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Agriculture and Agri-Food

Question period on agriculture focused on two issues. The Conservatives asked about Agriculture Minister’s accountability for spending at Farm Credit Canada, citing the CEO’s travel and hospitality expenses, including a meal costing over $6,500. Liberal parliamentary secretary Claude Guay said FCC is an independent Crown corporation that makes its own decisions and that farmers value its work. The Conservatives also asked whether the minister personally approved $115 million in cuts to agricultural research funding, citing figures showing drops in public research investment and R&D activity. Guay replied that the government is streamlining to invest more efficiently, maintains a research presence in every province, and remains the largest agricultural researcher in Canada.Written by AI from the debate. Updated .

Official text

2 statements

John Barlow

Conservative
“The head of Farm Credit Canada spent over $213,000 on travel and $53,000 on hospitality last year, including one meal that cost over $6,500. I want the minister to answer for how much more of this spending he will approve.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, well, that is no answer from the minister. We have 30 more of those. I sure hope they upped their game with the answers. The CEO of Farm Credit Canada last year, Justine Hendricks, spent more than $213,000 just on travel. She spent another $53,000 on hospitality, including one meal for more than $6,500. This is more than a third of what a family of four spends on groceries for an entire year. Can the minister tell me how much more out-of-control spending he is going to approve this year?

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James Bezan

Conservative
“Research in agriculture is way down, but the government is cutting $115 million more from it. Did the agriculture minister personally approve these cuts?”
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals themselves are warning that public investment in ag research and development has fallen by 15%. Private sector R and D outsourced to universities is down 77%. The number of firms conducting research in Canada has dropped by 30%. However, the Liberal agriculture minister is slashing $115 million in agriculture research. Science took the hit for 75% of the cuts in his department. Did the agriculture minister personally approve these cuts, yes or no?

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