Evidence of meeting #1 for Agriculture and Agri-Food in the 40th Parliament, 2nd session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was chair.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Conservative
Randy Hoback Conservative Prince Albert, SK
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I just want to make sure that the intent was just to notify you that that's one of the topics I'd like to discuss in committee. Not by any means is it to be given any type of priority. It's just that it's an important issue for farmers throughout western Canada, and they want to see it addressed. That was the intent behind it.
Conservative
Conservative
Brian Storseth Conservative Westlock—St. Paul, AB
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I do want to say that as a private member who doesn't have the opportunity to sit at the.... It was the opposition that said we're not allowed to have anybody other than the chair at the subcommittee meeting. I just want to make sure that one of the things that my constituents want to talk about is out there, and you guys can discuss whether or not it's a priority. I'm not advocating any changes to the way you did things in the past.
I do want to say I'm a little surprised at Mr. Easter's hesitation on product of Canada since he was the one at the last Parliament who tried to take credit for all the work the committee did on it. But that doesn't need to be talked about today, Mr. Chair.
Liberal
Wayne Easter Liberal Malpeque, PE
I do have to speak on that, Mr. Chair, because the committee's work, where we actually heard witnesses, heard from CFA and others.... I think the committee's recommendation on product of Canada would have been the right way to go, but as is typical of the Prime Minister's office, they ran it how they saw fit, and I think instead of listening to the people who know the industry, who listened to the witnesses, now the Prime Minister's office has created another problem. That's my point, and I think we need to look at whether we can get back to 85%, because we have people calling who actually produce product of Canada and they can't label it “product of Canada”. So the Prime Minister's office, with the micromanagement they do on everything, has created another problem.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Larry Miller
I know, Mr. Easter, in closing, the only concerns that I've heard from feedback is “Why the heck didn't we go with 100%?” Of course you explained the reason why. But those are the only complaints I've had, and that includes processors.
So I guess it's obviously different across the country.
Unless there's something else, I'm going to...
Mr. Storseth.
Conservative
Brian Storseth Conservative Westlock—St. Paul, AB
Mr. Chair, I hate to belabour this, but at the end of the day, when Mr. Easter is trying to do his revisionist history, Mr. Steckle was on the other side also advocating for 99% or 100%. You can't just come after everything is said and done and say, “Oh wait, I think we should do it a different way”.
Conservative
