Senate says mind your own business after the government asks for urgency on Bloc bill

OTTAWA — A federal cabinet minister asked the chair of a Senate committee to speed up the study of a Bloc Québécois private member’s bill aimed at protecting supply management from any new international trade negotiations but he refused, saying the government had no business telling the Senate what to do.

International Trade Minister Mary Ng twice wrote to Sen. Peter Boehm, who chairs the Senate committee on foreign affairs and international trade, to ask him to facilitate the adoption of Bill C-282, without success. Boehm is a former diplomat and was appointed to the Senate by Justin Trudeau in 2018.

“We are eager to see your committee complete the work as quickly as possible by respectfully asking that you revisit your work plan and that consideration be given to expedite the process so that Bill C-282 is reported back to the Senate chamber in a timelier fashion,” reads the letter sent on Oct. 17 and obtained by the National Post.

The minister signed the joint letter with three opposition MPs from the Bloc Québécois, the NDP and the Green Party. The Conservatives refused to sign it, but did not immediately explain why.

Ng had previously written to Boehm on Oct. 9th about this bill. Her office did not comment on the exchange of letters.

C-282 was adopted in June 2023 with the support of 262 members of Parliament. It seeks to amend the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Act to further protect dairy products, poultry or eggs, all under supply management, from any international trade concessions.

The bill was then referred to the Senate committee in April 2024, and the study began in September.

However, the Bloc threatened to withhold its support for the Liberal government in the House of Commons if this bill, as well as another bill aimed at increasing Old Age Security for people aged 65 to 74, did not receive royal assent by Oct. 29.

In Boehm’s response to Ng and the MPs on October 21, he said that “Senate committees direct their own proceedings as does the Senate itself.”

“The Committee, part of an independent chamber of Parliament, will continue, as it has, to conduct a fair, balanced and timely study of this consequential — and highly-politicized — legislation,” he wrote in a letter also obtained by the Post.

The senator also said that the clause-by-clause review of the bill was still scheduled for the first week of November. The committee will hear new witnesses on Wednesday and Thursday.

Boehm’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The senator said that he did not think “it’s in Canada’s national interest to pass this bill because it divides the agricultural community … and it will impact future trade negotiations.” Committee co-chair Sen. Peter Harder also believes this bill would limit negotiators in future trade negotiations.

In an interview with the National Post, Yves Perron the Bloc’s critic for agriculture, agri-food and supply management, expressed his “frustration” and disbelief at Boehm’s tactics.

“We live in a country where two individuals can decide that a vote of 78 percent of elected officials in a democracy of 40 million inhabitants is not good because they have the truth,” Perron said.

The separatist lawmaker said he was showing restraint and wanted to “remain polite” in his comments but called Boehm and Harder “cheeky” for trying to derail his party’s bill.

Meanwhile, the Bloc’s ultimatum expires next week, and Perron has clearly stated that his party’s conditions must be met if the Trudeau government is to secure Bloc support until the new year.

“I think a phone call from the prime minister (to the senators) is needed and that’s not happening,” Perron said.

National Post [email protected]

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