Dear Editor,

Please accept this letter as an open response to Mr. Robbie Beck’s letter to your paper last week under the leader of ‘Surprise and disappointment.’ Since Mr. Beck has chosen to convey his disappointment in regards to my personal political beliefs and also in my conduct as a businessman I am compelled to reply back in this forum as so chosen by Beck.

First, yes, I support the People’s Party of Canada. I believe in and support their initiatives for standing up for rural Canada, cutting federal taxes, scrapping the carbon tax, balancing the budget, abolishing corporate welfare and enacting sensible immigration all of which I think Beck and I can find common ground on.

However, with respect to supply management, we disagree. I, as do many other Canadians, are not content with a system that forces all of us to pay twice the price on dairy products based purely on a quota system that covers producers production costs while setting a price that is not in the consumers’ interest. I, being an agricultural producer of hops and beer (the world’s oldest agricultural product) do not possess the luxury of a supply management system that permits me to sell my products at uncompetitive prices to the public. Nor was I able to have the benefit of such a system when producing and selling concrete.

In my case, as well as the case of other agricultural producers, such as beef producers, cash croppers and fruit and vegetable growers to name but a few, we’re all subject to a free market that determines the price rather than a supply management system. In essence supply management is what is known in economic parlance as ‘command economics’ that is utilized by many left- leaning governments.

While supply management is a favored tool of the left, supported in Canada by both the Liberals and NDP, I find it, to use Becks words “surprising and disappointing” that the Conservative Party endorses such policy that hinders a competitive free market. Obviously the Conservative Party does so because it is politically convenient. At least we in the People’s Party have the courage of our convictions to state what we truly believe and are true economic and fiscal conservatives.

Arguably supply management is causing more problems for itself than pressures from other nations to that system, or even from that of the People’s Party. Clearly, due to higher dairy prices the consumer is buying more substitutes such as almond or soy milk at increasingly higher volumes. It is also important to note that many of these products are non-Canadian in content.

Secondly, Beck implies that I am in essence a hypocrite for taking dairy producers’ money while at the same time not supporting supply management. I took Beck’s money, which he freely gave to me, because I provided both a product and service that he valued as having quality. More importantly however, he bought from me because it was sold within a truly competitive marketplace that was beneficial to both of us as opposed to the supply management system whereby the consumer falls short on receiving the best possible price.

In Beck’s world he would have us meshing business transactions and politics together. They are two separate spheres. If I have to operate a business in a world where I need to explain my political, religious and philosophical beliefs in order to be awarded work or make a sale, I would quickly lose my stomach in being an entrepreneur, as would a great many other individuals. If I was to accept Beck’s argument and invert it, that would mean that he would not permit his milk to be sold to persons who disagreed with him. I think not. This would be akin to a baker who refuses to do a wedding cake for a same-sex couple because such a union is against his or hers beliefs. That’s clear discrimination. A business person leaves their judgements about others at home.

I’ll conclude with this one point. Beck details the economic stimulus that dairy provides to the area. I have no doubt about this, just as I have no doubt about my impact to the local economy over the last 37 years. Therefore, I’m willing to put my contribution and commitment to the economic development of the Pontiac up against Beck’s for public display if he should so desire. Just say the word.

Todd Hoffman

Litchfield, Que.