Evidence of meeting #2 for Agriculture and Agri-Food in the 44th Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was wart.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Kody Blois
Thank you, Mr. Bailey.
It's over to Mr. Morrissey for four minutes to finish off the panel.
Liberal
Bobby Morrissey Liberal Egmont, PE
Thank you, Chair.
My question is to the president of CFIA. It's for clarification. There's been some confusion.
On November 21, when the Canadian minister issued a statement that Canada would voluntarily suspend certificates to cross the border, was that the only measure taken at that time, or did the American government act at the same time, Ms. Mithani?
President, Canadian Food Inspection Agency
When the minister announced the voluntary suspension, it was a suspension based on the recommendations that we had given. There were no other changes, to my knowledge, that were done as a result of the U.S.
Maybe David can speak to that.
Liberal
Bobby Morrissey Liberal Egmont, PE
David or Ms. Mithani, what did the U.S. government order its border security to do?
Acting Executive Director, Policy and Programs Branch, Canadian Food Inspection Agency
The United States issued directions to its customs and border patrol services to not accept shipments from P.E.I. through any border point into the United States by midnight on November 22.
Liberal
Bobby Morrissey Liberal Egmont, PE
Then the minister's decision really had no impact on that. The U.S. decided to close its border on November 22. Am I correct?
Acting Executive Director, Policy and Programs Branch, Canadian Food Inspection Agency
That's correct. Whether we took some action or not, we would be here having the same conversation today.
Liberal
Bobby Morrissey Liberal Egmont, PE
Well, thank you for explaining that. Some people have been playing loose and fast with the fact that the minister simply moved arbitrarily and that she could change her mind and the border would reopen. It's important for the committee to understand that the U.S. government closed the border at the same time.
Ms. Mithani, over the past number of years, in 2000 and 2015, in all the incidents that occurred involving P.E.I. potatoes, did CFIA follow the same science-based process to resolve those disputes and open the market?
President, Canadian Food Inspection Agency
Absolutely. We have always used the management plan to continue to work to make sure that we protect P.E.I. potatoes and prevent the spread of potato wart in the—
Liberal
Bobby Morrissey Liberal Egmont, PE
The process you're using today is the same process you used in all the incidents in the past.
Liberal
Bobby Morrissey Liberal Egmont, PE
Suffice it to say that CFIA does not take political direction on how to deal with science on these issues.
President, Canadian Food Inspection Agency
Absolutely, Mr. Chair. That is correct.
Liberal
Bobby Morrissey Liberal Egmont, PE
Okay. It's important to do that.
Is the management plan that was in put in place, the one that we're referring to, solely a CFIA document? How is the management plan developed? Could you expand on that? Is it developed in concert with the Government of P.E.I. and the potato marketing board, or is it solely a CFIA document?
President, Canadian Food Inspection Agency
I will turn to David Bailey to answer on the specifics.
Acting Executive Director, Policy and Programs Branch, Canadian Food Inspection Agency
When the long-term management plan was originally created just after the 2000 find, it was created in partnership with the PEI Potato Board as well as the Province of P.E.I. It is really a joint document, from that perspective, in its creation. It is simply a regulatory tool to help us collectively manage endobiotic fungus.
Liberal
Bobby Morrissey Liberal Egmont, PE
Mr. Bailey, it is important for this committee to understand that this is not a document of CFIA in relation to the assumption that CFIA totally controls it. It is a management tool prepared by the industry, CFIA and the Government of P.E.I. Thank you.
Ms. Mithani, could you explain the difference between a federal order versus a ministerial one? If Minister Bibeau had not acted, what would be the implications of a federal order? This is for you first, and then I will go to the province for a quick comment. Which would have had the most negative impact on the P.E.I. potato industry?
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Kody Blois
If you could take a quick 30 seconds, Ms. Mithani, we could then go quickly to Prince Edward Island. Thank you.
President, Canadian Food Inspection Agency
The difference is that once a federal order is up, it is very, very difficult to—
President, Canadian Food Inspection Agency
Yes. A federal U.S. order is very difficult to change. We looked at the past, and there were no examples of a federal order being lifted before. Therefore, the best thing to do at the time was to have an order that we had control over.
Liberal
Bobby Morrissey Liberal Egmont, PE
A federal order from the U.S. would have had long-term negative consequences for the P.E.I. potato industry. Am I correct in assuming that?
Liberal
Bobby Morrissey Liberal Egmont, PE
Mr. Matheson, could you comment briefly on what the province would have risked in a federal order versus the CFIA voluntarily suspending?
Deputy Minister, Department of Agriculture and Land, Government of Prince Edward Island
I can't make a comment about that. That's outside the authority of—