Andy Mitchell

[Agriculture, November 18th, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, the reality is that those programs do not ignore Quebec. Our CAIS program for 2003 was $90 million. For 2004 it advances to $102 million. For the cull animal program, it is almost $18 million. Under the transitional industry support program, it is $93 million, and that does not count the money we will be putting into new slaughter capacity.

As I suggested to the hon. member earlier, we are working with the industry on the issue of the dairy industry and the particular challenges it faces in respect of BSE.

[Agriculture, November 18th, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, that is not entirely accurate, because there is a portion of the industry in Quebec, the cattle industry, that operates much like it does in the rest of the country. In that respect we provided assistance, and as I said, in the province of Quebec, some $366 million.

In addition to that, though, there are issues that are in Quebec and in other provinces in terms of dairy. This is something that I have indicated we are working very closely on with a number of producer groups, including with the provinces, to deal specifically with that issue.

[Agriculture, November 18th, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, clearly the government is not waiting. That is why $366 million has been advanced to producers in Quebec. It is why on September 10 we did announce a program to increase slaughter capacity.

As I have mentioned to the member on a number of occasions, and to others, we are continuing to work specifically on the issue of dairy and on the issue of cull cows and how we need to address that.

[Agriculture, November 18th, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, specifically for the province that the hon. member represents we have been able to provide assistance from our business risk management envelope of some $366 million. In addition to that, and the member points out quite rightly the need to create slaughter capacity, on September 10 we announced initiatives that will assist in developing that slaughter capacity, including in the province of Quebec.

[Agriculture, November 4th, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, that is nonsense. There has been over $2 billion of assistance to the beef industry in the country. If the hon. member would take a look at the estimates from last year, he would see $4 billion of funding to producers.

On this side of the House, we are not interested in the empty rhetoric and the fancy speeches over there. We are interested in real things that help producers with real investment. That is what we are doing. That is what we will continue to do.

[Agriculture, November 4th, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, obviously the member was not listening to the previous answer. On those regulatory issues that do not deal directly with health and safety, they will not be put in the way of ensuring that licensing comes forward. However, on those issues that deal directly with the health and safety of Canadians, CFIA officials have an obligation, and I support that obligation, to protect the health and safety of Canadians. They will not compromise on that.

[Agriculture, November 4th, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, let me be very clear. In those instances where there are regulatory necessities that need to be undertaken and that are not critical to health and safety, obviously we will work with the proponents. That will not hold up a licensing process. However, on the core issues that deal with the health and safety of Canadians, CFIA will ensure that those regulations to protect Canadians are enforced and adhered to.

[Agriculture, November 4th, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, we will not remove the CFIA from protecting the health and safety of Canadians. That is an absolute. There is a need at the same time to operate administratively efficiently and to operate in a way where we can encourage and work with proponents. That is exactly what we intend to do, but we will not put at risk the health and safety of Canadians.

[Agriculture, November 4th, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, the details and the terms and conditions of the loan loss reserve were provided to the financial institutions last week. I took the opportunity to talk to each one of those financial institutions to discuss the particular terms and conditions. In fact I will be holding another collective meeting with those institutions tomorrow.

[Agriculture, November 4th, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, as I said yesterday in answer to similar questions, we do have a very aggressive strategy for ensuring that we can expand slaughter capacity.

First, we have provided CFIA with the additional resources it needs in order to undertake the inspection and regulatory process. Second, we have provided a loan loss reserve so there can be investment from the private sector, encouraged by the investments from the public sector, to close that gap.

Presently in Canada we slaughter some 81,000 animals per week. We are working to reach a level of 100,000, which is estimated to be the amount we should.