Proceedings of the Standing Senate Committee on
Agriculture and Forestry
Issue 24 - Minutes of Proceedings - Meeting of February 17, 2015
OTTAWA, Tuesday, February 17, 2015
(54)
[English]
The Standing Senate Committee on Agriculture and Forestry met this day at 5:07 p.m., in room 2, Victoria Building, the chair, the Honourable Percy Mockler, presiding.
Members of the committee present: The Honourable Senators Campbell, Dagenais, Enverga, Maltais, Merchant, Mockler, Oh, Plett, Rivard, Tardif and Unger (11).
In attendance: Aïcha Coulibaly and Jed Chong, Analysts, Parliamentary Information and Research Service, Library of Parliament.
Also present: The official reporters of the Senate.
Pursuant to the order of reference adopted by the Senate on Tuesday, December 9, 2014, the committee continued its consideration of Bill C-18, An Act to amend certain Acts relating to agriculture and agri-food. (For complete text of the order of reference, see proceedings of the committee, Issue No. 22.)
WITNESSES:
Animal Nutrition Association of Canada:
Graham Cooper, Executive Director;
Melissa Dumont, Director of Technical Services.
Agricultural Credit Corporation:
Jaye Atkins, Chief Executive Officer.
Mr. Cooper and Mr. Atkins made statements and, together with Ms. Dumont, answered questions.
At 6 p.m., the committee suspended.
At 6:07 p.m., the committee resumed.
It was agreed that the committee proceed to clause-by-clause consideration of Bill C-18, An Act to amend certain Acts relating to agriculture and agri-food.
It was agreed that the committee invite the officials from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and Justice Canada to the table to answer any technical questions that may arise during clause-by- clause consideration of Bill C-18.
WITNESSES:
Canadian Food Inspection Agency:
Veronica McGuire, Executive Director, Program, Regulatory & Trade Policy;
Nicolas McCandie Glustien, Manager, Legislative Affairs.
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada:
Rosser Lloyd, Director General, Business Risk Management Programs Directorate, Programs Branch;
Martin Crevier, Assistant Director, Financial Guarantee Programs Division, Programs Branch.
Justice Canada:
Louise Sénéchal, General Counsel and Deputy Executive Director, Agriculture and Food Inspection Legal Services;
Sara Guild, Acting Manager and Senior Counsel, Agriculture and Food Inspection, Legal Services.
With leave and pursuant to rule 12-20(3), it was agreed:
That the committee group clauses according to headings identified in Bill C-18.
It was agreed that the title stand postponed.
It was agreed that clause 1, which contains the short title, stand postponed.
The chair asked whether clauses 2 to 51 under the heading Plant Breeders' Rights Act shall carry.
The Honourable Senator Tardif moved:
That Bill C-18 be amended in clause 2, on page 3, by adding after line 7 the following:
""end-point royalty" means a royalty payable to the holder of the plant breeders' rights on harvested material as a condition to an authorization conferred under paragraph 5(1)(h);".
After debate, the question being put on the motion, it was negatived by a show of hands.
The Honourable Senator Tardif moved:
That Bill C-18 be amended in clause 5, on page 7, by adding after line 9 the following:
"(3) The end-point royalty rate on harvested material grown from harvested material to which the rights referred to in paragraphs 5(1)(a), (b) and (g) do not apply pursuant to subsection (2) may not be higher than the end-point royalty rate on harvested material grown from sold propagating material for the same plant variety.".
After debate, the question being put on the motion, it was negatived by a show of hands.
The Honourable Senator Tardif moved:
That Bill C-18 be amended in clause 50, on page 25, by replacing lines 13 and 14 with the following:
"50. (1) The portion of subsection 75(1) of the Act before paragraph (b) is replaced by the following:
75. (1) The Governor in Council may, after consultation with the advisory committee, make regulations for carrying out the purposes and provisions of this Act and, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, may make regulations".
After debate, the question being put on the motion, it was negatived by a show of hands.
It was agreed that clauses 52 to 61 under the heading Feeds Act carry.
It was agreed that clauses 62 to 72 under the heading Fertilizers Act carry.
It was agreed that clauses 73 to 83 under the heading Seeds Act carry.
It was agreed that clauses 84 to 98 under the heading Health of Animals Act carry.
It was agreed that clauses 99 to 112 under the heading Plant Protection Act carry.
It was agreed that clauses 113 to 119 under the heading Agriculture and Agri-Food Administrative Monetary Penalties Act carry.
It was agreed that clauses 120 to 140 under the heading Agricultural Marketing Programs Act carry.
It was agreed that clauses 141 to 152 under the heading Farm Debt Mediation Act carry.
It was agreed that clause 153 under the heading Transitional Provisions — Agricultural Marketing Programs Act carry.
It was agreed that clause 154 under the heading Coming into Force carry.
It was agreed that clause 1, which contains the short title, carry.
It was agreed that the title carry.
It was agreed that the bill carry.
It was agreed that Bill C-18 be reported to the Senate.
At 6:51 p.m., the committee adjourned to the call of the chair.
ATTEST:
Kevin Pittman
Clerk of the Committee