Special Committee on Cooperatives Committee on July 10th, 2012

Evidence of meeting #3 for Special Committee on Cooperatives in the 41st Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was cooperatives.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

Status of Cooperatives in Canada

Committee Business

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Claude Carrière Associate Deputy Minister, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

John Connell Associate Assistant Deputy Minister, Strategic Policy Sector, Department of Industry

Jeremy Rudin Assistant Deputy Minister, Financial Sector Policy Branch, Department of Finance

Denyse Guy Executive Director, Canadian Co-operative Association

Marion Wrobel Vice-President, Policy and Operations, Canadian Bankers Association

Stephen Fitzpatrick Vice-President, Corporate Services and Chief Financial Officer, Credit Union Central of Canada

Nicholas Gazzard Executive Director, National Office, Co-operative Housing Federation of Canada

Frank Lowery Senior Vice-President, Senior Counsel and Secretary, The Co-operators Group

John Taylor President, Ontario Mutual Insurance Association

Michael Barrett Chief Operations Officer, Gay Lea Foods Cooperative Ltd.

Bob Friesen Farmers of North America

3:55 p.m.

Liberal

Mauril Bélanger Liberal Ottawa—Vanier, ON

Okay, and in other provinces—

3:55 p.m.

Chief Operations Officer, Gay Lea Foods Cooperative Ltd.

Michael Barrett

Yes, there are. There is Farmers Dairy. There is Scotsburn Dairy, Northumberland Dairy.

3:55 p.m.

Liberal

Mauril Bélanger Liberal Ottawa—Vanier, ON

What is the level of cooperation among these in order to have a sort of national cooperation? How does that sit now?

3:55 p.m.

Chief Operations Officer, Gay Lea Foods Cooperative Ltd.

Michael Barrett

As I mentioned, there is a dairy cooperative meeting pre-summit happening at the Quebec summit, but I have probably spent in 2012 at least 20 days on the road developing relationships with cooperatives in the dairy sector, and we are doing such things as joint purchasing. We are looking at being able to streamline production, being able to give each other business, and to cooperate on supply chains. It is an important part of our outreach.

3:55 p.m.

Liberal

Mauril Bélanger Liberal Ottawa—Vanier, ON

I have a final question. If there were an ability to construct a co-op beyond a provincial boundary, would it happen, and what would it take for it to happen?

3:55 p.m.

Chief Operations Officer, Gay Lea Foods Cooperative Ltd.

Michael Barrett

I would not say it would be easy, because there are still regional identities and concerns, but I believe—and I am, again, the cooperative evangelist—it is the methodology that would ensure a successful and healthy dairy sector in Canada.

3:55 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Blake Richards

I'm sorry, your time has expired.

I'll suspend the meeting for just a few minutes so we can clear the room and move in camera.

3:55 p.m.

Liberal

Mauril Bélanger Liberal Ottawa—Vanier, ON

I move that we do not go in camera.

3:55 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Blake Richards

I'm sorry, the meeting is suspended.

3:55 p.m.

Liberal

Mauril Bélanger Liberal Ottawa—Vanier, ON

I'll be moving that we do not go in camera so that the people who are waiting to see—

3:55 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Blake Richards

You have the ability to do that once....

The meeting is now suspended.

[Proceedings continue in camera]