Agriculture Committee on Feb. 24th, 2009

[Randy Hoback, Conservative, Prince Albert, SK]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I agree with Mr. Easter on the cattle industry and COOL being raised in priority, but I do have some concerns like Mr. Bellavance's. There are some issues that aren't on Mr. Atamanenko's schedule here that I think should be on. How do those get plugged into this schedule if they're not on here?

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

Okay, Mr. Bellavance brought up the product of Canada labelling, and so has Mr. Easter. You brought up the investigation of the CWB. Those are three issues that are out there. We have to start somewhere. We need to decide here officially which way you want to go. We've had a suggestion to modify what Alex has put out here by moving some up, and I think that is what we should discuss. That doesn't preclude your concern on the Wheat Board, or any other one that is brought up, from being added.

Mr. Storseth.

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

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.

I have a couple of things I'd like to do. One, I'd like to make sure that when we talk about competitiveness we're actually talking about my motion, which is very specific to the Competition Act, which is something that I know Mr. Easter has talked about since I was in school. This goes with the question I have for Mr. Easter. He wants to move the livestock industry discussion up in the schedule. I don't disagree with that, but my first question would be this. What are we going to accomplish that we didn't accomplish with the review of the red meat sector that we did less than a year ago today? I just want to make sure we're going to get some very real results out of this that he has envisioned.

Second, our farmers want to be able to farm the markets. I was at the finance committee last night when we were talking about the changes to the Competition Act that are coming through our budget. These are things that we need to be looking at. If we move this up the schedule so we could all look at it at the same time and put forward some very real recommendations there and try to get some movement on that, I think it is a necessary step before we start talking about program reviews. But I would like to hear Mr. Easter's ideas of what we're going to accomplish with the cattle side by moving it up, because I'm not against that. I just want to know what we're looking at accomplishing there that we haven't already done in recommendations.

And then I would like to try to add my motion in there. Maybe it comes after the cattle discussion, but I think it should be up near the top somewhere so that we can actually start talking about some of the changes that have to be made so that our farmers can have better access to markets and more open markets.

The last thing I would like to say is on this product of Canada issue. André has expressed concerns all the way through the last year when we talked about it. I know André was one of the guys with me who said that 80% or 85% is where we should be, but I do think we do need to set the record straight, and Mr. Easter and the Liberal Party came out in print on May 21 and tried to steal the Prime Minister's announcement, calling it a Conservative announcement made by the Liberal's agriculture product policy. He's using hindsight to try to revisit history here, but I think there are more productive things we can be doing than partisan games at this point in time.

Other than attacking him on that, I would like to hear his input on the cattle side.

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

I will just make a comment on the competitiveness. It probably goes without saying that a portion of that is all about looking into what's happening in the cattle industry. A direct review of the Competition Act still goes along with that whole thing.

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

I just want to ensure that this is part of what we're talking about when we talk about--

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

I believe it is from the report that I've gotten from them.

Mr. Shipley is next.

[Bev Shipley, Conservative, Lambton—Kent—Middlesex, ON]

Just to follow up, I need to also understand what we mean by competitiveness, because actually I think the numbers 5, 6, 7, and 8 may get drawn into that whole discussion, depending on what the intent by Mr. Easter is. I think we really need to be careful, Mr. Chairman. It's not just the livestock or the cattle that are affected by COOL. It's not just the cattle industry that is affected by the programs; it's not just the cattle industry that is affected by the competitiveness, so I think we need to be broader in terms of the red meat industry or when we talk about it.

Brian has touched on it. I would like to know where the competitiveness is, because I'm concerned about just having things happen for the sake of having things happen. We need to be concise about what we can accomplish under the competitiveness. If we can actually bring that forward and address those issues under it, then I think that's a direction in which we should be looking.

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

There's no doubt the hog sector is going to be impacted.

[Bev Shipley, Conservative, Lambton—Kent—Middlesex, ON]

Certainly in my riding.... I know there are areas where it's just beef, livestock. It's a red meat industry.

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

Mr. Atamanenko,

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

I have a proposal to take us to March 24.

What I would suggest is this. The next meeting is in two days. That may be a good time to do a program review with our government folks, who can probably come in on a moment's notice. Then on March 3 we could do the Competition Act to look at that aspect that Brian wants to address as quickly as possible. On March 5 and 10 we could move right into COOL, and on March 12 we could have, as we had discussed here, that 45-minute PowerPoint by Darrin Qualman to zero in on the cattle industry. Then on the 26th--whatever the next day is--we could then have some cattle ranchers and/or representatives from the Cattlemen's Association. All of us have talked to ranchers who are hurting. It would be a good time to bring in folks right off the ground, in addition to the association. That would take us, I think, to the 24th or the 26th.

I just want to say that I think we really have a chance now to do something--all of us. I think this government has a chance to move something forward in the cattle industry. I think we can be part of this. I think that report that I've shared with many of you zeroes in on a number of items. There is something we could probably recommend to act right away. This could be a really good time to at least move forward a bit and try to help those guys who are hurting. The answer obviously isn't just more export, more export. We can do that, but there are things we could do that this report addresses. I think this is a time for all of us in history to make that shift and give the government in power credit for this. I think we have that chance. That's why I believe we should make sure we get that PowerPoint presentation.

Anyway, as I said, I think if we did the Competition Act, or program review, Competition Act, two sessions on COOL, two sessions on the cattle industry, see where that takes us, and then move in where we want to fit in product of Canada, more competition, more program review. That's my suggestion to kick this off.

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

I just have some information that might help the committee here.

The Canadian Cattlemen's Association and the NFU were contacted, because these people have to make some travel plans. This is only tentative, but it was so that we could at least have a productive meeting on Thursday. The cattlemen have been put on notice that they could get invited as early as this Thursday, and they've agreed to that. It was pretty hard to get anybody else in next Tuesday. The NFU have tentatively been told they could be called by then. We did that just so that if today we got this finished, at least we could have a productive meeting on Thursday. So the clerk went ahead and did that.

That might help you in your discussion here today. I'm pretty sure from what we hear that those two groups could be here on those two days, if we want. If you want to change that, you have that option, but at least we're trying to get something ahead so we can have some meetings.

I have Mr. Hoback next, and then Mr. Bellavance.

[Randy Hoback, Conservative, Prince Albert, SK]

In light of what you said, I'll just pass. Go ahead.

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

Mr. Bellavance.

[André Bellavance, Bloc, Richmond—Arthabaska, QC]

Contrary to appearances, we are making some progress. What Alex has just said applies to several aspects. Still, I would just like us to be careful. If we start something, we have to be able to finish it. We should not hold just one meeting on program review and then jump to another topic and then come back to it. It might get complicated.

There seems to be a consensus that the livestock industry file constitutes a priority. Personally, I do not have any objections, particularly since Randy and Larry were suggesting that we deal with COOL and the livestock industry file together. I would just like it if we did not delay the program review too long. That could be the committee's second study, then we could carry on with competitiveness. We could reach a consensus on these files.

I would like to say to the committee that, according to Alex's schedule, we would still have, after April 30, at least 10 or 11 sessions till June 9, maybe even 15. The clerk can give us the exact figures. If the committee agrees to follow the same schedule for studying the major files already determined, the other sessions could be dedicated to studying other files we would like to add. Randy mentioned the Canadian Wheat Board. Alex hopes to hear a witness talk for 45 minutes about an NFU file. Wayne mentioned products of Canada.

I would also like to come back to the story of the people of Saint-Amable who were affected by the golden nematode in 2006. These people deserve to be heard for at least an hour in committee. Other members may wish to raise other subjects that we could add to the list and study between now and the beginning of June. That does not mean that we are stuck with this schedule come what may. All sorts of things can come up and force us to change certain aspects. It will be up to us to decide.

Today we could at least decide, for instance, to begin on Thursday studying the livestock industry and COOL files, to continue with the program review for so many sessions, then broach competitiveness. And then we could add other subjects up to June.

Does that seem reasonable to you?

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

I think so. The nematode issue that you mentioned, André, is in the report further down. Is that correct?

[A voice]

No, it's not in there.

[André Bellavance, Bloc, Richmond—Arthabaska, QC]

No, it has disappeared.

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

I'm sorry, it's in this other document. I knew I'd seen it someplace. I remember you bringing it up at the subcommittee, and I think you may have even brought it up here.

Mr. Atamanenko. You've already finished? Okay.

Mr. Shipley.

[Bev Shipley, Conservative, Lambton—Kent—Middlesex, ON]

I'll go back again, Mr. Chairman, if I may, to what you mentioned on Thursday, that the Canadian Cattlemen's Association have been put on notice. I'd just remind again that I think it would be an opportunity to call the Canadian Pork Council to see if they would be available also as a red meat concern. It's a two-hour meeting. Maybe they could split an hour each for that, if they would be available. I don't know what others think about it.

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

Well, they both probably have a lot of the same—

[Bev Shipley, Conservative, Lambton—Kent—Middlesex, ON]

I think they would share some of the concerns, and we need to be inclusive of the industry. That's all.

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

Mr. Easter.

[Wayne Easter, Liberal, Malpeque, PE]

That was the point I was going to make. I think we should invite the Canadian Pork Council as well. I don't know if there's anybody from the other red meat industries, such as sheep. I know it is a fairly big industry in Quebec, and it is impacted as well. If they could come as a third witness, that would be fine, but definitely add the CCA and CPC. They're all impacted.

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

The clerk just noted or pointed out that there is two days' notice, but that doesn't mean we can't. Under the urgency, I'm sure they'd do their best.