My Speeches

Bill 43 Marketing of Agricultural Products Amendment Act, 2009 (No. 3)

Posted on May 28, 2009

The Deputy Chair: We are back to Bill 43. Any members wish to
speak or comment? The hon. Member for Battle River-Wainwright.

Mr. Griffiths: Thank you, Mr. Chairman...

....Mr. Chairman, I think I have addressed most of the concerns. I
just want to reiterate that this legislation will make all of our
practices around the 13 producer commodity groups consistent by
giving the last four organizations the same choice that’s already
given to the other nine organizations, which function really well and
successfully by providing more money for research and by participating
in national organizations. It also gives choice, which ensures
accountability, leadership, and responsiveness to producers who
fund those organizations with their own money.
Mr. Chairman, in absolutely no other business association does
this government force businesses to be members of those business
organizations. We don’t do it for chambers of commerce or any
other business association. It’s a choice of those businesses which
organizations they participate in.
This is not fundamentally about the future of the industry
associations. The future of those industry associations is not a
choice for this government to make by having legislation that
mandates that every producer pay that organization. That is not a choice
for this government to make. That choice rests squarely and
strictly with the producers who support that organization and their
ability to choose whether or not they’re going to support that
organization. That, Mr. Chairman, is democracy at its finest, it’s
choice at its finest, and I believe it will create industry organizations
that will make sure they’re more responsive to the producers that
they represent, more reflective of all the producers’ needs and
opinions that they represent and will make them eternally accountable
year after year after year and, quite frankly, make them more
effective organizations.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.