Canadian farmers are the most innovative in the world. They're more than capable of meeting our ethanol targets without affecting the amount of production that goes into food. We continue to invest in ways to increase the yields of Canadian land and in the next generation of ethanol production, such as cellulosic ethanol.
Canadian ethanol is produced from other crops, like wheat and canola, not just corn, so I'm not sure why the Bloc is singling out corn. We have also been encouraged internationally and by environmental groups to move forward on clean and renewable energy. Part of that renewable energy cycle is to renew the energy above the earth and stop taking fossil fuels from below the earth and introducing them into the atmosphere.
We've been challenged, we are taking action, and that real action is part of renewable fuels. The targets are realistic, and our plan for renewable fuels includes not just corn but many different items, such as canola and wheat--cellulosic ethanol. So we will not be supporting this.
The irony is that the NDP are now saying “Slow down the process; this is moving too quickly.” But weeks before that they were saying “Do things quickly. We've got to solve the problem with climate change.” We agree, and that is why the government is taking action. It's the right direction. I'm not sure why the Bloc is trying to jump in front of the parade and act like people are following them. This is a motion that does nothing. We need to move forward with clean energy.