Yes. As I say, this is my first time to a committee. However, I've been involved in the risk management advisory committee in B.C. and the first of the federal consultations this spring.
We always talk about changes to the program, and I wonder if someone could explain the height of your mandate to me. What can we request changes to? In my estimation, with changing AgriStability a little bit this way or that...I've been involved in those discussions for a decade in the tree fruit business.
I don't think that's where the solution is for the future. I think the solution is to realize that according to the federal government's presentation in the spring, since 1973 we've had steadily declining real farm margins. Only those commodities that are low-cost producers in the world are viable under your tests.
You have to look a little further out and ask, is this the type of program you really want to do? Do you want to put in a safety-net program that takes out a little bump in the road, or do you want to start strengthening agriculture in general?
That's a budget question. You've got real limitations under this program, budget-wise. You can't just change the program. You're taking money out of one commodity's pocket and putting it in another.
Where is that ceiling on suggestions for change you're willing to see?