I'll speak very strongly in favour of the motion. Clearly what we had in the original statement from Minister Emerson was a statement that obviously slipped by the message machinery of the Prime Minister's Office. We got some real facts in terms of where at least the Minister of International Trade stands on the issue of supply management.
As we can see from the government's attack on the Wheat Board, if you apply marketing choice to orderly marketing, then the same principle will eventually apply to supply management marketing choice, and if people requested the right to market on their own, as some are doing under orderly marketing through the Canadian Wheat Board, that same principle, no doubt, would apply to supply management.
What we've seen from Minister Emerson is the straight facts in terms of where Minister Emerson, and probably the government, is really at. I know Michael mentioned the joint statement. Clearly the joint statement, from my reading of it, was something that probably was drafted in the PMO, and Minister Emerson was ordered to abide by it.
This is a critical issue for supply management producers in the country. Minister Emerson made the original statement. He didn't deny the facts of what was in The Western Producer. He did massage it a little bit in his second statement. I believe we have to hear from the minister directly. This is a very critical issue for dairy, poultry, turkey, and egg producers in this country, and it also outlines the government's intent of where it will go in the future. We need to hear from the minister.
I would suggest, André, that we need to put a qualifier in there of “as soon as possible”. What we'll likely get from this government is delay, delay, delay. I would suggest we need to look at it within 30 days.