First milk now pork...

[grassfarmer]

Not content with challenging the supply managed
sectors of CDN agriculture Canadian hog producers
are now being named as a barrier in the road to the
Asia-Pacific "free trade" pact - by US, Aus and NZ hog
producer organizations.

"Canada needs to end its federal and provincial hog
subsidy programs, which are distorting the North
American and world pork markets,"
The U.S., Australian, and New Zealand pork groups
acknowledged domestic farm subsidy programs are
not usually addressed by free trade pacts.
"However, in this case, Canadian agricultural
subsidies are so wide ranging and have such a broad
and far-reaching impact on overseas markets it is on
these grounds we, along with the U.S. and New
Zealand, urge the TPP negotiators and governments
to deal with these issues fairly as part of the process,"
Andrew Spencer, CEO of Australian Pork Limited, said.

Really like pork producers in these countries have
never received any subsidies? How can Canada's ag
subsidies seriously be described as "so wide ranging"
compared to those of the US?

U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk touted Canada's
entry into the TPP as opportunity to update that 18-
year-old pact (NAFTA) with a "cutting-edge
agreement ... that will further enhance our trade
relationship and benefit U.S. workers, manufacturers,
service supplies, farmers, ranchers, small businesses
and consumers."

Note it says benefit US farmers, ranchers etc - don't
see anywhere where it says it would benefit Canadian
ranchers or farmers. Another hostile assault on
Canadian agricultural producers by foreign
competitors that has nothing to do with "free trade"

[kato]

What pork subsidies?

Agstability? ha ha ha ha ha

Don't put anything past our current government's drive to toss Canadian agriculture, with no protections, into the global economy. In it's drive to "run with the big dogs", the government of Canada will throw anyone under the bus who dares to get in the way. It's an idealism, and nothing more.

This is how it works.
1.We sign a trade deal.
2.The other parties then decide after the fact which parts of it they will live up to.
3.We live up to our part.
4. We then spend years and millions of dollars arguing about the things they didn't live up to.
5. We get screwed.
6. The others make out like bandits and have a good laugh about how only fools live up to such agreements.

When will we learn?

[grassfarmer]

I guess one pork "subsidy" would be where the
producers were paid to cull sow. But then again that
reduced the amount of pork we had to export so
surely would be welcomed by our competitors?

I don't think Canada has too bad a record in the past
of standing up for their ag interests. I can certainly
see that changing with the Harper regime and their
Corporate advantage agenda.

[kato]

Ya, and they had to cull sows because the Americans decided to ignore NAFTA and bring in MCOOL.

So, basically the fact that another party ignored a trade agreement, and caused Canada to bring in a subsidy to help get Canadians out of business is going to be used to find a way to get more Canadians out of business.

gee whiz, who'da thought something like that would happen?

And we're going to learn.... when????

[cottonpicken]

No........

[Hopperbin]

Retardation

[ASRG]

If Canada signs onto this Trans Pacific "trade deal" we can expect a lot more of this stuff?

This is more about about corporate rights than actual trade. It is all about a race to the bottom in environmental, labour, social benifits, food safety, than it is about a "free market"?

It will not result in lower prices for food products (or anything else)....just less money for Canadian farmers and more for multi national food corporations!

Consider NAFTA: we still pay more for just about everything than Americans or Mexicans do? It is still "whatever the market will bear"!

I have no idea what "subsidies" hog producers might be getting. It seems to me kind of funny that if those "subsidies" are so rich.....how come there aren't any hog farmers left?

I would suggest both beef and grain would be better "targets" for questionable "subsidies? Pretty hard to argue that government crop insurance isn't a subsidy? Or the grazing fees charged on community pastures or government grazing leases?

[errolanderson]

yes . . . . . . . .

[kato]

Or the U.S. Farm Bill.

But of course, that doesn't count.

[ASRG]

I guess I would comment: Who gave these guys the right to decide how we should live our lives?

Make no mistake, I've always been kind of a small C conservative sort of guy!

I did vote for Harper,but now I see him as little more than a lickspittle for the American neo-liberals.

He talks a good game but doesn't deliver. "Smaller government"......hah! Biggest spender ever! Yea, he cuts back the wages of civil servants......and pisses away billions on prisons and the army! Prisons for what? A cranked up army for what?
This guy has truly lost it!

Maybe I'm an idiot or something.......how hard is it to understand the average guy just wants a government that stays the hell out of his life, keeps the infrastructure up, and gives him a chance to make a buck?

I don't care if the perverts feel loved because they can't be married. I don't care if every women feels it is her right to murder her kids. I don't care if some Muslim feels discriminated against.......all I want is a fair playing field so I can make a living!

Stephen Harper: We never elected you to kiss every butt that is offered! We never elected you so big corporations could **** us!
Try to remember who brought you to the dance?
ps......it wasn't the perverts, or baby killers, or foreign wingnuts!