Bill C-18 Committee on Nov. 2nd, 2011

[Brian Storseth, Conservative, Westlock—St. Paul, AB]

On a point of order, Mr. Chair, I would like say this is about the second or third time I feel that the witnesses, particularly Mr. Vos and Mr. Nielsen, have intimated they're being intimidated and therefore are not being fulsome in their disclosure to Parliament on the actions that may have happened. As you correctly ruled, Mr. Chair, they are protected under parliamentary privilege.

This is just the history of the Liberal Party of Canada, starting when we first got elected in 2006 as the government. When we first tried moving the Federal Accountability Act, and since we've been reviewing the cloak of darkness around the Canadian Wheat Board—

[Frank Valeriote, Liberal, Guelph, ON]

I have a point of order, Mr. Chair.

[Brian Storseth, Conservative, Westlock—St. Paul, AB]

—the member for [Inaudible--Editor] constantly stood up and—

[Frank Valeriote, Liberal, Guelph, ON]

It's absolutely irrelevant what's he saying right now.

[Brian Storseth, Conservative, Westlock—St. Paul, AB]

—kept Canadians and the Western Canadians from having the ability to see what was going on.

[Frank Valeriote, Liberal, Guelph, ON]

Mr. Chair, I'm inviting you to interject.

[The Chair, Conservative, Blaine Calkins]

I'll hear you, Mr. Valeriote.

[Frank Valeriote, Liberal, Guelph, ON]

That is absolutely inappropriate. The only questions I have asked have been on the technical value and on the admissibility of evidence. I have asked no questions intended to intimidate either Mr. Vos or Mr. Nielsen.

[The Chair, Conservative, Blaine Calkins]

I appreciate the interventions from both of you. I think these are points of debate, not points of order.

I encourage you to keep decorum at the committee. I encourage all parties at the table to keep the decorum of the committee respectable. Every member of the committee has now had an opportunity to review this document.

Mr. Dreeshen, your time is resuming now.

[Earl Dreeshen, Conservative, Red Deer, AB]

Thank you.

I was going to talk about the well-being of the corporation, in particular, the people who care about the corporation and what farmers can do.

I guess with the last 30 seconds, I'd like to have you comment then on what is in that second paragraph, where your public comments are discussed.

[Henry Vos]

The letter is a reply I got from the chairman of the board on his receipt of my resignation letter. The second paragraph, I guess, in a way summarizes the attitude that if it's not in agreement with the organization, then you're going to find yourself in hot water.

That kind of influence over a board of directors, in my view—and I've said this before—made it dysfunctional.

[The Chair, Conservative, Blaine Calkins]

Mr. Dreeshen, your time has expired.

Mr. Rousseau, you have five minutes.

[Frank Valeriote, Liberal, Guelph, ON]

Mr. Chair, I have a point of order again.

[The Chair, Conservative, Blaine Calkins]

Mr. Valeriote on a point of order.

[Frank Valeriote, Liberal, Guelph, ON]

This is a point of order, and I waited until Mr. Vos had finished his statement so that Mr. Storseth would not regard my intervention as an act of intimidation.

I'd like to point out to the public who are listening that Mr. Vos has not accurately relayed what is in that second paragraph. What is in that second paragraph is a reminder of his fiduciary duty to the corporation, and nothing more.

[The Chair, Conservative, Blaine Calkins]

Mr. Valeriote, this is a point of debate.

[Frank Valeriote, Liberal, Guelph, ON]

It is a point of order, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Conservative, Blaine Calkins]

You're debating the issues and the merits of the discussion going on around the table. I appreciate your intervention.

This document has been circulated to the committee and is for the committee to discuss and debate at this point in time. This time does not belong to you right now, but to Mr. Rousseau for five minutes.

Please go ahead, sir.

[Jean Rousseau, NDP, Compton—Stanstead, QC]

My question is for Mr. Bonnett.

You touched on several issues that are of concern to your members, in particular issues involving transport, access to facilities, and financial stress, issues which the board now deals with; you also mentioned other responsibilities that are going to fall onto the backs of farmers now. I think I am not wrong in saying that farmers everywhere in the country do not want and do not need additional responsibilities.

Do you think that the coming into force of Bill C-18 will complicate our farmers' lives?

[Ron Bonnett]

I think one of the things that isn't completely clear is what the implementation plan is.

I think that's for discussion in the legislation. There has been discussion about changing the role of the board. I think that goes back to the key point I was making about engaging people in the discussion in order to have a really good understanding of what the implementation of this would be as it moves forward.

[Jean Rousseau, NDP, Compton—Stanstead, QC]

My question is again for Mr. Bonnett.

Let's take Australia as an example; they had a longer transition period. And yet there were disastrous results there. How can we hope for a better result with a shorter transition period, as provided for in Bill C-18?

[Ron Bonnett]

Again, I'll go back to the statement I made earlier. I am not going to try to decide for wheat producers how they should market their grain, but I think what I will re-emphasize is that a process has to be in place so that there's a really transparent understanding of what's taking place going forward.

[Jean Rousseau, NDP, Compton—Stanstead, QC]

My next question is addressed to Mr. Vos.

Do you not think that Bill C-18 could have collateral effects on agricultural sectors where supply management is important, and where the stability and viability of producers is dependent on that system?

[Henry Vos]

I think the farmers of western Canada are quite capable of marketing their wheat and barley individually, and their decisions related to how they do that would not be different from those they take with the other crops they currently market—canola and pulse crops.

I can't comment on supply management. I'm not in that industry. I have no knowledge to add to the table on that.

[Jean Rousseau, NDP, Compton—Stanstead, QC]

I have no further questions.

May I share my time with Mr. Allen?