Liberals must fully compensate dairy farmers for CETA losses

OTTAWA – The NDP is criticizing the Liberal compensation plan for losses to the dairy industry caused by CETA. After abandoning dairy farmers on the issues of diafiltered milk and the Duties Relief Program, the Liberal government is being called out for failing to deliver the compensation it promised for the industry’s CETA-related losses.

“What angers me about this announcement is that, once again, the Liberals promised change but, in the end, it’s just more of the same. They voted for my motion calling for the dairy industry to be compensated fairly for its CETA losses, but the amount they announced today is nowhere near enough to truly make up for the ongoing losses farmers will suffer,” said the NDP Agriculture Critic, Ruth Ellen Brosseau (Berthier–Maskinongé).

The industry estimates that Canada’s dairy farmers will lose a total of $116 million per year on an ongoing basis. These losses come in the wake of the Liberals’ failure to address the issue of diafiltered milk, despite promising to find a solution. The Liberals voted against an NDP motion that would have resolved the problem for farmers.

“It’s distressing to see the government and its senior officials have the gall to ignore the losses farmers will take and say that they don’t expect CETA to have a major impact on farmers once it comes into force,” added the NDP International Trade Critic, Tracey Ramsey (Essex). “Dairy farmers deserve a government that fulfils its responsibilities and keeps its promises.”