WESTERN PRODUCER — A private member’s bill to protect supply managed sectors in future trade negotiations has passed second reading in the House of Commons and been referred to committee.
Bill C-282 would amend the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Act so that dairy, eggs and poultry would not be on the table during trade talks. It is identical to Bill C-216 in the previous Parliament, which MPs also supported. However, that bill died on the order paper when the 2021 election was called.
The Feb. 8 vote to move the bill along passed overwhelmingly, 293 to 23.
Canada’s largest farm organization, the Canadian Federation of Agriculture, announced its support for the bill as well. It issued a news release saying a strong domestic agricultural sector is critical for national food security.
“CFA has long advocated that no additional access to supply-managed sectors should be given in future trade agreements, and all political parties sitting in the House of Commons have committed to no additional access and no reductions in over-quota tariffs,” it said.
Bloc Quebecois MP Luc Theriault introduced the bill last June, saying its purpose “is to take the symbolic support of the majority of MPs in the House and make it tangible to protect supply management from further dilution in future international trade negotiations.”
While all political parties say they support supply management, Theriault said “the government really did a number on this agricultural system” during the negotiations for agreements with Europe, North America and the Trans-Pacific Partnership.
During his second reading speech in November, Theriault said some question the need for legislation, but history repeats itself. He pointed to concessions made in recent trade agreements despite previous governments’ support for motions in favour of supply management.
The government is paying $4.8 billion in compensation to supply managed industries as a result of lost market share.
CFA president Mary Robinson said a vote in favour of the bill would show true support for supply-managed farmers.
“It can be frustrating to watch promises fizzle when push comes to shove, and supply-managed farmers have seen successive governments renege on their promise to not allow further market access for supply-managed products,” she said.
Conservative MPs said the bill should go to committee for further study. Ontario MP Kyle Seeback said dairy, egg and poultry producers no longer trust the Liberal government and fear what might happen next to make farming more difficult.
“I know there are some in the agricultural sector who would say that they are not thrilled with this,” he said of Bill C-282.
“I think we should hear from everyone. Let us hear what they all have to say to decide whether or not this is something that, as a Parliament, we should put forward.”
The Liberals and NDP have both said they will support the bill, but other Conservatives have agreed with Seeback that the bill requires committee scrutiny. It will go to the international trade committee.
The Canadian Agri-Food Trade Alliance, meanwhile, is opposed to the bill.
“This legislation creates a dangerous precedent and diminishes Canada as a free trade partner,” said president Dan Darling. “It contradicts established trade rules and severely constrains Canada’s ability to negotiate the best free trade agreements for all sectors of the Canadian economy, agriculture and non-agriculture alike.”
He encouraged MPs to consider the long-term damage the bill, if passed, would cause.
