Canadian Federation of Agriculture delegates reacted emotionally last week to a Quebec separatist denunciation of Canada as bad for Quebec farmers.
Bloc Québécois leader Gilles Duceppe appeared before the CFA annual meeting Feb. 23 in Ottawa to argue passionately that Canadian agricultural policy, centred on western interests and exports, is not what Quebec farmers need.
They are more interested in local markets, maintaining smaller farms, environmentalism, protectionist supply management and higher labelling standards for organics, he said.
Duceppe questioned the Conservative government’s support for supply management, key to Quebec agriculture, because it also wants a World Trade Organization agreement that would undermine supply management protections.
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“The bottom line for Quebec farmers is that they would benefit from being part of a Quebec nation,” said Duceppe, a former Montreal labour organizer and long-time leader of the separatist caucus in the House of Commons that represents most rural Quebec seats.
“Quebec and Canada do not share the same vision.”
Duceppe said there is room for Canadian and Quebec farmers to co-operate on common issues but Canada cannot be counted on to create policies that support Quebec farm interests.
Quebeckers, including farmers, want their own country that does not have to compromise its basic goals to accommodate broader Canadian goals, he said.
“We want to deal equal to equal, nation to nation.”
The first delegate to the microphone after the speech was Jurgen Preugschas, a hog producer from Mayerthorpe, Alta., and Canadian Pork Council president.
“I would have hoped you would have come here to speak of building rather than tearing apart,” said an emotional Preugschas.
“Your comments indicate an extreme lack of knowledge of the country of Canada and I find it sad that you come to an organization like this that is working together to build an industry … and you come with your words of tearing everything apart. I find it extremely disturbing and upsetting.”
A powerful response to Duceppe came from Quebec farm leader Christian Lacasse, president of l’Union des Producteurs Agricoles.
“We are here as farmers from across Canada,” he told the BQ leader.
“We have issues that bring us together. I want you to appreciate that.”
The UPA collaborates closely with the BQ on agricultural policy but Lacasse told Duceppe the Bloc should use its place as Parliament’s third largest party to promote policies that help farmers across Canada.
Duceppe had told delegates the BQ will do that, demanding the Conservatives dedicate $625 million to an AgriFlex program that supports provincially designed safety net programs across the country. He also supported the cattle industry demand that Ottawa offset the higher costs of disposing of BSE-related specified risk material in Canada.
However, he said Canada’s attempt to impose national regulations for food labelling and interprovincial trade in food threatens to undermine Quebec’s higher standards.
“The Quebec nation must have the right to develop its own regulatory rules,” he said.
New Brunswick francophone Jacques Laforge, president of Dairy Farmers of Canada, told Duceppe the Canadian government has been genuinely supportive of supply management , which is a system that is important across Canada and not just in Quebec. New Brunswick is a model where English and French work together to create a community, he added.
“We are not divided,” he said. “We are all in the same boat as agricultural producers.”
Robert McLean, a delegate from Manitoba’s Keystone Agricultural producers, said he is a proud Canadian.
“My heart was saddened today when I heard your words.”
“I think Canada is a great nation,” Duceppe responded. “But it is not my nation. I want my own country.”
To his CFA critics, some of whom commended him for his passion, the BQ leader said he was not there to sugarcoat his mission in politics to dismantle the current Canadian framework.
“At least I am frank.”
