Mr. Chair, absolutely.
The COVID-19 pandemic has forced three-quarters of the wineries in the Niagara region to lay off staff. Half of them have been temporarily closed because of their operations. This is about to get worse with the loss of the excise exemption, creating a bigger crisis for the entire Canadian wine industry.
The proposed wine growers' value-add program is trade legal and would provide immediate support at little additional cost. Will the government agree to implement this program?