Danielle Smith says pulling Alberta out of supply management is worth considering
He noted that dairy farmers in Alberta benefit relatively little from the existing scheme, paying up to twice as much as farmers in Quebec and Ontario for the same share of quota.
Charlebois said it was 'absolutely possible' for Alberta to leave the federal system and set up its own dairy commission. But he said that provincial administration would come with its own challenges, such as selling Alberta dairy products elsewhere in Canada.
'Would they consider other provinces to be foreign markets? It's hard to say,' said Charlebois.
Charlebois added that other provinces could also object to Alberta 'dumping' less expensive, non-supply-managed products across provincial lines.
Alberta's milk marketing board couldn't be reached for comment.
Lawrence Herman, a lawyer and international trade expert based in Toronto, says that just because Alberta can unilaterally exit supply management doesn't mean it should.
'There isn't anything that legally requires a province to participate,' said Herman. 'However, the province couldn't change the import limits and (tariff-rate quota) system, so it's difficult to see how it would work.'
'The better option is for the feds and the provinces to work together in phasing out the entire national (supply management) system,' he added.
Supply management in Alberta sparked a minor controversy in April, when an egg farmer in the province was jailed in a quota dispute with the egg marketing board.
Smith said in February that she'd asked her agricultural minister to 'start (a) conversation' about potential Canada-U.S. trade concessions relating to supply management.
The Red Deer town hall was the first of ten scheduled in-person events hosted by the Smith-chaired Alberta Next panel.
Supply management is not one of the six formal topics put up for discussion by the panel.
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