Wayne Easter

[Food Safety, October 3rd, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, there is no question that we have a quality product but we now have a minister who is clearly incompetent and a Minister of Health who is every bit as incompetent.

When Bob Kingston, president of the agricultural union, was before the Senate committee yesterday he had an explanation. He first talked about the compliance verification system and he had this to say, “How could this be, you might wonder? After all, the minister has assured everyone that there are more inspectors working at that plant than ever. You will be interested to know that in the XL plant, only a small portion of the inspectors are actually trained in CVS. That is right; for more than four years after CVS was introduced, most inspectors there have not been trained in how to use it. Why, you might ask? The answer is actually simple. The CFIA cannot afford to deliver training any faster and does not have enough inspectors to relieve those away while being trained”.

[Food Safety, October 3rd, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, I listened closely to the member's remarks. She talked about the fearmongering coming from the other side. What kind of crisis would it take for the government's spokesmen, and we have two parliamentary secretaries here tonight, to move away from their talking points, accept responsibility and lay out a plan that will give some assurances to Canadians, shore up cattle prices, and restore our international reputation?

This debate is not about fearmongering or partisanship on our side. It is about holding the government accountable and responsible. There is an emergency. People are afraid of food. Beef prices are falling. Our international reputation is in tatters. Is that not what the debate is about, not what the government claims is fearmongering?

[Food Safety, October 3rd, 2012]

Yes, I could, Mr. Speaker. I do not think I said whether the minister is here or not. I just asked what rock he was hiding under.

The member has sat on the committee, which had the Canadian Food Inspection Agency before it several times as well as the minister. Who does she think is ultimately accountable and responsible for this issue, the biggest food recall in Canada? Is it the same minister who was in charge when 23 people died a few years ago?

[Food Safety, October 3rd, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, the member sits on the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food. There has been a great attempt tonight by the parliamentary secretary, using the same old talking points, to try to shift the blame from ministerial accountability and responsibility to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.

We are still trying to determine what rock the minister is hiding under tonight after he escaped the press conference this afternoon and hauled the president of CFIA away from speaking to the Canadian people.

I ask the member, as she has sat on the committee—

[Food Safety, October 3rd, 2012]

Call for the minister's resignation.

[Food Safety, October 3rd, 2012]

You should call for the minister's resignation.

[Food Safety, October 3rd, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, I have a press release here from the NFU, which states: “Cattle farmers are already feeling the effect of the closure, as prices for fat steers and cull cows have already dropped by 20% and 30% respectively”.

Both the Minister of Agriculture and the Minister of Health are missing in action. They are failing to show control of the problem and to give assurance of safe meat in the country. I am worried that it is almost like a run on the banks during a financial problem.

There are very good meat operations out there. The cattle producers produce good quality meat.

What should be done in that regard to give assurance to consumers and help the farm community out as well?

[Food Safety, October 2nd, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, that the government has failed consumers, farmers and the industry with its latest food inspection failure is obvious. Canada's food safety reputation is now in tatters internationally, and beef farmers are paying the price with markets in turmoil.

Yet the same minister is in charge as when 23 people died from listeriosis, and he spouts that he has hired more inspectors. Where are they? What are their job descriptions? Do they push paper or actually inspect meat? Canadians deserve answers. Is it not time that this minister answered in detail—

[Business of Supply, October 2nd, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, it is clearly a lack of leadership on the government's part.

We all know that the six points under the Investment Canada Act are very vague and really do not lay out the serious criteria needed for this kind of a proposal.

I know my colleague strongly supports investment in trade. We need the criteria laid out to ensure any capital investment coming into this country, commercial ventures and trade issues going forward are for the benefit of Canadians.

In this particular case, we do not want to see a proposal that at the end of day could even compromise our ability as politicians, both federally and provincially, to implement a national energy strategy that is to the benefit of all Canadians. We need those options open.

The bottom line is that the Prime Minister failed in his leadership, failed to lay out the criteria necessary as he said he would do and failed to live up to his word. When we see him operating across the world these days, it looks like Canada is not open for business, it is just up for sale. That is not what we want to see.

[Business of Supply, October 2nd, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, many of the cases that she talked about in terms of former Liberal governments, when we were balancing the books in this country and creating public investment in the country, were very much commercial types.

In this case, as in the Saskatchewan potash case, which we strongly opposed, we are seeing companies come in and basically trying to take over the natural resources of the country, dominant control. In this particular case, we are taking about a state owned enterprise, which could have serious implications on policy development in the future. It is not just a commercial business venture.