Hon. Amina Gerba: Honourable senators, I rise to speak to the report of the Standing Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade on Bill C-282.

First of all, I’d like to commend the committee’s chair, Senator Boehm, and all the members for their work in thoroughly studying the bill. We heard from many witnesses who, in most cases, provided valuable clarifications about the ins and outs of Bill C-282. I’d also like to thank Senator Harder, who worked hard to prepare an amendment based on one of the opinions heard in committee.

Colleagues, it will come as no surprise to you that I vigorously oppose this amendment, which strips the bill of most of its strength and intent. What exactly is the purpose of Bill C-282? It is straightforward and unambiguous. The goal is to remove supply management completely from the negotiating table when any new, existing or soon-to-be-renewed free trade agreement is concluded.

What is the impact of the amendment adopted by the committee? It excludes the following from the scope of the bill:

(a) international trade treaty or agreement that existed upon the coming into force of that subsection;

(b) renegotiation of an international trade treaty or agreement that existed upon the coming into force of that subsection;

(c) international trade treaty or agreement that was in the course of being negotiated upon the coming into force of that subsection.

The way the amendment is worded makes it clear that the exclusions it allows would make the bill, at best, symbolic, and at worst, completely ineffective. This amendment means the bill would not apply to existing or future trade agreements with our principal partners. If this chamber were to adopt the amendment, supply management would always be a potential target for our major trading partners and would always be used as a bargaining chip, just as it was in our most recent agreements, the Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement, or CETA, the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, or CPTPP, and the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement, or CUSMA.

To be clear, Bill C-282 is not just any private member’s bill. It was passed by all party leaders in the House of Commons with a solid 262-51 majority. Moreover, the bill builds on four unanimous motions to protect supply management in its entirety, two of them in 2005 and 2017 during NAFTA renegotiations, and two in 2018 during CPTPP negotiations.

Colleagues, I believe this amendment arises from concerns that aren’t based on objective facts at all.

These concerns include one that was likely mentioned the most, namely, that the bill will damage our negotiators’ ability to conclude trade agreements on Canada’s behalf. First, bear in mind that this implies that an agreement can’t be reached without concessions on supply management. In other words, supply management has to be sacrificed in order to secure good agreements.

On September 25, when Doug Forsyth, Director General of the Market Access and Trade Controls Bureau with Global Affairs Canada, appeared before the committee, he confirmed that our country managed to enter into 12 beneficial free trade agreements in the past without making concessions on supply management. This irrefutable reality shows that protecting supply management while achieving excellent agreements for Canadians in other export-oriented sectors is entirely possible, which is not the case for supply-managed products, which are basically intended for the domestic market.

Mr. Forsyth also told us that when free trade agreements are negotiated, the number of chapters devoted to agriculture is generally only one out of a total of 30, and that supply-managed agricultural sectors occupy only part of this single chapter. Colleagues, it cannot seriously be argued that supply management alone is likely to derail the conclusion of trade agreements.

The committee was told that supply management would once again be targeted by our main partner, the United States, with the return of President Trump. This is precisely why we need to take a clear stand to protect supply management now and forever. Conversely, I think that dithering on our red lines is an admission of weakness when it comes to negotiations.

Witnesses told us that all countries are entitled to red lines, and the committee heard that Canada wouldn’t be alone in protecting certain essential sectors. For instance, Tom Rosser, Assistant Deputy Minister for the Market and Industry Services Branch at the Department of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, confirmed at the September 25 meeting that the United States imposes strict quotas on cotton and sugar. Japan does the same with its rice.

The vehicle chosen by these two close partners of Canada may not be the same as the one proposed in Bill C-282, but its effects are identical: to protect essential sectors of their economy through legislation. That is the case in the United States, where a law called Farm Bill protects and massively subsidizes American farmers. This legislation also establishes tariff quotas that limit the amount of foreign sugar that can enter the American market. You will agree with me, honourable colleagues, that these restrictions and protections don’t make the United States and Japan less trade-oriented nations. They are very capable of reaching excellent free trade agreements.

Supply management has been closely linked to Canada’s trade policy for over 50 years. Supply management was established in 1972 by Pierre Elliott Trudeau’s Liberal government. It rests on three pillars: controlling production, regulating producer prices and controlling imports at the border through tariff quotas. If no control is exerted over the amount of products imported under supply management, then it is impossible to effectively plan production, which would mean that supply management would no longer be able to fulfill its mission of balancing supply and demand.

Beyond tariff quotas and international negotiations, I’d like to remind you what Bill C-282 means and entails for tens of thousands of family farms who create nearly 350,000 jobs in our country.

Bill C-282 allows farmers to have predictability over their income and to continue producing essential food on Canadian soil for Canadians, while avoiding the erosion of supply management. For example, according to the Canadian Dairy Commission, the number of dairy farmers who have ceded a total of 18% of their domestic market has fallen drastically, from around 12,500 farms in 2012 to roughly 9,500 in 2023, which is considerable. We heard in committee that the decline in the number of family farms is leading to the decline of our rural areas and the depopulation of our villages. That’s what we’re talking about.

Bill C-282 is a unique way for our negotiators to uphold the clearly expressed will of our Parliament: to fully protect supply management in future negotiations.

If the Senate votes in favour of this amendment, it will go against the will of the government, of the elected house and an overwhelming majority of Canadians. According to an Abacus Data poll published in 2023, more than 90% of Canadians support supply management.

That is why, honourable senators, I am urging you to reject the committee report so that this chamber can study Bill C-282 in its original form.

Thank you for your attention.