Mr. Speaker, the beef industry in Canada is facing yet another challenge by the United States. The implementation of country of origin labelling on agriculture products in the U.S. will cripple our Canadian beef industry.
The U.S. National Cattlemen's Beef Association is meeting on February 7. I implore the minister of agriculture to instruct the CFIA to immediately implement the terminal feedlot protocol before this meeting to send a strong signal that Canada is open for business to head off this potentially disastrous situation.
The minister may say that his hands are tied by concerns the CFIA has about the slim chance of disease. That is wrong. Scientific studies have been produced, and the minister has seen them, that concluded any possible health threat is manageable. It is strictly a lack of will by the minister and foot dragging by the CFIA that have produced this action by the U.S. producers.
Will the minister of agriculture be willing to accept the responsibility for killing our Canadian beef industry? I hope that he does not have to and I hope instead he does the right thing.