AGRI Committee Meeting
Notices of Meeting include information about the subject matter to be examined by the committee and date, time and place of the meeting, as well as a list of any witnesses scheduled to appear. The Evidence is the edited and revised transcript of what is said before a committee. The Minutes of Proceedings are the official record of the business conducted by the committee at a sitting.
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MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
Meeting No. 46
Thursday, October 1st, 1998
The Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food met at 9:05 a.m., this day, in Room 269, West Block, the Chair, Joe McGuire, presiding.
Members of the Committee present: Hélène Alarie, Leon Benoit, Rick Borotsik, Murray Calder, Denis Coderre, Odina Desrochers, John Harvard, Larry McCormick, Joe McGuire, Dick Proctor, Paul Steckle and Rose-Marie Ur.
Acting Members present: Bob Speller for Gerry Byrne and Howard Hilstrom for Jay Hill.
In attendance: From the Library of Parliament: Frédéric Forge, Researcher and Jean-Denis Fréchette, Economist.
Witnesses: From the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade: Claude Carrière, Director, Tariffs and Market Access Division. From the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada: Mike Gifford, Director General, International Trade Policy Directorate, Market and Industry Services Branch and Philip G. Douglas, Deputy Director, United States, Western Hemisphere Trade Policy Division.
Pursuant to Standing Order 106(3), the Committee considers a request by four (4) Members of the Committee.
By unanimous consent, Hélène Alarie moved, - That, we urge to summon before this committee the Canadian Food Inspection Agency members accountable for the eradication of the sheep scrapie file, as well as the Agriculture and Agri-Food Minister, to keep us aware of the most recent information in this constant evolving topic.
It was agreed, - That, the motion be considered at the next meeting of the Committee.
Pursuant to Standing Order 106(3), the Committee considered the letter dated September 22, 1998, submitted by Rick Borotsik, M.P., Dick Proctor, M.P., Jay Hill, M.P., and Leon Benoit, M.P., which reads as follows:
September 22, 1998
OTTAWA, CANADA
Mr. Georges Etoka, Clerk
Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food
House of Commons
Room 619, 180 Wellington Street
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0A6
I am requesting an emergency committee meeting be held, pursuant to Standing Order 106(3), at the earliest possible time to discuss the issue of the Canada-US agricultural trade dispute at the North and South Dakota borders. Standing Order 106(3) states that "within 10 sitting days of the receipt (of the letter of request), by the clerk of the standing committee, the Chairman of the said committee shall convene such a meeting provided that 48 hours notice is given of the meeting."
The reason for the emergency meeting is simple. Last week, when the State's of North and South Dakota decided to block our agricultural exports by making unnecessary inspections it put our agricultural trade relationship in jeopardy. It is a trade relationship that in 1996 alone gave Canadian farmers over $10 billion dollars in exported agri-food products to the United States.
To say that the farmers that I have talked with in my constituency are not happy about the interference from the State governments would be an understatement. And, I am sure the same sentiments are true with other farmers affected by the blockades in Western Canada.
The emergency meeting would give committee members an opportunity to question government officials from both the Departments of Agriculture and International trade on their thoughts on the trade dispute. We, as parliamentarians, have the right to know what are the federal government's options in this matter and what this government intends to do.
In saying that, I have included the signatures of four committee members, including myself, to complete my written request for the meeting. Thank you.
By unanimous consent, it was agreed, - That, the Committee hear the officials from the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade and from the Department of Agriculture and Agri-Food.
Mike Gifford and Claude Carrière made opening statements and answered questions.
By unanimous consent, Howard Hilstrom moved the following motions:
- That, this Committee direct the clerk to invite the Minister of Agriculture, the Minister of International Trade, and the Minister of Natural Resources with special responsibilities for the Canadian Wheat Board to discuss the unilateral blockade of Canadian livestock and grain by a number of US States; and
- That, this Committee study and report back to the House of Commons on the development and implementation of an early-warning system to anticipate and deal with unilateral trade actions before they become a crisis.
It was agreed, - That, the proposed motions be considered at the next meeting of the Committee.
At 11:03 a.m., the Committee adjourned to the call of the Chair.
Georges Etoka
Clerk of the Committee