Former Conservative Trade Minister Ed Fast, who spent years defending supply management during international trade negotiations, says he does not support Conservative leadership candidate Maxime Bernier’s proposal to eliminate the system.

Speaking to iPolitics Wednesday, Fast said he thought Bernier was “courageous to stand up for what he believes in,” particularly given how many dairy farmers live in his riding.

Still, eliminating supply management, the former trade minister (who’s own riding in British Columbia is home to a large number of supply-managed poultry farms) said, “is not in our national interest.”

The global trade environment, Fast said, is “heavily subsidized” with many countries, notably the United States, subsidizing their dairy and feather industries.

Protectionist measures, Fast said, are also in practice, particularly when it comes to agriculture.

“COOL is a perfect example of using protectionist measures,” he explained, referring to a now-resolved dispute between Canada and the United States over meat labels. The protracted dispute dragged on for nearly 10 years and was only resolved after the World Trade Organization said Canada could impose retaliatory tariffs against the United States if the policy was repealed.

Bernier held a press conference in Ottawa Tuesday morning and called for Canada’s supply management system to be reformed.

Canada, he said, should adopt an Australian reform model, which would be carried out over five to 10 years and involve a temporary levy on supply-managed products to compensate farmers for the value of their production quota.

Bernier estimated the value of that quota at somewhere between $18 and $28 billion dollars.

On Wednesday, Fast said as minister he’d seen figures that pegged quota value between $25 billion to $45 billion. Those figures, he said, included quota values for both the dairy and feather industries.

Fast is not the only Conservative MP speaking out against Bernier’s proposal to eliminate Canada’s supply management system.

Quebec MP Luc Berthed told reporters Tuesday that he could not back Bernier’s candidacy because of his position on supply management.

“At the moment, candidates who want to attack supply management will not receive my support,” Berthed said in French.

Conservative leadership candidate Michael Chong also said Tuesday he would defend the system.

Some 2,000 dairy farmers are expected to gather on Parliament Hill Thursday afternoon for a national rally on dairy industries.

With files from BJ Siekierski