Say Cheese

 

The argument I hear in favour of defending Canada’s “supply management” cartel for dairy, chicken, and eggs, against American demands for a trade deal, is that American farm products are subsidized. So it is unfair of the Americans to object. Our government set up this cartel instead of a subsidy, saving us tax money. 

Wait a minute. If the Americans are prepared to subsidize the chicken, cheese, and eggs we buy from them, why would we object? Great!

Bad for Canadian farmers? Good for consumers, especially the poor. There are a lot more Canadian consumers than Canadian farmers. The greatest good to the greatest number.

The loss of a strategic industry? I am not concerned, so long as the loss is to the US. We are not going to war with the USA. We are bound to the US strategically; what’s good for them is good for us. Nor is there any possibility of some hostile power cutting our supply lines—we share the world’s longest land border.

It is not even clear to me that the cartel is to the benefit of Canadian agribusiness. By preventing competition, it prevents innovation and excellence. Canada used to be a major supplier of cheese to Europe. There used to be dairies near every small town in Quebec or Ontario. Supply management seems to have killed all that. We need artisanal dairies developing unique local cheeses that might command premium prices; like Oka cheese from Quebec. We need innovation; competition forces innovation.

Appeal to Heaven

So Doug Ford has taken $75 million of taxpayer money, and spent it to undermine trade talks with the US.

While Carney is chumming with China.

It is as though Canadians have a death wish. We are like ungrateful, spoiled children. 

We cannot blame our leaders. We recently voted Ford and Carney right back into office to do this, to fight America instead of make a deal.

This is well calculated to kill Ontario’s auto industry, and force Alberta to separate.

It seems of a piece with our placid acceptance of multiculturalism, of mass immigration, of a prime minister who claims there is no such thing as Canadian culture, and of outrageous land claims and claims of genocide by the native peoples.

Come back, Bond Head. All is forgiven. We are not capable of self-government.