At 8:48 a.m., Pat Finnigan took the Chair.

Stewart Skinner, Maria Labrecque Duchesneau and Patrick Smith made a statement and answered questions.

At 9:43 a.m., the sitting was suspended.

At 9:46 a.m., the sitting resumed.

Paul Glenn, Ginette Lafleur and Lucie Pelchat made a statement and answered questions.

Luc Berthold moved, — That, pursuant to Standing Order 108(2), the Committee conduct a study on the consequences of the draft United States—Mexico—Canada Agreement (USMCA) on Canadian farmers, particularly as related to:

• producers under supply management;
• any limitations placed on Canadian exports; and
• any limitations placed on Canada’s ability to make independent regulatory decisions within the agricultural sector

in order to gather feedback from those who will be impacted by the USMCA, and its consequences on farmers mental health; that this study be comprised of no less than four meetings to be held at the committee's earliest convenience; that the minister and departmental officials be in attendance for at least one meeting; that the government produce all studies, evaluations, analysis, and reports that touch on the matters of this study and that the findings of this study be included in the Committee’s report on mental health.

RULING BY THE CHAIR

The Chair ruled the proposed motion inadmissible because it is moved without the notice of 48 hours required before a member may move a substantive motion and it does not deal directly with the matter before the Committee at this time, as stated in the routine motions adopted by the Committee on Wednesday, February 3, 2016.

Whereupon, Luc Berthold appealed the decision of the Chair.

The question: "Shall the decision of the Chair be sustained?" was put and the decision was sustained, by a show of hands: YEAS: 5; NAYS: 3.

Questioning of the witnesses resumed.