Thank you very much, Chair.
Minister, I have two questions I'd like to ask, both related to trade, so I'll ask them both at the same time.
The first has to do with international trade. I think everyone around the table would agree that the more markets our farmers have to sell into, the better it is for our farmers. Of course, we have our domestic market and domestic consumption, but we also have international markets. You mentioned it in your speech, but not in much detail.
I know that you've travelled with these farm group organizations, these representative organizations. Sometimes Mr. Easter doesn't value their opinion; however, I do. These people in these organizations, these leaders in these organizations, are producers themselves or were producers for most of their lives, and they certainly do represent producers on the ground.
You've travelled with them to other countries to open markets, so I'd like to know if you could just provide a bit more detail to the committee on some of the markets you've opened and the feedback you've received from these groups, particularly in terms of feedback they're receiving from farmers on the ground.
The second question I'd like to pose to you again has to do with trade, but it's trade within Canada. Minister, you're aware that this committee travelled out to B.C. last spring as part of our young farmers study. I was also back there this summer making an announcement for the grape-growing sector about money to help them with research and development and help fight crop loss, etc.
I visited a number of wineries and certainly one of the concerns that was brought forward was on the point that our Canadian wines are excellent wines. They're highly competitive and win awards in other countries. One of the vineyards we visited had just won a top-level award in Europe, yet the producer said that here in Canada, he is landlocked in B.C. He's not able to sell his wine openly and freely into other provinces. This is because of the Importation of Intoxicating Liquors Act of 1928, which places restrictions on the ability of our wine producers to move their product throughout Canada. The Canadian Vintners Association, the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, and others are calling for the ability to move wine freely between provinces.
Minister, I wonder if you could comment on international markets, international trade, and how that's impacting the farm sector here in Canada. Also, could you tell us what kind of action you might be taking or what kind of progress you've seen on these trade barriers, these provincial trade barriers for vintners?