Evidence of meeting #5 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 money.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Clerk of the Committee  Mr. Jean-François Lafleur
Colleen Ross  Women's President, National Farmers Union
Kalissa Regier  Youth Vice-President, National Farmers Union
Bob Friesen  President, Canadian Federation of Agriculture

5:25 p.m.

Women's President, National Farmers Union

Colleen Ross

I've actually mentioned the Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute. I guess I have a personal disdain for them. It costs—

5:25 p.m.

Conservative

Larry Miller Conservative Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound, ON

Yes, but you said you could name some names, and I just wondered....

5:25 p.m.

Women's President, National Farmers Union

Colleen Ross

Look at their website and check out their board of directors.

5:25 p.m.

Conservative

Larry Miller Conservative Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound, ON

So you're saying their board of directors. Okay.

5:25 p.m.

Women's President, National Farmers Union

Colleen Ross

To be honest, I'm glad Samy Watson is gone. I think he was extremely damaging. He left a trail of destruction. I know people who worked within Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada who were thrilled when he left.

5:25 p.m.

Conservative

Larry Miller Conservative Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound, ON

Is there anybody else?

November 28th, 2007 / 5:25 p.m.

Women's President, National Farmers Union

Colleen Ross

I'm not going to get into that right now, but what we're dealing with—

5:25 p.m.

Conservative

Larry Miller Conservative Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound, ON

But you said, Ms. Ross, that you could name names. Then I asked you, and you say you don't want to get into it.

5:25 p.m.

Women's President, National Farmers Union

Colleen Ross

Well, Suzanne Vinet—

5:25 p.m.

Conservative

Larry Miller Conservative Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound, ON

I'm asking the questions, if you could answer them. You made some pretty strong statements.

5:25 p.m.

Women's President, National Farmers Union

Colleen Ross

Okay, you want me to name some names. Well, somebody here asked me if the NFU was partisan to the NDP. It's absolutely, positively not, but when we asked Gerry Ritz very kindly to come as a guest to our convention, he refused. We asked him to send a guest as a second, and he also refused. We've asked Chuck Strahl to come. He never attended. They won't even meet with us.

5:30 p.m.

Conservative

Larry Miller Conservative Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound, ON

Well, I don't know how that relates to my questions here.

5:30 p.m.

Women's President, National Farmers Union

Colleen Ross

This is trying to deal with people whose job security depends on their not understanding us.

5:30 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative James Bezan

The bells are ringing. I ask the steering committee to hold back, before it takes off. We have a couple of items of business we have to talk about briefly.

I do want to thank the witnesses for coming in today.

Colleen, Kalissa, and Bob, we very much appreciate your testimony. It will help us form our report that we plan on tabling in the House of Commons this winter. Thank you.

Do I have a motion to adjourn?

5:30 p.m.

An hon. member

Yes.

5:30 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative James Bezan

The meeting is adjourned.