Opposition senators and MPs celebrated Canada’s Agriculture Day Feb. 16 by grilling the government on farm policy but reaped little for their efforts.
However, Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay rebounded Conservative Farm Critic David Anderson’s call for a return to farmers of a $100-million surplus the Canadian Grain Commission racked up in recent years.
It was the Harper government that Anderson was part of that set the fees which resulted in the surplus, MacAulay said in the Commons.
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“I have met with the commissioners and this issue will be dealt with fairly, to make sure the grain farmers in this country are treated fairly,” MacAuley said.
Anderson said the commission is supposed to be a cost-recovery operation and not make a profit off farmers.
“Has the agriculture minister instructed the chief commissioner to reduce these fees and to immediately return this surplus to grain farmers?” Anderson said.
Questions about the impact of the free trade deal with Europe from NDP MP Tracey Ramsey and Conservative Jacques Gourde drew standard government assurances that farm interests will be protected under the deal.
In the Senate, Conservative senators served up questions on the dairy industry, bovine tuberculosis, poultry regulations, western Canadian grain transportation, carbon taxes, the Trans-Pacific Partnership and the export of pulse crops to India. Senator Peter Harder, the government representative in the Senate, mostly promised to get answers.
Senate Opposition Leader Claude Carignan asked when the promised $350 million would be available to support dairy farmers and processors during the implementation of the free trade deal with Europe and when MacAulay would act on a promise made last June to stem the flood of American diafiltered milk into Canada.
Harder said the timing of the assistance would likely depend on how quickly the Senate passed legislation to implement the deal. Discussions are still being conducted on how the $350 million will be divided among the provinces.
On bovine TB, Harder said he would seek an answer causing Conservative Senator Ghislain Maltais to read the latest government update into the record and adds that it was essential to find the cause of the outbreak before cattle go onto pasture this spring.
“The infection must not be allowed to spread beyond the provinces involved,” Maltais said.
Senator Kelvin Ogilvie of Nova Scotia questioned MacAulay’s progress on stopping mislabelled spent fowl coming into Canada from the United States to compete against Canadian broiler meat.
MacAulay promised action on it last November and the industry is still waiting, the senator added.
Senator Donald Plett of Manitoba pressed the government on whether promised changes to western grain transportation rules would be in place by Aug. 1 including reciprocal penalties, interswitching distances and maximum revenue entitlement.
Harder said the legislation is promised for spring, which is about a month away.
Ontario Senator Tobias Enverga had less success with a question about the impact of the federal carbon tax on Ontario greenhouse growers. Harder said the implementation of the program to deal with climate change was up to the provinces.
Enverga asked how greenhouse growers could compete with American producers who will not bear the burden of carbon taxes.
“Why is this Liberal government intent on taxing our farmers out of competition with their American counterparts?” he asked.
Quebec Conservative Senator Jean-Guy Dagenais called for the government to clear up the uncertainty surrounding the Trans-Pacific Partnership.
“The future of many Canadian businesses and thousands of jobs, including in the agriculture sector, depends on that agreement,” Dagenais said.
Harder said the TPP “is very high on the agenda of the government.”
“The minister of international trade is actively looking at and discussing with his colleagues the TPP framework and how best to proceed,” he said.
Ontario Conservative Senator Victor Oh asked about reports that Canada’s export of peas and lentils to India may be in jeopardy over differences in pesticide rules. Harder said MacAulay and trade officials were engaged in the issue.
