Evidence of meeting #2 for Bill C-18 (41st Parliament, 1st Session) in the 41st Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was farmers.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

John Knubley  Deputy Minister, Department of Agriculture and Agri-Food
Murdoch MacKay  Commissioner, Canadian Grain Commission
Richard Phillips  Executive Director, Grain Growers of Canada
Greg Meredith  Assistant Deputy Minister, Strategic Policy Branch, Department of Agriculture and Agri-Food
Gordon Bacon  Chief Executive Officer, Pulse Canada
Stephen Vandervalk  President, Grain Growers of Canada
Bob Friesen  Farmers of North America Inc.

11 p.m.

Conservative

Bob Zimmer Conservative Prince George—Peace River, BC

Sure.

I just wanted to clarify something, Mr. Chair, with Mr. Martin, but I see he's gone home for the evening already.

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

11 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Blaine Calkins

Mr. Zimmer, thank you for that.

Well move on, then. We have five minutes.

Mr. Dreeshen.

11 p.m.

Conservative

Earl Dreeshen Conservative Red Deer, AB

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.

One of the things that was mentioned earlier was the attack on the family farm and the difficulties that are going to exist there. Basically, I'm someone who has farmed. My family's been involved with farming for over a hundred years in central Alberta.

We want to give something back to the farmers. I think your organization is looking at opportunities for young people, young entrepreneurs to indeed do that. You did talk, as well, about your role and what you thought you could perhaps do with a voluntary Wheat Board. People tell me that 100% of farmers who want nothing to do with the Canadian Wheat Board will be able to market their grain as they choose, and 100% of the people who want to market their grain through a voluntary board are going to be able to do that. These are the things that are going to help bring young people back to the farm.

I just wondered if you could perhaps talk somewhat about how you see yourselves as partnering with this new voluntary Wheat Board, in order to see those types of things occur for the family farm.

11 p.m.

Farmers of North America Inc.

Bob Friesen

I still can't see that far, so I wouldn't know exactly what that would look like. For the moment, and for the current discussion, I would simply emphasize that we make sure that we deal with the issues I listed. Those would be shortline rail, producer cars, making sure farmers have a way to market their grain and store their grain, and so on. Having said that, looking after that is where I think you people need to get involved in making sure that it happens. Part of that would perhaps be within the government's mandate. I think it has already been said. The minister is going to scrutinize it to make sure that it's going to work. We just really have to make sure that it works. If those things don't work, I think we're really going to lose.

When those things work, we are further prepared to work with farmers to help them with regard to market intelligence, market business, marketing skills, facilitating transportation, reducing transaction costs, and so on. Of course, the more you have working together, the more volume you have.

That's kind of beyond these points. Let's make sure that we address those concerns. I know that all of you have similar concerns, but I think they can be addressed. We need to make sure that they work for farmers.

11:05 p.m.

Conservative

Earl Dreeshen Conservative Red Deer, AB

When you are talking about things like brokerage, as far as products are concerned, it's making sure that you can get them to market. Will you consider that as one of the roles your organization would be able to play--buying or selling futures or assisting in marketing?

11:05 p.m.

Farmers of North America Inc.

Bob Friesen

Yes. Again, that would be something that would be in an upcoming business plan.

The one thing I can tell you is that we are almost done putting in place a security insurance program for our members, which we think is going to greatly facilitate farmers' cashflow. It will enable them to get insurance for receivables so that they are more secure. They can, in fact, start purchasing inputs with that receivables insurance.

That's already a step in that direction of creating a more stable platform for farmers.

11:05 p.m.

Conservative

Earl Dreeshen Conservative Red Deer, AB

The Canadian Wheat Board has a couple of ships already, as you know. That is something I'm sure there will be more debate on. You also talked about producer cars. This is another part of the particular product line and the movement of product. Could you give us some indication as to what your thoughts would be as far as producer cars are concerned?

11:05 p.m.

Farmers of North America Inc.

Bob Friesen

On producer cars, again, the number one issue would be to make sure that railways serve farmers with producer cars and that there is timely delivery and timely pickup to make sure that farmers get the benefit of the producer cars the way they have to date. Again, the more you can aggregate cars and grain, the more clout you have with regard to service agreements and grain handling agreements. All of that, in aggregation, would work better.

As far as ships are concerned, that's way above my pay grade to talk about.

11:05 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Blaine Calkins

Thank you, Mr. Dreeshen. That concludes your five minutes.

It also complies with the routine proceedings insofar as we have gotten through the first and second rounds of testimony. I believe that there has been consensus that we could probably stop the witness at this point in time, unless I see any protest otherwise.

I have an issue I need to dispose of. Before you leave, Mr. Freisen, I want to say thank you very much for coming to the committee today and giving testimony. It was a helpful and frank discussion that will help parliamentarians here work their way through the legislation.

Go ahead, Mr. Anderson.

11:05 p.m.

Conservative

David Anderson Conservative Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK

Mr. Chair, Mrs. Block and I had some questions, but we are prepared to forgo them for this evening. I would just like to make one observation, and we'll be content with that.

I want to commend Mr. Valeriote, Mr. Rousseau, Mr. Allen, and particularly Ms. Ashton, who could be out campaigning, for sticking it out through the whole night. It must be especially challenging when their board critic left the meeting halfway though and isn't here. Unfortunately, Mr. Martin had something he needed to do, so he left the meeting. I certainly have to commend the other members for staying for the duration of the meeting.

11:05 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Blaine Calkins

I appreciate your comments, Mr. Anderson.

I do want to thank the members. We got off in the earlier part of our meeting to a bit of a rocky start, but I'm certainly doing my best to accommodate the needs of the committee. I appreciate the good discourse that we've had.

Mr. Valeriote, you asked a question of me earlier, just as we were about to begin here, about whether or not it had been determined at our organizational meeting how we're going to dispose of the bill through clause-by-clause. I've referred to the clerk, and I looked at the minutes from the meeting. While I can't discuss what's happened in an in camera meeting, what I can say is that there was no direction given to the chair in regard to that. But I will refer committee members to the Standing Orders, in particular to Standing Order 76.1(5) regarding the Speaker's power to select amendments.

If we were to proceed in camera for the clause-by-clause consideration of this legislation, we would put the Speaker in an unenviable position. I'll read this into the record:

The Speaker shall have power to select or combine amendments or clauses to be proposed at the report stage and may, if he or she thinks fit, call upon any Member who has given notice of an amendment to give such explanation of the subject of the amendment as may enable the Speaker to form a judgment upon it. If an amendment has been selected that has been submitted by more than one Member, the Speaker, after consultation, shall designate which Member shall propose it.

The note in the standing order says:

The Speaker will not normally select for consideration by the House any motion previously ruled out of order in committee and will normally only select motions which were not or could not be presented in committee. A motion, previously defeated in a committee, will only be selected if the Speaker judges it to be of such exceptional significance as to warrant a further consideration at the report stage.

And it goes on.

If we were to proceed to clause-by-clause consideration of this legislation in camera, we could have a situation where we would put the Speaker in an unenviable position of not being able to rule on a proposed amendment should one come forward at the report stage. He would not be able to refer to an in camera session of the meeting where any amendments could have been proposed to that legislation in camera. They would not be admissible on the floor of the House of Commons due to the rules we have.

Therefore, I will rule right now that unless otherwise directed by this committee, we will begin the clause-by-clause consideration of this bill in public.

11:10 p.m.

Liberal

Frank Valeriote Liberal Guelph, ON

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

11:10 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Blaine Calkins

Given the discussions we've already had, Mr. Friesen, I thank you for your testimony.

I think at this point in time we're going to adjourn the meeting.

Ms. Ashton, did you have a point of order?

11:10 p.m.

NDP

Niki Ashton NDP Churchill, MB

It's a question about tomorrow. When will we know who our witnesses are?

11:10 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Blaine Calkins

That's a good question. The witness list has not been 100% confirmed yet, but we're going to have witnesses beginning at six o'clock. We will have witnesses right through until ten o'clock.

In the first hour of the committee the witnesses are scheduled to be Mr. Ken Rosaasen, from the University of Saskatchewan, and Ian McCreary, Allan Oberg, and Stewart Wells, from the Canadian Wheat Board.

At seven o'clock we will proceed to hear from Mr. Voss and Mr. Nielsen, former directors of the Canadian Wheat Board; and Mr. Ron Bonnett, from the Canadian Federation of Agriculture.

At eight o'clock we will proceed with the Minister of Agriculture and department officials. The minister has agreed to come for one hour. It is my understanding that will be at eight o'clock. Then we would have the officials staying on throughout the discourse, until ten o'clock.

Thank you.

Mr. Hoback.

11:10 p.m.

Conservative

Randy Hoback Conservative Prince Albert, SK

Chair, Ian McCreary is no longer a director of the Canadian Wheat Board, so I was curious—

11:10 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Blaine Calkins

He did appear on the list that was submitted by the various parties for witnesses.

I would also point out that Mr. Voss and Mr. Nielsen are no longer directors and they've been accepted as witnesses for this committee. How we will deal with that at that point of time, we will have to decide. But I would assume we would take a similar position that the working group had, where because of their common position we would hear one presentation from that particular group.

I would expect we will have two ten-minute presentations for the first hour, and two ten-minute presentations for the second hour.

Thank you.

This meeting is adjourned.