How will the TPP affect the farm vote?

Ontario's agriculture minister Jeff Leal is concerned the federal government may not agree with Canada's dairy industry on the importance of preserving supply management as negotiations continued over a historic trade deal that could have major implications for Canadian dairy farmers.

"Minister Ritz and Minister Fast and Prime Minister Harper all need to be on the same page on this," Leal said in an interview with Chris Hall on CBC Radio's The House.

"Whether they are or not, that's something we can only speculate on."

While Canada's Trade Minister Ed Fast has stayed behind closed doors in Atlanta this week as talks over the Trans Pacific Partnership continued, Leal joined his provincial counterparts from Manitoba, Quebec, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia in Atlanta to voice his worries over the deal's possible impact on the Canadian dairy sector.

"The argument we're making is that the supply management system provides quality and safety, but it also provides an adequate return for our farmers," Leal said. "It is the real issue."

Leal pointed to the dairy industry in New Zealand, Australia and the United States as being "under great stress" from foreign competition.

He said Canada's supply management system protects dairy farmers from aggressive and competitive foreign dairy exporters by controlling the amount of dairy produced domestically and limiting imports with high tariffs.

But he admitted the free trade deal — which involves 12 countries representing 40 per cent of the global economy — is a critical one for Canada to join.

"I don't think Canada can be outside the TPP," he said. "We believe in pursuing a trade deal that enhances market opportunities, but it's also very important we maintain the integrity of the supply management system."

Still, Leal said Ontario's dairy farmers will voice their disapproval by ballot if they feel the deal opens their industry up to other countries.

"Any issues that may come out of the TPP are certainly going to impact how certain segments of the voting public may cast their vote on Oct. 19," he said.