Evidence of meeting #90 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 grain.
A recording is available from Parliament.
2:35 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Pat Finnigan
I'd like to remind you that the standing orders specify that we have to obtain the unanimous consent in order to have the right to withdraw a motion.
Is there unanimous consent to withdraw the motion, or Mr. Drouin's request, asking that the committee write to the Senate committee? Do you want to vote on that?
2:40 p.m.
Liberal
Francis Drouin Liberal Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, ON
Yes. In fact, he's speaking about a letter that...
2:40 p.m.
Conservative
Luc Berthold Conservative Mégantic—L'Érable, QC
Just a minute, Mr. Chair. In that case, I have a point of order. We were discussing a motion and I was interrupted.
Are you asking me to vote on a motion asking the committee to send a letter to the Senate?
2:40 p.m.
Conservative
2:40 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Pat Finnigan
It was a request for the unanimous consent of the committee to send a letter to the Senate.
2:40 p.m.
Conservative
Luc Berthold Conservative Mégantic—L'Érable, QC
So, that's over and we are not talking about that letter anymore.
2:40 p.m.
Liberal
2:40 p.m.
Conservative
Luc Berthold Conservative Mégantic—L'Érable, QC
I have a point of order. This isn't working. You are asking us to vote on something that is not a motion. What are we voting on?
2:40 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Pat Finnigan
On a request by a member to send a letter.
Was that not a motion, Mr. Drouin?
2:40 p.m.
Conservative
Luc Berthold Conservative Mégantic—L'Érable, QC
If it was not a motion, let's stop talking about it, and that will be over.
2:40 p.m.
Liberal
Francis Drouin Liberal Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, ON
No, it was not a motion, and that is why I asked for unanimous consent.
2:40 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Pat Finnigan
So, there was no motion.
Normally, when we ask for unanimous consent, debate is not possible. Since there was no motion, there should not be any debate.
Is there anything else you would like to discuss?
Ms. Brosseau, you have the floor.
2:40 p.m.
NDP
Ruth Ellen Brosseau NDP Berthier—Maskinongé, QC
As I was saying before, we need to put pressure on the Minister of Transport and the Minister of Agriculture. We're going to have this meeting in a week and a half. That's fine, but our job is to stand up for farmers. I don't know how many times I will say this, but it's the job of all of us—Conservative, NDP, and the Liberal government—to stand up for farmers.
In this meeting, we've spent two hours to decide that we're going to have another meeting on the grain crisis. I think farmers are looking to us for action. One thing we could do today is to agree unanimously to put pressure on the Minister of Transport and the Minister of Agriculture, as I said, to use all of the tools available.
These are not new things. They've existed for a long, long time and they've worked in the past when we've been in a similar situation. When we were in a situation in 2013-14, the Conservatives used an order in council to put pressure on the rail companies. They demanded that action be taken. They had minimum requirements for grain movement, and there were penalties. We need to write a letter and put pressure on the Minister of Transport and the Minister of Agriculture. We need to see their plan. Why aren't they moving forward? Why aren't they using these tools?
I think farmers want to know why.
2:40 p.m.
NDP
Ruth Ellen Brosseau NDP Berthier—Maskinongé, QC
Yes, sure, if it takes a motion, I'll move a motion for unanimous support for the following.
I want to ask the agriculture committee to write a letter to the Minister of Transport and the Minister of Agriculture and ask what their plan is. We need to talk about the importance of making sure that action is taken now, and talk about the option to have an order in council to set penalties.
We could clean that up a bit. I know that's not the cleanest of motions.
I think we're all on the same page, acknowledging that this is a crisis. I think we should all be unanimous and come together and write a letter to the Minister of Transport and the Minister of Agriculture asking for action now.
2:40 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Pat Finnigan
Okay.
We have a motion on the floor to request that, I think you said, that both the Minister of Agriculture and the Minister of Transport appear in front of the committee.
Is that it?
2:40 p.m.
NDP
Ruth Ellen Brosseau NDP Berthier—Maskinongé, QC
It's to write a letter. I would love to have them come before committee.