Bob Speller

[Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy, February 4th, 2004]

Mr. Chair, before I give my answer I hope that this half hour did not take time away from a Liberal member. I hope that was agreed on beforehand.

What I would like to do in terms of answering this question is recognize the fact that prior to the signing on of Saskatchewan, we had Ontario, Saskatchewan and Prince Edward Island agree to an amendment to the agreement, which talked about negative margins, negative margins which I think will help a number of industries.

It is an agreement that we are now talking to other provinces about. We hope that all the provinces will sign on to this. I think it will help farmers in this situation.

[Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy, February 4th, 2004]

Mr. Chair, as the hon. member said, the Prime Minister gave a commitment, and as he knows, we do have a cull cow program. We have $120 million put into it. I have asked my officials to look at it to see whether or not it is in fact working. If we need to make changes to get it working, then we will make those changes.

In terms of the whole question of American beef going to Canadians overseas, as I believe the hon. member knows--and this is an important point--these contracts are put out on a North American basis. For instance, the Americans eat ice cream from Canada.

They were the lowest bidder on this contract, so the beef went to a United States supplier. These things are put out on contracts because of NAFTA; we are able to contract into the American forces in a number of different areas. The fact that it came from the United States was a surprise to a lot of Canadians, but this is something we need to recognize. This is a North American industry. It should not be a surprise that how it is eventually sold down the line is in a North American manner also.

[Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy, February 4th, 2004]

I will be interested in learning later how the hon. member expects us to just tell them and in fact demand that they open the border.

We have people from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and people in our embassies and high commissions around the world who are working day and night in other countries, talking to them about the science and helping them make the decision to open up the border. This is a serious issue. It is one that is taken seriously by a number of departments in this government that are working very hard to get that border open.

I certainly look forward to what the hon. member has to say about how he expects to be able to open up the border.

[Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy, February 4th, 2004]

Mr. Chair, I thank the hon. member for bringing this problem to my attention. I think it is also important for hon. members to recognize that there are other products like that and that companies are being impacted. I will tell the hon. member that we will continue to support Canadian industries that are being impacted, and we will continue to work, through science, to make sure the other countries recognize that in fact these products should not pose any risk to their health.

I want to say to the hon. member across the way who keeps asking “how?” that the best way we could do this would be to get scientists to explain to them--

[Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy, February 4th, 2004]

Mr. Chair, I will repeat what I said before. In fact, we have brought out programs to help farmers: $520 million in the BSE program and $120 million in a cull cow program. We also have farmers receiving money through the $600 million transition funding that the Government of Canada brought out, recognizing that we needed to transition between the old programs and the new APF. We also have farmers who are able to draw on the CAISP money. I have asked my officials to make sure that money now available can actually get out to farmers as quickly as possible, because we do recognize that it is tough for a lot of farmers in this country.

As all hon. members know, the beef industry is down, as things are even for farmers who have other commodities. The pork industry is down. I was out east the other day and the potato industry is having some of its lowest prices. These are difficult times for Canadian farmers. I want to give them my assurance that the Government of Canada recognizes this and that we are prepared to work with them, with the farm leadership, to try to respond in a way that recognizes the troubles they are going through.

[Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy, February 4th, 2004]

Mr. Chair, we believe, as I have said before, that the science shows that these animals are of no risk. We have let that be known to these other countries, particularly to the United States and Mexico. We have officials working with them to try to work through this. This goes to a number of different areas. It is not just for beef or live cattle.

I agree that there are a number of different animals that should not be impacted by this but are picked up by the general border closing. We are trying to work through it with science-based arguments and based on what we found at the OIE to make sure these countries recognize this. We take very seriously the impact this is having on these other commodities also.

[Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy, February 4th, 2004]

Mr. Chair, I want to tell the hon. member that we have moved along with both the United States and Mexico in order to get changes at the OIE, to have it recognize that here in Canada and in the United States we have a different situation from what was the case for instance in Europe, and that we should not be treated that way.

We have approached OIE and we will be meeting with it shortly where we will work with other like-minded countries to try to get the OIE to change its rules to reflect the fact that a minimal situation, such as the one in Canada and United States, should be treated differently from other countries, such as the situation that happened in Europe.

[Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy, February 4th, 2004]

Mr. Chair, there is no question, and I am sure all hon. members would agree, that many farmers and farm families are suffering because of this and the fact that the programs the Government of Canada and the different provinces provide will not impact every single farmer across the country. There is no question that farmers, such as the one the member talked about, are at risk. Banks are there and they are calling on them.

Next week I will be meeting with some of the banks to talk to them. I will be meeting with groups, such as the Farm Credit Corporation, and other groups that are there holding them. I will try to give them assurances that the Government of Canada is doing everything that it can to open up the border and to speed this along quickly, and to give them the assurance that these farmers should be able to carry on.

I cannot tell the House tonight that I can do something to save every farmer in the country but I can say that the Government of Canada recognizes the problem and it will do whatever it can to help deal with the impact this is having on farmers and farm families.

[Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy, February 4th, 2004]

Mr. Chair, I would tend to differ with what the hon. member was saying. The Government of Canada has responded with programs for Canadian farmers and farm families that have been affected.

As he knows, $520 million was put into the BSE program. We also had the culled cow program, which was another $120 million. As members know, dollars have been flowing through the $600 million of the transition money that will help out. Obviously farmers are closing out their NISAs, those who have them, and there are dollars there that are flowing into it. There are also dollars, as hon. members would know, that people are able to get through the CAISP. These are dollars that are helping out the situation and these are dollars that are useful.

As I have said, if those dollars are not enough, if in fact this drags on and there is a greater problem, then I will go back to the Government of Canada and say that more needs to be done. However, until we get to that point, until we see how these dollars work through, until we can get a firm date in terms of opening the border, these will be the dollars that will be available to farmers.

[Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy, February 4th, 2004]

Mr. Chair, I would like to tell the hon. member and all hon. members that we do recognize that this has had a negative impact not only on farmers and farm families, but on communities and a number of businesses within these communities.

What we have done is we have moved forward to try to open up the borders. Will there be compensation for everyone who has been impacted by this? No, I do not think so.

What I have asked my officials to do is to look specifically at how this is impacting other sectors. I have asked them to see what it is that we could be doing to help out in these other sectors. Do we have a plan for a specific package for them? No, we do not.

As members know, this is something that is not only federal, but also provincial. It is something that we are trying to work together at both the federal and the provincial level to respond to some of the problems that this is creating.

What the industry has told me, first and foremost, is that we have to sell and market Canadian beef, and that is where we are putting our priorities. We also have to recognize that farmers are being impacted. We are trying to make sure that the dollars that should be going to them flow to them and get out to them as soon as possible.

In fact, as we speak now cheques being cut in a number of different areas. We are trying to get those dollars out to people to help them through this troubling time.