Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Just concerning the point on supply management, I think it should be noted that one of our biggest obstacles, in terms of the WTO and supply management and giving other countries ammunition to work against us, is coming from Canadian farm groups themselves.
The reality is that the view of the general public out there and of some organizations that don't give a damn about supply management is that we're protectionist.
The fact of the matter is, we allow more access into the Canadian market for dairy, poultry, and eggs than the Americans do into their market. We're not protectionist; they are. We provide access; we want to do it in a regulated way. We provide more access into our market than the U.S. does.
So why don't the groups that are opposed talk about that in terms of market access, rather than the kinds of things we're seeing in Geneva? I think the way we operate in Geneva is terrible, to be honest, especially with CAFTA going over there and talking against us.
On the pork situation here, we've had the same thing in both beef and pork in P.E.I., actually. Maple Leaf has closed down a plant. We worked out a deal where the plant has now been purchased by pork producers.
In Saskatchewan, where is WED—Western Economic Diversification? Why are they not involved in assisting you in terms of purchase of this plant or building a new one?
I'm just going to ask a series of questions and then go to answers.
Second to that, is there any indication—and the big thing you hit on, Neil, is the marketing of your product—that Maple Leaf is trying to sew up the supermarket shelves, in terms of shelf space or freezer space? These guys are brutal, to be honest with you. Are they trying to sew that up?
On the other issues, in terms of looking at business risk management we have to be much more strategic about it than we are. For instance, in the United States and many other countries around the world, they don't pay the inspection costs the way we do.
They're GATT green; why is the Government of Canada not paying those inspection costs? They're GATT green; they're not a trade impediment.
It's the same with on-farm food safety programs. I forget who mentioned it—I don't know whether it was Wayne or Mark—but it's the same thing there. The federal government could assist in terms of the non-food, under the guise of a green program. Should we be looking at some of those areas?
I really think we have to look completely differently at how we're doing this thing. The Americans are getting away with murder in terms of funding; we're not. We have to restructure how we look at the thing.
Those are the questions for the moment.