Mr. Speaker, on September 30, I asked the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food a direct question relating to the government's response, or more so its lack of response, to the United States country of origin labelling legislation. I qualified my remarks that one of the defining characteristics of the Conservative government is to announce but never deliver.
As usual, the government claimed that it has taken action. It claimed that it raised the matter with the United States administration. On January 12, in a media release, the Minister of International Trade assured Canadian producers, and I will quote from the release, “I am pleased that key issues raised by Canada are addressed in these measures”. That was on January 12. That statement came after the United States published regulations in December 2008 for its COOL legislation. The Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food was reported as claiming at the time, “We have gotten what we asked”--the United States Department of Agriculture--“to do”. It sounds like a success story does it not?
The same government issued a news release on November 19 of this year, in which the Minister of International Trade said, “Our assessments are showing us that COOL is having a negative impact on Canadian farmers and livestock producers”. Obviously. Is that not quite the revelation?
The success the government talked about in the spring did not happen. So much for the Conservative government's ability to gain concessions for Canadian producers. Its failure to gain results from the United States administration has been demonstrated by the necessity now of going to the WTO.
The reality is that the Conservatives' failure to take action, their failure to present the United States with a clear position in respect of countermeasures we might take has cost Canadian farmers. To a great extent we are losing the hog industry in Canada. Beef producers are in serious trouble. The Conservative government has to be held to account for its lack of action.
The Canadian Pork Council, which represents a sector of the farm economy that is suffering from COOL, told the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food:
The introduction of mandatory country-of-origin labelling in the U.S. has wreaked havoc on a sector already suffering from financial losses. Since 2009, exports of live hogs are down 40% compared with the same period last year. This breaks down as follows: 30% fewer Canadian weaner and feeder hogs going into the U.S. and 65% fewer Canadian market hogs being exported to the U.S. On an annual basis this represents a loss of about $250 million worth of exports.
Instead of utilizing business risk management where it has spent $861,400,000 less than last year, instead of utilizing that program and re-profiling it so producers could survive in the interim, the government continues to fail Canadian producers.
I ask the parliamentary secretary why do the Conservatives not continue to take strong measures against the United States and why do they not support our producers in the interim?