Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.
My motion is that:
The Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-food calls on the Federal Government to immediately implement an exit strategy for tobacco producers consistent with the most recent proposal they have submitted.
By way of background, I suspect this issue is familiar to committee members. About a year and a half ago, presenting before the committee were representatives of an organization called Tobacco Farmers in Crisis, representatives of the tobacco board, and some community members.
Australia and the United States have seen fit to implement a buyout or exit strategy for the tobacco producers in their countries. Probably most significantly, if there is a particularly unique factor that should compel the government to assist tobacco producers in a tangible fashion, it is the fact that an estimated 40% of tobacco consumed in Canada is contraband. There is no other commodity, to my knowledge, that faces such competition from a clearly illegal competitor.
The request of the tobacco producers is for a federal government fund of $275 million. They have reduced considerably their initial request. The tobacco producers are at the desperation point. As Mr. Preston and perhaps Mr. Miller know, some tobacco farmers have taken their own lives over the last several months. They are in very desperate straits.