Yes, but in order for the money that the government invests in agriculture to be spent properly, it needs to be spent in line with other priorities as well. I can tell you that the need to adapt to federal programs has meant that years have been practically wasted because of the energy and money spent in tweaking some of the programs so that producers could receive money. But the objectives were the same.
I remember certain situations, including the one with the farm business advisory services. Quebec has worked very hard in the farm management area to put systems in place that work well. The intention behind the federal farm assessment program was good but for some producers it created duplication. There was no added value as a result of the funding. If the program had complemented what Quebec was already doing, the results would have been different.
Regarding the Canadian Farm Families Options Program, I have to say that we received the news yesterday. It is quite different from what we had in mind. We want producers to be able to earn a farm income separate from their family income. We do not want government, through their agricultural departments, to get involved in family income; they should stick to the farm side. We want farms to be viable and profitable through their production. The family income will then follow.
These are substantial amounts of money, after all. It was announced yesterday that the money would no longer be available or the criteria would be stricter for new businesses. Richard mentioned earlier that there needs to be a more concerted approach and more sharing in order to identify needs and policies. We agree that there is a need for this kind of Pan-Canadian approach, but we want the federal and provincial funding efforts to complement each other. William talked about flexibility, and that is really what people are looking for and demanding. The rest will follow.