Government Engagement and Outreach: Federal and Provincial
Dave Carey Manager, Policy Initiatives
Growing for the World/ Une Croissance Axée sur le Monde Federal Engagement and Outreach
Growing for the World/ Une Croissance Axée sur le Monde Federal Engagement and Outreach
• Liberal Party of Canada: • Won 184 of 338 seats in the House • Have 29 of 105 seats in the Senate • New Cabinet with fewer Ministers and public Mandate letters • New Prime Minister with different priorities and goals • House will return on December 3rd for the Speech from the Throne
Growing for the World/ Une Croissance Axée sur le Monde Federal Engagement and Outreach Overview of the Federal Legislative Process
1. Passage through the first House Sometimes the Senate, usually the House of Commons 10 st reading. The bill proposing a law is introduced, printed and circulate.
nd reading. The principle of 2 i. Ministers, department officials, experts and the bill is debated: “Is the bill good policy?” members of the public appear as witnesses before a committee ommittee stage. ii. Committee members study the bill, clause by C clause eport Stage. iii. The committee adopts a report on the bill, R In the House of recommending that it is accepted as is, or with Commons motions to amend specific amendments or that it not proceed further. clauses of the bill are considered by the whole house, while in in the Senate it is the committee report which is considered and amendments can be proposed.
3rd reading Final approval of the bill; in the Senate, further amendments can be considered at this stage. An Act can pass by vote Unanimous consent On division - no vote consensus to pass but some minor dissenting opinion 2. Passage through the second House 3. Royal Assent by the Governor General makes the bill law
Growing for the World/ Une Croissance Axée sur le Monde Federal Engagement and Outreach Key Players for the Seed Industry:
• Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, Lawrence MacAulay • Minister of Health, Dr. Jane Philpott • Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Catherine McKenna • Minister of Science, Kirsty Duncan • Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development, Navdeep Baines
Growing for the World/ Une Croissance Axée sur le Monde
Federal Engagement and Outreach
Strategy: • Letters of Congratulations to the key Ministers, Parliamentary Secretaries and Committee Chairs and Vice-Chairs • Introductory letters to the Official Opposition and Opposition Critics • Trade Winds National • Focused Messaging • Board of Directors Lobby Day
Growing for the World/ Une Croissance Axée sur le Monde
Federal Engagement and Outreach
Strategy: • Monitor House and Senate Committees • New Aggie GR Group o Meet once a month o Government Relations and Policy ‘think-tank’ o Chatham House Rules • Continue to be a trusted and credible source of information • Build relations with new policy makers and their staff
Growing for the World/ Une Croissance Axée sur le Monde
Provincial Engagement and Outreach
• Concerted new effort to proactively engage with the Provinces • Letters sent to each Provincial Minister of Agriculture with a copy to the Minister of Environment • Meetings have been requested • Relationship Building • Staying ahead of the curve
Growing for the World/ Une Croissance Axée sur le Monde
Provincial Engagement and Outreach
Provincial Meetings • Manitoba Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development, Ron Kostyshyn o October 15h meeting o Very positive • Ontario Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, Jeff Leal o Met with Senior Policy Advisor on November 12th • Meetings to be scheduled with Alberta, Saskatchewan and Quebec Ministers soon
Growing for the World/ Une Croissance Axée sur le Monde
Provincial Engagement and Outreach
• Goal is to meet with all provinces but we had to prioritize • Positive feedback to our letter and offer to work with the provinces: • BC, Newfoundland and Labrador, PEI, Nova Scotia • Strategy for engagement will differ but our priorities are the same: o Science-risk-based decision making, flexible, modern and predictable regulatory systems, free trade, support for innovation, strong federal leadership and the need for provincial harmonization
Growing for the World/ Une Croissance Axée sur le Monde Federal and Provincial Engagement and Outreach
• Bureaucrats! • Often overlooked in GR strategies • First point of contact of issues, concerns, information • Fostering a good working relationship is key: • CFIA • AAFC • PMRA • DFATD • Work is being done at the provincial levels
Growing for the World/ Une Croissance Axée sur le Monde