Agriculture Committee on Nov. 24th, 2020

[Yves Perron, Bloc, Berthier—Maskinongé, QC]

It would be most appropriate for you to provide those documents to the committee. I myself have written to Minister Bains to request that the Competition Bureau investigate the unfair practices we are seeing. I have yet to receive an official response. It's unfortunate, but that's the way it is. I'm sending a message to my colleagues opposite about this. Maybe I will get an answer soon. Otherwise...

[The Chair, Liberal, Pat Finnigan]

Thank you, Mr. Perron. Your time is up.

[Yves Perron, Bloc, Berthier—Maskinongé, QC]

It is up already?

[The Chair, Liberal, Pat Finnigan]

We'll now move to Mr. MacGregor for six minutes.

Go ahead, Mr. MacGregor.

[Alistair MacGregor, NDP, Cowichan—Malahat—Langford, BC]

Thank you so much, Mr. Chair.

Mr. Kelly, maybe I'll continue on the same line of questioning that you just went through with Monsieur Perron about the code of conduct. I know you have your contacts within the federal ministry of agriculture. As you correctly noted, there is the FPT meeting going on right now.

When it comes to the code of conduct, can you give us a quick overview of the provincial jurisdiction in this area and what the Government of Ontario is currently thinking about? We ultimately want to make some recommendations to the federal government. From your point of view, what does the Government of Ontario want to see from the federal government? How can our committee best serve to advance this issue forward and get that code of conduct going?

[John Kelly]

I think we have to understand that the issues that have been brought forth are relatively new issues. The announcement by Walmart and then the subsequent announcement by Loblaws were made in the last three or four months.

What I think needs to happen is that there has to be co-operation between the federal government and the provincial government on a path forward in developing whatever will address the issue. A code of conduct is one option that has been brought to the table. We're in the process of evaluating that. We don't really have a position for you currently on a grocery code of conduct.

If you look at other jurisdictions, there seem to have been some positive impacts of a grocery code of conduct on competition, pricing and those types of things. That is what some of the information and data show.

[Alistair MacGregor, NDP, Cowichan—Malahat—Langford, BC]

Certainly, various bodies, I guess, both provincially and federally, are now openly talking about this.

[John Kelly]

Yes.

[Alistair MacGregor, NDP, Cowichan—Malahat—Langford, BC]

Of course, our meeting today is public and, hopefully, the retailers might be able to see the writing on the wall and we can get some action on that.

Thank you very much for those comments.

Mr. Ball, maybe I'll turn to you.

I live in British Columbia, so I'm your southern neighbour. I've had the pleasure and the opportunity to visit Yukon before. It's certainly a beautiful part of Canada. You're both very lucky to live where you live.

I wanted to hear a bit more from both of you, because you do have a large territory and a relatively small population. I thank you for your comments about how food processing may not be a huge sector but it's very important locally.

If you were to look at how our federal committee is conducting its study and the ultimate recommendations we're going to make to the federal government, could you maybe expand a little more on some of the things you would like to see our committee zero in on when we make our recommendations to the federal minister as they relate specifically to Yukon?

You know the Northwest Territories and Nunavut as well. I'm sure they have issues and concerns similar to yours.

[Matthew Ball]

Thank you for the question.

We could spend quite a long time in terms of what we need to get us supported federally. I think the one concept that is brought up now and again is the access to broadband. We do have relatively good access in some of our core communities, but it is an ongoing concern in some of the rural areas. For some of you, “rural” might be the whole of the Yukon, of course, but for us that's referring to areas mostly outside of Whitehorse and some of our cities.

We have also been looking at the option of a processing centre, an innovation-type centre, and looking for an opportunity there as to how that sort of space could be supported, but again, it really does rely on federal and territorial support to get those types of spaces built up and then operationalized as well. Also, it requires the backing of our industry that they will use these spaces, knowing that they're there to support it.

Overall, the recommendations from across the country and supporting jurisdictions, from Ontario and B.C. and so forth, and making sure we're meeting their needs, are critical, but also with a nod to the north, in that there are some special circumstances up here in terms of how we operate and our future in farming.

[Alistair MacGregor, NDP, Cowichan—Malahat—Langford, BC]

When you're talking to the private sector, do you get a sense from them that if there was that kind of investment in an innovation hub, a processing hub, acting like a kick-start, they could then make that a commercially viable operation or that it would allow further opportunities for them? In your discussions with them, how has it been going so far?

[Matthew Ball]

Yes, it certainly has been one part, that we do have that opportunity if we can get this space developed, but it's really a matter of the cost and then the amount of use of it.

We are also able to rely on some of our neighbours in B.C. or Alberta who have these sorts of spaces available in the near term, but it certainly would be something to look to into the future.

[Alistair MacGregor, NDP, Cowichan—Malahat—Langford, BC]

Perfect. Thank you.

Mr. Chair, I'll conclude there with my questions.

[The Chair, Liberal, Pat Finnigan]

Thank you, Mr. MacGregor.

That basically takes us to the end of our panel this afternoon.

I would like to thank the Government of Yukon, Mr. Ball and Mr. Price.

From the Food Processors of Canada, Ms. Allen, thank you so much for participating.

To the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and John Kelly, deputy minister, and David Hagarty, thank you so much for being here.

It's all certainly going to help us with the work we're doing here and the report to the House.

[Warren Steinley, Conservative, Regina—Lewvan, SK]

Mr. Chair, if the witnesses are leaving, I would like to request a three- to four-minute in camera conversation, please. Do we have time, just for three or four minutes?

[The Chair, Liberal, Pat Finnigan]

To switch to in camera takes about 30 minutes, Mr. Steinley. We have to switch to another mode. We have to reconnect. I don't think that's.... It's up to the committee, but—

[Yves Perron, Bloc, Berthier—Maskinongé, QC]

As I'm expected in the House and have to leave, I propose that this discussion take place at the beginning of the next meeting, if possible.

[John Kelly]

Mr. Chair, I'd like to clarify. I'm deputy minister, not minister. Minister Ernie Hardeman is the minister.

[The Chair, Liberal, Pat Finnigan]

I apologize, Mr. Kelly. We had you as a minister for a while.

[Warren Steinley, Conservative, Regina—Lewvan, SK]

There were just a few things, Mr. Chair, that didn't quite run smoothly, so I'd love to have that in camera conversation at the start of next meeting, if possible.

[The Chair, Liberal, Pat Finnigan]

Are you requesting an in camera meeting for the next meeting, Mr. Steinley?

[Warren Steinley, Conservative, Regina—Lewvan, SK]

Yes, please. Just five to 10 minutes next Tuesday.

[Yves Perron, Bloc, Berthier—Maskinongé, QC]

We could start the meeting 30 minutes earlier, Mr. Chair. That way we would have more time. I'm sorry that I cannot stay.

[The Chair, Liberal, Pat Finnigan]

30 minutes earlier we will be doing the question period.

[Yves Perron, Bloc, Berthier—Maskinongé, QC]

Oh, yes, that's true.