PACP Committee News Release
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Standing Committee on Public Accounts |
HOUSE OF COMMONS CHAMBRE DES COMMUNES OTTAWA, CANADA K1A 0A6 |
Comité permanent des comptes publics |
For immediate release
NEWS RELEASE
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada failing to manage farm support programs to meet producers' needs
Ottawa, June 16, 2008 -
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) has not managed the Canadian Agricultural Income Stabilization program in an efficient manner, according to a report of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts tabled in the House of Commons today by Chair Shawn Murphy, MP.
AAFC has administered income support programs to agricultural producers since the late 1930s. The Canadian Agricultural Income Stabilization (CAIS) program, which began in 2003, was designed to provide Canadian agricultural producers with a risk management tool that provides protection against both small and large declines in income. The CAIS program was replaced in May 2008 with new farm income support programs, AgriInvest and AgriStability.
The report highlights the fact that agricultural producers have been subject to very long wait times in having their applications processed and the Committee is worried that this may be placing them under an increased financial burden. In addition, the report also expressed great concern that the public service Values and Ethics Code was violated by some CAIS program employees and that these employees were not sanctioned for their actions. The Committee firmly hopes that AAFC will stress the importance of this Code and appropriately sanction any employees who violate the Code.
The importance of agricultural producers to the life of all Canadians cannot be stressed enough. For this reason, the Committee trusts that AAFC will include any actions taken as a result of this report’s recommendations in the implementation and management of the new AgriInvest and AgriStability programs.
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