Milk

Thursday April 20, 2017

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Thursday April 20, 2017

Canadian envoy fires back at Trump over dairy claims

Canada’s envoy to Washington has shot back at criticism by President Donald Trump and U.S. milk producers, saying the facts don’t support a charge that the Canadian dairy industry is to blame for the woes of some American farmers.

January 26, 2017

“Canada does not accept the contention that Canada’s dairy policies are the cause of financial loss for dairy farmers in the United States,” Ambassador David MacNaughton said in a letter to the governors of Wisconsin and New York that was released Tuesday night in rebuttal to Trump’s surprise criticism of Canada earlier in the day.

“The facts do not bear this out.”

The U.S. president’s surprise decision to call out Canada by name Tuesday put dairy farmers north of the border on notice that they are in America’s fair-trade sights.

Trump launched his broadside after a brewing trade spat that has seen the U.S. dairy lobby accuse Canada of “systemic disregard” of its trade obligations, while the Canadian industry accused its American rival of “scapegoating.”

October 10, 2015

Trump also signalled he wants to do more than simply tweak the North American Free Trade Agreement, saying he is looking for “very big changes” to the trilateral pact that includes Mexico, or else he will scrap it once and for all.

Trump levelled the threats — some of his strongest-ever anti-Canadian rhetoric — during an event at a Wisconsin factory where he unveiled his “Buy American-Hire American” executive order.

After what has been a relatively warm beginning in relations with Canada, which included what was seen by many as a positive trip to Washington by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Trump dropped the gloves on Canada’s well-guarded dairy sector.

He appeared to be taking dead aim at the Canadian industry and its supply-management system during an appearance in Wisconsin, a state he took from the Democrats with his “America First” anti-trade message.

It is also a state that is feeling the effects of Canada’s decision to impose import taxes on ultra-filtered milk, a protein liquid concentrate used to make cheese. It had been duty-free but Canada changed course after its milk producers complained. (Source: CBC News)

The Telegram, St. John’s, Nfld., April 25, 2017

Tuesday, July 29, 2014

Tuesday, July 29, 2014By Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Tuesday, July 29, 2014

Ontario’s battle over 3-litre milk jugs on grocery shelves

A spat over milk containers is souring relations between dairy farmers and manufacturers.

For months, Ontario’s milk bureaucracy has been battling over whether you should be able to buy 3 litres of milk in the grocery store.

On one side are the milk processors, represented by the Ontario Dairy Council, who want to open up the market entirely to 3-litre milk containers.

On the other is the Dairy Farmers of Ontario, which is concerned that 3 litres of milk will prove so popular that the 4-litre option disappears off shelves entirely.

“Our interest is only in ensuring that consumers are protected, and we are of the view that the 4-litre containers are essential, and we want to make sure that they continue with respect to the plastic bags,” said Graham Lloyd, general counsel for the DFO.

The dispute started last December, when Ontario’s farm products marketing board gave Mac’s Convenience Stores permission to sell 3-litre plastic milk jugs — only jugs, not bags — on a one-year pilot program.

The Ontario Dairy Council appealed, arguing that such a limited program would give some processors an unfair head start in the 3-litre field. It favours a general ruling with no restrictions on container type or retailer.

After initial arguments over jurisdictional rights and access to redacted documents, the issue is now heading for the quasi-judicial Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Appeal Tribunal. (Source: Toronto Star)

OTHER MEDIA

This cartoon was posted on Yahoo News Canada and the Ottawa Citizen.

 

Tuesday November 13, 2012

By Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator, Tuesday November 13, 2012 Some Light Reading Canadians are slowly losing trust in Parliament and political parties,Êand share some of the toughest views in the American hemisphereÊabout their national leader, according to a new 26-country survey. The survey by The Environics Institute, part of an investigation intoÊpolitical attitudes in 26 countries in the Americas, found thatÊCanadians have been shedding some of their optimistic and positiveÊviews on politics and government The survey found only 16 per cent of Canadians place Òa lot of trustÓÊin their Prime Minister, putting Stephen Harper near the bottomÊamong all leaders in the Americas. ÒIn an international context, Harper has a lower level of trust thanÊalmost every other national leader in the hemisphere,Ó Mr. NeumanÊsaid. The levels of trust are also low for the Canadian Parliament (17 perÊcent), political parties (10 per cent) and mass media (6 per cent). TheÊfindings come after Canada lived under a series of minorityÊgovernments from 2004 to 2011, fuelling a sense of growing partisanÊbickering in Ottawa.Ê(Source: Globe & Mail)Êhttp://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/harper-among-least-trusted-leaders-poll-shows/article5187774/ Meanwhile, less than two years after lovelorn fans were first forcedÊto accept that young pop superstars Justin Bieber and Selena GomezÊwere a romantic couple, their followers are reeling at news the pairÊare no more. After weeks of rumours the couple was on the outs, E! NewsÊreported Friday that the teen pop stars broke up in recent days. TheÊAssociated Press confirmed the split on Saturday, citing anÊanonymous source not officially authorized to speak about theÊcouple's relationship status.(Source: CTV News) http://www.ctvnews.ca/entertainment/justin-bieber-and-selena-gomez-have-split-reports-1.1032730#ixzz2C7420f8p Canada, poll, trust, Stephen Harper, newspaper, tenet, bar, tavern, milk, Justin Bieber, Selena Gomez, Justin Tr

By Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator, Tuesday November 13, 2012

Some Light Reading

Canadians are slowly losing trust in Parliament and political parties, and share some of the toughest views in the American hemisphere about their national leader, according to a new 26-country survey.

The survey by The Environics Institute, part of an investigation into political attitudes in 26 countries in the Americas, found that Canadians have been shedding some of their optimistic and positive views on politics and government

The survey found only 16 per cent of Canadians place “a lot of trust” in their Prime Minister, putting Stephen Harper near the bottom among all leaders in the Americas.

“In an international context, Harper has a lower level of trust than almost every other national leader in the hemisphere,” Mr. Neuman said.

The levels of trust are also low for the Canadian Parliament (17 per cent), political parties (10 per cent) and mass media (6 per cent). The findings come after Canada lived under a series of minority governments from 2004 to 2011, fuelling a sense of growing partisan bickering in Ottawa. (Source: Globe & Mail)

Meanwhile, less than two years after lovelorn fans were first forced to accept that young pop superstars Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez were a romantic couple, their followers are reeling at news the pair are no more.

After weeks of rumours the couple was on the outs, E! News reported Friday that the teen pop stars broke up in recent days. The Associated Press confirmed the split on Saturday, citing an anonymous source not officially authorized to speak about the couple’s relationship status.(Source: CTV News)