Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak on the motion of the hon. member for Moose Jaw-Lake Centre on jurisdictional responsibilities in agriculture.
The federal government shares the view of the hon. member that we must constantly strive to eliminate overlap and duplication between areas of government jurisdiction. We must also ensure the public sector is directing its resources appropriately and for the greatest possible benefit to Canadian taxpayers.
These are priorities for our government. As my colleagues pointed out during debate on this motion in February, we have been working to these ends since the day we took office.
Given the tight fiscal restraints facing all levels of government it is quite clear that the key to the continued success of those and other efforts to support our agriculture and agri-food section will be co-operation; all stakeholders in the agri-food section working together toward common goals. It sounds like a dream in this Parliament but we will try.
We must first define a shared long term vision for the sector. We can then determine the appropriate role for each partner in making these goals a reality and adjust our programs and policies accordingly. That is exactly what the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food has done.
Last September the minister put forward a vision for the future of Canada's agriculture and agri-food sector, where we want to be in the years 2000, 2005, 2010 and beyond. He has invited all agri-food stakeholders to help refine that vision and develop a business plan to bring it to reality.
The vision which has been well supported by agri-food stakeholders across the country is for a growing, competitive, market oriented agriculture and agri-food sector; a sector that is profitable and responds to the changing food and non-food needs of domestic and international customers; one generally less dependent on government financial support and helps sustain a good quality of life in rural communities; a sector founded on farm financial security, environmental sustainability and a safe, high quality food supply. The federal government has built further on that vision in the 1995 federal budget while also ensuring that the agri-food programs and policies are consistent with current fiscal realities.
Under the budget the government will change the western grain transportation system to encourage greater efficiency and more market responsiveness; diminish transportation and other subsidies that distort production and marketing decisions; revamp the safety net system so farmers are less dependent on government dollars for their incomes and so we are not open to countervail by Canada's international trading partners.
We must emphasize adaptation, trade, marketing and rural development to ensure continued growth in all regions of the country. We must involve the private sector more directly in government research and inspection activities.
In addition, as a result of the recent budget decisions, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada's budget will be reduced from $2.1 billion in this fiscal year to $1.7 billion over the next three years, a net reduction of 19 per cent.
The department will be implementing new ways of organizing activities to improve efficiency and maintain the level of service to the public. It will amalgamate and privatize a range of programs to save costs and improve efficiency. The department's workforce will decline by about 18 per cent over the next three years, a reduction of over 2,000 positions.
The staff reductions to be carried out at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada are substantial. It is very important to make sure they are viewed in the proper perspective.
In introducing Motion No. 314 last month, the member for Moose Jaw-Lake Centre stated that in Canada at this time there is one public sector employee working in agriculture for every 14 farms, or one person on the public payroll for every 19 farm operators.
I would not argue with the hon. member's arithmetic, but it is important to note that the Department of Agriculture and Agri-Food is not solely devoted to supporting Canada's primary agriculture sector. The department and its employees are involved in nearly all aspects of agri-food business, from farm inputs such as machinery and fertilizer to processing and packaging to inspect and retail.
This is an extremely large and complex industry, accounting for some 18 per cent of Canada's GDP and directly and indirectly employing 1.8 million people, or some 15 per cent of the Canadian workforce. All 27 million Canadians benefit from our inspection systems to ensure the safety of the food we eat.
In considering the future, I do not think it is useful to compare apples and oranges or to consider one sector of the industry in isolation from others.
It is critically important that we ensure that the changes ahead help build toward our overall vision for the agriculture and agri-food sector. Industry stakeholders must move forward together in a co-ordinated and co-operative manner so that we
can take full advantage of our unique strengths and we do not waste our limited resources by duplicating each others efforts.
To those ends, the Department of Agriculture and Agri-food has extensive consultations planned or already under way in areas such as marketing, safety nets, grain transportation and the use of the new adaptation funds announced in the budget.
We will also be continuing our efforts with the provinces to amalgamate services in areas such as farm lending, trade and market development, inspection and industry adaptation.
The conclusion of the new GATT agreement last year and the announcement in last month's budget have resolved many longstanding uncertainties for Canada's agri-food sector and have helped to set a more definitive course for its future. As well the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-food has been working to develop shared long term goals for the sector and a plan for how to achieve them.
It is moving ahead with those efforts in a co-operative, forward manner and not by initiating a new process to completely reshuffle the jurisdictional deck, as proposed by the hon. member for Moose Jaw-Lake Centre, that we can best ensure the future growth and security in the agri-food sector and the most effective use of taxpayers' dollars.
For those reasons I must vote against this motion and encourage other members to do the same.
