Mr. Chair, I sit on the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food and our first business at the committee was to study the business risk management programs because they are not working or helping farmers. Just as we were starting the study, it was shut down because of COVID-19.
My concern is that during the pandemic, Minister Bibeau had stated several times that an agricultural community can apply for the various BRM programs for financial help. These are the same programs that the ag committee was studying because they are not working.
If the BRM programs weren't helping farmers before COVID-19 and farmers now are in even greater financial need, why does the minister believe these programs would help farmers now?