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Mr.
Barry Devolin (Haliburton—Kawartha
Lakes—Brock,
CPC): Mr.
Speaker, farmers across Canada are burdened by increasing
government interference in their lives and are concerned about the
way the Canadian Food Inspection Agency goes about its business.
Bill C-27 should be focused on reorganizing the CFIA to make it
more accountable and responsive to producers.
Bill
C-27 does not include any significant appeals process for producers.
Can the minister tell us why?
Hon. Andy
Mitchell (Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, Lib.): Mr.
Speaker, as I need to point out to the hon. member, Bill C-27 was
referred to committee before second reading. That provided members
of the House, government members but indeed opposition members as
well, the opportunity to shape that legislation in the way they felt
was best. If there are specific recommendations they would like to
see in that legislation, I suggest the hon. member come to committee
and lay on the table amendments to achieve that.
PART 2
Mr.
Barry Devolin (Haliburton—Kawartha
Lakes—Brock,
CPC): Mr.
Speaker, I am glad to hear the minister does not have any problem
with improving the appeals process as it is currently included in
the flawed bill.
Is the
minister prepared to stand in the House today and make his
commitment to the farmers of Canada that he will urge government
members of that committee to make sure there is a real and
meaningful appeals process for them so they do not have to be
dragged through the courts when they disagree with a CFIA
decision?
Hon.
Andy Mitchell (Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, the problem is that the
hon. member fundamentally misunderstands how the process works.
When bill is referred to committee before second reading, which
has been done, a process which the opposition has encouraged the
government to do on an ongoing basis and which it did in this
case, it gives the committee the opportunity to shape the
legislation.
The
committee is in the process of doing just that work and I look
forward to it completing that some time in the near future.
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