Agriculture Committee on Jan. 31st, 2022

[The Chair, Liberal, Kody Blois]

I see some hands. I will consult with the clerk, but I see Mr. Perron.

It's over to you, Mr. Perron, and then Mr. Drouin.

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

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

What concerns me is that this is being put off continually and we are delaying the other work of the committee.

In my view, the proposal to invite representatives from British Columbia again is appropriate. What I am suggesting is that we try to do it on Thursday. We could set aside an hour to hear from the British Columbia representatives. Is that a compromise my Conservative colleague can accept?

If that doesn't work, we'll be able to discuss it the following Monday. This is an emergency situation. We need to have answers to our questions, and there should be a consensus on this.

[The Chair, Liberal, Kody Blois]

Mr. Perron has suggested that we take an hour on Thursday. That's not unanimous at this point, but it's certainly a pathway.

Mr. Drouin, it's over to you.

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

I hope this is not the way we will proceed in the future. We have just had a meeting to organize our work, and already proposals are being made that were not discussed.

If committee members wish to have a meeting by Thursday, we have to take into account that the British Columbia government representatives will not be able to be there. We will not be able to give them sufficient notice. If we want them here, let's at least give them some time to respond to our invitation. Again, this is too last-minute to invite them. That is what I wanted to make clear to the members of the committee.

[The Chair, Liberal, Kody Blois]

Thank you, Mr. Drouin.

It's a short time frame, but I do think it is reasonable.

I'll go to Mr. Vis for his remarks.

[Brad Vis, Conservative, Mission—Matsqui—Fraser Canyon, BC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I just want to thank all members of the agriculture committee for hosting three B.C. MPs who have gone through the worst disasters we've ever seen in our province.

Committees serve a purpose in terms of raising important issues, and we heard from witnesses today that it is “once in a hundred years”. All of us have constituents who have lost everything, and if this committee can just show some compassion and work with us to get the answers we're seeking, that's all we're looking for today.

This has been a great meeting and I've appreciated all questions from all parties. I'm just asking that Parliament use its authority and power to make sure that farmers and producers, who give us the best food we could ever ask for, get the chance to have their voices heard, and that we get a review of the programs that are going to make or break it for them.

[The Chair, Liberal, Kody Blois]

I've had a conversation with the clerk, and here's how I propose we move, Mr. Epp. I'm trying to take into account Mr. Drouin and everything I've heard here today.

You're seeking information from a witness who was not able to make it despite an invitation that was sent for today. Perhaps we could move forward with a motion to ask for that particular information. If that information does not suffice for the folks on this committee—recognizing that we have laid out our schedule as a committee—we could then, of course, provide more notice to British Columbia officials to come, and schedule the time frame.

It is a challenge to be able to work on that tight time frame for Thursday, but I think the information you're seeking is important. Perhaps that's a way we can proceed.

[Dave Epp, Conservative, Chatham-Kent—Leamington, ON]

I believe the motion is in order, so I would like to test the room. Obviously, if the B.C. officials can't or don't want to appear on Thursday, that's something the subcommittee can take up on Monday. However, I think it is important, and I would agree with Mr. Perron's comments that it is important enough to our colleagues in B.C. and that time is of the essence.

[The Chair, Liberal, Kody Blois]

Just so we're clear, can you reiterate what exactly the motion is? Of course, this is on the fly, and there are some members who are at home, appearing virtually. Can you make it very clear what you're moving right now?

[Dave Epp, Conservative, Chatham-Kent—Leamington, ON]

I'm moving two elements.

I'm requesting the information specific to the B.C. accounts on the AgriInvest program that was asked for in the questioning, as well as the specifics on the AgriRecovery program. That's part A.

For part B, we're asking that the officials from the B.C. agri-food department appear for an hour on Thursday to answer questions from our colleagues from B.C.

[The Chair, Liberal, Kody Blois]

Colleagues, you've heard Mr. Epp table the motion. Is there any further discussion?

I see Mr. Albas's hand, and I'll wait for anyone virtually if there's any further comment.

[Dan Albas, Conservative, Central Okanagan—Similkameen—Nicola, BC]

In most committees, when you have officials and you ask for them to get back to the committee with information, if there's no issue with anyone, we would just accept that.

The real issue is whether or not the committee is going to give its unanimous consent to tasking you as the chair to work with the clerk to bring those witnesses. Quite honestly, we have a big gap in knowledge, and it's not just the numbers that would be brought forward by them but also what is actually happening on the ground.

I would just ask all members to think of that. This is just giving unanimous consent for you to invite them to an open spot on Thursday.

[The Chair, Liberal, Kody Blois]

Understood.

Mr. Turnbull, I see your hand.

[Ryan Turnbull, Liberal, Whitby, ON]

I just wanted to clarify: Is this just for an hour, or is it for the whole meeting? I am certainly supportive of this, even though I agree with my colleague Mr. Drouin's comments about how we have just agreed not to have a meeting on Thursday. That's fine. Given how this conversation has gone and given the desire to have additional input from the B.C. officials, that's fine.

Is it for an hour, or is it for the whole meeting?

[The Chair, Liberal, Kody Blois]

I can let Mr. Epp speak to it, but my understanding is that it is for an hour. I will remind members.... We can work with the clerk to send the invitation. The officials from the British Columbia government are not beholden to our timeline, but we can at least extend the invitation and see.

I see Ms. Taylor Roy.

[Leah Taylor Roy, Liberal, Aurora—Oak Ridges—Richmond Hill, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

The officials from the B.C. government were invited to this meeting and were not able to make it. What is it, specifically, that we're looking for from them, if we are going to reinvite them with short notice for another meeting?

As we all know, their priority is working in British Columbia to address the very real and continuing issues that are facing the farmers and the producers there. I want to be sure that if we reinvite them and ask them to come on short notice, we are asking them some very specific things that could not be answered today.

[The Chair, Liberal, Kody Blois]

Mr. Fast, I see your hand.

I want to be mindful of our time. This is an important conversation. We have some ability to extend, but I don't want to abuse that privilege.

It's over to you, Mr. Fast.

[Ed Fast, Conservative, Abbotsford, BC]

I'll be brief, Chair.

The questions we're looking at include things like whether the request has been made to the federal government for extraordinary funding under our AgriRecovery framework. Has that request been made? Has an amount been attached to that? Is it an amount that is yet to be determined? Will it be sufficient to address the needs of groups like our blueberry farmers, who are desperate to survive right now?

Those are the kinds of questions that need to be directed to our provincial officials. I sense that there is a consensus around the room to allow us to do that.

[The Chair, Liberal, Kody Blois]

That certainly gives some parameters. At the end of the day, if there is unanimous consent, we can move forward. There is no guarantee, but we can work in short order to see if it is possible for Thursday. If not, to Mr. Albas's point, the committee is well within its right to ask for the information, even if we can't line up a meeting.

We can move forward, assuming that is the will of the committee. Seeing no issues, that is passed.

Can I get a motion to adjourn?

[An hon. member]

I so move.

[The Chair, Liberal, Kody Blois]

All are in favour. Thank you.

We will be in touch. Thank you, everyone.