The federal government plans to move ahead with changes to the Competition Act to support Canadians’ right-to-repair. This was one of many commitments made in the fall economic statement tabled by Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland on Tuesday afternoon. The government says it will amend the act “in order to prevent manufacturers from refusing to provide… Read More

Half a dozen national farm organizations and their members are raising concerns about unintended consequences from the federal government’s Underused Housing Tax (UHT) that took effect last year. The Canadian Federation of Agriculture, Canadian Cattle Association, National Cattle Feeders Association, Fruit and Vegetable Growers of Canada, Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association, and Canadian Canola… Read More

The Ontario Agricultural Commodity Council (OACC), made of up 27 non-supply managed commodity organization, is asking Chrystia Freeland, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, to remove the 35 per cent tariff currently levied on Russian-sourced fertilizer. In a letter sent April 13, 2023, the group outlines the collective value of the groups’ economic activity… Read More

Rising interest rates mean the federal government’s move to expand the interest-free portion of its advance payment program will save farmers — and cost government — more than originally expected. Last June, the government increased the interest-free amount that farmers can borrow through the cash advance program for 2022 and 2023 from $100 thousand to… Read More

The federal government has made it clear it will not return fertilizer tariff funds directly to farmers who paid the tax, and the Ontario Federation of Agriculture has three other suggestions for how the federal government can spend the more than $34 million collected. Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Marie-Claude Bibeau and Minister of Finance… Read More

After committing $115 million in tariff proceeds to Ukraine, the deputy prime minister says she’s working with the agriculture minister to “resolve the situation” regarding the cost of 35 per cent tariffs applied to fertilizer sold to farms in Eastern Canada. Chrystia Freeland, who is also the finance minister, was asked about the fertilizer tariffs… Read More

The federal government is planning to boost funding for environmental programs through Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in the 2022 budget introduced on April 7. While the budget contains projections of a $52.8 billion deficit and national debt totalling $1.2 trillion at the end of 2022-23, the $452.3 billion spending plan and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland’s… Read More

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has unveiled a 38-member cabinet for the next parliament, set to begin November 22, 2021. The cabinet, which was sworn in at Rideau Hall on Tuesday, features six new women, achieving Trudeau’s aim for gender parity in cabinet. Marie-Claude Bibeau remains in her post as Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, as… Read More