Thank you.
Mr. Loewen, you mentioned we need to improve our worker programs, whether it's in the fruit industry, the horticulture industry, or the nursery industry. Right now it's difficult because you can't expect our producers to pay top wages. It's not realistic to expect to pay a “union” wage, because of the revenue. Obviously if there are not enough local people we have to import workers, and we have mechanisms and programs for that.
I've been thinking about this, and if we really want to encourage Canadians to work in our agriculture industry, should there be some kind of program of cooperation between private industry and government, whereby government might assist in paying the wages of young people specifically? If somebody wants to learn about the nursery industry, has finished university, but can't get by on $8 an hour, should there be some kind of cooperation or program? Then this person could make a decent wage and gain experience, you could hire locally, we would move on, and everybody would benefit.