House of Commons photoLost his last election, in 2019, with 34% of the vote.
Milk Industry October 18th, 1995
Mr. Speaker, today Quebec enjoys great strength and stability in its dairy sector, with some 12,000 commercial dairy farms, $1.3 billion in cash receipts from milk production, milk quota values in excess of $2 billion, 20,000 jobs in rural Quebec, 83 dairy processing plants, 7,400 processing jobs in those plants, and 47 per cent of the Canadian national industrial milk quota. All that is to the advantage of Quebec because of Quebec's participation in the Canadian supply and management system.
Milk Industry October 18th, 1995
Mr. Speaker, the remarks made yesterday by Mr. Johnson and Mr. Vallières in Quebec with respect to the earlier studies issued by Minister Le Hir were very solid and very credible criticism of Mr. Le Hir's reports which were a total distortion of the true picture.
This criticism has come not only from Mr. Johnson and Mr. Vallières. It has come from several prominent Quebec university professors. It has come from U.S. trade policy experts like Mr. Chip Roh and it has come most recently, quoted in today's La Presse , from Mr. Yvon Proulx, the chief economist of the UPA.
Agriculture October 5th, 1995
Mr. Speaker, the officials of the Government of Canada, whether they work for my department or Revenue Canada or any other department of the Government of Canada, need no instructions to do their job. They know what their job is and they will exercise their responsibilities.
Agriculture October 5th, 1995
Mr. Speaker, the law on this point is very clear with respect to export of wheat and barley from Canada. Obviously, the appropriate paperwork and authorization from the Canadian Wheat Board are required. When that paperwork is not provided, then the export is contrary to the regulations. Those regulations are enforced in due course as the law requires. I trust the Reform Party is not advocating violations of the law.
Explosives Act October 5th, 1995
moved that the bill be read the third time and passed.
Explosives Act October 5th, 1995
moved that the bill be concurred in.
(Motion agreed to.)
Agriculture October 3rd, 1995
Mr. Speaker, the references the hon. member makes to later changes after the announcement in the budget are a bit misplaced. All of the items he referred to were covered in our budget documents and then covered very specifically in a series of consultations I conducted with farm leaders across western Canada in the months immediately following the budget.
We highlighted in the budget what the principal issues were but we wanted to leave a window for consultation with farm leaders and farm organizations to make sure we had the benefit of their best advice in program design. Virtually every design decision we have taken with respect to the $1.6 billion payment has been guided by the very valuable input and advice of the leadership of western farm organizations.
Customs Act September 21st, 1995
moved that Bill C-102, an act to amend the Customs Act and the Customs Tariff and to make related and consequential amendments to other acts, be read the second time and referred to a committee.
Canadian Wheat Board September 21st, 1995
Mr. Speaker, I am sure the hon. member will recognize his last sentence as a gratuitous remark that is rather out of place.
Like the hon. member, I too hope that initial payment levels in Canada can be increased progressively throughout the current crop year and from my point of view the sooner the better.
There are two factors that need to be borne in mind. First, even though the North American harvest may be virtually complete, the western Canadian harvest is now only about 60 per cent complete. There are still questions to be answered about final quantity and quality. It would obviously be premature on the basis of the amount that is completed so far to move at this point with respect to initial payments.
However, I fully expect the Canadian Wheat Board to make its most favourable recommendations to me at the earliest possible date.
The other factor the hon. gentleman should bear in mind is a warning against any hasty increase in initial payments that could provide the Americans with additional grist for their mill in their ongoing, unwarranted attacks against the Canadian Wheat Board.
Agriculture September 21st, 1995
Mr. Speaker, I am happy to respond to the question that has been raised.
On the first part, I am pleased to confirm that the U.S. tariff rate quota against Canadian wheat expired on time at midnight on Monday, September 11, 1995.
On the point about future U.S. trade action, Canada fully expects the United States to honour all of its international trading obligations. Should that prove not to be the case, we have the right to respond and we will do so firmly in defence of Canadian farmers if necessary.