QUESTION PERIOD — Foreign Affairs and International Trade
Support for Farmers and Producers
October 28, 2020
My question is for the Government Representative in the Senate.
Senator Gold, as Senator Plett highlighted yesterday, in September’s Speech from the Throne, the Governor General indicated yet again that the government remains committed to fulfill the promised compensation for losses incurred by the Canadian dairy industry as a result of this government’s trade agreements over the past six years.
Eight months ago, this government advised that they were committed to fully and fairly compensating the dairy industry, and that they would continue to work with these producers and processors to address the impact of recent trade agreements. This industry has suffered not only as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, as have many other industries, and they deserve the details they’ve been waiting for.
Honourable colleagues, the government is well aware of the challenges the dairy industry is currently facing. I questioned the Government Representative on this topic in February of this year and last December, and I have received only delayed answers. Each time I provided my questions in advance to the Government Representative in the Senate, in hopes of receiving an actual response to these questions, yet answers received appear to be only platitudes from the government.
Senator Gold, the time for delayed answers has passed. The dairy industry needs answers now. My question today is this: When will the government finally commit to sharing the full scheduling of the CETA and CPTPP compensation for the remaining seven years, as well as the amount and nature of compensation for CUSMA to ensure Canadian farmers and processors receive the support needed to offset the harmful effects of the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement, the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership and, more recently, the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement?
Thank you, senator, for continuing to raise in this chamber the situation and, indeed, the plight of Canada’s farmers and processors, and for raising this with Agriculture Minister Bibeau’s office, as I know you do on many occasions.
I’ve also asked the minister for the detailed payment schedule that you’re asking for, but I’ve not yet received information on the timeline or nature of the full compensation that Canada’s dairy sector will receive.
I might add that, in addition to the investments I noted in my response to Senator Plett yesterday, the chamber should be reminded that in 2017 the government launched a $250-million Dairy Farm Investment Program; and this year, to help dairy farmers deal with surpluses during the COVID-19 pandemic, the government permanently increased the borrowing capacity of the Canadian Dairy Commission by $200 million, as well as launching the $50-million Surplus Food Rescue Program.
I have made the request and will provide the answer as soon as I receive it.
