I don't want to speak for the entire committee, but given the position I hold here, I think that's something we would highly encourage, particularly at the departmental level, from other comparable countries. That's because, as has been highlighted, our Canadian products generally, on a GHG standard, are some of the best in the world. When I think about major exporting commodities, we want to make sure that, whether it's a price on pollution or it's other types of environmental standards, Canada is seen and ranked high in that type of context if those types of tariff barriers or border adjustments, let's call them, are put into place.

The last question I have—and I know I'm leaking into your time, Mr. MacDonald, but you're a good friend; you'll let me go—is about the seasonal agricultural worker programs. I know this doesn't fall squarely, Ms. Beck, under the Department of Agriculture and Agri-Food, but this is a highly important issue, particularly in the horticultural sector. You'll know that this committee has been studying the issues there.

Can you enlighten or share anything with this committee about the work that might be happening alongside ESDC? There is some talk of rationalizing, I'll say, the many different foreign worker programs out there. However, the one thing I want to reflect to you—and ultimately you can reflect to your new incoming deputy minister—is the importance of the seasonal agricultural worker program and having a level of certainty for employers with regard to whom they are responsible for as workers come into the country.

We had Minister Miller in my riding of King's—Hants recently, and we showed him the important work on housing, on the transportation elements and on food and groceries. As to employers, I think those that are good, not that I'm suggesting that all are good—in fact, we need more mechanisms for bad actors in this space—take great pride in making sure that their workers are taken care of when they come to this country.

That's a reflection that I can leave with you. Do you have any comment on the role of AAFC in relation to working with ESDC to make sure these programs remain consistent and reliable, I'll say, for the agriculture community, particularly in horticulture?

Kody Blois

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