances did I say that. You should be ashamed of yourself.
Liberal
Ken Boshcoff Liberal Thunder Bay—Rainy River, ON
I had no intent of saying that, and I certainly did not. I did not. I just said he has a very thin resumé.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative James Bezan
Well, running a farm operation since 1975, I'd say, is a fairly big commitment to do as a farm operator, and we're here for--
Liberal
Ken Boshcoff Liberal Thunder Bay—Rainy River, ON
I'll say it again: he has a very thin resumé. I certainly respect farmers to the utmost, and--
Conservative
The Chair Conservative James Bezan
They're farm business managers, and that comment I take as a personal offence.
Liberal
Ken Boshcoff Liberal Thunder Bay—Rainy River, ON
Well, you should not. I would never say that about a farmer--never.
Conservative
Carol Skelton Conservative Saskatoon—Rosetown—Biggar, SK
I'm sorry, Mr. Boshcoff.
Mr. Chair, when Mr. Boshcoff made that statement, I took offence to it too, as a producer and a grain farmer and a farm partner since the 1960s. I really think that graduate students coming out of university today have not lived and experienced what a grain farmer has experienced in Saskatchewan since the 1970s, so I take offence to it, and you cannot become a farmer by reading a book. That's just my point.
Mr. Hermanson, your skills are well known in Saskatchewan.
Liberal
Ken Boshcoff Liberal Thunder Bay—Rainy River, ON
I have to rise again on a point of personal privilege. At no time did I ever say anything close to what has just been alluded to by the honourable member. I'm only talking to this resumé. Look, there it is, right there, a page and a half. I'm talking strictly about Mr. Hermanson and his own career, so there.
Conservative
Brian Storseth Conservative Westlock—St. Paul, AB
On a point of order, Mr. Chairman, if Mr. Boshcoff wants to rise on a point of privilege, he will be able to do so in the House.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative James Bezan
You can do that in committee. A point of privilege can be raised at any point in time. I will review the blues, and we'll have to report back at the next committee meeting.
Go ahead, Mrs. Skelton.
Conservative
Carol Skelton Conservative Saskatoon—Rosetown—Biggar, SK
Mr. Boshcoff and I usually get along pretty well, Mr. Chair, but a lot of people don't have professional resumé writers, either.
Mr. Hermanson, I want to go back to the Canadian Grain Commission's grain research. Is that part of your bailiwick? Are you going to be working on the grain research the commission does?
Chief Commissioner, Canadian Grain Commission
One of the unknown gems of the Canadian Grain Commission is the research component. I don't know if members have been to the head office of the Grain Commission in Winnipeg, but you're certainly invited. We have a grain research laboratory that is doing exciting things, and it has benefited producers mightily.
We do research into ways to process Canadian grains to access the Asian market. That's one section of the work of the Grain Commission. We are constantly doing milling tests on wheat. We're doing tests on barley for malt and other purposes. The dollars that the Grain Commission has put into the pockets of producers through the work of the grain research laboratory is, I believe, an unknown that should be more widely publicized. It is one of the credits to the Grain Commission that I think even producers aren't fully aware of.
By the way, we're certainly fully committed to the ongoing work of the research. And if Parliament were to even expand that role for the Grain Commission, we would certainly be prepared to take it on, because we recognize how important it is.