Dave Epp
- Born
- June 10, 1962
- Career
- Farmer
- Political Experience
- Elected to represent the riding of Chatham-Kent—Leamington in the House of Commons of Canada in the 2019 Canadian federal election
Based on publicly available information — may contain inaccuracies
Business & Financial Interests
Before entering federal politics, Dave Epp was a third-generation farmer in Leamington, Ontario. He was a partner in Lycoland Farms Ltd., a family-owned agricultural business that grows cash crops and vegetables. His public disclosures with the Office of the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner have listed this farm as a declarable asset. Epp has also been involved in agricultural organizations. He reportedly served as the chair of the Ontario Processing Vegetable Growers and was a director for the Ontario Farmers' Vegetable Growers' Marketing Board.
Public Controversies
In 2021, Dave Epp was one of several Conservative MPs who reportedly hired a summer student through the Canada Summer Jobs program who was publicly associated with an anti-abortion group. The decision drew criticism from pro-choice advocates who questioned the use of the federal program for such a hiring. Epp also received media attention for voting against Bill C-6, a bill designed to ban conversion therapy. He explained his vote by stating that while he opposed the practice of conversion therapy, he believed the bill's definition was too broad and could unintentionally criminalize private conversations. The bill ultimately passed with support from many Conservative MPs.
Where Dave falls on key policy spectrums
Your Money
People & Society
How We're Governed
Land & Community
Dave Epp won with 41,612 votes (57.5%)
Total votes cast: 72,351
How does Dave Epp's voting record line up with your values?
How can there be a $90-billion price tag that we can have confidence in if the route hasn't been placed and we don't know how many catapults are going to be installed to transport farm equipment or livestock across the track?
Okay. Switching topics, the last time the PMRA, now the PRD, received a dollop of money—$81 million over about a four-year period—we ended up with a transformation project and a citizen science panel. That was supposed to speed things up. It did not. It slowed things down. Where does the confidence from the agri-food sector come from with this last announcement of additional funds?
You have testified to us at committee that farmers' concerns about their farms being split will be addressed. They will get access. If that's going to be the case, can you define that? Is it catapults, tunnels, bridges? Is that every 50 acres, every 25 acres?
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Wayne Edinger has proposed, through the OFA, a number of different alternatives that are far cheaper and don't require a new corridor. Has that been discussed at all by the government?
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Minister, vital to food security is, of course, a continued investment in research. Fifty-four per cent of the cuts are to the workforce of the science and innovation branch, 75% of the spending that's already been tabled here. However, you did state that the scientists are being offered relocation. Can you tell us how many are staying within the branch? We have had direct
Just a number.
—alternatives that don't affect the cutting up of—
Consultation seems to be used as an excuse to justify a decision already made. Surely the government wouldn't commit $4 billion to a decision that has not been made.
Thank you. Also vital to food security is, of course, efficient access to good farmland. Farm groups are asking for more meaningful consultation, yet the government is saying that they have already been consulted. Why do they keep coming to us? Why have UPA, the OFA, the NFU, the CFFO and the UCFO penned a letter asking for a pause on the Alto project?
I'll gladly do an over-under with you, Mr. Minister. A report by HEC Montréal, Université Laval and the University of Waterloo on the high-speed rail project between Québec City and Toronto issued some recommendations and asked how many farms were being affected. You say that the corridor hasn't even been picked. Has your department even looked at alternatives? Have you lobbied for far