Quebec has paid between five and seven billion dollars out of its own pocket in support of agriculture in Western Canada and the rest of Canada. If only Quebec farmers had benefited from such investments in their province, Quebec's agriculture would have been even stronger than it is, and that does not include the Crow rate, which cost the federal government between $600 million and $800 million a year. These
investments in western grain transportation were very discriminatory and they were made solely in favour of western farmers.
A quarter of that money came from Quebec and statistics show that, during the last 15 years, Quebec lost two billion dollars more. These are huge losses. When the federal government announces the elimination of the Crow rate and talks about a compensation package, it only has in mind western farmers, the constant winners for 15 years, with the grain subsidy and the unfair federal investments in agriculture. Quebec has always lost out. The unfairness is blatant, even more so when one recognizes that Quebec farmers earn on average about $25,000 for their very hard work.
A farmer can work up to 80 hours a week. He works the equivalent of two jobs for a total salary of $25,000. So, the 30 per cent cut in milk subsidies and the 15 per cent cut in farmers' revenues are a blow to milk producers. It is a blow because their revenues are not that high. The inequity is obvious and we have discussed the subject at length.
The overriding theme is that Quebec, in practically all areas, has always been subjected to this sort of unfairness. Even though the other members in this House will not admit it, Quebec has been a cash cow for the rest of Canada. This is obvious in every sector, whether it is the sale of goods and services, or the research sector. As regards the latter, over the last 15 years, Quebec has been getting, on average, 10 to 15 per cent of research investments. Ontario was the big winner, with an average of 50 per cent of the total federal assistance. Again, Quebec lost money.
I could give you a whole list of examples where Quebec was the loser, but I will stop here. At some point, Quebecers will have to put their foot down and say: "Enough is enough! We are fed up with these injustices".