Mr. Speaker, I will speak on this motion soon, but I could not help but react to the parliamentary secretary's comments that our farmers are in good shape going into this crisis. He is certainly living in a different world from where I live. He quoted NISA as the answer. Perhaps his part of the country is different, but in mine the average NISA account will not pay the fertilizer or chemical bill for one year. In my part of the world farmers when they have a good year invest it in their operation to improve it and not into an RRSP for their retirement.
The member talked about the advanced payment scheme as a safety net program. What good is an advanced payment scheme when the cost of the commodity they are selling is lower than the cost of production?
I cannot believe this member would stand there and throw out these systems in place as the answer or even anywhere near the answer to the problems facing agriculture. Farmers are are producing hogs at $30 less than the cost of production. How will those programs help those farmers?