Mr. Speaker, in September American farmers and politicians shut down the borders. They accused the Canadian Wheat Board of illegally dumping Canadian grain. They accused Canadian farmers of being subsidized by the Canadian Wheat Board. What did the responsible minister say? Don't worry, be happy; it is nothing but an election stunt.
It is time to worry. The Americans were dead serious then and they are dead serious now. On December 6 American farmers and ranchers from Minnesota to Washington state are planning another blockade. They are demanding an audit of the Canadian Wheat Board to prove that it is illegally dumping Canadian grain. They are demanding country of origin labelling on our agriculture products. They are demanding a moratorium on all grain and livestock imports.
These are not election stunts. These border closings are making a bad, critical situation worse for our Canadian farmers. How many more border closures will we see before this government gets serious about helping our farmers in Canada and at the international trading tables?