House of Commons Hansard #365 of the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was transplant.

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International TradeAdjournment Proceedings

5:30 p.m.

Omar Alghabra Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Trade Diversification, Lib.

Madam Speaker, the government understands the importance of the Canadian agriculture and agri-food sector to our economy, our trade and our jobs. Our negotiators worked hard to advance Canadian agricultural interests at the table. The Canada-United States-Mexico agreement preserves existing agriculture commitments in North America and helps grow an already highly integrated industry. This agreement maintains the three pillars of supply management: production controls, price controls and import controls.

The Government of Canada strongly supports Canadian dairy, poultry and egg farmers, and our supply management system. Around the world, our supply management system is viewed as a model of stability. It provides a fair return for farmers, a predictable supply for processors, and high-quality dairy, poultry and egg products for consumers.

Canada's dairy, poultry and egg producers and processors are vital to the prosperity and sustainable growth of our nation and are an integral part of Canadian agriculture. Production and processing activities contribute to multiple other industries, all of which help support local economies and create vibrant rural communities.

Promoting trade and maintaining our supply management system are not mutually exclusive. Canada has a proven track record of negotiating high-quality free trade agreements with major trading partners while maintaining the pillars of supply management. Through CETA, the CPTPP and the renegotiation of NAFTA, the biggest free trade deals in Canada's history, we have been able to preserve, protect and defend our supply management system.

The government stands strongly behind the dairy, poultry and egg industries, and together we will work to assess the impacts of the new NAFTA and CPTPP on the sectors. To this end, the government will continue to work with dairy, poultry and egg farmers and processors as part of the government's recent commitment to form working groups that will discuss the details of the recent agreements and collaborate to develop strategies to help them adapt, innovate and remain competitive.

Surely, the hon. member does not want us to make decisions on the compensation before consulting farmers.

International TradeAdjournment Proceedings

5:30 p.m.

NDP

Anne Minh-Thu Quach NDP Salaberry—Suroît, QC

Madam Speaker, what the parliamentary secretary is saying today is completely contradictory.

He says the Liberals protect and preserve the supply management system. However, in their three years in power, they have signed three trade deals that have collectively opened up a 10% breach in the supply management system. For farmers, that amounts to a month's salary being given away in the last three trade deals.

How can the parliamentary secretary talk about stability? How can he say the system is working? How can he talk about compensation when no timeframes or programs have even been announced?

Yes, the Liberals are holding consultations, but that is not going to save jobs. The agri-food sector provides one in eight jobs. Dairy farms revitalize our regions, maintain local jobs, keep young people from moving away, and create jobs and SMEs.

The Liberals are slowly hacking away at all that because they have no vision.

International TradeAdjournment Proceedings

5:35 p.m.

Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Trade Diversification, Lib.

Omar Alghabra

Madam Speaker, I understand the anxiety my colleague is expressing. I want to repeat that supply management is an integral part of Canadian agriculture. I can assure her that we have protected and defended it, and we will continue to protect and defend it.

Trade is essential to the success and competitiveness of our agriculture industry. That is why the government is looking to expand opportunities and to advance the interests of Canadian farmers by negotiating trade agreements and modernizing existing ones.

The government is committed to working with the dairy, poultry and egg sectors to develop a path forward to ensure our supply-managed sectors remain strong, stable and competitive well into the future. The government's support for supply management has been consistent. We will continue to be consistent in supporting our supply-managed sector.

International TradeAdjournment Proceedings

5:35 p.m.

NDP

The Assistant Deputy Speaker NDP Carol Hughes

The motion to adjourn the House is now deemed to have been adopted. Accordingly the House stands adjourned until tomorrow at 10 a.m. pursuant to Standing Order 24(1).

(The House adjourned at 5:36 p.m.)