Mr. Speaker, the Government of Canada has significant programs in place in conjunction with the provinces, most particularly the province of Ontario, to encourage agricultural production away from tobacco through our tobacco diversification program.
Since the implementation of the tobacco diversification program in 1987, the number of flue cured tobacco producers in Canada has decreased by some 44 per cent and the number of producers of burley, pipe and and cigar tobacco has decreased by about 80 per cent. It is obvious the program is working.
Nevertheless it must be noted that tobacco production is legal in Canada and tobacco producers must be treated fairly along with all other Canadian farmers. If the hon. gentleman holds a different point of view, I suggest he go to Delhi, Ontario, in the constituency represented by the chairman of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Agriculture and explain to the farmers of Delhi his views with respect to tobacco production and what he would do to compensate the farmers for the kinds of losses he is proposing.