CALGARY — When the Conservative party policy convention opened Nov. 1 with an Alberta-inspired motion to end supply management in an “orderly” transition, agriculture minister Gerry Ritz was prepared.
During a delegates-only policy workshop closed to media, Ritz led the opposition to the proposal from four Alberta riding associations.
“He took the resolution, chewed it up and spit it out,” said one observer in the room. “Up one side of them and down the other.”
The proposal was overwhelmingly rejected, and the Conservative party position remains strongly supportive of supply management, despite pockets of skepticism.
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Ritz said in a Nov. 2 interview that as agriculture minister, it was his job to lead the debate.
Convention observer and New Democratic Party MP Peter Julian argued that the anti-supply management resolution would hurt the party image with dairy and chicken farmers, but Ritz said it was simply an indication that the party allows debate.
“You will see diversity of opinion, some of it not based on actual fact,” he said.
“They fall for some of the stories they are seeing about having extra costs and all those things, but at the end of the day, common sense comes through.”
Ritz said there is a strong case to be made that the Conservative party, despite its anti-protectionist Reform base, should support supply management.
“It is not hard to convince people that this is a market driven (system), they draw their returns from the marketplace and they are not in any way interfering in us moving forward on a free trade agenda,” he said.
“We don’t see them as a barrier to trade at all.”
Dairy Farmers of Canada president Wally Smith, who attended the convention as an observer, said rejection of the proposed policy change on supply management was welcome, despite DFC opposition to concessions made by Canada in trade negotiations with the European Union over cheese imports.
He suggested it puts to rest fears that the government’s support for supply management may be weakening.
“The delegates have spoken,” said Smith. “It soothes the pain a little bit.”
Julian argued it shows poor management by the Conservatives.
“It clearly is not smart politics to alienate dairy and chicken farmers, particularly when there is a trade deal that has raised some industry concerns,” he said.
“I think this is just part of a broader indication that the Prime Minister’s Office is in disarray and events are out of control.”
Saskatchewan Conservative MP Randy Hoback disagreed.
He said the fact that the resolution made it to the convention simply reflects “the grassroots of our party at work.”
