Mr. Fletcher is an obvious cheerleader for free trade deals. But I wonder if he has taken into account that the U.S., the most likely trade partner for perishable agricultural products such as eggs and milk, is among the top nations when it comes to agricultural subsidies.
So my questions to him would be: 1] Will the U.S. be required to drop farm subsidies when the TPP comes into effect?
2] Will Canadians reap the rewards of free trade he alludes to, when these subsidies end, and prices of U.S. production necessarily go up?
3] Will the U.S. in fact drop its current subsidies, as it has shown itself in the past to ignore things it regards as “inconvenient” to its trade policies?
And 4] Does Mr. Fletcher’s example of increased cheese imports from the EU account for the massive subsidies the EU provides to agriculture?
Richard Weatherill
Saanich