Mr. Speaker, on behalf of my colleagues, the minister, the hon. Ralph Goodale, and the parliamentary secretary, Mr. Lyle Vanclief, it is with pleasure that I open the debate on the opposition motion relating to a vital sector of the Canadian economy, that is to say agriculture and the agri-food industry.
I would like to start by commenting briefly the wording of this motion that I find absolutely ridiculous. I must tell you that I was stunned-I could not believe my eyes-when I read this motion. Just think, our colleagues opposite are asking that this House denounce the government's lack of action in the agricultural sector. The government's lack of action, nothing less.
Ironically enough, while we are fed such cliches, while we are criticized for our alleged inaction, my colleague, the minister of agriculture, happens to be abroad on a mission to promote agricultural trade.
In fact, that is why I am replacing the hon. minister here today. As we speak the minister of agriculture is leading a trade mission in the Asia-Pacific region. This region is an economic zone undergoing phenomenal growth, one that looks like a promising export market for our agri-food products and know how.
The minister is accompanied by a delegation of 15 leaders of the Canadian agri-food industry representing most areas in that industry. After stopping off in Japan and Korea, they are now in China and from there are headed for Hong Kong.
As recently as last Monday, the minister of agriculture left Korea with a signed contract to sell wheat to Korea as well as interesting prospects for the sale of pork meat and animal feed. If that is called lack of action, there is something wrong with the definition of the word. As a matter of fact, I am convinced that not only the Bloc Quebecois critic for agriculture but also my hon. colleague the critic for finance, a prominent agricultural economist, will approve of the objectivity and capacity to promote agriculture in the Canadian economy.
How can one dare talk about government lack of action when this government has been praised by the industry for reacting both quickly and firmly to the American decision to renegotiate customs duties on wheat under article XXVIII of GATT? Our government made it clear that we do not want a trade war with the United States. We would rather negotiate. But we will go to war if we have to. As the hon. minister indicated, no deal will be made with the Americans unless this deal benefits the Canadian agri-food industry as a whole as far as grain products, processing and supply managed commodities are concerned. Canada will not give in on one point to get more on another. We refuse to play one group or region off against another.
Inertia my eye. This government takes great pride in the exceptional work that our Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food has been doing since taking office in November. I would congratulate my colleague, the parliamentary secretary to the minister, for his intervention five minutes ago when he talked about the positive things that we as a government and as a country are bringing to this, one of the most important sectors of our economy.
In the last five months the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food has travelled widely in an effort to meet all of the pertinent players around the world, in Canada and in Quebec. He has met with industry associations and stakeholders. He has met with provincial and municipal governments as well as American, Mexican and now Asia-Pacific agriculture and trade officials.
These meetings were held in a spirit of co-operation and consultation which has been the hallmark of this government's approach to making Canada's agri-food industry one of the strongest in the world.
The Canadian agri-food industry is a major employer. It is a major exporter. It accounts for 8 per cent of Canada's GDP and 15 per cent of our jobs, three-quarters of which are found beyond the farm gate. In fact, it represents work for more than 1.5 million Canadians on the farm, in processing plants and in the food distribution chain. It also provides Canadians with safe, nutritious food at reasonable prices. Agri-food exports are a
significant source of income for Canada. In 1992 exports were worth $13.7 billion.
Our platform, the famous red book, says that our sector has unique opportunities for growth and places great emphasis on security for Canadian farm families. It recognizes that Canadian farmers want that security to be built on the development of solid domestic and international markets, on staying at the forefront of innovation, on stewardship of our natural resources and in the confidence consumers have in the safety and the quality of our food.
I would like to take some time to review the work that we have done to live up to our commitments, to follow up perhaps on the intervention of the parliamentary secretary some minutes ago.
I would like to begin by reaffirming as a government our commitment to research and to innovation. This is an area where our government feels that the Department of Agriculture and Agri-Food can work closely with other government departments to build a framework that will make it easy for firms in the agriculture sector to bring products successfully to the marketplace.
Successful agriculture is a knowledge industry. Studies have shown that the return on investment in some key areas of agri-food research can exceed 50 per cent. This is one area where Ralph Goodale is very keen to see government continue to emphasize-