Thursday, November 14, 2019

Bloc leader wants cash for dairy farmers

Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-Francois Blanchet is pressuring Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to speed delivery of cheques for dairy farmers to compensate for trade deals with the U.S., Mexico and the Trans-Pacific partnership countries.

Trudeau met with Blanchet this week, seeking common ground to prop up the Liberal minority government.

Blanchet said soon after the election that making sure those cheques get delivered on time will be the Bloc's priority.

"These entrepreneurs are under enormous pressure," Blanchet said then at a news conference in Quebec City. About half of Canada's 11,000 dairy producers are in Quebec.

The Bloc has 32 seats, enough when combined with the Liberals to command a majority vote in the House of Commons.

The compensation money was included in the March budget – a total of $2.15 billion.

Dairy farmers are to get a first instalment of $345 million this year; their total is $1.75 billion and the rest of the $2.15 billion is for poultry quota holders.

Their compensation plans have not yet been announced. The poultry boards are asking for help with marketing and promotion.