Mr. Speaker, farmers are currently suffering one of the worst financial crunches in years. It is through no fault of their own. They have followed prudent management but they do not have the tools to compete fairly with other countries.
As a result other players in the industry are starting to feel the aftershocks of the farm income crisis. Particularly I am speaking of the fertilizer industry.
Farmers will have no choice but to drastically cut back on their input costs by whatever means they can. This means other industry stakeholders will be at risk, not only the primary producers.
This, combined with the government's hasty environmental commitments at Kyoto, will greatly affect the fertilizer industry. A carbon tax would be deadly.
If our domestic industry faces a greater burden than foreign competitors we will not remain competitive. That can translate into fewer jobs, fewer jobs in my riding and across the country.
Perhaps it is time for Canada to stop playing the boy scout and develop a plan that will not put our domestic industry at risk.
I would also like to welcome members from the Canadian fertilizer industry in the gallery this afternoon.