The key federal ministers on the agricultural trade file are vowing that the new Conservative government will defend Canadian export and domestic interests in the coming months of World Trade Organization talks.
Agriculture minister Chuck Strahl and trade minister David Emerson emerged from a six-hour meeting with farm and food industry leaders March 14 in Ottawa promising to get involved quickly.
Although the government had been in office five weeks and the WTO self-imposed deadline for the outline of an agricultural deal is six weeks away, it was the first public indication of a government strategy on trade.
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Strahl said industry representatives “see this round of negotiations as the opportunity of a lifetime. If we get it right, the folks in the agriculture and agrifood industry are ready to make their moves. They think they can be internationally competitive and world players and they “are eager to be all of that.”
Emerson said despite slow progress since the WTO round was launched in Doha in 2001, a deal is possible this year because the costs of failure would be too great. Key to a broader deal will be agreement on agriculture.
“I think there is a broadening sense of urgency and a broadening recognition that this WTO round is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and if we let it slip in the current international climate, it will be very, very difficult for the international trading system going forward,” said the former British Columbia forestry executive and former Liberal industry minister.
“I think most of us realize that while there would not be a direct linkage, let’s say autos to agriculture, if we don’t make substantial progress on agriculture, that could be a very, very (bad) situation for the success of these negotiations.”
Strahl said he heard the often-conflicting advice from industry players and, like its Liberal predecessors, the Conservative government goes to the WTO table promising to defend all Canadian agricultural interests, even the Canadian Wheat Board despite the Conservative pledge to eventually get rid of the monopoly powers now under challenge.
“As of right now, we’ve pledged and intend to represent the interests of the entire ag sector and I’ve told the supply managed folks for certain that we’re there to look after their interests as well as the rest,” said the minister.
But Strahl also conceded there could be changes in what is possible as negotiations advance and become more detailed.
“As that progresses, then it’ll be up to me obviously to determine what support I need from cabinet and what consultation we would make with industry as that moves into more specific negotiations.”
Farm leaders at the meeting seemed impressed by the new minister.
“I think we can negotiate both for export interests as well as for supply management and as well for single sellers like the Canadian Wheat Board and I’m very happy,” Canadian Federation of Agriculture president Bob Friesen said after the meeting. “I believe minister Strahl knows that he represents the entire agricultural industry and he will clearly negotiate a win-win for everyone.”
Ontario farmer Liam McCreery, president of the trade liberalization-promoting Canadian Agri-Food Trade Alliance, said he was happy the ministers seem to lean more to liberalization than protectionism.
But he needs more detail.
“I think we’re going to need to push the government to be clear on what they are going to take forward in Geneva,” he said. “They’ve made baby steps in talking about ambition but they must be more specific and clear.”
Even Saskatchewan farmer Ken Ritter, chair of the Canadian Wheat Board, praised Strahl as a straight shooter.
But with WTO deadlines looming, have the Conservatives left it too long after the election to turn their minds to looming WTO deadlines?
“It is late in the game but we’re here. We’re six weeks away from the end of April and it’s time we became fully engaged,” said McCreery. “There’s still a possibility of us having a positive influence on the outcome.”
