These comments are direct quotations from the Hansard
documents.
Avian Flu
Mr.
Chuck Strahl (Fraser Valley, CPC): Mr. Speaker, last week I wrote a
letter to the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food urging him to address
the avian flu crisis by announcing a compensation plan that would cover
more than just the cost of the birds. It needs to address the farmers'
lost revenue. It should address the concerns of other dependent industries
impacted by the government's depopulation order. Finally, we need it now,
not months or years from now.
Everyone's first priority is to get rid of the disease. Now, after two
months, can the minister tell us the details of the compensation plan that
he has designed to help all of those affected by this outbreak of the
avian flu?
Hon. Bob Speller (Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, Lib.): Mr.
Speaker, as the hon. member is aware, I am in the process of depopulating
some 18 million birds. This is a very large undertaking. I want to give my
appreciation to his province, the Government of British Columbia, for its
help in this matter.
As he knows, under the Health of Animals Act, I do have the ability to
compensate farmers for the value of that. In fact, to date, some 54
cheques have gone out, in the neighbourhood of some $2.4 million.
Mr. Chuck Strahl (Fraser Valley, CPC): Mr. Speaker, here is an
example of one of the problems. It turns out that the pigeons ordered
destroyed in the valley were not diseased, cannot carry the avian flu, and
were in no danger to either poultry or humans.
Yet the CFIA carried out a depopulation order that affected Doug and Susan
Rudnisky's family which lost 16,000 birds for no reason. Neville Eccles
lost thousands of dollars worth of birds for no reason. These birds were
not diseased and were not a problem. Now the CFIA has reversed its
position.
What compensation will these people receive for what will break their
industry and break their farms if the minister does not address their
concerns?
Hon. Bob Speller (Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, Lib.): Mr.
Speaker, as the hon. member is aware, this is an issue being dealt with on
the best science that we know. In fact, at the time, we believed that we
needed to depopulate all of the birds in that area.
In terms of specific cases such as that, the CFIA will be speaking with
those people and will be working with them.
In terms of broader compensation, the Government of Canada is now talking
with the industry and the province of British Columbia. We are trying to
find out exactly what is happening on the ground now in terms of what the
need will be.
Once those discussions are completed and once we are through this area of
depopulating, then we will be in a better position to talk about the
longer term--
The Speaker: The hon. member for Gander—Grand Falls.
|
