Hon. Donald Neil Plett (Leader of the Opposition): Honourable senators, I will be brief. I rise to speak to Bill C-282, An Act to amend the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Act (supply management).
This will be the eighth speech this chamber has heard on this bill, with four senators speaking in favour of the bill and three speaking against.
I note that we are expecting additional senators to speak, including new critic Senator Harder. I do not think that the 4-3 split can be taken as an indication of how this chamber is going to vote on the bill. It does, however, underscore the diversity of viewpoints and polarization of positions.
My own position on the bill is simple yet, I would say, nuanced. That’s perhaps not something that you are used to coming from me. But it is the case with this bill for reasons that I will explain.
At its heart, Bill C-282 is a far cry from a supply management sector of agriculture of stability and security.
In a world which is changing rapidly, with a future marked by uncertainty, the desire for predictability is very understandable, especially in the agricultural industry. In her speech on this bill, Senator McCallum gave a compelling overview of the history of supply management, outlining the challenges and difficulties of the day, which were addressed through the introduction of marketing boards, quotas and import restrictions.
Overproduction, fluctuating prices and inconsistent income for farmers had been causing significant market instability and disruptions in the domestic market for decades. As described in The Canadian Dairy Commission: A 40-Year Retrospective, these difficulties faced by farmers before the creation of supply management systems were very real.
27 сен 2024
