Thank you, Mr. Chair, and thanks for the opportunity to be here.
I think it's a good opportunity to bring forward something that's timely for not only this committee but also others with regard to non-tariff barriers that are put in front of Canadian businesses, and in this case a number of different independent members of the canola industry. I think that's where there is some government responsibility to act.
The suggestion to bring in the appropriate ministers fits within some of the things that need to be looked at. The non-tariff barriers affect everything, but we have a supply chain that needs to be looked at as well if alternative markets need to be considered in this.
As well, if government policy has impacted the market.... They have had a lot of investment. This is no accident and it's been well spoken to in terms of the planning and production with regard to not only the planting but also penetrating the market to be successful. You can't just flip that around rather quickly. In fact, the supply chain elements remind me of the auto industry that was active and engaged, because in terms of the standards and quality expectations, there is very little forgiveness.
I think a lot of Canadians would be sympathetic to the plight of these people. It's not just a matter of doing something different really quickly, and I don't think we want to. We have actually invested and strategically come into an industry that we can be proud of. We hope the government's reaction to this will be unified and will support our farmers at the end of the day. If some subsequent action needs to take place, it affects everything from borrowing and lending, and it affects equipment that's been purchased and mortgaged and amortized, as well as food safety in this country, in terms of planning.
I think this is a good start and I think a lot of industries would be very sympathetic, because it's not just a simple matter of getting something from the ground to somebody else across the world really simply. This is a fully engaged industry that we should be proud of.