Agriculture Committee on Oct. 27th, 2011

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

Thank you very much for being brief.

[Anne Fowlie]

Mr. Chair, may I just have one moment to extend an invitation?

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

Certainly.

[Anne Fowlie]

It's to you for our fall harvest event. You were very gracious in the success of co-hosting our first event of that type in March. We're having a fall harvest event on November 22, and certainly you would have an opportunity at that time to speak with a number of producers of different commodities from different parts of the country. There will also be folks from the retail sector and wholesale sector because we are collaborating with the Canadian Produce Marketing Association to host that event.

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

Okay, and I will say the one in March was a tremendous event.

[Anne Fowlie]

We'll have potato martinis again. For those of you who have not had them, I hope I've piqued your curiosity.

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

Thank you very much, Anne.

To Mr. McLaughlin, thank you for being here. We appreciate it very much.

For the committee, the sheet I talked about earlier and handed out has a list of all the witnesses who have appeared and a list of the witnesses who are scheduled to appear up until November 3. I will note that the department will be here on November 15. Thanks to Mr. Lemieux for helping to arrange that.

My question is whether we want to continue the innovation part of our study or after the department is here on November 15 whether you would like to start setting up witnesses for one of the other topics, whether it's business risk management, or whatever. I just need some direction.

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

These witnesses who are here, right up until number 28, are all here for innovation?

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

Yes.

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

You're not saying that we ask them to do something else--they're going to be here for sure?

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

Oh no, they're here for innovation.

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

Okay.

My suggestion would be that we move on after this.

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

Okay.

Any other comments on that?

Frank.

[Frank Valeriote, Liberal, Guelph, ON]

I'm thinking move on.

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

Move on to another topic, whether it be business risk management or whatever your wishes are. Are we in agreement?

Frank.

[Frank Valeriote, Liberal, Guelph, ON]

No, we thought we were going to get the Wheat Board issue here, and it's not coming here.

Growing Forward 2 is critical.

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

Absolutely.

[Frank Valeriote, Liberal, Guelph, ON]

Innovation, as far as I'm concerned, is critical, probably more critical than almost anything else we're looking at. So I think we need to complete the rest.

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

So you're in favour of continuing?

I'm just trying to get consensus here.

[Frank Valeriote, Liberal, Guelph, ON]

Is that what you're saying?

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

Yes, after we complete the list.

[Frank Valeriote, Liberal, Guelph, ON]

Yes. All right, okay.

Sorry.

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

What was that?

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

Frank wasn't sure.

I said after we complete the list then we--

[Frank Valeriote, Liberal, Guelph, ON]

I didn't hear the “after you complete the list”.