Alberta government 'deeply concerned' with Bloc Québécois supply management bill

Though Bill C-282 has received cross-party federal support in Ottawa, Alberta's provincial government says it's not a backer of the Bloc Québécois legislation that aims to prevent Canada's supply-managed sectors — dairy, poultry and eggs — from being included in future international trade negotiations.

In a statement to CBC News on Thursday, Matt Jones, Alberta's minister of jobs, economy and trade, wrote that, if passed, Bill C-282 would "hamper Canada's ability to negotiate trade agreements that expand market access to benefit the broader agriculture industry."

"Canada is a trusted and principled trade partner and negotiator around the world. This bill would undermine Canada's reputation as a reliable trading partner," Jones wrote.

He added: "Alberta's government will continue to call on the federal government to re-evaluate their approach to keep trade markets open and supply chains moving across Canada."

Last week, federal Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay joined Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet, as well as cross-party MPs, for a rally on Parliament Hill in support of the Bloc private member's bill.

As the name implies, supply management is a system that manages production of certain goods, like eggs, while setting prices and limiting imports.

The Bloc Québécois have been threatening to push for an early election unless the Liberals pass Bill C-282, as well as a bill that would hike Old Age Security, by the end of October. Bill C-282 passed the House of Commons in June 2023, receiving support from every party. It has since been before the Senate, and last Thursday's rally was held in an effort to expedite its passage.

While members of Canada's supply managed industries were pleased to see the public show of support on Parliament Hill, it left members of the beef and cattle sector "disheartened."

The day after the Ottawa rally, provincial cattle organizations in Alberta, British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island released a joint statement and said the cross-party display of support left them "surprised and disappointed."

"[The] public gathering [was] in support of a bill that seeks to undermine and threaten the interests of the majority of Canada's agri-food industry, as well as all export-dependent sectors that fuel the Canadian economy," the statement read.

"Yesterday's actions were unprecedented and should be alarming to every business and sector of the Canadian economy."  

But other groups, like the Dairy Processors Association of Canada (DPAC), say concessions made in recent trade agreements — like the Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), and the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) — have had a negative impact.

"We look forward to working with all parties to protect the Canadian dairy sector and ensure that producers and processors alike can grow and thrive in a stable and predictable environment, which are core principles of the supply management system," reads a statement from Mathieu Frigon, president and CEO of DPAC.  

"To ensure those principles are upheld, the Government of Canada must ensure that no other concessions, such as more access, are made in future trade agreements that would negatively impact the Canadian dairy sector."