Agriculture Committee on April 11th, 2016

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

I agree that this is an agriculture issue, but it touches trade and so many other ministries. When we had the grain crisis, the bill, I think Bill C-30, did come to the ag committee. We tried to amend that bill. I've actually gone back and read it and looked at all the amendments brought forth by the three parties.

I think this meeting coming up on the 13th is important, but I really think we should concentrate on trying to get this right. The TPP is not going to change if we put it back a few more weeks. I think we need to really move forward on looking at the grain issues and having witnesses come in and submit their recommendations. When it comes to MREs or interswitching, I think that's something we need to do.

How does it work, Mr. Chair? Do we have to put a motion, or are we just going to be agreeable on what we're going to do moving forward?

[The Chair, Liberal, Pat Finnigan]

Right now we have the next two meetings on TPP, as scheduled.

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

Yes.

[The Chair, Liberal, Pat Finnigan]

Are you saying you want to wait and see whether the subcommittee will work on that on the side, and we can continue with the present schedule, or are you saying we should push back the—

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

Who are the confirmed witnesses coming in on the 13th?

[The Chair, Liberal, Pat Finnigan]

Transport Canada will be here for an hour.

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

I guess what I would be asking of the committee is that we do a study on grain transport. We could have the oat and different grain commodity groups, the different people who have been affected, come in and talk to us about how they see the Emerson report, the CTA review, and what kinds of things they would like to see kept going and not sunsetted.

[The Chair, Liberal, Pat Finnigan]

On the 13th?

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

I think we should just do a study and really delve into what needs to be done to make sure that we don't have this type of problem occur again. We'll be looking at the TPP later on and at what trade deals really mean if we can't get our products to the markets, right? We saw huge losses with the grain transport issues a few years ago.

I think we should really concentrate on getting this right. We tried to make sure that none of the provisions sunsetted in the last Parliament. I really think we should concentrate on the grain transport issue and the Emerson report and making sure that we can actually table a report to the House of Commons on maybe grain transport, with recommendations to the Minister of Agriculture and to the responsible transport minister.

[The Chair, Liberal, Pat Finnigan]

So if we were to go ahead—well, we are going ahead with Wednesday's grain transportation committee—and do the two TPP meetings that we have scheduled, because it would be hard to get some witnesses if we were to move these, then, when we came back, if it were the choice of the committee, perhaps we could look at grain. But that would be the choice of the committee.

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

They have offices up in Ottawa sometimes.

[The Chair, Liberal, Pat Finnigan]

Mr. Warkentin.

[Chris Warkentin, Conservative, Grande Prairie—Mackenzie, AB]

I would suggest that following our next meeting, we have a subcommittee meeting, consider the testimony that's been given, and then make a decision as to how we proceed.

[The Chair, Liberal, Pat Finnigan]

Following this meeting.

[Chris Warkentin, Conservative, Grande Prairie—Mackenzie, AB]

Yes.

[The Chair, Liberal, Pat Finnigan]

Mr. Drouin.

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

There are two things. First, with regard to the Growing Forward 3 program, perhaps we can put a motion on it. I can put the motion on the floor. I just think it would be a great idea to undertake that on a long-term basis. If we're lucky, we'll get to start in June, but we'll have to continue that in September, October, November, if we go back in history.

Mr. Shipley might remember that from when he was on the ag committee.

[Bev Shipley, Conservative, Lambton—Kent—Middlesex, ON]

I don't know what the objectives are going to be with it. It gets driven by the provinces a lot. The framework, as mentioned, is there, unless that framework will totally change. That direction will come from your minister, Minister MacAulay.

When we do come back in the fall...and I'll be honest with you, there isn't a whole lot that will happen over the summer—

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

No.

[Bev Shipley, Conservative, Lambton—Kent—Middlesex, ON]

—particularly with this committee, but if it was something for which there was a desire to initiate.... It becomes effective March 31, 2017, I think.

I am looking at the schedule here. We are at May 2 already before you get to the discussion on transportation, because the next two meetings on April 18 and April 20 are on TPP. If you're going to have a subcommittee discussing transport it would be May 2 and May 4, somewhere in there, before you would get to that.

Then you start to look into June. That will depend, but history sometimes has a way of interfering in June, particularly around the middle of it, with committees. In all fairness that's just what happens here, it's part of the process. If we're booking it past that second week of June it's a little sketchy.

All I'm saying, Frank, and to you, Mr. Chairman, is that there is about two weeks where you might have some discussion. It depends on what you're going to do on transportation, because it's actually the one where you'll want to have that discussion. You will have that discussion later.

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

Then perhaps we can move it up to the week of May 16 or the week of May 9, depending on what we do with grain transportation. I want to make sure that the department has the report in hand not at the last second, so they have time to react and analyze what the committee's recommendations are.

[Bev Shipley, Conservative, Lambton—Kent—Middlesex, ON]

On TPP?

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

No, on Going Forward 3. On TPP, in the spirit of not doubling our work with the committee on international trade, perhaps what we can do is coordinate this with international trade and make sure we don't invite the same witnesses out of respect for the agricultural community.

Also, and I'm not sure if this was done in the past, perhaps rather than writing a report we could actually write a letter to the committee of international trade stating here's what we've heard, here's what we think you should do based on agriculture, as opposed to writing another report when international trade might have heard other news from the agricultural community, because they are going to hear from the agricultural community.

I'm afraid that we're doubling our work with TPP. There was a study done by the agriculture committee on TPP prior. We weren't there, but there was a study done on it. How many studies can we do on TPP?

I agree that we maybe should hear from witnesses, but perhaps we could write a letter to the committee on international trade based on what we've heard, if we're just going to do four meetings. I'm not comfortable writing a report based on four meetings. I don't think we can tell Canadians that we've done a good job based on four committee meetings.

[The Chair, Liberal, Pat Finnigan]

We had also discussed the possibility of a visit to certain parts of Canada. I think that was also part of it, so that shortens the schedule even more.

Mr. Peschisolido.

[Joe Peschisolido, Liberal, Steveston—Richmond East, BC]

Mr. Chair, that's exactly what I was going to bring up, the possibility of heading over maybe to Calgary and Vancouver to discuss these issues because there is a lot of concern there as well and a lot of folks can't come out here.