Quebec party leaders call on Ottawa to protect dairy farmers in NAFTA talks

The leaders of Quebec's four largest political parties, eager to show they will defend the province's interests, called on the federal government Fridaytoprotect the province's dairy industryas NAFTAnegotiations continue next week in Washington, D.C.

"I will not accept any agreement that will not be accepted by our dairy producers and entrepreneurs," Liberal Leader Philippe Couillard.

Couillardwas at a joint news conference alongsideParti Qubcois Leader Jean-Franois Lise and Qubec Solidaire co-spokespersonManon Massat the Longueuil offices of the Quebec farmers' union, known by its French acronym,UPA.

Franois Legault, the leader of the Coalition Avenir Qubec, couldn't make it becauseheis campaigning in the Saguenay region, but saidhe supports the farmers as well.

Legault instead had a conference call early Friday with UPA's president, Marcel Groleau.

U.S. President Donald Trump has made it plain thatAmerican farmers must be able to export more to Canada.

Trump had set a Friday deadline for the talks, but the talks broke off in the afternoon. United States Trade RepresentativeRobertLighthizersaid Washington will resume negotiationswith Canada's teamon Wednesday.

TheU.S. needs to export milk to deal with its chronic oversupply problem one thatCanada avoids with its strictproduction quotas. The dairy sector was said to be one of the last unresolved items asNAFTAtalkscontinued into Thursday night.

PrimeMinisterJustin Trudeau has said his government will protect supply management. But Quebec's political leaders say they want to make sure Canadian negotiators don't concede anything.Couillardsaid the dairy industry in Quebec is"as important for Quebec as the auto industry is for Ontario."

Dairy contributes about $6 billion to Quebec's annual GDP and creates about 80,000 direct and indirect jobs.

'A strong lobby'

Pascal Theriault, an agricultural economist with McGill University, said an influx of U.S. milk would mean farmers and processing companies in the province would unquestionably take a hit.

In addition, he said the UPAis "still a very strong lobby and they do have somewhat of a vote swing to help in some key ridings."

The party leaders, he said, are really trying to send asignal that, "as premier you will defend Quebec's interests as captain Quebec."

Lise, for his part, said the fact that concessions on supply management are even being considered is proof that Quebec is being "abandoned" in favour of the interests elsewhere in the country.

"If this country works, the interests of Quebec, the west and Ontario will be equally represented and that's not what I see today," he said.

Not everyone in Quebec's dairy industry is in favour of supply management. The CEO of Montreal-based Saputo Inc., one of Canada's largest dairy companies, said earlier this year he wants to put an end to the system.