Debates of April 21st, 2016

Opposition Motion—Canadian Dairy Industry

[Bev Shipley, Conservative, Lambton—Kent—Middlesex, ON]

Mr. Speaker, we have agreement on this motion, without a doubt; many times we do not because of our political affiliation.

My background is in agriculture and dairy, and today we are talking about diafiltered milk, or liquid protein concentrates.

We used to also talk about supply management and support for it. Actually, we did not just talk about it, we took action, not only in article 18 of GATT, we did it for cheese standards in WTO. We approved CETA, and before the election, we were trying for the trans-Pacific partnership. In that was an agreement to deal with the issue around border security. That has not happened. This government has decided not to deal with TPP. It is likely a year away, so now there is no protection.

I am wondering if the member has had any talks with anyone who would give her any sense of security about it, or does she think this is just hollow talk about supply management with no action?

[Ruth Ellen Brosseau, NDP, Berthier—Maskinongé, QC]

Mr. Speaker, my colleague and I are both veteran members on the agriculture committee, and we are on the same page on a lot of issues: trying to study the TPP at committee, looking at the Emerson report, and making sure that some of the provisions in Bill C-30 actually stay in place. However, when it comes to supply management, the TPP, and CETA, there was a compensation package announced by the previous government, and we did not see a follow-through by this government. There is so much uncertainty.

I knew the Canadian milk producers were going to be okay if there were some kind of compensation, but that is not on the table anymore. We have been dealing with milk proteins for the last few years. The situation is getting worse. There are companies that have built up in the States and have a lot invested in it. There are millions of dollars at play.

We have to stand up for Canadian farmers here. I am standing up for my constituents and for the supply-managed sector. We need to see the government standing up for farmers and taking care of this milk proteins issue, because we are going to see farmers sell their quotas, close up their farms, and leave.

Therefore, we are asking for the government to take concrete action, confirm to us today, with a date, when it is going to stop milk proteins coming into Canada, and reassure Canadian farmers instead of letting us be had by the Americans.

[Anne Minh-Thu Quach, NDP, Salaberry—Suroît, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I am very happy to be able to take part in this debate on the protection of our dairy producers. I am delighted with the proposal by the member for Berthier—Maskinongé, who has worked her heart out for our dairy producers for years. It is thanks to her that we can talk about the problem of diafiltered milk crossing our borders. We are asking the Liberal government to stand tall, do something, or simply enforce its own laws. It is a simple solution that the Liberals do not want to apply. That is what we are talking about today.

The Liberals are saying nice things. For weeks and months, they have been telling us that they are going to do something, but the producers are still waiting. Hundreds of producers are out there on Parliament Hill, and they are prepared to speak with every member of the House to explain their situation. I am very happy to be able to rise in the House and defend the producers in my riding and producers all across Canada as well.

This is an extremely important issue. As I said, it affects tens of thousands of people across the country, and it is costing hundreds of millions of dollars a year because of diafiltered milk. It is especially damaging since the dairy industry pays $3.6 billion in taxes to the three levels of government every year. It provides the equivalent of about 215,000 full-time jobs. Quebec is a major player in the industry, with nearly 40% of the dairy cow herd.

As I said, there is a very simple solution to this problem: the government simply needs to enforce its own cheese compositional standards.

When milk comes out of a cow’s udder, it contains about 3% protein. The diafiltered milk from the United States goes through a technological process that increases the proportion of protein to about 15%. As a result, with diafiltered milk, dairy products can be made at a much lower cost than the costs of Canadian producers.

Currently, the Canada Border Services Agency considers diafiltered milk to be a milk protein concentrate. As such, it is not subject to customs duties, which is why it is financially advantageous for processors. On the other hand, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency considers diafiltered milk to be milk for inspection purposes.

Within one government, two departments categorize diafiltered milk in two different ways. It is completely inconsistent. In fact, it’s scandalous and crazy. This has many harmful and indeed catastrophic consequences for producers and for employment in the country, and also for the consumers who buy the products without knowing where their components come from.

In other words, diafiltered milk from the United States, where the standards are different, is mixed with Canadian milk to reduce production costs. That is a harsh blow to dairy producers. In 2015, losses to Canadian producers were estimated at over $220 million. In my region of Montérégie alone, producers are losing an average of $15,000 a year because of the diafiltered milk crossing our borders.

Throughout the election campaign and to this day, hundreds of producers have come to meet with me. During the campaign there was a huge demonstration at the Herdman border crossing, precisely to show the magnitude of the impact this was having on their production. Farmers came to my office or called me in tears to say they would have to close down their operations if this continued. They told me that farm work with their cows was their whole life. They had thought they would be able to continue and hand down their farm to their children, but that would no longer be possible because they had their backs against the wall.

The federal government has to act. Producers are wondering when it is going to do so, because the Minister of Agriculture just keeps saying that he is listening and he is abreast of the situation. He even went to meet with producers to tell them that the government was going to take action, but nothing has been done.

In my riding, Mr. Montpetit has written to me about the problem of diafiltered milk, and I quote: “I am beginning to see our dream of having a prosperous dairy farm vanish into thin air”.

I am a defender of buying local. Indeed, I tabled a bill to that effect in the last parliament. Diafiltered milk is totally at odds with the buy-local principle.

What is more, the Liberals had all voted in favour of buying local. This truly contradicts the convictions they held when they were in opposition. Now that they are in power, things have changed. The more things change, the more they stay the same.

I want to be able to buy Canadian cheese, made in Canada from Canadian milk, not cheese made from dairy proteins that come from the United States. This issue is having real consequences for producers, for our workers, and for the diet of Canadians. The minister has to understand the magnitude of this problem and consider the consequences of his inaction. This is urgent.

The dairy industry accounts for nearly 5,000 direct, indirect or related jobs in Montérégie alone. If the federal government does nothing, it is going to have job losses on its conscience.

There is talk of the decline of the regions, where the land is. The agri-food sector contributes to one job in eight in Canada. This is one of the most important sectors in the Canadian economy. The Liberal government does not seem to understand this.

However, the Minister of Agriculture ackonwledges the problem. I quote: “...diafiltered milk was never meant to be allowed to be used as milk.”

During the election campaign, the Liberals committed to solving the diafiltered milk problem, which is costing our dairy producers millions of dollars. However, the Liberals are dragging their feet.

I want to share a quote from a Liberal candidate during the last election, as reported in the media. He said that:

...if the Liberals are elected, he would bring all the stakeholders together within 90 days of the election, without exception. They would have six months to find a solution, bringing to bear their respective skills.

If this group did not produce results, “the federal government would take responsibility and would solve the problem for the next 20 years”.

So far, as far as I know, the Liberals have completely broken their promise. It is starting to look like smoke and mirrors. The solution is simple: enforce the existing cheese compositional standards.

If the Liberals truly care about supply management, our family farms and our regions, they will support our motion and resolve this problem once and for all. This is why I am asking my colleagues opposite, who come from Montérégie, Mauricie, the Outaouais and anywhere else in Canada, to vote in favour of our motion, and then immediately take action and enforce the rules. The minister must be compelled to act, or else to justify his decision to abandon dairy producers all over the country.

The other stumbling block is the anxiety about free trade agreements. Not only is Canada signing trade agreements that are opening a breach in supply management, but it is also putting the compensation into question.

Whether the party in power is the Conservative Party or the Liberal Party, it must be said that things are much the same. The new agreements pose the risk of other dairy proteins entering the Canadian market without tariffs being imposed, as is currently the case for dairy proteins from the United States.

According to one study commissioned by Agropur, 4,500 to 6,000 farms could disappear and 40% of processing could move to other countries if supply management were to be sacrificed under free trade agreements.

We are going to repeat it all day long, and the producers who may be listening to this will repeat it as well: it is very important to enforce the standards for cheese within our own country, to give the inspectors of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency the necessary resources, and to stand up to ensure that border services officers are given the necessary resources as well, since they too conduct inspections and allow the milk in, since the government has not adjusted its criteria for the diafiltered milk that is crossing the border.

This is urgent, because it involves jobs and our economy. It involves the consumption of products by Canadians.

It is time that the Liberals opened their eyes. It is time that they acted on behalf of all the dairy producers of Canada.

[Wayne Easter, Liberal, Malpeque, PE]

Mr. Speaker, I too congratulate the member for putting forward the motion.

I disagree with the fact that they blame the situation on the trade agreements. I think that is a problem in the motion, and I hope it is not a poison pill. It is not the trade agreements that are causing the problem: it is the fact that diafiltered milk is allowed into Canada and is coming into Canada when it should not be allowed under our regulatory system.

The fact of the matter is that one of the most stable industries in Canada since supply management came in is the dairy industry. It has been stable because we have been able to manage supply to meet market demand, and the way we do that is by controlling the amount of milk or milk products coming into Canada.

Industry has found a way to break milk products down into ingredients, allow the ingredients in, and reconstitute them into dairy products. As a result, the market for Canadian producers is affected.

Could the member explain what is wrong with allowing these diafiltered products into the country and allowing the system to be undermined? Could she explain that so that parliamentarians can understand it? That is an absolutely valid point. It is undermining the dairy industry in this country.

[Anne Minh-Thu Quach, NDP, Salaberry—Suroît, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I am flabbergasted by this comment. The diafiltered milk is coming from the United States, and yet the Americans do not even use it in their cheese products. The problem is that diafiltered milk is crossing our borders because the Canadian government is allowing it into the country.

The Liberals have been in power for six months, and they have known about this problem for two years. Still, they continue to let this product into Canada and allow it to be used to make cheese, because the Canadian Food Inspection Agency considers it as milk. So it continues to be part of our products. The responsibility for enforcing Canadian standards lies with the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-food.

When I hear my hon. colleague say how important this is, I am flabbergasted. He should tell his minister that. All of us already know that, all of us are quite aware that it is important.

The dairy industry is a major sector in Canada, for the country’s industry and its economy. The government will have to recognize this, and not just by paying lip service.

[Alain Rayes, Conservative, Richmond—Arthabaska, QC]

Mr. Speaker, first of all I would like to recognize these two colleagues of mine who have just spoken. I congratulate them on their speeches, and I would like to assure them of my unconditional support on this issue.

Coming from the heart of Quebec, from Richmond—Arthabaska, I can tell you that, unfortunately, too few people are aware of how important dairy farmers are to our economy. They keep our economy moving, and their sector plays a key role.

I would like to know whether the member believes the government truly intends to fix this problem. The Speech from the Throne outlines a government’s direction and mandate. However, no mention was made of agricultural and rural communities. Furthermore, there was nothing in the budget to support dairy farmers or agriculture in general.

Knowing that this issue will be resolved only by sheer political will, what does my colleague think of the current situation?

[Anne Minh-Thu Quach, NDP, Salaberry—Suroît, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to hear that my Conservative colleague will support our motion.

Indeed, the Liberal budget has nothing about compensation for the dairy industry, nor does it address the issue at the border, where the diafiltered milk is passing through.

However, it is important to note that the problem began when the Conservatives were in power. They were the ones that opened this loophole in international agreements to undermine supply management. Luckily, they did provide some compensation. The problems started two years ago, and the Conservatives did not lift so much as their little finger to try to address the situation or enforce the cheese standards within our country. We therefore have to be careful.

That said, if the Conservatives support our motion, it would be a good thing, and producers will be happy. The ball is now in the Liberals’ court. It is up to them to open their eyes and grab the bull by the horns, so to speak, to ensure that the cheese standards are enforced.

[The Deputy Speaker, Conservative, Bruce Stanton]

I note that there is a great deal of interest in participating in the period for questions and comments today. Therefore, during this period, I ask that hon. members keep their interventions to around one minute so that more members have the opportunity to participate.

The hon. Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food .

[Jean-Claude Poissant, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Berthier—Maskinongé for raising this important issue in the House. I would also like to acknowledge the producers who are here today.

The government fully supports Canada’s supply management system. We are all working together to address the industry’s concerns. The minister and I are both former dairy farmers. We understand very well the challenges farmers face on a daily basis. My family’s farm is in La Prairie, not too far from here. It is a fifth-generation dairy farm.

Supply-managed sectors are essential for ensuring that Canada has a strong agricultural sector and a prosperous economy. All told, the dairy, poultry, and egg markets create nearly 300,000 jobs and generate overall economic spinoffs of $32 billion.

Of all of Canada’s food industries, the dairy sector is the largest. It accounts for $6 billion in farm gate sales and more than $16 billion in sales in the processing sector, and it employs more than 100,000 people.

The dairy sector includes our innovative cheese industry, which continues to win awards around the world. Dairy production is an important part of the economy in every region of Quebec. Across the province, over 6,000 dairy farm owners market nearly 3 billion litres of milk a year with a farm gate value of over $2,000 billion.

That is why the government committed to protecting supply management and holding consultations to find a long-term solution. Canada is also a world leader in exports of livestock genetics, with sales of nearly $200 million in 100 countries. The government is determined to support Canada’s dynamic dairy sector.

In January, we announced a new $1.75-million federal investment in the dairy research cluster. This large investment will support the work of our Canadian agriculture and agri-food researchers in two key areas: enhancing the energy value of Canadian forage crops to increase milk production and understanding the role played by milk fat, including its effect on type 2 diabetes. Total federal funding for the dairy research cluster is now $13.75 million.

We have been clear from the start: the Government of Canada strongly supports supply management. Innovation is important to the Canadian dairy industry. Today, the average cow produces almost three times more milk than 50 years ago. The industry is substantially improving its productivity and sustainability. Canadian dairy farmers are among the world leaders in their industry when it comes to the environment. The Canadian dairy industry currently has a smaller carbon, water and soil footprint than almost every other dairy industry in the world.

On our family farm in La Prairie, we want to conserve water and soil resources for future generations, so we are very conscious of the importance of the environment. All agricultural activities have an environmental impact, whether they take place in the field or in the barn. Canadian farmers know they have to take the environment into account in everything they do. That is the right thing to do for the future of their families and of our planet.

That is why I was in Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue two weeks ago with the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food to announce a federal investment of $27 million to help producers find ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from their farming operations.

This investment is part of the Government of Canada’s ongoing efforts to help this sector be competitive, innovative and sustainable.

The agricultural greenhouse gases program supports research into greenhouse gas-reducing practices and technologies that can be implemented on the farm. This new five-year investment extends Canada’s existing commitment to support the objectives of the Global Research Alliance on Agricultural Greenhouse Gases. On Monday, the Agriculture and Environment ministers announced a one-year investment of up to $1.9 million for the agricultural youth green jobs initiative to attract youth to green jobs in the agriculture and agri-food sector.

This initiative follows through on a Government of Canada commitment made in budget 2016 to provide employment opportunities for post-secondary graduates interested in helping the agriculture sector carry out environmentally beneficial activities.

For dairy farmers, these activities could include building fences so that livestock—

[The Deputy Speaker, Conservative, Bruce Stanton]

Order. The hon. member for Drummond on a point of order.

[François Choquette, NDP, Drummond, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I have been listening to my hon. colleague for a few minutes now, and he seems to have gotten pretty far off track from today's debate topic. We are talking about diafiltered milk and the seriousness of allowing it to cross our borders. We are calling on the Liberal government to take immediate action. It is all well and good to talk about measures to improve the environment and agriculture, but these measures would be relevant in another debate, another day. Today's topic is diafiltered milk. Members are supposed to stick to the subject at hand. I know that we can be a bit flexible, but members must still stick to the topic. I have not, or just barely, heard him mention diafiltered milk.

[The Deputy Speaker, Conservative, Bruce Stanton]

I appreciate the comments by the hon. member for Drummond regarding his point of order. It is true that a speech must pertain to the subject being debated in the House. Nevertheless, I recognize that the hon. parliamentary secretary has just spoken for seven minutes so far and he has 20 minutes for his speech. The House will obviously expect the secretary to address the subject being debated today. However, the Standing Orders allow all members to use their speaking time to address and develop a topic that relates to the motion being studied by the House.

The hon. parliamentary secretary.

[Jean-Claude Poissant, Liberal, La Prairie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I will get to it.

As I was explaining, these investments will make it possible to build enclosures for livestock so they are kept away from bodies of water, relocate livestock wintering facilities away from waterways, improve manure storage to protect the environment, and establish feed crops on eroding soil.

The initiative will help finance internships at agricultural operations and agriculture and agri-food organizations to encourage youth to apply for green jobs. Furthermore, on Tuesday, the Dairy Farmers of Canada launched a sustainability initiative to showcase farmers' commitment to applying high standards on their farms in areas from milk quality to food safety, animal care, traceability, biosecurity, and the environment.

Milk producers are clearly demonstrating their commitment to responsible stewardship of their animals and the environment, producing high-quality, safe, and nutritious food for consumers in a sustainable manner. They are demonstrating to consumers that they share their passion for food quality, animal care, and the environment.

As I mentioned, we are aware of the industry's concerns. As producers have told us repeatedly, the use of diafiltered milk in cheese production is worrisome. We are working on finding a sustainable solution.

The minister and I have had exhaustive discussions with producers across Canada. The government is working to ensure that the standards are clear to everyone. The government fully supports supply management, recognizes the importance of effective import control measures, and manages those imports in accordance with its international trade obligations. The minister and his team regularly communicate with dairy sector stakeholders about this very serious issue. Our team is doing what must be done to ensure that the standards are clear to everyone.

Once again, the Government of Canada fully supports supply management. That means we have to resolve certain problems, and I am delighted to have the opportunity to do that here in the House. Problems always give rise to opportunities.

Canada's dairy industry is doing excellent work in growing markets by promoting its brand, collaborating with the industry, and innovating. Canada's dairy producers are unsurpassed. In my home province, Quebec, we know that Quebec cheeses are among the best in the world. Quebec dairy processors produce more than 60% of the cheese made in Canada. Quebec has about 110 cheesemakers and about 450 cheeses available on the market.

Today, about 50 small dairy processing companies, most of which are artisanal cheesemakers, are the pride of the regions, and their products are enjoyed by people all across Quebec. In fact, 31 of the 81 finalists in the Canadian Cheese Grand Prix were from Quebec. We can be proud of that. Fifteen Quebec cheesemakers won one or more awards for their cheeses at this prestigious competition. Nine new categories, including three for Gouda and one for smoked cheeses, were added to better reflect the growth and diversity of production in Canada, bringing the total number of categories to 27. Our award-winning cheeses can hold their own against the best cheeses in the world in terms of flavour and quality. World-class cheese made with Quebec milk is a winning combination.

We will continue to work with our industry to help dairy producers take full advantage of new global marketing opportunities.

We are determined to work together to help the sector make the most of the incredible opportunities that await us. We have entered into discussions with the industry and the provinces and territories about a strategic five-year pan-Canadian framework for agriculture. We will be reaching out to all producers to establish a framework for the future. I am pleased with the dialogue that is currently taking place between producers and processors in the industry on how to make the industry more competitive and innovative.

I encourage everyone to continue those discussions. I sincerely believe that working with the industry is the best way to overcome the challenges that the dairy industry is facing. From what I have learned from our discussions with dairy producers, I believe that the industry is ready to seize the opportunities for growth. The future outlook for the dairy industry is very promising.

The global population is growing fast, and the world will need to produce 60% more food to feed future generations. That food will come from world-class companies, which are found all over Quebec. It will require a lot of hard work and co-operation to overcome challenges and take advantage of opportunities. I firmly believe in teamwork. Together, we will establish a partnership for a prosperous future in Canada's agrifood industry.

[The Deputy Speaker, Conservative, Bruce Stanton]

Once again, I remind hon. members to keep their interventions to no longer than one minute.

The hon. member for Bellechasse—Les Etchemins—Lévis.

[Steven Blaney, Conservative, Bellechasse—Les Etchemins—Lévis, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I want to congratulate the member for La Prairie on his speech. It is nice to see a dairy producer on the government side. Obviously, I have no doubt about his commitment to and interest in supply management. However, now he is part of the government, so he has the ability to take action and make decisions.

In his speech he said that the issue of diafiltered milk is very serious. However, it is a simple issue. As the saying goes, faith without works is dead. Now my colleague is in a position to make decisions and take action. I know a young dairy producer who benefited from the UPA program, but decided to give up dairy farming, because the profit margins were too narrow.

Is there an immediate solution that the government or the parliamentary secretary could implement? The problem of diafiltered milk is well known, and solutions do exist.

Is the parliamentary secretary ready to take action in order to ensure that other dairy producers do not leave the farming industry?

[Jean-Claude Poissant, Liberal, La Prairie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague.

The problem existed before we came to power. Like many other issues, the problem of diafiltered milk entering the country already existed. I have to wonder why the Conservatives did not enforce the regulations when they were in power. Those regulations were put in place by the previous government in 2008, but were never enforced.

Now that we are in power, we need to take action quickly. That is what we want to do, but first we need to take the time to come up with a lasting agreement, and not one that is hastily thrown together. That is why it is taking some time.

[Linda Duncan, NDP, Edmonton Strathcona, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the hon. member for his speech and for his work on agriculture.

I want to inform the member and his colleagues that I have spoken with the dairy farmers in Alberta. I have just today spoken again with Albert De Boer, who is the former Alberta representative for the Dairy Farmers of Canada. He has again repeated to me his deep concern on behalf of the Alberta dairy farmers that we urgently need action by the government.

If ever there were a time in history when we needed the Liberals to live up to their promise to diversify the economy, this is the time. The dairy farmers are an important part not just of the Alberta economy, but the Canadian economy, so will the government live up to its promise and take action on this matter?

[Jean-Claude Poissant, Liberal, La Prairie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for her remarks.

Indeed, I have met with dairy producers from her province. They understand very well that although we want to do something, it is important that we implement a sustainable solution. It is a matter of time, but we want to act quickly.

The only answer I can give is that the minister and I want to bring in sustainable solutions.

[Gabriel Ste-Marie, Bloc, Joliette, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I am surprised by what the Liberal members have been saying this morning.

Like everyone else in the House, they recognize the importance of our farmers, who do the vital job of feeding our world. Like everyone else in the House, they say that they fully support supply management, and they decry the entry of diafiltered milk.

Now, it would be easy to resolve the issue of diafiltered milk: simply enforce the law. After six months in power, the Liberals, breaking their election promise, have still done nothing, despite their very nice-sounding words this morning. It is disappointing. It is a flagrant lack of willpower. Why is that? We know that those who are profiting from diafiltered milk are the big processors, like Parmalat and Saputo.

This is my question for the parliamentary secretary this morning: who would the government prefer to listen to and defend, the big processors or our dairy producers? I would like him to respond.

[Jean-Claude Poissant, Liberal, La Prairie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for his question.

The Department of Agriculture and Agri-Food also covers processors. The decisions that we make must therefore represent the sector. It is a question of time. I understand the time crunch, but we are holding discussions with the industry and the producers. The producers are even holding discussions with the industry. Once the discussions have been completed, we will see how we can give clear orders on enforcement.

[Lloyd Longfield, Liberal, Guelph, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the parliamentary secretary for presenting the complexities involved with the milk protein concentrates file. In fact, at the agriculture committee we have discussed this topic and we have shown the problems of imports from the U.S.A. Imports in 2010 were 4,841 tonnes and that increased to 27,051 tonnes in 2015 under the previous government.

Could the parliamentary secretary help us with the discussions that might be happening on tariff 3504, which is one of the items that is being reviewed, and also the innovation needs of the processors to compete against the American imports?

[Jean-Claude Poissant, Liberal, La Prairie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for the question.

We are currently looking at all the regulations as well and trying to determine how we can enforce them as normally as possible.

[Brigitte Sansoucy, NDP, Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the parliamentary secretary, precisely because he is a dairy producer and he understands supply management issues, should know that the time for discussions is past. When farmers demonstrate on the Hill, it is because the discussions are over and it is time to take action.

It is true that discussions are going on between the producers and the processors. However, the government now has to decide whether to stop treating diafiltered milk one way at the border and another way when it gets to the processors. The government must take action now, and it knows that. Why is it not doing so?

[Jean-Claude Poissant, Liberal, La Prairie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for her question.

It all looks so simple. However, the things that look the simplest are often the most complicated. It has become a broader issue, and it will take time to put everything in place. As I explained just now, we do not want to implement an agreement that is hastily thrown together. We want something that will last. That is why it is taking a bit longer.

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, I have a comment followed by a question.

If we look at it as an industry issue, the parliamentary secretary hit it right on when he said that this was not an issue that appeared out of nowhere, that in fact it had been around now for a number of years. The government does have an obligation to do its homework on the issue. What I have heard from the parliamentary secretary is that multi-facets have to be looked at, and that the government has made progress on it.

However, could he put some emphasis on how long this has been issue? I was a bit surprised with the NDP. When it was in official opposition, I do not recall it ever introducing a motion on this. It has chosen to do that today for whatever reasons. The point is that the Government of Canada is looking into the matter in hopes of resolving it so our dairy industry will be protected in to the future.