On September 26, Bill C-282: An Act to amend the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Act (supply management) was passed to the Senate of Canada. This Bill, which takes supply-managed sectors off the table during trade negotiations, could severely damage our trade relationships and highly constrain Canada’s ability to launch, negotiate, and renegotiate the best deals.
Earlier this year, Bill C-282 gained momentum and received all party support. The Canadian Cattle Association (CCA) and the Canadian Agri-Food Trade Alliance (CAFTA) have been opposing this Bill since it was introduced in the House. Bill C-282 is now in the Senate, and our advocacy efforts have ramped up, urging Senators to vote against this Bill.
Support for this Bill is increasing in the Senate. CCA is partnering with provincial members to raise the volume on this issue by sending out letters, meeting with Senators, and cooperating with other relevant stakeholders to communicate the harmful effects of this Bill.
CCA’s position is firm, we will keep opposing this Bill as it will hurt the long-term sustainability of beef producers in Canada. This Bill runs counter to Canada’s interests as trading nation, and it could jeopardize our existing trade with our largest trade partner: the United States.
We ask all beef producers and any other stakeholders to reach out to the Senators in their provinces and raise their concerns with this Bill.
CCA will also be sharing social media content over the coming weeks highlighting the importance of trade for Canadian agriculture and food security. Please share your support by sharing this content.
If you would like to support our social media efforts, please share a video about why trade is important to you and your operation. It doesn’t need to be long - - a couple of sentences is all that is needed. Videos can be submitted by email to Michelle McMullen at communications@cattle.ca using Airdrop (if you have an iPhone), instructions: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yCCZ9BoIozs. If you do not have an iPhone, Google Drive and WhatsApp work.
Example: My name is John, I’m from XX, Manitoba and I operate a cow-calf operation. For us trade is vital because...
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