Agriculture Committee on Sept. 18th, 2025

[The Chair, Liberal, Michael Coteau]

I'd like to call the meeting to order.

Hello, everyone. Welcome to meeting number two of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food.

Today's meeting is taking place in a hybrid format, pursuant to the Standing Orders. Members are attending in person in the room and remotely using the Zoom application.

Before we continue, I'd like to ask all participants to consult the guidelines written on the back of the cards on the table. These measures are in place to help prevent audio and feedback incidents and to protect the health and safety of all participants, including the interpreters. You'll also notice a QR code on the card, which has a link to a short video.

For members in the room, if you wish to speak, please raise your hand, and for members on Zoom, please use the “raise hand” function. The clerk and I will manage the speaking order as best we can, and we appreciate your patience and understanding in this regard.

Today, colleagues, we are meeting to discuss the future business of the committee, which studies the committee wishes to undertake and the preferred order in which they should be considered.

I will now open the floor for any motions.

[Sophie Chatel, Liberal, Pontiac—Kitigan Zibi, QC]

Thank you, Chair. I would like to table a motion.

The motion concerns our meeting next Monday. I would like us to start this new parliamentary session on the right foot by receiving an update on one of the major issues currently affecting the agricultural and agri‑food sectors. This issue concerns all aspects of tariffs. I'm thinking, for example, of the tariffs imposed by China on canola, pork and peas. We hear a great deal about this key topic. However, I would like an update.

I propose that we spend an hour with officials from Agriculture and Agri‑Food Canada, as well as representatives from Global Affairs Canada and the Department of Finance. There have been announcements regarding programs to help our canola producers, for example. I would like witnesses to come talk about the impact of these programs.

I would like us to spend the second hour talking to stakeholders affected by tariffs. I would like to hear from them to see whether the support is actually sufficient.

That's my proposal.

Mr. Bouanani, I haven't drafted the motion yet. I'll submit it to you by the end of the meeting.

[The Chair, Liberal, Michael Coteau]

Is there any debate? All those in favour, raise your hand.

(Motion agreed to)

That passes. I'll open the floor again.

Are there any other motions?

Yes, Mr. Barlow, go ahead.

[John Barlow, Conservative, Foothills, AB]

Thank you, Chair.

We have had some good discussion within our subcommittee over the last few days, and I think we each have come up with a motion for a study that we would like to pursue. This doesn't preclude other things that may come up. Certainly, there will be some emergent issues, but I think this gives us a good template for now until the Christmas recess.

For ourselves—I know this has been submitted or passed around—this is the study that Conservatives would like to put forward:

That, pursuant to Standing Order 108(2), the committee undertake a study on the government's regulatory reform initiative in agriculture and agri-food at the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, and the Pest Management Regulatory Agency, with a focus on identifying where reforms can be expedited, where costs to producers and processors can be reduced without compromising health or trade, and where political leadership is required to move forward on long-standing files.

I didn't put in the motion how many days or how many meetings we would want for this—we can discuss that—but I would say up to eight. I think this is not going to be a short study. If we get it done more quickly, that's fine, but if everybody's okay with up to eight as the number, I think that's a good way to start.

[The Chair, Liberal, Michael Coteau]

Is there any discussion?

(Motion agreed to [See Minutes of Proceedings])

Can we get an end date for the submission of witnesses?

[John Barlow, Conservative, Foothills, AB]

Going by the clerk and the analysts, if we try to start this next Thursday, does Monday morning give you enough time? If everybody is okay with that, I would say Monday morning to have our witness lists in.

[The Chair, Liberal, Michael Coteau]

Does anyone have any issue with that? Okay, good.

We have two down now.

Are there any other motions?

Yes, sir, Mr. Perron.

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

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

You'll see that we really worked well together. I had already spoken about two motions back in June. We agreed that we would make some minor changes to them.

The first motion concerns the reference price:

That, whereas: 1. The reference price used in the pork and beef sectors in Quebec and Canada is currently that of the US market, which can lead to distortions throughout the supply chain. 2. Producers, processors and retailers all deserve a fair share of the revenue. That, pursuant to Standing Order 108(2), the committee convene stakeholders in the pork and beef supply chain for a minimum of three meetings to discuss how prices are set in the industry and to bring about greater transparency and study also obstacles to economic activity.

We can start with this motion. I'll move another one afterwards.

[The Chair, Liberal, Michael Coteau]

Is there any debate on the motion?

(Motion agreed to)

Mr. Perron.

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

I can see that we're working quite well together.

The second motion concerns investments in the agri‑food sector:

That, whereas: 1. Consumer demand for locally produced or processed food has reached unprecedented levels, driven by greater attention to food safety, sustainability and the importance of supporting local economies; 2. According to the OECD, between 2011 and 2023, Canada fell from 37th to 44th place out of 47 countries in terms of capital investment in the agri‑food sector; [which explains the alarm that we want to sound today]; and 3. According to a report by Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, automation and digitization in the industry must be encouraged by the government in order for it to achieve its growth objectives; That, pursuant to section 108(2) of the Standing Orders, the committee undertake an in‑depth study involving at least four meetings with stakeholders in the sector to better leverage agri‑food in order to strengthen food security in the face of global instability, with a particular focus on: Creating value within the Canadian food chain by promoting investment and innovation and reducing barriers to economic activity in Canada; Strengthening local food production and processing, from northern and remote communities to urban centres, to reduce our environmental footprint and food cost inflation; and Supporting local purchasing initiatives.

[The Chair, Liberal, Michael Coteau]

Are there any questions? Is there any debate?

(Motion agreed to)

Are there any other motions?

Go ahead, John.

[John Barlow, Conservative, Foothills, AB]

Thanks, Chair.

I know we talked about this as well. We would also like to table a motion inviting the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food to appear before the committee just for an opportunity for us to speak to the minister.

I understand that ministers' schedules can be a little bit in flux, so I do want to be fair. Our motion would be that the committee invite the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, Heath MacDonald, to appear at committee for two hours, no later than October 23, 2025, to testify on his mandate.

That gives him a little over a month to try to attend. Does that work?

[The Chair, Liberal, Michael Coteau]

Madame Chatel, go ahead.

[Sophie Chatel, Liberal, Pontiac—Kitigan Zibi, QC]

Could you just repeat...? Do you have a specific date by which he has to appear?

[John Barlow, Conservative, Foothills, AB]

I'm just saying by October 23, so it's any time between now and then.

[Sophie Chatel, Liberal, Pontiac—Kitigan Zibi, QC]

For two hours, is that right?

[John Barlow, Conservative, Foothills, AB]

Yes.

[Sophie Chatel, Liberal, Pontiac—Kitigan Zibi, QC]

Can we have an hour with officials and an hour with the minister?

[John Barlow, Conservative, Foothills, AB]

I would prefer two hours with the minister. I know we don't get a lot from the officials. I would prefer two hours.

[Sophie Chatel, Liberal, Pontiac—Kitigan Zibi, QC]

Okay.

Could I just have a moment? Could we suspend for a moment?

[The Chair, Liberal, Michael Coteau]

We'll suspend for a couple of minutes.

[The Chair, Liberal, Michael Coteau]

We're going to return to the main motion. I just want to ask something. For this Monday's meeting with the officials and stakeholders, do we have an actual list of stakeholders that have been agreed upon? Is there a list? We're going to have to get that list as soon as possible because Monday is coming pretty quickly. Can we have an agreement on when an appropriate cut-off would be?

Is tomorrow morning at 10 a.m. fair for everyone?

[Sophie Chatel, Liberal, Pontiac—Kitigan Zibi, QC]

Yes, absolutely.

I already have a list of the main players in the chain. I asked the department to prepare it for us. I'll send it to you and all our colleagues. I'll try to do that by the end of the day.

Does that work for you?

[The Chair, Liberal, Michael Coteau]

Perfect. We have agreement on that.

We'll go back to the main motion as put forward by Mr. Barlow.

[John Barlow, Conservative, Foothills, AB]

Thank you, Chair.

After discussions and assurance from my Liberal colleagues—