Mr. Speaker, today's issue of the Western Producer reported the statistics on AIDA payouts to date. In Alberta 88% of payouts were made. In British Columbia the figure is 98%. No one will be surprised to hear that these two provinces manage their own programs. In Manitoba and Saskatchewan the Liberal government is in charge. Well, sort of. Payouts there are 44% and 43% respectively.
The Saskatchewan agricultural sector, which is the hardest hit in Canada, is reeling from years of low prices, high input costs, high taxes, weak-kneed interventions at the World Trade Organization, and it has no friends in this Liberal administration. Events have shown that western interests are of no interest at all to this government. The agriculture minister promised money to get the crop in. Now it is off and 57% of Saskatchewan farmers still have not seen any money.
Saskatchewan voters will deliver an indictment on this smug Liberal government through the Saskatoon—Rosetown—Biggar byelection. We cannot wait.