These comments are direct quotations from the Hansard
documents.
Border Closure Hurts Both Countries
Ms.
Belinda Stronach (Newmarket—Aurora, CPC): Mr. Speaker, my question
is for the Minister of International Trade.
Yesterday, the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food told the House that
the Japanese consider the beef markets of Canada and the United States to
be a single integrated North American marketplace. The Japanese obviously
understand what we have known all along: the Canadian and American beef
and cattle industries are far ahead of the government's ability to
regulate them.
If the Japanese get it, why has the government failed to convince the
Americans that the industry is integrated and that the border closure
hurts both countries?
Hon. Andy Mitchell (Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, Lib.):
Mr. Speaker, as I said yesterday, the Japanese understand the integrated
marketplace. We make that point with the Americans. In fact, that is in
part why they partially opened the border to meat from cattle under 30
months of age.
We continue to work with the Americans to reopen the border. On September
10 we made a very significant announcement that would allow us to
reposition the industry to be profitable with or without a border opening.
Ms. Belinda Stronach (Newmarket—Aurora, CPC): Mr. Speaker, it is
great that the U.S. is making progress in its trade disputes. Our
cattlemen, farmers and truckers find it especially galling that the U.S.
can cut beef deals with other countries far away but not with Canada.
As I have asked before, would the minister publish a record of all
interventions with the Americans on BSE, past, present and future so that
Canadians can judge the government's efforts?
Hon. Andy Mitchell (Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, Lib.):
Mr. Speaker, I would suspect that such a record would be a very long
document. We have been working diligently with the Americans to see the
border reopen. That is why we have a partial reopening. It is why we were
able to sign an agreement with China last week.
The hon. member, when talking about what is happening in Asia,
conveniently forgets about the agreement we signed. I do not understand
why she ignores the positive and simply talks about the negative. It is
simply what that party does all the time.
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