Reports that Canada refused to join Pacific Rim trade talks to protect dairy farmers and now has been told it is too late to join has critics questioning government tactics.
New Zealand has said any country getting involved in the Trans-Pacific Partnership talks would have to be willing to put all its policies on the table, including dairy protections that keep New Zealand products out of markets.
“Why is the government frittering away our biggest trade opportunities?” Liberal trade critic Scott Brison asked in the House of Commons, even though his party has promised to protect supply management.
Read Also
Supreme Court gives thumbs-up emoji case the thumbs down
Saskatchewan farmer wanted to appeal the court decision that a thumbs-up emoji served as a signature to a grain delivery contract.
Trade minister Peter Van Loan, while not confirming Brison’s version of events, said Canada still has not determined if it makes sense to join the talks that now include many Pacific Rim countries including the United States.
Bloc Québécois agriculture critic André Bellavance jumped on the assertion that Canada may want to join the talks despite New Zealand’s clear position against supply management.
“Does that mean the government is prepared to make compromises on supply management, as it did during negotiations with the European Union?” he said.
Minister of state for agriculture Jean-Pierre Blackburn said the Conservative government plans to continue defending supply management in trade talks.
Agriculture minister Gerry Ritz said during an April 15 news conference from a trade mission in China that New Zealand prime minister John Key should not be so focused on the dairy supply management issue.
During a visit to Ottawa last week, Key is reported to have said that his country would not accept that dairy protectionism could be “carved out” of a comprehensive trade deal in the Pacific Rim.
“It’s unfortunate that the New Zealand prime minister wants to hang his hat on one issue,” Ritz said.
He said Canada has a free trade agreement with Switzerland, “the dairy of Europe,” and was able to exclude supply management.
And while Canada sells $50 million worth of agricultural goods to New Zealand each year, the south Pacific nation sells $300 million worth of products to Canada, including $50 million in dairy products.
“So they already enjoy a good sized market share equivalent to our full trade to them.”
Still, opponents of supply management jumped on the issue.
The conservative National Post newspaper, a consistent supply management critic, said it is time for the government to end the monopoly enjoyed by “Big Milk.”
