Welcome, Mr. Minister. Thank you for coming here.
I will proceed as I did the last time that you appeared before us. I will begin by presenting a few issues and then I will give you an opportunity to answer, if you will allow me to proceed in this fashion. I believe that this will be more useful and probably more effective.
I also have some questions on the Advance Payments Program. I questioned my colleagues from Quebec about certain matters in order to ascertain whether or not the agricultural producers in their regions had spoken to them about any problems. My colleague from Abitibi—Témiscamingue, Mr. Marc Lemay, told me about a problem regarding the announcement made last August 6 on the Advance Payments Program. Initially, producers thought that they would not have to pay any retroactive penalties. This was clear in their mind following discussions with representatives from your department. A short while later, they realized that, in actual fact, producers who signed a repayment agreement would have to pay a retroactive penalty. In Quebec, at least 750 hog producers and 400 cattle producers are going to take advantage of the extension of the stay on repayment.
I would like to know whether or not you have been informed of this problem and if you have had discussions on the matter. Will there be a retroactive penalty?
I would also like to discuss your desire to enhance the income security programs. I know that currently, your department is conducting consultations about the business risk management programs. As you know, the Union des producteurs agricoles du Québec has already stated that the current programs has shortcomings. I would like to know whether you are open to the idea of making any changes, particularly to the AgriStability program. We heard a great deal about the problems with this program when the committee conducted its young farmers' tour. We would like to know whether you would consider the possibility of including costs of production in the AgriStability program. We heard that the AgriStability program and the Canadian Agricultural Income Stabilization Program, the previous program, were more or less the same thing.
Are you prepared to enhance the envelope of the AgriFlexibility program? We have made several requests that the AgriFlexibility program be used to fund income security programs. In fact, we have asked that the AgriFlexibility program include income support. That is another request.
With respect to the programs, the Canadian Federation of Independent Business polled Quebec agricultural businesses in June 2010. I would like to provide you with some information about what producers are thinking and about the study that resulted from this poll. In its current form, the AgriStability program is unable to provide Canadian producers with an adequate long-term solution. In addition, we were told that the level of dissatisfaction with the AgriStability program is identical to that with respect to the CAIS in 2005. Mr. Minister, I made a mistake, this poll was carried out not only in Quebec, but also in Canada.
I would like to ask you one final question. If I have any time remaining, I may ask you some other questions. I know that the government is currently taking a great deal of action with respect to bilateral free trade agreements. There is the agreement with the European Union, India and Japan, but there is also the Asia-Pacific agreement. I know that your colleague from international trade has been quoted in the “Business” section of the newspaper La Presse. According to him, Canada, in the case of the Asia-Pacific agreement, was not prepared to abandon the supply management system. He also said that he was prepared to negotiate. I have two questions on this issue. We have already asked the former Minister of International Trade, Mr. Day, these questions right here, when he appeared before the Standing Committee on International Trade. He said that, with respect to the European Union, supply management was on the table but that it would not be touched. This is the first time, to my knowledge, that we left supply management on the table in this type of bilateral negotiation.
Have you spoken to your cabinet colleagues to inform them that it would be preferable to not include supply management whatsoever in this type of agreement? Does the government intend to get into the habit of leaving supply management on the table during all of these bilateral negotiations? Are you aware of the statement made by Minister Van Loan with respect to the possibility of negotiating supply management as part of an Asia-Pacific agreement?
That will be all for the moment.