House of Commons Hansard #36 of the 43rd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was industry.

Topics

Recall of the House of Commons

2:40 p.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Anthony Rota

Colleagues, before I begin our proceedings, I would like to remind members of the special measures in place today.

The application of Standing Order 17 will be suspended for the current sitting. Members desiring to speak and address the Chair may do so from any seat in the House.

I will ask that all members tabling documents or moving a motion sign the document and bring it to the table themselves.

I wish to inform the House that pursuant to an order made on April 20, I sent a notice of meeting calling the House to meet this day. On Monday, May 11, I sent each member a message explaining the reasons for this recall. I now lay this notice on the table.

Pursuant to an order made on Monday, April 20, the House will now proceed to the introduction of a government bill.

Canadian Dairy Commission ActRoutine Proceedings

2:40 p.m.

Compton—Stanstead Québec

Liberal

Marie-Claude Bibeau LiberalMinister of Agriculture and Agri-Food

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-16, An Act to amend the Canadian Dairy Commission Act.

(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)

Photography in the HouseRoutine Proceedings

2:40 p.m.

Honoré-Mercier Québec

Liberal

Pablo Rodriguez LiberalLeader of the Government in the House of Commons

Mr. Speaker, there have been discussions among the parties and if you seek it, I think you will find unanimous consent for the following motion.

That authorized photographers be permitted to take photos during the in-person proceedings of the Special Committee on the COVID-19 Pandemic, in accordance with the existing guidelines of the House.

Photography in the HouseRoutine Proceedings

2:40 p.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Anthony Rota

Does the hon. minister have the unanimous consent of the House to move the motion?

Photography in the HouseRoutine Proceedings

2:40 p.m.

Some hon. members

Agreed.

Photography in the HouseRoutine Proceedings

2:40 p.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Anthony Rota

The House has heard the terms of the motion. Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion?

Photography in the HouseRoutine Proceedings

2:40 p.m.

Some hon. members

Agreed.

Photography in the HouseRoutine Proceedings

2:40 p.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Anthony Rota

(Motion agreed to)

Business of the HouseRoutine Proceedings

2:40 p.m.

Honoré-Mercier Québec

Liberal

Pablo Rodriguez LiberalLeader of the Government in the House of Commons

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to a motion adopted on April 20, I wish to state that there is an agreement among the representatives of all recognized parties to govern the proceedings in relation to Bill C-16. Therefore, I move:

That, pursuant to the order adopted on April 20, 2020, Bill C-16, An Act to amend the Canadian Dairy Commission Act, be disposed of as follows:

(a) the bill be ordered for consideration at second reading later this day;

(b) when the House begins debate on the motion for second reading of the bill, two members of each recognized party and a member of the Green Party may each speak to the said motion for not more than 20 minutes, followed by 10 minutes for questions and comments, provided that members may be permitted to split their time with another member; and, at the conclusion of the time provided for the debate or when no member rises to speak, whichever is earlier, all questions necessary to dispose of the second reading stage of the bill shall be put without further debate or amendment, provided that, if a recorded division is requested, it shall not be deferred; and

(c) if the bill is adopted at second reading, it shall be referred to a committee of the whole, deemed considered in committee of the whole, deemed reported without amendment, deemed concurred in at report stage on division, and deemed read a third time and passed on division.

Business of the HouseRoutine Proceedings

2:40 p.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Anthony Rota

Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion?

Business of the HouseRoutine Proceedings

2:40 p.m.

Some hon. members

Agreed.

Business of the HouseRoutine Proceedings

2:40 p.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Anthony Rota

(Motion agreed to)

Canadian Dairy Commission ActGovernment Orders

2:45 p.m.

Compton—Stanstead Québec

Liberal

Marie-Claude Bibeau LiberalMinister of Agriculture and Agri-Food

moved that Bill C-16, An Act to amend the Canadian Dairy Commission Act, be read the second time and referred to a committee.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to support this bill to amend the Canadian Dairy Commission Act. I urge hon. members to offer their support as well.

This measure was announced by the Prime Minister as part of a larger package last week to respond to the urgent needs of Canadian farmers and food processors in this challenging time. COVID-19 is placing enormous pressures on the entire sector.

The measures announced last week represent a federal investment of more than $250 million on top of additional measures previously announced, including important reforms to our farm programs.

We absolutely need to be there for our farmers. They are essential to our food security, and they deserve our full support.

The dairy sector urgently needs this amendment to the Canadian Dairy Commission Act. Our dairy sector sustains the vitality of our rural communities. It stimulates our economy by generating billions in revenue and supporting tens of thousands of jobs. All across the country, dairy producers and processors are working hard to feed us. They are constantly going above and beyond to innovate, protect the environment, and produce the best dairy products in the world.

I have spent a lot of time with dairy producers in my riding, Compton—Stanstead, which is in Quebec's Eastern Townships, and I know how hard they are working and how proud they are of every litre of milk they produce. We all get how hard it must be for them to have to dump milk because of a drop in demand.

This amendment offers a workable solution to an untenable situation. This bill is important for dairy producers and processors as well as for the food security of all Canadians.

The bill would provide an effective solution to this difficult situation. It is vital not only for dairy producers and processors, but ultimately for the food security of all Canadians.

The COVID-19 pandemic is having a tremendous impact on our dairy industry. In the first two weeks of the crisis, when social distancing measures were being imposed, consumers were shopping compulsively and grocery store shelves were empty. Demand for liquid milk increased suddenly and then dropped just as suddenly when Canadian families finished stocking up.

The closure of schools, countless restaurants, businesses and the hotel industry led to a decline in demand for dairy products, especially cheese and cream.

Canada's dairy producers say they have never seen such fluctuation in demand from one week to the next. It caused quite a headache throughout the supply chain.

The industry pulled out all the stops to align production with consumer demand. Farmers did their part. Provincial marketing boards implemented measures to reduce production, including quota reductions.

It was so inspiring to see all the donations of dairy products to food banks across the country.

In my home province of Quebec, dairy producers and processors donated one million litres of milk to food banks.

In Saskatchewan, dairy producers donated products from 175,000 litres of milk to food banks across the country, enough for 30,000 pounds of cheese, yogourt and milk.

In Newfoundland, two dairy farmers joined forces with a local dairy distributor to give away milk in a drive-through in a local area arena parking lot.

On Prince Edward Island, farmers gave away blocks of cheese and cartons of milk.

In Ontario, dairy farmers contributed an additional 200,000 litres of milk to food banks across the province.

Despite these efforts, between the end of March and the first half of April, producers were forced to dump surplus milk on the farm. We must do our part to reduce this waste and preserve the integrity of our supply management system.

The industry reached out to government and asked that the Canadian Dairy Commission expand its dairy storage programs, which it uses to balance supply with fluctuations in demand.

The CDC buys dairy products like butter directly from processors to sell them off later when the demand recovers. Under its current borrowing capacity, the CDC has already succeeded in improving the situation, but it needs greater capacity to fully respond to the industry's needs.

The industry asked the CDC to temporarily purchase cheese, as it already does with butter. For example, the CDC would enter into a contractual agreement to purchase cheese from a processor, who would commit to buying it back within two years.

I am asking all hon. members for their support in introducing this bill to amend the Canadian Dairy Commission Act to increase its borrowing capacity from $300 million to $500 million. This measure will provide the assistance the dairy industry needs at this time of crisis. Canada's dairy producers welcome this measure. They confirm that it is a good way to strengthen our food supply chain.

This measure is in addition to the decisions announced by the Prime Minister last week, including a $125-million contribution to the AgriRecovery program to help producers and ranchers keep their animals on the farm longer. We are also contributing $77.5 million to help processors adapt to health protocols and automate or modernize their facilities or operations, and $50 million to purchase excess food from the industry and distribute it to food banks and in northern and remote regions.

Important changes to our suite of business risk management programs would dispense an average of $1.6 billion each year in direct support to farmers.

These announcements build on a number of other important investments and actions being undertaken to support our producers and processors, such as the $50 million to safely welcome temporary foreign workers or an added $20 million to help the Canadian Food Inspection Agency do its vital work. As well, as the Prime Minister has indicated, we will continue to support our producers and processors where support is needed.

The Canadian Dairy Commission has played a key role in our dairy industry for over 50 years. The commission helps to ensure that producers receive proper compensation for their hard work and that consumers have access to a wide variety of high-quality dairy products. It is vital to the supply management system in Canada. It stabilizes milk production through national quotas and, most important, it balances supply and demand through a range of programs.

The Canadian Dairy Commission currently plays a key role in many areas, including the payment of compensation to dairy producers after Canada signed free trade agreements with the European Union and the trans-Pacific region. This is not a small matter, with $345 million already issued in direct payments the first year and nearly 11,000 dairy producers to support across the country.

We thank all Canadian Dairy Commission employees for their valuable contributions. Furthermore, the commission helps the industry fill labour market needs and invest in innovation, especially with respect to animal welfare and environmental protections. This is important to our dairy producers, who want to keep up with the latest technology and environmental knowledge in order to keep pace with evolving consumer demands.

Together, the industry and the federal government are investing $16.5 million in the dairy research cluster 3, an excellent example of public-private collaboration. It brings together a team of 124 researchers from across Canada who are carrying out various projects aimed at enhancing public confidence in the dairy industry and driving economic growth in the dairy sector.

The cluster is making significant advances in developing new alfalfa varieties that will increase dairy production and therefore profits; in improving animal welfare on the farm, particularly through state-of-the-art feed management systems; and in reducing the amount of water used in dairy production. In the face of climate change, it is important, and economically worthwhile, to help the industry adopt more environmentally responsible practices.

One particular project has managed to improve a feed formula for dairy cows that could reduce the industry's greenhouse gas emissions by 17,000 tonnes and make it possible for producers to save almost $78 million a year.

There are 15 projects in total that fall under the dairy research cluster and each one of them responds to the unique needs of the sector. It is so important to help our dairy producers stay competitive and keep their businesses profitable. It is just as important to support an innovative and sustainable industry to preserve consumer confidence in our high-quality dairy products.

We are happy to work with the Canadian Dairy Commission to develop a vision for the future and an ambitious strategic plan for the Canadian dairy sector. The industry has a bright future ahead, and we want to help it weather this crisis so it can capture even greater growth in the future.

The amendment to the Canadian Dairy Commission Act is a direct response to the recommendations made by the dairy industry to address the crisis. It is what the industry needs at this time.

This is further proof of our government's support for Canada's supply management system. I would remind members that this system was established by a Liberal government together with the provinces almost 50 years ago. It is a model of stability with a proven track record that has enabled our agricultural businesses to develop and prosper.

During negotiations of the new agreement with the United States and Mexico, we strenuously defended supply management despite attempts by the Americans to dismantle it. We will continue to defend it and we will meet one of the most pressing needs of milk producers and processors. I am quite familiar with their resiliency and determination. In recent years, many of them have welcomed me to their farms, cheese factories and facilities to talk to me about their work, their accomplishments and their aspirations. I have admired them for quite some time, and I take their well-being to heart. Let us then give them what they are asking for.

Even during this time of anxiety and pressure, our producers and processors keep working hard every day to feed us, as do all the farmers and workers in our food supply chain. They seed their crops, they care for their animals, they produce high-quality food and they protect our environment. It is thanks to them that our grocery store shelves remain full. It is thanks to them that the dairy industry remains a pillar of our economy during this difficult period.

Let us amend the Canadian Dairy Commission Act to increase the commission's borrowing capacity from $300 million to $500 million, so that our food system can get back up and running and so that we can keep moving our dairy products from farms to families.

Let us continue to work with the industry and with provincial and territorial governments to support agriculture and agri-food businesses across Canada.

Canadian Dairy Commission ActGovernment Orders

3 p.m.

NDP

Jagmeet Singh NDP Burnaby South, BC

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. If you seek it, I believe you would find unanimous consent for the following motion. I move that the House note that nobody should have to choose between taking a day off of work due to illness and being able to pay the bills. I call upon the government to work with provinces without delay to ensure that every worker in Canada who needs it has access to two weeks' paid sick leave a year, and to consider amending the Canada emergency response benefit, the employment insurance program and other federal mechanisms as the means to achieve this goal.

Canadian Dairy Commission ActGovernment Orders

3 p.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Anthony Rota

Does the hon. member have the unanimous consent of the House to move the motion?

Canadian Dairy Commission ActGovernment Orders

3 p.m.

Some hon. members

Agreed.

No.

Canadian Dairy Commission ActGovernment Orders

3 p.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Anthony Rota

The hon. member for Beauce.

Canadian Dairy Commission ActGovernment Orders

3 p.m.

Conservative

Richard Lehoux Conservative Beauce, QC

Mr. Speaker, my question is very simple.

The minister mentioned CUSMA, the new agreement with the Americans. There are still some important points to negotiate, in particular with respect to tariff quotas.

We have heard a number of times and in different studies in committee that producers and processors early in the production chain should be allocated as much of these quotas as possible.

I would like to hear the minister's thoughts on that.

Canadian Dairy Commission ActGovernment Orders

3 p.m.

Compton—Stanstead Québec

Liberal

Marie-Claude Bibeau LiberalMinister of Agriculture and Agri-Food

Mr. Speaker, I am working with the Minister of International Trade, who is responsible for allocating tariff quotas. We are paying close attention to this matter.

A consultation was already under way, but it has been postponed for a few months because of the COVID-19 crisis.

Canadian Dairy Commission ActGovernment Orders

3 p.m.

Bloc

Yves Perron Bloc Berthier—Maskinongé, QC

Mr. Speaker, I thank the minister for her remarks, in which she indicated that it is important to give the agricultural and agri-food community what it needs. Let's give that community what it is asking for.

In fact, I would like to make a plea to the minister. Again this week, in committee, we were told that the existing programs do not meet the needs. Of course, today's bill is very positive, and we are going to support it.

When will the new announcements be made regarding new investments, particularly with regard to the AgriAssurance program?

Canadian Dairy Commission ActGovernment Orders

3 p.m.

Liberal

Marie-Claude Bibeau Liberal Compton—Stanstead, QC

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his interest and collaboration.

We committed to doing more for farmers. That is a priority industry. However, I want to reiterate that farmers are encouraged to take full advantage of existing programs.

In recent years, the risk management programs have been providing an average of $1.6 billion and could provide more to meet needs. Programs such as AgriStability should be used first.

We announced new measures last week, and we will continue to meet the most pressing needs.

Canadian Dairy Commission ActGovernment Orders

3 p.m.

Conservative

John Barlow Conservative Foothills, AB

Mr. Speaker, is this legislation being brought two weeks too late? We had thousands of litres of milk being dumped several weeks ago.

Would this legislation have helped address that situation when it was at its peak?

Canadian Dairy Commission ActGovernment Orders

3 p.m.

Liberal

Marie-Claude Bibeau Liberal Compton—Stanstead, QC

Mr. Speaker, I would say no. The Canadian Dairy Commission already had a borrowing capacity of $300 million, and it had all the capacity it needed to manage the supply. It was asking for this increase before the end of this month.

Canadian Dairy Commission ActGovernment Orders

3 p.m.

Conservative

Larry Maguire Conservative Brandon—Souris, MB

Mr. Speaker, to follow up on that, my colleague from the Bloc mentioned that we should provide farmers with what they are asking for. I agree with moving this bill forward, and I urge the minister and my colleagues to do that today.

The CFA asked for $2.6 billion and it got 10% of that. Can the minister follow up on the Prime Minister's comments that more will be coming?

Canadian Dairy Commission ActGovernment Orders

May 13th, 2020 / 3:05 p.m.

Liberal

Marie-Claude Bibeau Liberal Compton—Stanstead, QC

Mr. Speaker, yes, we are committed to supporting our farmers and ranchers across the country. I have to remind them to use the business management program as much as they can through AgriStability, which we have improved, and we have given them more flexibility. They can apply until July 3. They also have the possibility to obtain up to 75% instead of 50%, which the provinces allow, as an advance payment. We have put a calculator online so farmers can try to see how much they can get from the program. More support will be coming to fill the gaps and answer the most urgent needs.