Barry Wilson

Newfoundland has become the first provincial fish to swim willingly into the agricultural policy framework net and federal Liberals are sounding triumphant. May 12 was “a momentous day” for Newfoundland farmers, federal agriculture minister Lyle Vanclief and Newfoundland minister Gerry Byrne said when announcing the agreement. Newfoundland is a minnow in the Canadian agricultural economy, […] Read more

The new Quebec Liberal government will become the 10th province to sign the national agricultural policy framework in principle this summer, predicts the president of the powerful Quebec farm lobby, Union des Producteurs Agricoles. But the Jean Charest government will have no mandate from farmers to sign a business risk management plan that would force […] Read more

Canada is a trade hypocrite when it criticizes other countries while promoting its own trade distorting policies, a Canadian Alliance MP suggested last week. It is in no position to criticize the trade protection of other countries because it has its own skeletons, said Alliance agriculture critic Howard Hilstrom. From supply management and the Canadian […] Read more

Canada must be bold and aggressive in attempts to get World Trade Organization negotiations back on track, including making all agricultural supports and protections negotiable, says an association of Canada’s big business managers. It would mean a willingness by Canada to offer compromises on such issues as supply management protections and state trading enterprises. “We […] Read more

The United States and New Zealand have withdrawn their threat of retaliation against Canada over subsidized dairy exports. They told the World Trade Organization they are content that Canada is complying with a WTO ruling against the dairy export program. It ends more than four years of costly fights before WTO panels and, for the […] Read more

The United States could soon find itself called before the World Trade Organization to defend the more controversial aspects of its 2002 farm bill, says a Canadian trade official. The trigger for challenges could be a failure to make agricultural progress during a crucial meeting of WTO ministers in Mexico in September. Chief agriculture negotiator […] Read more

Supply management leaders continually cast a suspicious eye toward World Trade Organization negotiations, demanding assurances that the federal government will not compromise their protective tariffs and wondering how strong the government resolve is to protect the system. Ontario Liberal MP Paul Steckle, chair of the House of Commons agriculture committee, understands why industry leaders seem […] Read more

Federal trade minister Pierre Pettigrew insisted last week it is too early to give up on a Dec. 31, 2004, deadline for the completion of World Trade Organization talks, but he conceded that several key areas of negotiation, including agriculture, are stalled. “Agriculture is a very, very important issue for many countries at the WTO […] Read more

Amid its usual swirl of controversy, acrimony and accusation, the federal government’s gun registration system was given new legislative authority last week when the House of Commons approved another version of the Firearms Act. Government defenders of the bill say it will create a more efficient registry system, make it easier for Canadians to register […] Read more