Evidence of meeting #147 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 work.

A video is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Chris Forbes  Deputy Minister, Department of Agriculture and Agri-Food
Jaspinder Komal  Vice-President, Science Branch, Chief Veterinary Officer and World Organisation for Animal Health Delegate for Canada, Canadian Food Inspection Agency
Christine Walker  Assistant Deputy Minister, Corporate Management Branch, Department of Agriculture and Agri-Food
Clerk of the Committee  Ms. Ariane Gagné-Frégeau

11:55 a.m.

Conservative

Luc Berthold Conservative Mégantic—L'Érable, QC

Madam Minister, we did not demand—

11:55 a.m.

Liberal

Marie-Claude Bibeau Liberal Compton—Stanstead, QC

…the complete dismantling—

11:55 a.m.

Conservative

Luc Berthold Conservative Mégantic—L'Érable, QC

…any concessions. I am not laughing at all. For me, this is no laughing matter.

11:55 a.m.

Liberal

Marie-Claude Bibeau Liberal Compton—Stanstead, QC

Nor for me.

11:55 a.m.

Conservative

Luc Berthold Conservative Mégantic—L'Érable, QC

No producers here will be laughing. The supply-managed producers gave up everything and you obtained nothing in return from the Americans for those producers. I think that has been very clear.

Madam Minister, I will be yielding the floor to Mr. Shipley. These will be his final comments, because he is retiring. I really want to leave the last question to him.

11:55 a.m.

Liberal

Marie-Claude Bibeau Liberal Compton—Stanstead, QC

Thank you.

11:55 a.m.

Conservative

Bev Shipley Conservative Lambton—Kent—Middlesex, ON

TRQs are allocated to processors and retailers. The processors are linked to producers. Now, again, as you did with the environment, you're supporting the large retailers with an opportunity for a lot of money. Why are you standing by and allowing that to happen instead of standing up for the processors? Our producers will grow their industry only if we can grow the processors.

11:55 a.m.

Liberal

Marie-Claude Bibeau Liberal Compton—Stanstead, QC

I understand what you're saying. I'm working closely with Minister Carr, who is responsible, obviously, for the TRQs. Right now, he's doing a consultation, because he's doing a full review of the TRQs, including those for CETA, the agreement with Europe, the agreement with the Trans-Pacific region, the WTO and, obviously, NAFTA. We are taking it very seriously, consulting our partners and, obviously, processors.

11:55 a.m.

Conservative

Bev Shipley Conservative Lambton—Kent—Middlesex, ON

You're the Minister of Agriculture.

11:55 a.m.

Liberal

Marie-Claude Bibeau Liberal Compton—Stanstead, QC

Yes.

11:55 a.m.

Conservative

Bev Shipley Conservative Lambton—Kent—Middlesex, ON

You're the minister of our producers.

11:55 a.m.

Liberal

Marie-Claude Bibeau Liberal Compton—Stanstead, QC

Yes.

11:55 a.m.

Conservative

Bev Shipley Conservative Lambton—Kent—Middlesex, ON

I am hoping that you have the authority over him around the table to support Canadian producers in supply management, so they can grow. Quite honestly, during the NAFTA, we gave it all away, without getting anything back in return. You protected a couple of things. Now we have this opportunity to give our producers some help.

11:55 a.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Pat Finnigan

Thank you, Mr. Shipley. Unfortunately, we're out of time.

11:55 a.m.

Conservative

Bev Shipley Conservative Lambton—Kent—Middlesex, ON

We can stay another hour.

11:55 a.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Pat Finnigan

We might.

We may run over by a minute. Is that okay?

11:55 a.m.

Liberal

Marie-Claude Bibeau Liberal Compton—Stanstead, QC

A minute is fine, but not an hour.

11:55 a.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Pat Finnigan

No. It is just to give Mr. MacGregor the full three minutes.

11:55 a.m.

Liberal

Marie-Claude Bibeau Liberal Compton—Stanstead, QC

Of course.

11:55 a.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Pat Finnigan

Thank you.

Go ahead, Mr. MacGregor, for three minutes.

11:55 a.m.

NDP

Alistair MacGregor NDP Cowichan—Malahat—Langford, BC

I think what Mr. Shipley and I have been trying to get at with regard to the processors and our trade with the European Union is their intimate understanding of the local market. Retailers are just going to sell cheese, right? It could be European cheese or Canadian cheese. They don't have an understanding of how to maybe combine the two so that it doesn't hurt our local market—not to the same extent as our processors do. I think that's the point we really want to get across to you: Our processors should have more of that TRQ, because of their intimate understanding of the local market.

On Friday, I got the chance to go to Summerland in the Okanagan to the research centre that AAFC has there. It is staffed by amazing people, who are really dedicated to their craft and who are hiring more scientists, which is a great thing to see. I'm particularly interested in the work they're doing on soil health. The research on that is fascinating, and I'm glad to see that we are allocating more resources.

Minister, you have acknowledged that climate change is a huge issue. Our farmers have as well. What projections is the department doing with regard to climate change and the costs that could be coming our way? If farmers are facing more droughts and floods, there is perhaps going to be a bit more strain on the help they'll be asking for. Is the department looking at that particular issue, for the damage it could cause to our future budgets?

Noon

Liberal

Marie-Claude Bibeau Liberal Compton—Stanstead, QC

Yes, absolutely. I think I can say that we have, within our business risk management tools, the AgriRecovery program, which specifically targets extreme weather events. The request has to come from a province. When they have seen a drought, a fire or a flood, for example, the province will open the file and ask for the funds. For these types of programs, there is no limited envelope.

Am I okay when I say that?

Yes, the amount of money that will be made available to our farmers is related to the demand.

Noon

NDP

Alistair MacGregor NDP Cowichan—Malahat—Langford, BC

Thank you.

Noon

Liberal

Marie-Claude Bibeau Liberal Compton—Stanstead, QC

It's not a closed envelope for that type of program.

Noon

NDP

Alistair MacGregor NDP Cowichan—Malahat—Langford, BC

However, you are making projections for what those costs could be.