Agriculture Committee on Feb. 3rd, 2009

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

I think we have to be careful. We need translation services for the steering committee, if I'm not mistaken. We would probably have to meet in an official....

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

I apologize. I never thought of that.

[Mark Eyking, Liberal, Sydney—Victoria, NS]

Is it at the same time, 11 o'clock?

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

Yes, it's 11 to 1. I'm just suggesting that the subcommittee block time for this Thursday, that's all.

Mr. Storseth.

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

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I'd just like to take the opportunity before we wrap up to give notice of motion on a motion. I'll read it into the record, and then I'll allow the clerk to take 48 hours to translate it and distribute it to the committee members.

My motion would read:

That the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food conduct a study of the Competition Act and make recommendations on potential changes in light of the global economy and the effect the lack of competition and pricing is having on the farmer's ability to produce and sell their products.

I'll present that to the clerk.

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

I'm just asking that you slow down a little bit for the translator.

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

I'll present it to the clerk, and you can give it to everybody.

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

That's good.

Mr. Hoback.

[Randy Hoback, Conservative, Prince Albert, SK]

I'd also like to give notice that I have a motion I would like to read into the record.

That the Committee study the effect of current regulations on the competitiveness of farm products produced in Canada versus similar products which are imported from other countries. In this review, the committee should study the current validity of existing regulations and identify those regulations which are no longer relevant in order to reduce the regulatory burden on farmers.

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

Okay, thank you.

Mr. Lemieux.

[Pierre Lemieux, Conservative, Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, ON]

Mr. Chair, I'd also like to put forward a notice of motion.

That the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food study International Trade and Market Development to the benefit of our farmers.

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

Do you have a copy of that?

[Pierre Lemieux, Conservative, Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, ON]

Yes, I'll write it out.

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

Okay.

Mr. Easter.

[Wayne Easter, Liberal, Malpeque, PE]

I have a question for you, Mr. Chair.

I really don't see a problem with any of these motions that are being put forward, but there are a number of other issues that certainly we'll be putting forward to the subcommittee on agenda. I want to know how those issues will be.... For instance, concerning listeriosis, we weren't given the secret document that we asked for in the Parliament before last. We need to hear from the woman who heads up the inquiry, Ms. Weatherill. We need to do that right away. There's the whole problem of program accountability with the department, that the cost-of-production moneys haven't gotten out there, that the AgriStability and AgriInvest seed money has just not been on the ground.

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

Are these not issues to bring up at the...?

[Wayne Easter, Liberal, Malpeque, PE]

Well, yes, but my point is this.... The other one that I should raise is the product-of-Canada definition, which the Prime Minister's office imposed over the wishes of this committee. That also needs to be looked at closely. We recommended 85%. The Prime Minister overruled that and went to 98%. Now we've made the problem even worse in that Canadian product cannot be labelled product of Canada because of either sugars or sauces that go into it. So we need to deal with some of those issues as well, and I think they're of a more immediate concern than some of the issues on the motion.

So my question to you is this. On all the issues that come forward, including these motions, how are we going to prioritize this so that the committee itself decides which are the first issues to be looked at?

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

Well, I think you said it, Mr. Easter. That's up to the committee to deal with and prioritize on Thursday, unless I'm....

[Mark Eyking, Liberal, Sydney—Victoria, NS]

The steering committee will.

[Wayne Easter, Liberal, Malpeque, PE]

Okay.

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

Mr. Atamanenko.

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

I have a shopping list also, and I think that's why we're coming to committee on Thursday, to give our priorities to the steering committee. Then we will bring them to the committee. Is that correct? Then we will decide whether it's a motion, whether it's this, and we will put them on a list. Then we will get the dates and we will move on.

If I understand correctly, that's the procedure we're following.

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

Yes.

Presenting these notices of motion--and you'll have to speak to the gentlemen who brought them--doesn't circumvent what's to happen on Thursday.

Mr. Storseth.

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

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

Sorry, Mr. Hoback was first.