First of all, I want to thank you all for taking time out of your schedules to inform us. What's important is that what we learn from you is turned into policy and law and that this is not just an exercise in public relations on the part of politicians to give the impression that they're listening, when they're not going to do something about it.
Gwen, we've heard the same from many people: young farmers are discouraged by their parents from getting into farming. I have heard some compelling statements over the last week.
I come from a corporate background, but I am now convinced that we're living in denial if we don't think these programs are designed to ultimately force some form of consolidation into bigger and bigger monopolies. We're heading in that direction to the point where rural Canada, as was said the other day, is going to becoming a ghost town. We have to change it, as Fred has said, from the ground up and not just deal with the symptoms.
The Competition Act is designed to prohibit companies from collaborating and setting prices. It's not designed to keep monopolization in the sector. It's not like in the United States.
I'm wondering if you would say, those of you who are willing to speak, that the big corporations, the processors, and the grocers are controlling the amount of revenue getting down to the actual producers. Are you of the opinion that it's at the point where the Competition Act needs to be amended to break up these monopolies and break up these two or three larger corporations that are controlling this?
Would anyone like to comment on that?
I see Ian and Fred...all of you.
Okay, go ahead.