Agriculture Committee on Nov. 22nd, 2016

[The Chair, Liberal, Pat Finnigan]

Thank you.

Go ahead, Mr. Anderson.

[David Anderson, Conservative, Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK]

I hope this is the final point. We brought this issue up in the House of Commons. We received no response at all. We do need action. Certainly if we pass this motion and we have action in a week that is acceptable to the ranchers and farmers, I'm sure we would be glad to pull the motion back.

We need CFIA here. Even those of us who are MPs can't seem to get answers. I asked for a briefing the other day and was told I have to go through the minister's office.

The folks on the other side may not understand how slowly the CFIA works and responds to any of us, including the ministers. We need to have them here, and have them explain what's happening on the ground and how they can do better.

[The Chair, Liberal, Pat Finnigan]

Go ahead, Madame Brosseau.

[Ruth Ellen Brosseau, NDP, Berthier—Maskinongé, QC]

I think there is consensus around the table from all parties that urgent action is needed. To have urgent action right now, why can't we write a letter from the agriculture committee, based on what we've heard, to the Minister of Agriculture, asking for compensation for these farmers? I think we could all agree on that, right?

[The Chair, Liberal, Pat Finnigan]

Just to make sure, we have a motion on the floor—

[Ruth Ellen Brosseau, NDP, Berthier—Maskinongé, QC]

The motion is on the table.

[The Chair, Liberal, Pat Finnigan]

—to bring the CFIA here, and the government officials.

[Ruth Ellen Brosseau, NDP, Berthier—Maskinongé, QC]

Yes, but a separate issue I would like to bring up is that I think we need to write to the Minister of Agriculture to make sure that he's going to take action.

[The Chair, Liberal, Pat Finnigan]

We'll deal with the motion right now.

Is there any other comment on the motion that's on the floor?

[Ruth Ellen Brosseau, NDP, Berthier—Maskinongé, QC]

Is it a recorded vote?

[The Chair, Liberal, Pat Finnigan]

We can do a recorded vote.

All in favour of the motion?

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

Are there any other comments before we continue?

Go ahead, Mr. Sorenson.

[Kevin Sorenson, Conservative, Battle River—Crowfoot, AB]

I defer back to Ms. Brosseau on the letter.

[The Chair, Liberal, Pat Finnigan]

Go ahead, Madame Brosseau.

[Ruth Ellen Brosseau, NDP, Berthier—Maskinongé, QC]

When we were talking about the motion, I think there was consensus from everybody around the table, based on what we've heard today and based on what we know of what's going on, that we need to have action now.

Questions have been asked in the House of Commons. We didn't really get any kind of answers. We don't have anything from CFIA. I think what we need to do is write to the Minister of Agriculture and let him know what we've heard today and why he needs to act urgently to compensate the industry and these farmers right now. We need a promise. We need numbers. We need help. I think we could all be on the same page about the need to act now to reassure the industry and the people who have shared their stories with us here today.

[The Chair, Liberal, Pat Finnigan]

Would this be a motion to write a letter, Ms. Brosseau?

[Ruth Ellen Brosseau, NDP, Berthier—Maskinongé, QC]

Yes, write a letter.

[The Chair, Liberal, Pat Finnigan]

This is another motion that we write a letter to the minister and to CFIA. Is that what I understood?

[Ruth Ellen Brosseau, NDP, Berthier—Maskinongé, QC]

Yes, write a letter to the minister about how he needs to act right now, and compensate, and come up with a plan for the industry and for these farmers.

Also, we still need to have CFIA come in. There are some huge issues with CFIA. Are they funded adequately? These guys are not getting the answers they need in a timely fashion, and it's completely despicable. It's frustrating. This should not be happening.

We need to have CFIA in here to explain what is going on. Is it problems with funding? Is it problems with people on the ground? We need to better understand this, to make sure it does not happen again, and if there is money needed to go to CFIA, more people, more boots on the ground, we have to take it forward.

[The Chair, Liberal, Pat Finnigan]

Just to make sure, the motion is to write a letter to the minister, but also to have CFIA appear, which was just defeated. I just want to make sure that's part of your motion.

[Ruth Ellen Brosseau, NDP, Berthier—Maskinongé, QC]

Yes, I know. I'm sorry. It's just the letter.

[The Chair, Liberal, Pat Finnigan]

It's just to write the letter. Okay.

Is there any discussion?

[Francis Drouin, Liberal, Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, ON]

I don't necessarily disagree with Madame Brosseau, but can we get to the end of the meeting and then discuss this? We're spearheading.... Can we listen to the witnesses, and then we can discuss the letter as Mr. Anderson suggested? He didn't want to take too much time, but now we've wasted about six minutes of not hearing from the witnesses.

[Ruth Ellen Brosseau, NDP, Berthier—Maskinongé, QC]

That's my six minutes, and I can use it as I want. I don't think it's a waste. I'm sorry.

[The Chair, Liberal, Pat Finnigan]

Madame Brosseau, do you want to continue with your motion?

[Ruth Ellen Brosseau, NDP, Berthier—Maskinongé, QC]

I think we could vote quickly on writing a letter to the minister to ask for action. We can decide later on as a committee what is to be included.