Mr. Speaker, all members, urban and rural, know there is an income crisis in some sectors of agriculture for reasons that are beyond the control of our farmers.
I urge the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food to provide assistance directly to the farmers, especially the smaller scale farmers. I urge him to provide this assistance soon and in a creative way that lays the foundation for income safety nets of the future.
I realize that this is a federal and provincial matter and I urge the provinces to co-operate with our minister in his efforts to solve this problem, but the federal government should show leadership in this serious national matter.
Let us act now.