Agriculture minister Lyle Vanclief last week said a senior dairy official was not speaking for the government when he said the end of supply management is inevitable.
At a meeting of the House of Commons agriculture committee, Canadian Dairy Commission chair Guy Jacob said the moment the government agreed in world trade talks to protect supply-managed sectors with tariffs, the system was doomed.
Tariffs will fall and eventually, the borders will open to imports, Jacob told unhappy Liberal MPs who have campaigned on a platform of preserving supply management.
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In an interview, Vanclief vowed the Liberals will defend supply management during the next round of trade talks and beyond.
“I’m not going to argue with his views. He’s entitled to his views,” said Vanclief. “I’m telling you what the view of the government is. Our government’s strong stand, which we demonstrated many times and continue to demonstrate, is that we stand firmly behind and with supply management.”
He was asked if he disagrees with Jacob’s view that declining tariff protection means the end of supply management is inevitable sooner or later.
“That may be his personal opinion,” said the minister. “He won’t be taking part in the negotiations.”
Jacob, appointed last year to head the federal crown corporation that manages the national supply management system for industrial milk, received a frosty and sometimes hostile reception from Liberal MPs.
Ontario MP Paul Bonwick noted the dairy commission chair is an appointment of the agriculture minister. “Are you speaking with the minister’s blessing? Is he aware of your statements and does he agree with them?”
Jacob said he has made similar statements before to dairy farmer meetings and has heard nothing from the minister’s office.
“I don’t require any kind of blessing from the minister to express my views,” he said. “The dairy commission is somewhat autonomous.”
