Mr. Chair, I am pleased to able to speak in debate about the government's commitment to our entire agrifood sector, including our supply managed producers and the length to which the government is going to defend their interests on the international stage.
To begin, I would like to remind the House about the ways in which this government has supported and defended our five supply managed industries.
As we all know, supply management is a uniquely Canadian agricultural commodity system. Created over three decades ago, it has offered real benefits to producers and consumers alike. It provides stability and prosperity to producers and processors, as well as higher quality, value-added food products for consumers.
Supply management has been the choice of dairy, poultry, and egg producers, and has been successful for these industries. This government firmly supports this choice and has repeatedly shown that it will defend the ability of producers to choose how to market their products.
Let us consider for a few minutes how this government has defended this choice for an orderly marketing system like supply management.
We know that other countries have tried to challenge elements of our supply management system through international dispute panels. In the mid-1990s, for example, the Government of Canada did everything it could to win a U.S. challenge to supply management in the NAFTA. Working extremely closely with the five supply managed industries and the provincial governments, this government successfully fought and won this case.
Similarly, this government launched a strong defence in a World Trade Organization dairy dispute in which the U.S. and New Zealand challenged some of the ways in which our dairy industry operates in export markets. This was a model of how the government continues to work so hard to defend our domestic policy choices, in close cooperation with industry and with provincial jurisdictions.
We also know that our supply management system is under pressure in the World Trade Organization's agriculture negotiations, but Canada is fighting back. Our negotiators, led by the Minister of International Trade and the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, are using every possible opportunity to promote Canada's objectives. They are seeking a fair and equitable result for all of Canada's producers, one that levels the playing field on which they compete.
At the same time, our negotiators are strongly defending the ability of Canadian producers to choose how they market their products.
Looking further, we know that imports of various milk proteins have been on the rise in the past while. This trend has our dairy producers very concerned, given the centrality of the import control pillar in our supply management system.
Indeed, this is why the Dairy Farmers of Canada has called on this government to initiate GATT article XXVIII negotiations on their behalf. If successful, a GATT article XXVIII action would allow Canada to negotiate the creation of new tariff rate quotas on specified products. In this case, the products would include casein, caseinates, butteroil-sugar blends, and milk protein isolates, based on the Dairy Farmers of Canada's request.
I want to assure all members that the government has clearly and honestly discussed this request with the Dairy Farmers of Canada. The government has explained its view that this is not the best time to initiate an article XXVIII action, and I will speak more to the government's reasoning in a few minutes.
Through all these challenges to supply management, this government has acted and responded in the best interests of Canadian producers. As we all know, supply management is a critical element of our domestic agricultural policy, and something that must be supported and defended domestically and internationally.
But I also think that it is important to take time in this debate to recognize that the government's steadfast support for supply management by no means diminishes our support for other Canadian producers who are more outward-looking or export-oriented in focus.
We all know that Canada is a trading nation and the same is true for many of our agrifood producers. This reality means that the government must strategically reflect the needs of all producers to achieve Canada's overall objective on the international stage.
Once again, I would like to look at the government's effort in the World Trade Organization agriculture negotiations to demonstrate how Canada is doing just that.
In 1999 the government announced Canada's initial negotiating position for the WTO agriculture negotiations. The position was developed in close consultation with the provincial governments and the full range of agrifood stakeholders.
Canada's primary objective is to level the international playing field. Canada is seeking a big ambitious result in the negotiations through the elimination of export subsidies, substantial reductions in trade distorting subsidies and significant market access improvements for all agrifood products.
Achieving these objectives will go a long way toward removing the unfairly high levels of support and protection offered by just a small handful of countries. At the same time, Canada will continue to defend the ability of our producers to choose how to market their products.
Canadian producers support Canada's overall objectives. While they may have different views about how to achieve these objectives for specific issues, they agree that clearer, fairer and more equitable global trading rules are truly in all of their interests.
Since the WTO negotiations began in 2000, the government has been working extremely closely with all Canadian producers. The provincial governments and agri-food stakeholders have been kept fully engaged at each step of the way in the negotiations. Ministers and officials have been meeting extensively with stakeholders to listen to their perspectives on the issues under negotiation.
Likewise, they have strongly supported and facilitated the efforts of agri-food industry representatives to travel abroad and meet with foreign governments and their industry counterparts around the world to present their views on the agriculture negotiations.
For example, just a few weeks ago, over 65 representatives of our agri-food sector were in Geneva to take part in the WTO's annual public symposium. That kind of cooperation between producers, agricultural organizations and the Government of Canada not only builds trust and a strong relationship between Canadian interests at the WTO negotiations, it contributes to a strong Canadian position at those negotiations.
Yes, there is still a long way to go in the negotiations and there are very real challenges that Canada must face along the way. However I assure the House that Canada will continue to capitalize on our credibility and influence to keep fighting for positive results for all our producers.
As I had the opportunity to mention a few moments ago, I was very encouraged by the words of the Minister of Agriculture this evening in this debate indicating that he would not hesitate at the proper time to use article XXVIII should that be necessary. I think it is the proper thing to do and the responsible thing to do.
We have to look at all our producers. I represent part of the Annapolis Valley. We have a multitude of producers, some in commodities who do not benefit from supply management and others in the supply management. We have seen production facilities close down because they could not compete with unfair imports that are subsidized and productions that are subsidized. It is important that the level playing field be there. I believe the producers in our country can compete with anyone anywhere under the same regulations, under the same rules and under the same support.
If we want to support our whole industry, we must encourage the minister to negotiate a level playing field. I understand from the minister and other ministers that perhaps using article XXVIII at this time would not benefit that process.
I take the minister at his word because I have known him for a long time and I know him to be an honest man and a man of integrity. What I would ask of the minister, as someone mentioned, is a line in the sand. I think it is important that producers understand under what conditions we may have to do that and what the milestones are.