Trudeau says comprehensive vision needed | Party believes in trade but also stands behind supply management
OTTAWA — Liberal leader Justin Trudeau says a long-term national food policy is still a priority for his party.
He told the Canadian Federation of Agriculture annual meeting that agriculture is a business and business requires long-term planning.
“The classic joke around Liberals is that there is no problem we don’t think can be solved by a national strategy, but the fact of the matter is that it boggles my mind that we don’t actually have a comprehensive long-term responsible vision for how we feed our country,” he said.
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CFA has been working on a national food strategy and Trudeau noted that agricultural policy should be developed from the farm up rather than Ottawa down.
“We can have a robust, long-term national food policy that is developed with Canada’s farmers,” he said.
The Liberals have for years committed to such a policy.
NDP agriculture critic Malcolm Allen also told CFA delegates that he has been working on a policy and the draft should be released soon.
“Feel free to be extremely critical,” he said.
Trudeau said he supports continued and increasing trade but is committed to retaining supply management.
“We must be sure not to negotiate away an agricultural institution that gives us a competitive advantage and that in many cases make our stability the envy of markets around the world,” he said.
Research is a third priority for the Liberals. Trudeau said significant investment in research and development is required if Canada is to remain competitive in the global market, yet the Conservatives are cutting funding.
“We need to increase, not decrease government support for basic agricultural research,” he said. “Economically, this is key to increasing our productivity as a country and strengthening our position as a global competitor.”
After his speech, delegates had other issues for him to consider.
Cuts to business risk management funding last year did not sit well with CFA vice-president Marcel Groleau.
He noted that farmers are bound to the program for the next five years, but don’t know if it will support them if commodity prices drop significantly. He said programs should be adaptable and allow farmers to remain competitive.
Trudeau responded that a 10-year program would offer more stability.
“There is a need for increased offers of stability because it’s not like another industry that has give and take,” he said.
