Evidence of meeting #139 for Agriculture and Agri-Food in the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was know.
A video is available from Parliament.
Liberal
Joe Peschisolido Liberal Steveston—Richmond East, BC
Yes.
Mr. Longfield earlier talked about a tragic situation with African swine fever. In British Columbia, as you know, we had a vibrant hog industry that is now non-existent. In B.C. there are no slaughterhouses for export. Given the geographical proximity of British Columbia to Asia—China, Korea, Japan—do you think there is a possibility of reviving a hog industry and perhaps an organic hog industry?
Liberal
Marie-Claude Bibeau Liberal Compton—Stanstead, QC
It goes a lot with the leadership of the industry and the specific region. I'm always hopeful that we will have it.
You just talked about the value chain working group. It makes me think that it's important to have more processors in Canada. I think we are exporting too much raw production. We should work and invest in processing. It would obviously be good for the economy, but it would also ease our trade because when the product has been transformed or processed I think it's easier to export, in terms of phytosanitary rules.
Executive Vice-President, Canadian Food Inspection Agency
I'm not sure it's easier, but we're there for them too.
Liberal
Joe Peschisolido Liberal Steveston—Richmond East, BC
As a country, Canada has trade deals with very important sectors in the world, with Europe. We just finalized a trade deal, the trans-Pacific partnership. I'm not sure what exactly we're calling it now. Can you talk a little bit about your plans in diversifying our trade, both into Asia and Europe?
Liberal
Marie-Claude Bibeau Liberal Compton—Stanstead, QC
Definitely. Minister Carr would obviously be more eloquent on this, but having signed the partnership agreement and the agreement with Europe opens up doors for us, particularly since we are among the first six to sign the partnership agreement. We really have to take advantage of that.
I know Minister Carr will be leading a trade mission shortly, and while I will be in Japan for the G20, I will also use the opportunity to be accompanied by some of the leaders of industry and have meetings to open doors. I've also offered to communicate and to contact my previous contacts from my previous jobs, since I have travelled a lot in some of the countries that could be of interest for our Canadian exports. We are looking at that.
Liberal
Conservative
Bev Shipley Conservative Lambton—Kent—Middlesex, ON
Thank you very much, Minister, for being here.
Canola, March 4—it was two months ago when the notification came through and the certifications were pulled. You have said that you're looking at many markets, new markets, and that you meet every week. Is that all?
Conservative
Bev Shipley Conservative Lambton—Kent—Middlesex, ON
My concern, Minister, is that this happened two months ago. We, at this committee, tried three times to get witnesses together to come to this committee before we eventually got a meeting. In the House of Commons, we asked a number of times to have an emergency debate and we were turned down, because this is not a priority for the government.
You wrote the letter to your counterpart. How many times have you picked up the phone and talked to him?
Liberal
Marie-Claude Bibeau Liberal Compton—Stanstead, QC
It has been a priority since day one. You have waited six weeks to ask a question at question period.
Conservative
Bev Shipley Conservative Lambton—Kent—Middlesex, ON
How many conversations have you had with your counterpart? You wrote a letter, but how many conversations have you had with that counterpart?
Liberal
Liberal
Marie-Claude Bibeau Liberal Compton—Stanstead, QC
I haven't had the opportunity to have a conversation with him.
Conservative
Bev Shipley Conservative Lambton—Kent—Middlesex, ON
I think that's the frustrating part, Minister.
I know you're new at the portfolio, but quite honestly we have a crisis in our agriculture industry. A question was asked about how it is we do not have an ambassador. There was—
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Pat Finnigan
Mr. Shipley, it looks as though we have a vote. I don't know if we want to—
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Pat Finnigan
There's no vote? Okay. The light just flashed a couple of times, so maybe it was a false alarm.
You can keep going, Mr. Shipley. I'm sorry about that.
Conservative
Bev Shipley Conservative Lambton—Kent—Middlesex, ON
Thank you.
I asked about the status of replacing the ambassador. There really wasn't an answer. I guess that's not your portfolio, but you also sit around the cabinet.
The next question is whether you have started the initiation of a WTO appeal on this.
Liberal
Marie-Claude Bibeau Liberal Compton—Stanstead, QC
We have a chargé d'affaires who is very experienced, and we have daily conversations with the Chinese on the canola situation. We have decided not to start a process with the WTO, because we don't think it's the right moment to do such a thing.
