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2009 Jun 15 (Mon)

Beef Marketing

Kevin Taft questions why there is no plebiscite regarding whether the check-off for the sale of beef should be refundable or not.

 

Alberta Hansard, May 4, 2009

Dr. Taft: Thanks, Mr. Speaker. The check-off for the sale of beef in Alberta is $3 a head, and currently it’s nonrefundable. However, this government is planning to make this check-off refundable without allowing producers to exercise their democratic right to hold a plebiscite on the matter. My question is to the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development. Why is the minister not allowing producers to conduct a plebiscite and decide for themselves instead of imposing a decision on them?

Mr. Groeneveld: Well, Mr. Speaker, if just one producer wants to redirect his own money to support an association of his choice, he should have that freedom. It’s not up to government to tell business owners what business association they must support with their own money. That gives these business owners the ability to choose for themselves. It certainly does. No matter the outcome, everyone loses in a plebiscite because it will only further divide a group that’s already faced with the difficulty of trying to work together.

The Speaker: The hon. member.

Dr. Taft: Well, thanks. I congratulate the minister on reading his notes so well.

My question to him now is: if allowing choice on this matter is so important, why was the minister so heavy handed in making ID mandatory for every beef producer in this province? Why the double standard, Mr. Minister?

Mr. Groeneveld: Mr. Speaker, they’re two very separate issues. The age verification is mandatory. We’re trying to move beef, particularly, into offshore markets. I’ve heard out there loud and clear that if you don’t do that, you’re not going to be here. So we moved ahead, and there was compliance, I believe, of 83 per cent, and I think that probably now we’ve got the stock in position where we can move ahead with this. Will it give us a market advantage? Stay tuned. We’ll see how that goes in the next little bit.

The Speaker: The hon. member.

Dr. Taft: Well, thanks. A pretty convenient double standard, Mr. Speaker.

As this minister knows, from Pollockville to Peace River Alberta’s beef producers are angry, and they feel betrayed by this minister and this Premier. Will the minister tell the House which big feedlot operators are calling for this change, or is he afraid of revealing the names of the people who bankrolled this Premier’s leadership campaign?

Mr. Groeneveld: Here we go with the innuendo again, Mr. Speaker. Why doesn’t he come right out and say what he’s thinking? I can guarantee this hon. member that there are a whole lot of people out there that want to have choice. It’s not just feeders. There’s a whole slug of them, so don’t think that a 50-50 plebiscite is going to solve anything.

 

 

 

Date: Mon Jun 15 14:52:14 MDT 2009 changed by: Rebecca IP: 199.213.91.1