Quebec politicians defend dairy rules

MONTREAL • Liberal Leader Philippe Couillard warned Wednesday of “serious political consequences” if there is any further dismantling of Canada’s supply management system.

Asked on the election trail how far he would go to protect the province’s dairy farmers, Couillard borrowed a phrase made famous by former prime minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau during the 1970 October Crisis.

“Just watch me,” he said to laughter.

While his remark was delivered tongue-in-cheek, his words underscored the political and economic importance of supply management in Quebec, which accounts for about half the country’s dairy farms.

During the first week of the Quebec election campaign, Couillard and Parti Québécois Leader JeanFrançois Lisée have vied to position themselves as the defenders of Quebec dairy as the industry comes under increasing scrutiny during North American Free Trade Agreement renegotiation talks.

U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly attacked Canada’s protected dairy sector as an unfair trade barrier.

Without mentioning the current federal Trudeau government directly, Couillard suggested the country’s second-largest province will make its disapproval heard if Canada gives in to American demands and grants greater access to its dairy market to secure a NAFTA deal.

“If someone believes they can ram through Quebec and make a concession on dairy without our consent, politically it is going to be a disaster,” he said during a campaign stop in Rivière-duLoup.

Couillard also reversed an earlier position as he opened the door to co-operating with other political leaders on the issue.

On Wednesday, he said he is willing to sign a Liséeproposed declaration in support of supply management once he’s had the chance to study it. Lisée invited leaders of Quebec’s other political parties to sign a common declaration to protect “at all costs” supply management and Quebec culture, warning that both are in danger during the latest round of NAFTA talks.

Meanwhile on Wednesday, the leader of the Coalition Avenir Québec was forced to defend one of his party’s candidates who had previously expressed opposition to one of the province’s sacred political cows.

“On supply management, he has revised his position,” François Legault said of Youri Chassin, an economist who has previously expressed opposition to supply management.

Speaking in the agriculture-heavy Beauce region to the south of Quebec City, Legault assured reporters that Chassin is “exactly on the same wavelength” as the rest of the party on various issues, including the need to defend supply management.