Electoral Reform committee  Thank you. My name is Kate Storey. I come from Grandview, Manitoba, which is in the northwest of Manitoba. Thank you very much for coming here this afternoon. I'm going to tell you what the problem is. First past the post is broken, or at least, it's broken for me. I don't lik

Agriculture committee  It's just to address the consolidation concern that a young farmer can't compete. There's a price on quota. When you're buying quota, if a big farmer can take that quota, then the young farmer can't get into the market.

Agriculture committee  I'm sure it is, but it's an idea that I think needs to get out there. It's the same with AgriStability--a cap on the payment. I like your suggestion to not have public money go toward subsidies for public shareholder investment corporations. I think that's a splendid idea.

Agriculture committee  I think the issues are the same now as they were generations ago. It's competition and market access. The competition pressure is much higher to bear now and there are way fewer farmers to band together. Obviously, the cost of production is huge, but if you can't market what you

Agriculture committee  My definition is that it's owner-operated. The owner is in the barn or on the tractor at some point. There may be hired help and it may be a very large operation, but the owner is right there on the ground.

Agriculture committee  I think we're all addressing the cost of farming, because that's what we see most, and, of course, you're not asking about that; you're asking about trade. I think that Canada's value is in quality. We're not a low-cost supplier in any market, and now our dollar value has risen.

Agriculture committee  My name is Kate Storey. I'm a co-manager of my family's beef and grain farm here in Manitoba. I'm speaking on behalf of my son, who is a typical young farmer. He's 23 years old. He's built up some equity. He's engaged to be married, and he wants to farm. He'll be good at it, too