House of Commons photoLost his last election, in 2019, with 36% of the vote.
Agriculture and Agri-food February 7th, 2014
Mr. Speaker, this virus does not pose a risk to human health or food safety. However, the virus is certainly a serious risk for the industry. That is why our government has announced that the CFIA will issue permits to authorize the administration of the iPED+ vaccine to pigs. The minister has asked the CFIA to work with the provinces and assist them if necessary.
Agriculture and Agri-food February 7th, 2014
Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for his excellent question. The threat of a CN strike would be disastrous for the grain sector. That is why our government will, if necessary, introduce back-to-work legislation.
However, while our priority is to protect farmers and the economy, the NDP member for Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie had the audacity to attack the government for doing just that. The member's suggestion that the government should do nothing if a strike occurred is completely offside with farmers. The railways are facing challenges moving grain to port. Canadian farmers are paying the price, and that is unacceptable.
Our government has always put farmers first, and I ask the NDP to put farmers first.
Agriculture and Agri-food February 7th, 2014
Mr. Speaker, just to show how out of touch the member is with farmers, I will read a quote from the Canadian Cattlemen's Association:
The CCA fully supports the Government of Canada's efforts to pursue WTO approval to impose retaliatory tariffs.
As I just explained, our minister has been front and centre in defending our livestock farmers, our beef farms, and our pork farmers against the COOL legislation. We will continue to act in their best interests, and I would ask the opposition to support us in this very important work.
Agriculture and Agri-food February 7th, 2014
Mr. Speaker, I am actually surprised that this member is attacking our minister on this file. Our minister has taken the lead in defending our livestock farmers on the COOL file. We have personally been down to the United States. We have interacted with some politicians down there, defending our farmers time and again.
I would ask this member and his colleagues to get on board with this government putting farmers first.
Grain Transport February 5th, 2014
Mr. Speaker, I would like to put a question to my colleague on a very near and present danger.
I spoke in my speech about the Teamsters union perhaps going on strike. So far it has struck what is known as a tentative deal with CN. The grain is moving now, but nowhere near enough is moving. A strike by the Teamsters would certainly not benefit the farmers. It would benefit no one.
Would my colleague encourage the Teamsters to finalize the deal with CN, or is she in favour, perhaps, of the union not following through on the tentative deal, which would have an adverse impact on farmers? Where does she stand on this?
Grain Transport February 5th, 2014
Dig that hole.
Grain Transport February 5th, 2014
Mr. Speaker, when it comes to the Wheat Board, no one really believes that the Wheat Board was free for farmers and that it solved all logistical problems. What we did see under the Wheat Board was much less seeding of acres for wheat and barley crops and much smaller harvests. That is what is making the system struggle today.
When it comes to the labour situation with CN, I would be interested in knowing if the member would support the Teamsters going on strike. If they go on strike, this situation will certainly not get better. I am hoping he will comment on this a little later in the evening.
Grain Transport February 5th, 2014
Mr. Speaker, I can say that work is being done on a number of those initiatives. In fact, he is asking about, for example, the Port of Churchill. It is our government that made $25 million available in funding to support grain shipments through the Port of Churchill. We were more proactive in terms of making this funding available a number of years ago. Unfortunately, the member voted against that initiative of $25 million to help improve grain shipments through the Port of Churchill.
In terms of specific solutions for the railways, this is the idea of bringing stakeholders together so that those types of solutions can be discussed and then implemented.
Grain Transport February 5th, 2014
Mr. Speaker, my colleague brought up an excellent point about the advance payments program to help farmers manage cashflow challenges, particularly because of what is happening logistically now in the grain sector.
In terms of what we are doing with the railroads, we are bringing the railroads together with the minister and with the other stakeholders in the industry so that common solutions can be found. Normally when the government jumps in with its own solutions, and proper consultation and proper work has not been done with stakeholders, those solutions tend not to succeed. It is very important to engage the stakeholders, who understand the challenges they are facing and have very practical solutions.
It is larger than the railroads. The railroads must step up their game, but they must also work in concert with the other stakeholders within the crop logistics system.
Grain Transport February 5th, 2014
Mr. Speaker, I see on the opposition side a lot of arm waving and am hearing that something should be done, but I do not hear any proposals. I do not hear what the opposition is proposing to resolve this problem tomorrow, which is what they are actually advocating.
What is needed are short-, medium- and long-term solutions. There was a record harvest this year, which is complicating all matters regarding transportation and crop logistics. I do not think anybody in the House believes that if the single-desk Wheat Board were in charge, all those problems would be solved. In fact, what we saw was another layer of bureaucracy, and in fact, far less efficiency and far more unhappy farmers than we have today.
What we are proposing is working within the sector in a meaningful way and making funding available to launch initiatives to solve this problem, not just tomorrow but in the near, medium, and long term.