Agriculture Committee on March 24th, 2011

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

Mr. White.

[Richard White]

Mr. Phillips basically took the words right out of my mouth. Looking ahead 50 years, as long as we allow biotechnology to lead the way and innovation to flourish in this country, I think we're going to see similar crops with new traits. They won't be just agronomic ones; they will benefit consumers' health--heart issues, cancer reduction traits, who knows. But I think there are a lot of consumer traits yet to come through the pipeline.

We're just seeing the tip of the iceberg right now with the agronomic traits we see today. This is a platform we're building for consumer benefits in the future. That's where I see it going. Farmers will continue to grow food. That food will be more nutritious and provide a lot more consumer benefits in terms of health and well-being.

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

Mr. Eyking, you still have a bit of time.

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

You look at the change in acreage we've had in the last few years. Often we hear how great the United States is, with the farm bill and whatnot. But I think the farm bill in the United States has kept growers growing the same crops, because they grew from the mailbox. We've come a long way in Canada to grow different crops, for Asia and whatnot.

On that point, if we're going to stay ahead of the curve on growing what's needed for the world, besides getting into the whole charade of the Wheat Board, like the Conservatives do, let's talk about research and innovation out there that's going to help us be ahead of the Americans and the rest that are stuck in their own crops.

[Jim Everson]

I think that's a really important point. Rick, in his opening comments, talked about larger commodities worldwide and the amount of money that's going into research on those commodities. From a canola perspective, it's really important that we keep up with innovation in Canada.

On my answer to the first question, we will have to grow more on less land. Canada is in a good place on that. To feed the rest of the world we'll have to produce more on the acreage we have that is being reduced.

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

So you would agree that we have to increase the budget instead of decreasing the budget for innovation and technology.

[Jim Everson]

I think public research and private research are both critically important to the future of the canola industry. We're in a good place in terms of the future in feeding the world.

It's also really critical that we express--and everybody around the table, in terms of parliamentarians--confidence in Canada's regulatory process. On the questions about consumer interest in GM and biotechnology, where it's going, and what it means to us, we have a regulatory authority that's second to none. We have to continue to express confidence in that regulatory authority and the experts, the scientists, who provide their perspective on these products being safe. It's critical to our expansion in the future.

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

We're out of time, so be very brief.

[Stephen Vandervalk]

I think it's important with a regulatory system, as far as private research goes, that some of these companies are around the world. The head of Canada per se has to fight for research dollars for Canada. If we know the right regulatory system, he doesn't get those research dollars for private funding. I think that's important.

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

Thank you very much.

We'll now move to Mr. Richards for five minutes.

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

Mr. Chair, we've been working on this draft report for quite some time. It's a very important study. In some of the other committees we've worked on, obviously, our side hopes that the opposition comes to its senses and we don't have an election. But if we do, it might be pertinent for the committee to look at asking the analyst to do up a bit of a draft report after this committee meeting, summarizing what we've heard so far from witnesses, and for the clerk to put a note for whoever's on the ag committee following, so they don't have to go through all the witnesses again and we can move forward on this.

It's something I put out there. If the committee would give unanimous consent, then that's fine, and if not.... I just throw it out there so we don't waste all the meetings we've had on this.

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

I think we're speculating on whether there'll be an election or not.

Does anybody have any problem with what we've done?

[Wayne Easter, Liberal, Malpeque, PE]

We would certainly support the researchers doing that.

But I do want to correct the record. The member spoke of the opposition members coming to their senses. There'll be one reason this government goes down and that'll be its contempt for Parliament, and we've seen that at this committee by your not allowing a motion to come forward. We see it in the House every day. You don't see it in the numbers on the—

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

Order here. Order.

[Wayne Easter, Liberal, Malpeque, PE]

That'll be why it goes down, fellas, contempt for Parliament, contempt for democracy.

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

Thank you for supporting that suggestion.

Mr. Bellavance, are you in support of that?

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

I just want to share my opinion because Brian has asked for unanimous consent. Unlike Brian, I intend to return after the election and hope to still have a seat on the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food.

I would also like to clarify something else. It is important that a draft report be prepared so that we do not lose all this work.

To my knowledge—that is what we have seen in Quebec—only one party wants to have an election, and that's the Conservative Party, which flooded us with advertising against the other parties. It really is the Conservative Party that's causing the election.

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

Order. Order from everybody.

Mr. Atamanenko, I've got to give you the same game play.

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

Brian, if you're not here, this will be your legacy, the proposal that you've made to us to have this report. So I would like to thank you ahead of time, in case you're not around the table in a month or so.

So I support that.

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

I'll let you all make your kudos to each other afterwards.

I have agreement, I believe?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

Yes. Thank you very much.

Mr. Richards, you have five minutes.

[Blake Richards, Conservative, Wild Rose, AB]

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

I appreciate the opportunity. I appreciate that everyone here is willing to try to work together, and I appreciate all the witnesses being here today.

When Mr. Storseth was asking some questions, Mr. Vandervalk, you indicated that one of the big challenges facing wheat and barley producers is the Wheat Board and its monopoly. You indicated that was probably the most significant challenge that you would say the wheat and barley producers have faced.

I presume that means you're obviously in favour of a dual marketing type of system, where farmers have that choice to be able to market their wheat and barley. I would assume, and I would just like to confirm, that you would be in support of the private member's bill that's currently in front of Parliament from my Conservative colleague, Bruce Stanton, to allow farmers that choice to opt out of the Wheat Board for a minimum two-year period. Would you be in favour of that?

[Stephen Vandervalk]

Yes, at the Grain Growers of Canada, our policy has always been free markets. So, yes, we would support that.

[Blake Richards, Conservative, Wild Rose, AB]

Do any of the others have any comment on the bill? Do you support the bill or...?