Sure. Thanks, Ben.
Absolutely, there have been some tremendous changes to the positive when it comes to agriculture and the farm gate in this country in the last five years. Some of it's global. Some of it's because of the quality and consistency of supply that Canadian farmers bring to the table.
The one thing we as a government identified early on were the regulations that hinder the speed of commerce, whether at the border, or because of our own regulations, within the domestic setting here in Canada.
You always have a problem when you're the regulatory agency. You're the referee in the hockey game. You're the umpire. You're not going to please everybody, but there are ways to deliver the bad news or to deliver the work you need to do in a way that is constructive, in a way that is helpful, and in a way that builds a rapport between the regulator and the regulated.
Certainly we have to have regulations. No one says that we should be without regulations. But they have to make sense. We've built a number of silos within government that need to be bridged. There are layers and layers of regulations that no longer make sense that have to be addressed. There is a separate committee for the scrutiny of regulations within government that attempts to look at all of that. But it is a daunting task, in my estimation.
That being said, under president Carole Swan and now under president George Da Pont, the CFIA is doing its best to modernize itself to make sure that it delivers the work required, the food safety required, and a number of other issues they work on in a way that is commerce-friendly and that delivers without being a hammer every time. Certainly there are personalities at play, in some cases, on the front lines.
That being said, everybody is allowed to have a bad day, whether you're the regulator or the regulated. But instances have come to light over time that have shown us that we need to have a gentler hand at times.
CFIA, working with the Canadian Federation of Independent Business and looking at other models within the federal government, has developed an umbrella code of conduct and six separate booklets on different aspects of what it is they deliver. As we add to their workload, they will maybe add some other booklets.
It's a tremendous piece of work. It's a way to pave the way forward to make sure that people on the front line know exactly what's expected of them and what the parameters are they can work within. In some cases it's just a matter of common sense and making sure that the same rule is levelled here on Thursday that is going to be levelled over there on Tuesday. That used to drive people crazy.
I think we're on the right track. Certainly there's still work to be done, but it's a tremendous opportunity for CFIA to come of age.