Lisée urges leaders to form united front on NAFTA
Parti Québécois Leader JeanFrançois Lisée is calling on the other three main party leaders to form a united front on NAFTA and publicly refuse to approve a new agreement if it gives up protections for Quebec’s milk producers and cultural industries.
Now that the United States and Mexico have reached an agreement, the pressure will be on Canada and, he said, that pressure will be directed at provisions in the existing trade deal that exempt Canadian cultural industries and allow Canada to maintain its supply-control system — which limits imports of some agricultural products, like milk.
“We’re in a real danger zone,” Lisée said.
Lisée wants the four party leaders to issue a common declaration — and hold a joint press conference — saying they wouldn’t introduce legislation to implement the new deal in the National Assembly.
Because the trade deal would include provisions that affect areas of exclusive provincial jurisdiction, Lisée said it would have to be ratified by the provincial legislatures before it comes into effect.
“NAFTA can’t be implemented in Canada if the National Assembly of Quebec refuses to ratify it,” he said.
By forming a united front, he said, Quebec could send a message to Canadian and U.S. negotiators.
“It’s the strongest message we can send to Ottawa and Washington, four party leaders, in an election campaign, united to defend the culture and agriculture of Quebec,” he said. “It’s the moment to say we are transpartisan, it’s the moment to say we are united.”
Lisée said there are signs Canada — and other party leaders — might be willing to make concessions.
“The Canadian minister of agriculture admitted to having given concessions at the table on agriculture. The secretary of agriculture of the United States admitted that Canada had made concessions, but he felt they were not strong enough. And Premier Couillard gave an interview to Bloomberg in June saying that he was willing to make concessions on classifications of milk if there was compensation, which is unacceptable to the milk producers of Quebec,” he said.
Asked what he thought of Lisée’s proposal, Liberal Leader Philippe Couillard said: “I’m not interested. I’ve been carrying this on my heart and my shoulders since the beginning of my term. So now people, of course, suddenly they find it interesting. Mr. Lisée I must be truthful to him, he has talked about this. But Mr. Legault of the CAQ has only started talking about agriculture today. So, c’mon. Have you noticed there is a political campaign going on?”
While Canada’s supply-control regime has been criticized for inflating the price of milk and dairy products and for limiting imports of cheese, Lisée said it’s essential for protecting dairy farmers.
“If you want to have family farms, and farms in Quebec, you need to decide to have supply management,” he said. “We think that agriculture is like culture: it’s not the same as any other product, it is also a way of life, a way of living on the (land), a way of connecting with the soil and who we are.”
Lisée also took aim at François Legault’s claim he could save $800 million by reducing the number of data centres and the cost of purchasing government supplies.
“It’s completely magical thinking,” Lisée said.
While putting the province’s computer systems in order could lead to savings in the long term, Lisée said, in the short term, that would require investments.
“It’s like Mr. Legault showed up at the credit union and said my business plan depends on winning the 6/49,” he said.