Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.
Finally we get to the bottom it; Mr. Easter is just happy to get out of his riding.
Mr. Chair, we brought CFIA officials here today to tell the truth and get to the bottom of this story. We have officials here to talk about the modernization and innovation this government has brought to food inspection. This committee knows full well about the movement we've made on food labelling after 13 years of non-action. These are the kinds of things our government has led, and we've been up front and honest every step of the way. As a matter of fact, the Liberal committee members complained we were doing it too quickly and taking away their political hay.
What we should be doing today, Mr. Chair, is getting to the truth, and the truth lies in hearing witnesses and testimony from people in the know. The opposition seems hesitant to do that. They're scared to hear anything other than their fear-mongering.
If Mr. Easter and Mrs. Bennett want to talk about downloading to farmers, I can tell you that I come from rural Canada and I haven't been Ottawashed yet, Mr. Easter. I still represent my riding. You and I both know, and so does Mr. Boshcoff, because he was quoted as saying it this year, that your green tax is going to be a $15 billion redistribution from rural Canada to Stéphane Dion and his priorities.
You're unhappy with tax cuts. You're unhappy with looking after the middle class. This green shift, this so-called green tax you talk about, has nothing to do with the environment and everything to do with increasing costs on rural Canadians.