Mr. Speaker, if we listen to the conversation in the Liberal Party we would think there is nothing wrong with our farming communities and farm families.
Unfortunately the fact is that farmers are in a crisis and need help now. They do not need further consultation with industry leaders and Liberal backbenchers or government people. They need emergency assistance now, and not just on the prairies but from coast to coast to coast.
The hon. member mentioned that some industries and some parts of the farming practices were doing well. I remind him that the farmers and agricultural producers of the Annapolis Valley, as well as the Hants East area and the Musquodoboit Valley in my area, are suffering due to weather droughts and everything else that is happening.
Members of the federal government are downloading responsibility on to the backs of the provinces. It is similar to what they did in health care. It is similar to what they did in the fishing industry.
We do not have a national agricultural policy. That is one of the main reasons we have such a crisis today. If the government had paid attention to rural Canadians and their needs, we would not be having this discussion today.