Agriculture Committee on June 17th, 2008

[Larry Miller, Conservative, Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Being a farmer, I know the beef industry and the livestock industry in general, and the affect it's having on my community right now. I certainly sympathize with tobacco growers and some of the obstacles they have out there right now. But I have to be opposed to this motion because of some of the wording. I know what Mr. St. Amand is trying to do, but we have to come up with something that is a complete package. While Mr. St. Amand has pointed out one part of the strategy he'd like to see in here, there's a bigger picture there. We've heard that from witnesses here.

I've heard from a number of municipal representatives from the area where tobacco growers are, including from Mr. St. Amand's riding, and they unequivocally told me it must be a complete package. It can't be just a buy-out. I think we have to look at that. I guess I wasn't expecting that from them, but it makes sense when you stop and think about it.

So I have to be opposed to the motion as it is. I know the minister has been consulting with the tobacco industry, and I think that needs to continue. I respect the approach and the peacefulness those in the tobacco industry have taken in the negotiations with the minister. I urge them to continue consultations and work with the board that's been formed to find out some way of solving the crisis in the tobacco industry.

[The Chair, Conservative, James Bezan]

Mr. Storseth.

[Brian Storseth, Conservative, Westlock—St. Paul, AB]

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.

I appreciate the work everybody on this committee has done on this. We heard from the tobacco growers last week.

I find the wording in this motion somewhat troubling. It would include not only all the quota from past years, but the quota from this year as well. That would garner a payout for this year plus their crop revenue, and I believe that would create some issues.

I don't know if Mr. St. Amand is open to looking at rewording his motion or if he's going to put it forward the way it is. But I do find some problems with the current wording of the motion. I agree with Mr. Miller's comments that we need to have a holistic solution to this problem.

[The Chair, Conservative, James Bezan]

Thank you.

Mr. Easter.

[Wayne Easter, Liberal, Malpeque, PE]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

We can quibble over wording, but the fact of the matter is that the intent of the resolution is to have an interim payment of $1.78 per pound for those who exit the industry. Mr. Chair, there's been a lot of discussion on this issue, and as I said last week, I was in the area. It was clear during a committee meeting last week, when we had Mr. Preston here, the chair of--I'm not sure of the appropriate name--the tobacco task force or regional task force, and we raised in questioning that an immediate exit strategy for tobacco producers would not compromise the task force's work.

That was clear from the meeting we had with him last week. The government could come forward with an exit strategy for the tobacco producers themselves, who were under very strenuous personal and economic strain, in part due to the actions of the current Minister of Immigration herself. She made very to clear to me when we were down there that the tobacco industry as a whole, the population down there, felt the government had committed itself to an exit strategy and had broken their word. Even the bankers lent money on the basis of the commitment that they felt the current government had given them towards an exit strategy.

The government holds a lot of responsibility here, and so the fact of the matter is that this resolution would not compromise the task force's work. That can go on. As a bottom line, I would feel that in fact, if the government were to commit itself to this $1.78 per pound interim payment for those who are going to exit the industry, it would even complement the work of the task force. Then these tobacco producers, now under such financial strain, would see some light at the end of the tunnel and be able to focus on future investment and future opportunity, rather than worrying about where their next meal is going to come from.

[The Chair, Conservative, James Bezan]

Mr. Atamanenko.

[Alex Atamanenko, NDP, British Columbia Southern Interior, BC]

You know, I'm not even sure why we're going back and forth on this. This is a chance for us to make a statement, to say let's get some initial money to these folks who have been suffering for all these years.

It's true that we need an exit strategy, and everybody's trying to work together, but this takes time. All this is saying is let's get out there, give them a little bit of help so they can keep those farms going initially, as we've done for other producers in a crisis situation, and let's just get on with it. This is a recommendation. It's a statement to the minister, and hopefully he will understand this. Let's get on with it, as we work towards this strategy. I would just hope that we can get this done quickly and give them some help.

[The Chair, Conservative, James Bezan]

Mr. Lauzon.

[Guy Lauzon, Conservative, Stormont—Dundas—South Glengarry, ON]

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.

Really, I want to commend the folks who have driven a long way to be in attendance here. Your message is loud and clear, and we do hear you.

I, like Mr. Easter, have visited the area. I'm not sure I agree with all the comments he made. I think the people I spoke with agree that a comprehensive solution is needed. I hope this isn't a political ploy. I would hate to think that these people in distress would be used as pawns.

Mr. Chair, this is a complex issue, and we believe it requires a comprehensive solution. First of all, this motion does not bring all the stakeholders to the table. We've seen the damage from ad hoc programs that do not include all stakeholders. We saw during a previous government the very damage that can do. And in some cases it hurts the very people we're trying to help.

Mr. Chair, the minister is working with all the stakeholders. He's discussing this very issue with all the stakeholders, and they're working collectively and collaboratively on the solution. I would suggest that we let the minister finish his job and get this completed, and I really think we should call the vote.

[The Chair, Conservative, James Bezan]

I still have a speaker on the list, so I can't call the vote.

Mr. St. Amand.

[Lloyd St. Amand, Liberal, Brant, ON]

I'd just like to reiterate what I've said on a few other occasions now.

Mr. Atamanenko is correct; we are going back and forth on this. The government was elected 29 months ago--29 months ago, Mr. Chair--and something needs to be done. Frankly, something needed to be done 29 months ago.

I take great offence at Mr. Lauzon's suggestion that these good people are being used--I guess by me--as political pawns. Nothing could be further from the truth. I'll indicate to Mr. Lauzon that I will not quickly forget that remark.

I am responding to hundreds of tobacco farmers in my area and in neighbouring ridings who have e-mailed me on a daily basis, describing for me very cogently, very descriptively, the financial situation they find themselves in, which is extremely dire. So no, they are not being used as political pawns. They are here begging the government to finally do something, do something in a tangible fashion, after 29 months.

[The Chair, Conservative, James Bezan]

Mr. Miller.

[Larry Miller, Conservative, Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound, ON]

I have a question for you, Mr. St. Amand: what was done immediately prior to that 29 months? I ask that because it's quite apparent that this problem didn't start 29 months ago. What exactly was announced in, say, the six months before that?

[Lloyd St. Amand, Liberal, Brant, ON]

Mr. Chair, the previous government had done the TAAP program. The $1.78 now being requested by the tobacco farmers is nothing more or less than had been done by the Liberal government a few years back.

[The Chair, Conservative, James Bezan]

Mr. Easter.

[Wayne Easter, Liberal, Malpeque, PE]

Perhaps I can answer Larry's question, because I was involved in that fairly extensively.

What was put in place by the previous government, Larry, was a tobacco reduction strategy. It was agreed on by the industry and the government. Even though the member from the area, who was the Minister of Agriculture, had made that commitment and lost the election, the government still followed through on the commitment he had made.

So we paid out that money on the basis of a tobacco reduction strategy. Clearly it didn't move to a complete exit strategy. It wasn't thought that this was required at the time. Circumstances have since changed.

[The Chair, Conservative, James Bezan]

Mr. Storseth.

[Brian Storseth, Conservative, Westlock—St. Paul, AB]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Nobody in this room, including the people here today who have driven all those kilometres, should doubt Mr. St. Amand's sincerity when it comes to this. Certainly I don't. But I do have to take issue with one comment, and that is where he keeps referring to 29 months.

There have been 28 opportunities for your party to take us down. If this is an issue that's so vitally important that you need a change in government.... And you have Mr. Alghabra, sitting right beside you, who stands up in the House of Commons and says that their party will take us down when it's best for their party.

That is not putting these people first. I implore you to continue to work with the government in the fashion that you have been, or else work with your caucus colleagues to bring a little sincerity to their voting record when it comes to this issue.

[An hon. member]

Call the question.

[The Chair, Conservative, James Bezan]

I'm not seeing any other speakers.

[Lloyd St. Amand, Liberal, Brant, ON]

I'd like a recorded vote, please.

[The Chair, Conservative, James Bezan]

The clerk will record the vote.

(Motion agreed to: yeas 7; nays 4)

[The Chair, Conservative, James Bezan]

With that, our time is up. I'll entertain a motion to adjourn.

Thank you, Mr. Lauzon.

We are adjourned.