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Decentralized Democracy

House Hansard - 109

44th Parl. 1st Sess.
October 6, 2022 10:00AM
Context: House Hansard - 109 - Oct/6/22
Mr. Alexandre Boulerice
  • Oct/6/22 10:33:55 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, I agree that this is an important debate, especially since the NDP brought it to the House. We would not have brought it forward if we did not think it was important for people, for our society. We took that initiative. It is true, we are sending a message with this debate. We are telling them that we are watching and that we are keeping an eye on them. Then there needs to be action. That is the second part. We are setting the stage, bringing up the problem and analyzing the situation. After that, we want an investigation by the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food. We are also asking the Competition Bureau to investigate. Then, there must be regulatory, fiscal and legislative action to ensure that these situations do not happen again.
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Context: House Hansard - 109 - Oct/6/22
Mr. Gabriel Ste-Marie
  • Oct/6/22 12:08:33 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague for his speech. When it comes to the work of the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food, we should draw inspiration from what the British Parliament is doing. We know that the food distribution sector is an oligopoly. Do its members engage in reprehensible practices? Did they take advantage of their position and increase profits off the backs of the thousands of farmers who compete with each other or the millions of consumers who buy their products? Was there collusion that would explain these excessive profits? The Competition Bureau should look into this. The British Parliament has given that mandate to its competition bureau. As stated in this motion, the Competition Bureau should be given the mandate to study whether there is collusion that resulted in excessive profits, and then we can intervene. It is our duty to give this mandate to the Competition Bureau.
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Context: House Hansard - 109 - Oct/6/22
Mrs. Julie Vignola (Beauport—Limoilou, BQ)
  • Oct/6/22 12:09:43 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, it is always exciting and interesting to hear my colleague speak so passionately. Is Canada's Competition Bureau doing enough? Can it be given a stricter mandate and should it be given a stricter mandate?
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Context: House Hansard - 109 - Oct/6/22
Mr. Gabriel Ste-Marie
  • Oct/6/22 12:10:07 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague and friend from Beauport—Limoilou for her question and for the excellent and tireless work she does in the House. The Competition Bureau is not doing enough at the moment. Obviously, it is up to the government and the House to tell it to do more, to take on more cases, conduct more studies and intervene more. Competition is very important. I will remind members of the time Rona was sold to the American company Lowe's. The Competition Bureau had the power to do something about that but chose not to, and, in my view, that deal was bad for the Quebec economy.
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Context: House Hansard - 109 - Oct/6/22
Mr. Gabriel Ste-Marie (Joliette, BQ)
  • Oct/6/22 4:14:01 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for his speech. With regard to possible collusion in the food distribution industry, we know that the industry is an oligopoly of five giants that control 90% of the market. These giants can easily agree amongst themselves to negotiate for low prices with agricultural producers or set high prices when selling to consumers. The motion alludes to this indirectly. I believe my favourite part of the motion is the one about asking the Competition Bureau to launch an investigation of the industry, of these giants, to check for collusion and excessive profits, a bit like what was done in England with the British Parliament. What does my colleague think of that?
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