Agriculture Committee on March 19th, 2019

[Randy Hoback, Conservative, Prince Albert, SK]

Let me clarify the record of exactly what went on so that Francis can understand it.

When this first came out, we took it to the whips. At the time, the NDP were not prepared to sign an emergency letter to the ag committee, so we shopped it around to the trade committee because we knew how important it was. Tracey on the trade committee said yes. We actually got the letter to the chair of the trade committee on Tuesday, expecting him to call a meeting on Thursday. What did he do? He waited until the end of the standing order on Sunday to call that meeting.

Now I don't know if he's already in retirement or if he had other issues going on. It is what it is. He's the chair; he has the right to call a meeting when he wants to call a meeting, but you can see how it's already been pushed back by delay on delay. The only option we had in the ag committee was to do it here today. That was the only option we had. We're dealing with it as soon as possible, and we're doing it in a very respectful manner.

You still haven't addressed this issue. Why isn't the Minister of Foreign Affairs attending? Why are you so scared—

[The Chair, Liberal, Pat Finnigan]

Mr. Hoback, I'll ask you to direct your questions through the chair.

[Randy Hoback, Conservative, Prince Albert, SK]

Sure. I apologize.

Mr. Chair, can you ask the members why they are so scared to let the Minister of Foreign Affairs present in front of committee? She's very good in front of committee; she does a great job. Why can't she tell us what the game plan is? She's in charge of it, so why don't you want to hear that? Why wouldn't you take that information and give it to farmers so they can relax and so the marketplace could settle down? Why leave the mystery, unless there's nothing to say?

I will tell you, Mr. Chair, there are consequences, not just in China. If we don't fight back here on China, well then, what about Japan? They will say, “Well, wait a minute. Canada is not pushing back on China. Maybe we should be looking at this again, too.” Maybe the U.S. will say the same thing.

It comes back to the fact that you have to deal rapidly and fast with these issues when they come up. You cannot do them in the normal timely fashion. You can't do it in the bureaucratic fashion. You have to expedite some things, and that's what this committee needs to do.

CFIA is an ag issue. We are hearing from people in the marketplace that we do not have enough officials on the ground in our embassies around the world, in CFIA, so I'd like to ask the ag minister what her game plan is to change that. That is an ag issue; there's no question about it, but the Minister of Foreign Affairs also has an input into who's placed in what embassy and the staffing levels. She deserves to have the same question asked of her.

There's nothing hidden here. There are no hidden surprises. We're not surprising anybody. We're not trying to ambush anybody. We just need to know the game plan. That's all we're asking for. It's a very simple ask. If you can provide us with a well-thought-out game plan, there is not a problem here, but if you don't, then there's a huge problem, and farmers will pay for our not doing this. They're paying for it right now. They've already lost $1 billion in value in the last three weeks. That's why this committee needs to hear from her. If they say, “We don't want to deal with it”, then why don't you? Then you need to do some soul-searching over there on what your role is here in Ottawa. Why are you here? If you're not going to deal with the tough issues.... That's government: dealing with tough issues. If you can't deal with tough issues, then, boy, why are you in government?

[The Chair, Liberal, Pat Finnigan]

Thank you, Mr. Hoback.

[Randy Hoback, Conservative, Prince Albert, SK]

But you guys do what the PMO tells you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Pat Finnigan]

Hearing no more, we'll vote on the motion.

[Randy Hoback, Conservative, Prince Albert, SK]

Could we have a recorded vote, Mr. Chair?

(Motion negatived: nays 5; yeas 4 [See Minutes of Proceedings])

[The Chair, Liberal, Pat Finnigan]

You have 45 seconds, Mr. Dreeshen.

[Earl Dreeshen, Conservative, Red Deer—Mountain View, AB]

Thank you.

Simply, where I'll go with the end of the time I have is public trust and why it is so important. It does not matter what commodity we have. In our discussion about the vegetables we eat, we need to understand that when people talk about concerns about health as far as vegetables are concerned and so on, basically it's because people don't know how to handle them. We have terrible waste. So much of what we produce simply gets thrown out. Education is required.

I know I'm going to run out of time, but hopefully, we can all talk about that together on how important it is that we recognize we have the best food in the world. We should also be good consumers and understand how to feed our families.

[The Chair, Liberal, Pat Finnigan]

Thank you, Mr. Dreeshen.

Unfortunately, that's all the time we have.

I want to thank the witnesses for appearing: Ms. Deawuo, Ms. Bronson, Mr. Buy and Ms. Ross.

That's how committee works, unfortunately. Maybe we can get you another time.

We'll suspend and come back in camera for committee business.

[Proceedings continue in camera]