I keep being asked, “How powerful is the dairy lobby in Canada?”
Well the answer is, strong enough to cost you the leadership of the Conservative Party and to get you removed from your role as critic. Maxime Bernier has been removed from his role as shadow minister for innovation, science, and economic development.
When the announcement was made it was quickly assumed that this was over supply management. Despite claims by top Conservatives to the contrary that’s what this is about.
“He outright lied to caucus,” I was told by one senior Conservative. This source insists that Bernier had promised Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer and the Conservative caucus that his book was not being published and would never see the light of day.
Except last week, on June 5, Bernier posted chapter 5 of this book on his website.
A second senior Conservative confirmed this was Scheer’s reasoning for removing Bernier from his role of critic.
Bernier sees it differently.
Replying to me via Twitter, Bernier said he didn’t release anything new, simply the chapter that was out months ago.
I just want to clarify one thing at this time. The chapter on SM posted on my website is THE SAME that was publicly available for weeks on my publisher’s website but was taken down when I decided to postpone the book indefinitely. There is nothing new, I did not “publish” it. https://t.co/UgddahPvyw
— Maxime Bernier (@MaximeBernier) June 13, 2018
Titled “Live or die with supply management,” this is the chapter that caused the controversy back in April. It was this controversy that saw Bernier pull his book.
Andrew, along with several other candidates, was then busy touring Quebec’s agricultural belt, including my own riding of Beauce, to pick up support from these fake Conservatives, only interested in blocking my candidacy and protecting their privileges.
Now those comments could be seen as explosive and something to make Scheer angry, except they have been out there for months. As has this chapter.
This is stinky cheese.
No matter how you slice this stinky cheese, Bernier is being booted from his critic’s role for opposing supply management. Canadian politicians are lining up to pledge their undying loyalty to what amounts to a communist central planning system all because Donald Trump attacked it.
Well actually, all Canadian parties and all current and former elected leaders have paid lip service to supporting supply management. That doesn’t change the fact that it is a communist central planning system, but they all do support it.
Two prospective leadership candidates, one Liberal and one Conservative have challenged this status quo. Bernier for the Conservatives and Martha Hall Findlay for the Liberals.
Neither won their party’s leadership and both are seen as mavericks in their parties for opposing communist central planning.
Canada has just 10,951 dairy farms in Canada. Almost half are in Quebec. The dairy farm lobby throws around more than $100 million a year to lobby politicians and that seems to buy loyalty.
So does the threat of being targeted by this special group of farmers.
Dairy, poultry and egg farmers are the only farmers protected by supply management.
Think about that.
Beef, pork, wheat, lentil, soy bean farmers and more compete on the global scale and win.
We could debate supply management until the cows come home and we probably will, but the really scary part is that 10,951 farmers get to decide who can be a viable politician and who cannot. Cross the dairy farmers and you are out, from official Ottawa anyway.
In a country of 36 million people, that fact should be an affront to anyone that loves democracy.
Not only that what about the cost of dairy products? People don’t realize that it’s this supply management that is the cause of the higher prices we pay for cheese in Canada vs the us. That’s what’s missing from the politics here. Hold up a block of cheese with the us price and the Canadian price and tell people why the difference exists. It to buy that Ferrari for the dairy farmers son.
James you have no clue how the system works. Did you know US Dairy farmers are heavily subsidized by US taxpayers. 60-70% of there income a year is from subsidize. Canada dairy farmers would not be competing in an open market with US dairy farmers. While supply management may artificially increase the cost to consumers, the US subsidies artifically lowers the cost but of course with all subsidies that is an illusion because it is simply taxpayers who are paying for it.
Couldn’t agree more, live in an area with multiple dairy and poultry farms, these guys live like kings on the backs of Canadians and just try and get into the business, next to impossible because of cost. I might add you could be the worst farmer in the world and still get handsomely rewarded under supply management
Andrew Scheer
A Liberal steer
Got all dressed up in blue
On milk and eggs
And climate change
He’s like turdo la doo
At the heart of it, all Canadians are protectionist socialists who think small…very small.
On the up side it is a delight to watch my President make mashed potatoes out of PM Little Potato while using American milk and butter…yummy!
The article states that more than $9,000 per dairy farmer is spent on lobbying politicians.
Where does this money come from?
There is a huge oversupply of dairy everywhere in the world. The only way to solve this is to shut down a large fraction of all dairy farms everywhere.
be careful what u wish for u might get it! there is a good chance that when supply management is gone and the so called free market rules, that the grocery system will capture the gravey for themselves, consumer will still take it in the ear!remember how lawblaws screwed us on bread? get ready for synthetic BST in milk, and out of control antibiotic use in poultry. Canada system for feather and dairy is far from perfect, but the us system of subsidy,oversupply, and dumping product sucks too. I remember losing my shirt when the us dumped corn into Ontario at less then cost of production!lots of food……so many problems!!!! not enuf food……only one problem.. full disclosure… I am a soya bean farmer…
Does anyone know any dairy farmers in Ontario who are not multi millionaires? Yet, spill excess quota onto the ground to keep prices high.
Screw that! Canadian consumers many who are not ‘rich’ outnumber 17 thousand Canadian dairy farmers by far and are a much bigger voting block
Maxine I am very proud of you. Only a true Canadian is not afraid to stand up for his beliefs and share with the general public. The facts of supply management and the maner it operates . The public must be informed that the milk board make sure there is no over supply of milk products on the store selves by purposely dumping raw milk on fields or in manure lagoons. The lobbyist are controlling our puppet Trudeau and Andrew Sheer. Please share with our American Nafta negotiators They have the money and opportunities to expose Supply Management to our controled Media in Canada.Why must Canadian-consumers pay for the Quota of milk pruducers every time they purchase milk products. Thank You Maxime you were cheated out of the PC leadership Enough with dirty politics
Why is a bag of milk in Quebec $8.00 and in Ontario $4,27 ?
Maxime Sheer will be gone right after giving the next election away to Trudeau, then it will be your time to fill the vacuum left by the ineffectuals. you will have more support than you could possibly imagine.
10951 dairy farmers control Canadian politics. This is as bad as the drug cartels in Mexico.
I raise beef cattle, sheep and grow soy beans, wheat and corn. I am not protected at all. I compete on the open market. With all the talk is about the milk and feather folks – no one stands up and says – “If the guys growing meat and crops can do it so can you.”
I give a damn about the dairy and feather folks. They live a life of a guaranteed income. They might as well be government employees.
After adding a number of behind-the-scenes comments to the ‘official’ reports, the CBC emerges as the blackest of all catalysts: why does anyone listen to, and believe the CBC. And ‘anyone’ includes politicians. [And even if Andrew Scheer made a mistake here, I still support ‘Andrew Scheer for Prime Minister’ — all the way: I — USED TO believe the CBC too)].