The bill has yet to be even debated in the Commons.   Ottawa—An opposition MP's proposal to protect the dairy and poultry sectors from further market losses in future trade talks has drawn the ire of the Canadian Agri-Food Trade Alliance (CAFTA). The bill from Louis Plamandon of the Bloc Quebecois was introduced last February and not debated before Parliament was adjourned in the early fall. It has been reintroduced but not yet scheduled for debate. None of the other parties have indicated they will support it. CAFTA said in a letter to MPs the bill would prevent the government from making any further concessions on imports of dairy and poultry products in future free trade deals. “CAFTA is deeply concerned about legislating the exclusion of products or sectors from trade negotiations, a move that would irritate relationships with key trading partners and jeopardize the foundation of our economic engine as a trading nation,” said CAFTA President Dan Darling. Not only would the bill “contradicts trade rules, it is counterproductive to our interests and effectively ties the hands of negotiators before negotiations even begin. As such, it would severely constrain the government's ability to negotiate the best deals for Canada and in turn for Canadian agrifood exporters and workers. Jacques Lefebvre, CEO of Dairy Farmers of Canada, said “CAFTA and its members are focused on exports, therefore it's not surprising that they would want to keep the supply managed sectors as a bargaining chip for their gains in foreign markets. Dairy farmers have done more than their share in support of the trade agenda, with 18 per cent of our domestic production that will be lost by 2024. To ensure a steady and reliable domestic supply of dairy products, we ask all federal parties to commit to no further concessions in dairy in future trade deals.” Darling said the bill “would be detrimental to our ability to generate growth and support about a million jobs across Canada. Furthermore, such legislation would set a dangerous precedent inviting other sectors and trading partners to seek exclusions from trade negotiations. We must recognize that encouraging countries to avoid making significant concessions on their end would only lead to less ambitious and less commercially meaningful outcomes across all economic sectors.” The bill “would reduce opportunities to be invited to a seat at the table of various bilateral and multilateral negotiations and put Canada on a collision course with the United States and many other trading partners, especially when it is time to review, extend or modernize existing trade agreements. Increasing the leverage of other trading nations threatening to rip up existing trade deals threatens Canada's relationships, erodes needed stability and predictability and jeopardizes the very foundation of our trade-reliant economy.” Alex Binkley is a freelance journalist and writes for domestic and international publications about agriculture, food and transportation issues. He's also the author of two science fiction novels with more in the works.