Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Thank you, gentlemen, for coming here today.
Mr. Steckle talked about how we've spun our wheels. It takes me back, Darcy, to a comment you made, and I think I heard you right, that you seem to be opposed to a NISA-like program.
We've had a supposedly national farm organization, which represents all sectors of agriculture, that has asked for a NISA-like—or at least a top-up kind of thing. To me, as a farmer and as a politician, it's one of the reasons, as Paul pointed out, why we've spun our wheels. I really think it's that way. I'm a big proponent of one voice for agriculture. I would think there'd be many more. We have every sector fighting each other. It's that old conquer and divide thing. I honestly believe that until we get together and put aside our differences and come out with one voice aimed at government, we're never really going to get rid of all that spinning. That's more of a comment.
Let's go back to the food tax, Mr. Preugschas, just for information. I had a recent mail-out--we call them householders--that went out to all the people in the riding. One question I had on there, and the results are just coming in, so they're very preliminary, was whether people would support a food tax specifically to fund agriculture. I didn't add in the eco part of it. I never thought of it, to be honest with you. But the results, initially, weren't as positive as I thought they would be. I honestly believed, with the importance people put on food, that it would have been fairly strong. But I'll wait until all the results are in.
Another thing I think we've spun our wheels on is truth in labelling the country of origin. I think that as a sector, the beef industry in Canada, which I'm part of, has fought this. Obviously, Mr. Preugschas, you're against that. I think it's going to happen, and rather than fighting it, we should make sure it's done in the right way.
Our food in Canada is second to no one's, unless maybe the Japanese, and I'm not even convinced of that. Europeans and Canadians are very close to the Japanese in how fussy we are as eaters. I think it's going to get better, and I think there are benefits there.
One other point you made and that I'd like to hear you comment on a little more is the acreage payment. If you grow your own feed for hogs or for any other livestock industry, you have a chance to get that. If you choose to buy it, you don't. I'm just pointing it out, more than anything. Are you really a farmer if you're purchasing all your feed? Of course you are, on one hand, but on the other, I think there generally has to be something where you should be producing some of your own costs.
I'll throw those out to hear some comments about them.