I'll start with the progress. Minister Bibeau has been very responsive to our request, to the 11 organizations that signed the proposal. It's our understanding that conversations on the proposal are under way. However, as industry we're looking for some indication from ministers Qualtrough and Fraser that our proposal is being considered for action and for implementation in the immediate future. This is, again, a jurisdictional challenge.
Even after two months, we've yet to receive a definite response on the proposal. We are requesting that ministers Qualtrough and Fraser sit down with our associations to discuss the proposal and to immediately look at the measures that can be taken to address the labour risk within that component of our supply chain.
Although the food and beverage processing side of the business is only one of several sectors undergoing labour shortages, the government has identified our sector, which includes that component, as part of Canada's critical infrastructure during the pandemic. The inability to meet those labour needs, as we heard on the meat side and some of the other pieces, is affecting [Inaudible—Editor] animal welfare.