Good evening, everyone.
I'd like to thank the witnesses and the ministers for being here.
Not surprisingly, I am going to address Minister Bibeau once again.
Ms. Bibeau, I want to come back to the ratification of the Canada-US-Mexico Agreement, or CUSMA. Today, dairy producers and processors issued a news release reminding us that they had received a formal promise that CUSMA would not come into force before August 1. However, a few days ago we all learned that it will take effect on July 1.
The producers are anticipating significant losses. Once again the dairy industry is being sacrificed repeatedly, and we could have waited a few days before ratifying the agreement. I am telling you this because I want to talk about compensation. An initial instalment was made to dairy producers. In general, however, promises are made, commitments are made, but the producers have not seen the money they were promised.
In the current context and with the motion we passed on March 13, you now have the opportunity to release funds and provide compensation for 2020 and 2021 to supply-managed sectors that were sacrificed in trade agreements. Do you intend to do that?