Mr. Speaker, today we are to be debating the farm income crisis and not slamming each other around, party against party. We are all supposed to be doing what we can for the farmers.
I got one little hint of a positive comment from the member. He was talking of diversification in agriculture. Certainly that is one of the areas in which farm incomes can be raised.
When it comes to the Canadian Wheat Board, the member must be reminded that the wheat board only operates under the confines of federal legislation that restricts farmers from selling wheat and barley on export except through the board.
If in the case of prairie pasta producers, farmers were able to increase their incomes selling durum wheat by value adding it into a pasta type product, would the member support having a voluntary wheat board? It would allow growers of various crops to value add to their crops in conjunction and in co-operation with fellow farmers of the same attitude. Would he support a voluntary wheat board to promote this diversification in western agriculture?