Media and Government Responses to VOIC Activity

"Internal trade deal signed; barriers remain"
Six jurisdictions have signed a new agreement
to liberalize interprovincial agricultural trade....
Sean McPhee, who speaks for the Vegetable Oil
Industry of Canada, said the six have shown
leadership.  He hoped Ontario and Quebec would
take note.  They have the largest supply managed
sectors and are at odds with the vegetable oil
group, which represents canola and soybean
growers and processors, who are pushing for
fewer trade barriers.... ' Trade is not a one way
street.'

He said manufacturers need the economies
of scale that result from launching a product
across the country.  Saskatchewan Agriculture
Minister Mark Wartman said he doesn't expect
Ontario and Quebec to give in easily but there is a
better chance now that they will move toward a
better domestic trading relationship.  He said if
Canadians want fairer, rules-based trade globally,
they have to live with it domestically.
The Western Producer, September 21, 2006

"We are pleased to learn of the formation of your newly
formed industry group, and we are supportive of your 
efforts to end interprovincial trade restrictions on the
movement of vegetable oil products."
Letter to VOIC from Saskatchewan Minister of Agriculture,
Food and Rural Revitalization, Hon. Clay Serby. 
January 13, 2004.

"I (Ed Stelmach) am pleased to advise that the panel
has accepted virtually all of the arguments put forward
by alberta and made a number of recommendations to
lift existing restrictions.... I would like to thank you once
again for your continued cooperation and support in the 
removal of interprovincial trade barriers under the AIT."
Letter to VOIC from Alberta (Hon. Ed Stelmach) regarding
AIT Panel finding in favour of Alberta 's challenge of Quebec 's
Margarine Colour Regulation.  July 18, 2005.

"Then the government of Alberta decided to take up 
the torch and try again to force Quebec to dump the 
trade-inhibiting law.  The Klein administration was
asked to initiate the complaint by the Vegetable Oil
Industry of Canada (VOIC), an industry group rep-
resenting 95,000 soybean and canola growers, oil-
seed processors and makers of oilseed-based food
products such as margarines.  This group contributes
about $10 billion to Canada 's GDP each year -- much
of it based in the three Prairie provinces where canola
is a major cash crop."
Winnipeg Free Press, Page A13, June 2, 2005.

"He ( Sean McPhee , President of VOIC) argues that the
guide (Canada's Food Guide to Healthy Eating) reflects
outdated eating trends and is biased toward milk, grain
products and meat, which largely contain saturated or
animal-based fats that he contends are not as healthy 
as plant-based fats....  His organization (VOIC) wants
to see the guide add a special category for vegetable-
oil products....  "It just so happens that our interests
align with the current state of nutrition science."
Sean McPhee quoted in the Globe and Mail, "Feeding
Frenzy", by Paul Waldie, March 12, 2005.

"As Mr. McPhee points out, it is important to note that both
saturated and trans fat increase risk factors for heart 
disease, and that there is more saturated fat in the Canadian
diet than there is trans fat.  While reducing consumption
of trans fat is desirable, reducing saturated fat in the diet
is also important."
Letter to Hon. Bill Graham, MP from federal Minister of Health
Ujjal Dosanjh, April 15, 2005.

"I (Dalton McGuinty) agree that the promotion of a healthy lifestyle
contributes greatly to lower costs to our health care system."
Letter to VOIC from Hon. Dalton McGuinty, Premier of Ontario
January 14, 2004 

"I (Halvar Jonson) am writing to inform you (VOIC) that
the panel process in which the Governments of Alberta and
BC challenged the trade restrictions within Ontario 's Edible
Oil Products Act has concluded.....  I can tell you that the 
Government of Alberta is very pleased with the Panel's findings
and recommendations."
Letter to VOIC from Hon. Halvar C. Jonson, Alberta Minister of 
International and Intergovernmental Relations, 
November 19, 2004                                                                            

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