I'd like to get to another question, Mr. Minister.
You mentioned a number of things that are not in the response to the task force report. I refer you to that task force report, because we don't seem to be able to get anyone to refute these numbers from the Canadian Wheat Board. So I think they stand as true.
In your message from the minister in your estimates report, you say that the productivity growth from the farm sector far surpasses other sectors of the economy and has done so for decades. That's true. Every factor of productivity is positive, whether it's production per acre, production per unit, or production per cow--every factor, that is, except net farm income. On that one, we all know that farmers are taking the brunt, and prices over the last number of years have never been worse. The grain sector is up a little this year.
The Prime Minister in the House committed to go to cost of production. On the other hand, you made the statement that going to cost of production is too expensive. Who's right? The fact of the matter is that given the loss of the WTO, if the Canadian government doesn't provide support on a commodity-by-commodity basis equivalent to the United States levels, including in the biofuels industry, our farmers are not going to be in the game.
Is your government willing to commit here today to first do as the Prime Minister said he would and commit to cost of production; and two, at least meet equivalent levels of the United States so our farmers can stay in this business until we get some sense of it at the World Trade Organization negotiations?