Speech (House debate)

{
    "time": "2009-05-14 22:35:00",
    "attribution": {
        "en": "Mr. Luc Malo (Verch\u00e8res\u2014Les Patriotes, BQ)",
        "fr": ""
    },
    "content": {
        "en": "<p data-HoCid=\"1477843\" data-originallang=\"fr\">Mr. Chair, my thanks to all our colleagues for coming together this evening to take part in the debate in committee of the whole with the <a data-HoCid=\"111560\" href=\"/politicians/gerry-ritz/\" title=\"Gerry Ritz\">Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food</a>. I thank him also for his presence, and for taking part in this extremely important exercise. I hope that when I have finished all my questions I will still be in a good mood. I also hope that the answers he will give me will be satisfactory to the potato growers in my region, who have been waiting a long time for answers.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"1477844\" data-originallang=\"fr\">When the Canadian Food Inspection Agency came to their farms during the summer and fall of 2006, they were told to be cooperative and to work with the agency. They were told not to be apprehensive, because the agency was there to help them. They had hopes of a solution, despite the fact that on October 12, 2006, the area surrounding Saint-Amable was declared a regulated zone. They knew this had to be done and they accepted it gracefully, because they were well aware that the border needed to be reopened. They were wholehearted in their solidarity with all the other growers so that trade could continue. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"1477845\" data-originallang=\"fr\">Nevertheless, they suffered some setbacks, since things were not resolved right away. However, on November 22, 2006, the parliamentary secretary to the previous minister said that the problem facing the producers in Saint-Amable would be resolved. A year later, I had to raise the issue again. Once again, I had to ask questions. That time, the Secretary of State (Agriculture), who is now the <a data-HoCid=\"125159\" href=\"/politicians/christian-paradis/\" title=\"Christian Paradis\">Minister of Public Works and Government Services</a>, told us, \u201cThings are going well with the producers. We are talking and a plan is being implemented as we speak.\u201d That was October 26, 2007. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"1477846\" data-originallang=\"fr\">The situation is still unresolved today. Potato producers in Saint-Amable are still wondering if anyone on the other side of the House is listening to them and if the government is going to do something. Since they are watching us on television at this time, I hope they will be able to hear the minister's answers.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"1477847\" data-originallang=\"fr\">The situation was not resolved and an election was called. The hon. member for <a data-HoCid=\"128163\" href=\"/politicians/christian-paradis/\" title=\"Christian Paradis\">M\u00e9gantic\u2014L'\u00c9rable</a> said that it would be discussed among the ministers and that a resolution was not far off. We were told not to worry, that it would come. Once again, nothing happened. At the end of April, that is, a few days ago, when the minister announced his new agricultural policy in Sainte-Croix de Lotbini\u00e8re, the hon. member for <a data-HoCid=\"128366\" href=\"/politicians/jean-pierre-blackburn/\" title=\"Jean-Pierre Blackburn\">Jonqui\u00e8re\u2014Alma</a>, who is also the <a data-HoCid=\"128684\" href=\"/politicians/jean-pierre-blackburn/\" title=\"Jean-Pierre Blackburn\">Minister of State (Agriculture)</a>, said that something would now be done. He said that by the end of May an agreement would be presented that would meet the producers' expectations.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"1477848\" data-originallang=\"fr\">I have a question for the minister. Will the producers really see a satisfactory agreement by the end of May?</p>",
        "fr": "<p data-HoCid=\"1477843\" data-originallang=\"fr\">Monsieur le pr\u00e9sident, je remercie l'ensemble des coll\u00e8gues d'\u00eatre r\u00e9unis ici ce soir pour prendre part \u00e0 ce d\u00e9bat en comit\u00e9 pl\u00e9nier avec le <a data-HoCid=\"111560\" href=\"/politicians/gerry-ritz/\" title=\"Gerry Ritz\">ministre de l\u2019Agriculture et de l\u2019Agroalimentaire</a>. D'ailleurs, je le remercie \u00e9galement de sa pr\u00e9sence et je le remercie de se pr\u00eater \u00e0 cet exercice fort important. J'esp\u00e8re qu'au terme des questions que je lui poserai, je serai toujours aussi heureux. J'esp\u00e8re aussi que la qualit\u00e9 des r\u00e9ponses qu'il me fournira sera \u00e0 la satisfaction des producteurs de pommes de terre de ma r\u00e9gion. Ces producteurs attendent des r\u00e9ponses depuis longtemps.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"1477844\" data-originallang=\"fr\">Lorsque l'Agence canadienne d'inspection des aliments est arriv\u00e9e sur leurs terres, au cours de l'\u00e9t\u00e9 et de l'automne 2006, on leur a dit d'\u00eatre coop\u00e9ratifs et de travailler avec elle. On leur a dit d'\u00eatre sans crainte et qu'on \u00e9tait l\u00e0 pour les aider. Pour eux, c'\u00e9tait l'espoir d'un r\u00e8glement, malgr\u00e9 le fait que, le 12 octobre 2006, on ait d\u00e9clar\u00e9 une zone r\u00e9glement\u00e9e autour de la municipalit\u00e9 de Saint-Amable. Ils \u00e9taient conscients qu'il \u00e9tait important de le faire et ils l'ont fait de bonne gr\u00e2ce parce qu'ils savaient tr\u00e8s bien qu'il fallait rouvrir les fronti\u00e8res. Ils \u00e9taient de tout coeur avec l'ensemble des autres producteurs pour permettre que le commerce puisse continuer.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"1477845\" data-originallang=\"fr\">En d\u00e9pit de cela, ils ont d\u00fb subir des revers puisque les choses ne se sont pas r\u00e9gl\u00e9es imm\u00e9diatement. Pourtant, le 22 novembre 2006, le secr\u00e9taire parlementaire du pr\u00e9c\u00e9dent ministre disait qu'on r\u00e9glerait le probl\u00e8me des producteurs de Saint-Amable. Un an plus tard, j'ai d\u00fb revenir \u00e0 la charge. Encore une fois, j'ai d\u00fb poser des questions. Cette fois, le secr\u00e9taire d'\u00c9tat \u00e0 l'agriculture, qui est aujourd'hui <a data-HoCid=\"125159\" href=\"/politicians/christian-paradis/\" title=\"Christian Paradis\">ministre des Travaux publics et des Services gouvernementaux</a> nous disait: \u00ab Les choses vont bien avec les producteurs, on discute et on a un plan qui est mis en application \u00e0 l'heure o\u00f9 on se parle \u00bb. On \u00e9tait le 26 octobre 2007.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"1477846\" data-originallang=\"fr\">Aujourd'hui, la situation n'est toujours pas r\u00e9gl\u00e9e. Les producteurs de pommes de terre de Saint-Amable se demandent encore si quelqu'un de l'autre c\u00f4t\u00e9 les \u00e9coute et si le gouvernement fera quelque chose. Puisqu'ils nous \u00e9coutent \u00e0 la t\u00e9l\u00e9vision en ce moment, j'esp\u00e8re qu'ils seront en mesure d'entendre de bonnes r\u00e9ponses de la part du ministre. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"1477847\" data-originallang=\"fr\">La situation n'\u00e9tait pas r\u00e9gl\u00e9e et on a d\u00fb aller en campagne \u00e9lectorale. Le d\u00e9put\u00e9 de <a data-HoCid=\"128163\" href=\"/politicians/christian-paradis/\" title=\"Christian Paradis\">M\u00e9gantic\u2014L'\u00c9rable</a> a dit que cela serait discut\u00e9 entre les ministres et qu'on \u00e9tait pr\u00e8s d'un r\u00e8glement. Il nous a dit d'\u00eatre sans crainte, que cela allait arriver. Encore une fois, il ne se passait rien. \u00c0 la fin avril, c'est-\u00e0-dire il y a quelques jours, le d\u00e9put\u00e9 de <a data-HoCid=\"128366\" href=\"/politicians/jean-pierre-blackburn/\" title=\"Jean-Pierre Blackburn\">Jonqui\u00e8re\u2014Alma</a>, qui est \u00e9galement le <a data-HoCid=\"128684\" href=\"/politicians/jean-pierre-blackburn/\" title=\"Jean-Pierre Blackburn\">ministre d\u2019\u00c9tat (Agriculture)</a>, a dit, \u00e0 Sainte-Croix de Lotbini\u00e8re, quand le ministre a d\u00e9pos\u00e9 sa nouvelle politique en mati\u00e8re d'agriculture, qu'on ferait maintenant quelque chose. Il a dit que d'ici \u00e0 la fin du mois de mai, une entente \u00e0 la satisfaction des producteurs serait pr\u00e9sent\u00e9e. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"1477848\" data-originallang=\"fr\">Je pose une question au ministre. Est-ce qu'effectivement, d'ici \u00e0 la fin du mois de mai, les producteurs auront devant les yeux une entente satisfaisante?</p>"
    },
    "url": "/debates/2009/5/14/luc-malo-1/",
    "politician_url": "/politicians/luc-malo/",
    "politician_membership_url": "/politicians/memberships/487/",
    "procedural": false,
    "source_id": "2772856",
    "h1": {
        "en": "Government Orders",
        "fr": ""
    },
    "h2": {
        "en": "Business of Supply",
        "fr": ""
    },
    "h3": {
        "en": "Agriculture and Agri-food--Main Estimates, 2009-10",
        "fr": ""
    },
    "document_url": "/debates/2009/5/14/",
    "related": {
        "document_speeches_url": "/speeches/?document=%2Fdebates%2F2009%2F5%2F14%2F"
    }
}