Evidence of meeting #18 for Finance in the 39th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was cement.
2:20 p.m.
Vice-Chair, Canadian Egg Marketing Agency
If it were five cents, it would be an opportunity that perhaps could be involved in a cost-of-production formula.
2:20 p.m.
Conservative
Luc Harvey Conservative Louis-Hébert, QC
Thank you.
I also have a question for Mr. Pineau. A little earlier, we started talking about the film industry. In your opinion, if the Quebec film industry is doing well, we should increase funding for producers.
Is that correct?
2:20 p.m.
National Director, Canadian Conference of the Arts
I would address the issue from another viewpoint, even though I may come to the same conclusion. We consider that an investment in creativity, in cultural products and cultural expression is something fundamental. The federal government has an important role to play in that regard. Apart from some very rare exceptions, there is no cultural industry here that can survive without some form of direct or indirect support from our governments. That's the basic reality. On that point, I would say that, if the Quebec film industry is doing well, we think there's no reason to stop investing in it.
2:20 p.m.
Conservative
Luc Harvey Conservative Louis-Hébert, QC
We're not talking about stopping investing, we're talking about investments.
2:20 p.m.
National Director, Canadian Conference of the Arts
If there are more sensible projects that can enable us to see more cultural products on our screens, absolutely.
2:20 p.m.
Conservative
Luc Harvey Conservative Louis-Hébert, QC
Conversely, if the film industry isn't doing well, what should we do?
2:20 p.m.
National Director, Canadian Conference of the Arts
We should analyze why it's not doing well.
2:20 p.m.
Conservative
Luc Harvey Conservative Louis-Hébert, QC
No, I wonder whether we shouldn't cut budgets at that point.
2:20 p.m.
National Director, Canadian Conference of the Arts
I'm a member of a national organization. I represent both the Quebec side, where there is one type of culture and reality, and the Canadian side as a whole. The situation is not the same on both sides. I can't give you an adequate and satisfactory answer because the two shoes aren't the same size.
2:20 p.m.
Conservative
Luc Harvey Conservative Louis-Hébert, QC
My last question is for Mrs. Bilodeau.
Let's say I have 30 seconds left, Mr. Chair?
2:20 p.m.
Conservative
Luc Harvey Conservative Louis-Hébert, QC
People increasingly need cooked foods; we all know that.
How do we go about drawing the line between restaurants and home cooking?
2:20 p.m.
Vice-President, Finance and Commodity Taxation, Canadian Council of Grocery Distributors
Restaurant meals will always be taxable.
2:20 p.m.
Conservative
2:20 p.m.
Conservative
2:20 p.m.
NDP
Thomas Mulcair NDP Outremont, QC
Thank you, Mr. Chair. My first question is for Mr. Clarke. I'm going to tell him a story that will turn our interpreters' hair grey because it's a translation story.
When I entered the National Assembly, our Agriculture Minister always talked about a type of management. I always heard “egg management” and I thought he was talking about eggs. In fact, he had a Gaspé accent and he was talking about supply management. I'm happy to be with the person who is engaged in egg supply management because I can finally reconcile the reality with what I misheard when I entered the National Assembly.
But I pity the poor interpreter who had to render that one for you.
Mr. Clarke, you make an important point in your document about the fiscal advantage of the supply management system generally. I'd like you to elaborate a little bit on that, because I share your concern when I hear the rumblings from the Conservative government. It's taken about two years for people to start to realize that, oh my goodness, they're conservatives; they don't believe the government has a role to play in the economy. We do, and the NDP has long held that Canada's supply management system should be supported and maintained.
Can you tell us what your feeling is right now? And as we head into the next budget cycle with the government, what signals are you getting on the supply management scheme in Canada generally?
2:20 p.m.
Vice-Chair, Canadian Egg Marketing Agency
Supply management is truly, in my opinion, one of the pillars of economic stability in agriculture. The main reason for that is our ability to get our cost of production from the marketplace.
Supply management across the country is...a lot of rural benefits are truly being taken from and given to the income, and the ability for supply management to facilitate back and forth, buying in the community, participating in communities with regard to the spinoff effect, the ability that we put in, the opportunities for us to be involved in everything from sending our children to the rinks to being involved on boards and everything.
The strength of our industry, because of supply management and the ability to get the income from the marketplace, really affords us a lot of opportunities in being stable. If you look at so much of other agriculture today, whether it's the pork industry or perhaps the beef industry, they are very much disadvantaged relative to the opportunities we have.
We, as a supply management industry, do not come to government looking for a subsidy, and so on. We don't come for that type of assistance. So that's a significant factor for us and government.
2:25 p.m.
NDP
Thomas Mulcair NDP Outremont, QC
That's uniquely Canadian, you're right. But the expression that comes to mind is, “If it ain't broke, don't fix it.”
Dr. Ouellet, does the Canadian Medical Association have a position on the shortage of doctors that you referred to? You cited the example of someone who is a resident and for whom we could extend the period during which that person pays no interest. I find that idea very interesting.
But I also wanted to ask you something: to the extent that we also have a lot of people who are capable of becoming doctors but who have been trained outside Canada, have you considered tax or other measures that could facilitate their transition if, for example, they have to study for a year or two in order to supplement their knowledge so as to adapt it to North America? The Americans ultimately find it a lot easier to recruit and integrate doctors trained outside the country than we do in Canada. As the former President of the Office des professions du Québec for six years—where we met—I'm familiar with the reasons why we are reluctant here and I know where the stumbling blocks are.
Perhaps you could share your thoughts on the subject with us.
2:25 p.m.
President Elect, Canadian Medical Association
I think we have to take every possible step to have as many physicians as possible, and here's one: we can help a physician who has been trained outside Canada, perhaps by means of a tax credit or something like that, so that he can more easily enter the medical system here. Obviously, if we ask someone to do, for example, a residency, a year of training or something like that, he'll have to do it by his own means. If we help him, that can be an incentive.
Understand that we agree on all the possible ways of increasing the number of physicians. We will be preparing a policy on this matter very soon; you'll be hearing about it.
2:25 p.m.
NDP
2:25 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Rob Merrifield
Thank you very much.
With the indulgence of the committee, I have a couple of quick questions before our time is gone. I'll just pick up where Mr. Mulcair left off with regard to the Canadian Medical Association.
It's interesting that you have what struck me as quite a social engineering proposal, which is to tax our burgers and our high-calorie foods. That's an interesting proposal. But who is going to determine what is a healthy food and what should be taxed and what shouldn't be taxed? I have all kinds of fears of opening that Pandora's box.
Nonetheless, the issue is to try to deal with the childhood obesity crisis, and I applaud the recommendation for that attempt. But in your own studies and in your own polling, you have identified that although 26% of those aged 2 to 17 are obese or overweight, only 9% of Canadians recognize it. So it's a recognition problem prior to the social engineering problem. I would think you would have to address the information side of it before you address the penalty side.
I just don't know if you've thought that through very clearly or how you would address that.
2:25 p.m.
President Elect, Canadian Medical Association
When we ask parents if their children are obese, they don't usually see it that way. It's a perception problem, and you're entirely right in saying that you have to start by showing people what obesity is and what tendency their children are following.
I think a significant information campaign must be conducted on this. Surveys have been conducted on this subject and have shown that parents don't see their children accurately.
In addition, there is a tax on junk food in 16 American states. We wouldn't be reinventing the wheel, since this is done and has already been done outside Canada, in other countries.
2:25 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Rob Merrifield
Although your proposal wasn't junk food; it was high-calorie foods. Nonetheless, that's okay.
2:30 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Rob Merrifield
That would pick on the fellow beside you, actually.
I want to talk to Mr. Clarke with regard to your issue, but I'll just correct Mr. Mulcair--it's not his fault; he's new to the House of Commons. Actually, the proposal of the government in power is to support supply management.
Nonetheless, your proposal is interesting, that the state look after the compensation of replacing those birds in the avian flu position. Is there private insurance that will deal with loss of income, such as every other business would have to buy? Is that available for the industry?