Thank you.
Hello, Minister.
Thank you for being here today on a call.
I was interested in your government's release on the $9 billion in student subsidies the Prime Minister announced a few days ago.
Regarding the supports for students, you said it was “a reflection of the central role they will play in ensuring that Canada emerges from these challenges stronger than ever.” I was very encouraged to hear your belief in the student population contributing to this response. I was an undergraduate not too long ago, and I can tell you I certainly would have appreciated the opportunity to contribute to this relief effort.
I also appreciated seeing in the media lately that you acknowledged that the agriculture and agri-food sectors are experiencing significant employment shortages, which, as I'm sure you know, threaten the food security of our country. I'm sure your constituents, my constituents, everyone's constituents have told us they're alarmed about the shortage of food on the shelves and the increases in prices, and we know how this ties into labour shortages on farms.
I'm also sure you've heard about the Conservative proposal to create a Canada summer jobs program specifically for agriculture to mobilize our healthiest, most able-bodied young people to work on farms and fill these critical shortages.
You have said that your plan will provide “Canadians and businesses in all sectors across the country with the help they need to get through the current challenge and position them for success as we emerge from the crisis.” With that being said—which seems like a reasonable response, and you strike me as a very reasonable person—it seems that you would be supportive of the initiative we announced. We would like to hear from the government about it. Can you comment on whether you will be supporting it?