House of Commons Archives

Editor’s Rant: A flipped script

Borrow from the playbook of a volatile, unpredictable public figure at your peril

By Dave Bedard June 7, 2025

In hindsight it may have been a bad idea for the opposition leader to borrow heavily from the playbook of a volatile, unpredictable public figure and hope that figure remained a stable and consistent friend to Canada through a Canadian election cycle.

Chuck Strahl, shown here speaking in the House of Commons in 2002, died Aug. 13 at age 67.

News

Former federal ag minister Chuck Strahl dies at 67

By Grainews Staff August 16, 2024

A memorial service is planned for Aug. 23 in Chilliwack, B.C. for Chuck Strahl, the logger turned politician who served about a year and a half as federal agriculture minister in Stephen Harper’s government, helping carry several of its policy plans through to completion. Strahl died Tuesday in Chilliwack at age 67, ending “a courageous […] Read more

Columns, Editor's column

Editor’s Rant: A process story

By Dave Bedard January 31, 2024

Editor’s note, Jan. 30, 2024: This item was written and went to press before Bill C-234 came back up for discussion in the House of Commons on Jan. 29, in consideration of the Senate’s amendments. Some decades ago my grandmother and I were having a conversation about what I hoped to do in life. If […] Read more

Parliament Hill, in Ottawa – Ontario, Canada. Photo: Ulysse Pixel

General

Motion to squash Bill C-234 amendments put to MPs

Pass the bill as-is now, or risk passing nothing at all says Bloc

By Geralyn Wichers, GFM Network News January 29, 2024

Bill C-234, which would amend the Greenhouse Gas Pollution Price Act, was once again the subject of debate as Parliament resumed today. Conservative MP Ben Lobb tabled a motion to essentially reject the Senate’s amendments to the bill.

File photo of a desk in Canada’s Senate. (Dougall_Photography/iStock/Getty Images)

Crops, Machinery

Internal dispute over privilege, bullying allegations ties up C-234

New amendment to farm fuel bill now under debate

By Dave Bedard, GFM Network News November 22, 2023

A proposed amendment, and a dispute over senatorial behaviour, further geared down progress Tuesday of a federal private member’s bill to carve out a carbon tax exemption for grain drying and heating of barns and greenhouses. Bill C-234, which passed the House of Commons in late March, remained on the Senate’s order paper for debate […] Read more

Conservative agriculture critic John Barlow speaks Nov. 24, 2021 in the House of Commons. (Screengrab from supplied video)

Livestock

Anti-activist bill back before Commons committee

Bill adds protections for biosecurity, farmers' mental health, Barlow says

By Geralyn Wichers, GFM Network News October 6, 2023

A bill to create harsher penalties for unlawful entry onto farms and biosecure zones is back before the House of Commons after a previous iteration died on the order table in 2021. Conservative MP John Barlow brought forward Bill C-275, “an Act to amend the Health of Animals Act (biosecurity on farms),” as a private […] Read more

An excavator works on Parliament Hill on Oct. 22, 2019. (Photo: Reuters/Patrick Doyle)

General, Machinery, Markets

Adjournments put off ag bills to September at earliest

Farm fuel, supply management, produce trust bills on hold

By Dave Bedard, GFM Network News June 28, 2023

Federal private members’ bills with potential significant weight for Canada’s grain, livestock, dairy, poultry, egg, fruit and vegetable producers are now on hold until mid-September at least. Members of the House of Commons voted June 21 to adjourn until Sept. 18, while the Senate did likewise June 22, to return Sept. 19. While the two […] Read more

A macrophage (immune response) cell in early stages of infection with African swine fever virus, magnified about 1,000x. (Keith Weller photo courtesy ARS/USDA)

Livestock

MPs get assurance on Canada’s biosecurity preparedness

Canada well prepared for foreign animal diseases, officials say

By GFM Network News May 10, 2023

Officials from several federal agencies have reassured the public about Canada’s animal biosecurity preparedness. Witnesses from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) and the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) spoke to MPs’ concerns about livestock diseases at a committee meeting last Wednesday afternoon. Biosecurity preparedness has been a relevant issue […] Read more

General, Machinery, Weather

Carbon price exemption for farm gas clears Commons

Bill C-234 next headed to Senate

By Dave Bedard, GFM Network News March 30, 2023

Legislative amendments that would exempt farmers’ eligible purchases of natural gas and propane from federal carbon pricing are now en route to Canada’s Senate. Bill C-234, a private member’s bill sponsored by Ben Lobb, the Conservative MP for the southern Ontario riding of Huron-Bruce, passed third reading for adoption in the House of Commons on […] Read more

(Nadezhda_Nesterova/iStock/Getty Images)

Livestock, Markets

Bill to keep supply management off trade table moving forward

CCA, other groups oppose proposal as Bloc MP's private bill passes second reading

By Dave Bedard, GFM Network News February 14, 2023

A federal private member’s bill that would codify the current government’s promise to leave supply-managed ag commodities out of any future free trade deals has advanced to the committee stage. Introduced last June 13 by Bloc Quebecois MP Luc Theriault, Bill C-282 came back last Wednesday to pass second reading in the House of Commons […] Read more

Alberta crop conditions improve: report

U.S. grains: Corn sets contract lows on expectations for big US crop

U.S. livestock: Cattle strength continues

GFM Network News