Mr. Speaker, I will sharing my time with another member.
It is a pleasure to take part in the debate. While my colleagues are, quite rightly, addressing what the government is doing for farmers, I will speak about our commitment to the rural communities that are so much a part of our great agri-food sector and many other sectors.
Rural Canada is the backbone of the country. Rural Canada is home to about one in three Canadians. It is the small towns, villages, outports and aboriginal communities that together form the backbone of the country. Rural communities may depend on fishing, tourism, manufacturing or resource based industries for employment, but in many parts of Canada agriculture is the cornerstone of the rural economy of an area.
As the farm goes so go the implement dealer, the seed and fertilizer merchant, the co-op, indeed the whole town, and often right back to the steel mills. Income earned on the farm ends up paying for the health, education, recreation and cultural services that healthy communities need. When the farm sector is in financial difficulty the whole community suffers.
Right now in a number of regions in Canada farm families are having financial problems. Some of them are brought on by local droughts, floods and other climatic problems. Other farm families are suffering because of the depressed prices caused by international trade issues. Individual farmers have no control over these problems.
As others in the House have mentioned, the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food has been working within Canada to shore up our domestic farm safety net programs. He has been working on the international stage as well to get rid of the production distorting subsidies that are driving prices down. In addition, the federal government is providing support to the agricultural sector through its $60 million a year CARD fund, the Canadian adaptation and rural development fund. In so doing we are also supporting rural communities that depend on the sector.
Some of the support is helping farmers directly in acquiring new production and marketing techniques. Other support is helping develop management skills that can be transferred to off farm activities and contribute to the capacity of a community to engage in other economic activities beyond primary agriculture.
Farm safety programming and leadership skills developed for farming are examples of initiatives that provide significant benefits to world communities. The adaptation programming provided by CARD not only strengthens farms and food enterprises but enhances the role individuals in the agri-food sector play in their communities.
Beyond strictly agricultural related programs the federal framework for action in rural Canada has been developed, laying out an approach for the government to follow in its support of rural communities and the sectors that sustain them. This framework draws on the programs and services available through other federal departments and agencies. The government is looking at how we can bring together a range of activities to help the farm sector at this time of need.
In three consecutive throne speeches our government has stated its commitment to a rural Canada made up of vibrant communities and a sustainable resource base. With rural Canadians themselves in the lead we are building a rural Canada where residents have access to the tools, information and skills they need to make informed decisions and to take full advantage of the opportunities for personal community development, a rural Canada where citizens have access to science and technology, infrastructure and services to be full partners in Canada's knowledge based community and society.
Two weeks ago the governor general put some more flesh on commitments that will help bring rural Canada into the 21st century. First, the government will harness the energy and the knowledge of our youth, both rural and urban, to help connect rural and urban communities to the information highway. This is part of an overall commitment to a knowledge based economy where distance is less of a taboo. Distance will not be a barrier in the future. In the words of the governor general, technology enables urban and rural Canadians from the Atlantic to the west to the north to compete globally. In five years we will be the most connected nation in the world.
It is not just the high technology that will empower the economy of the new century. We will also need the physical infrastructure to move people and goods. The federal government will also work with the provinces and the private sector to develop and implement a five year plan to improve our infrastructure in small, remote and rural communities as well as in all cities. I am sure that very popular upcoming program will have the support of all members of the House.
These are very tangible commitments for Canadians living in rural remote communities. They fit into a pattern that the government has been following since it took office. We have steadily focused on making sure that rural Canadians share in the benefits of being part of this great country. After all, they helped make it great.
In August the Prime Minister appointed a Secretary of State for World Development. Again I thank the Prime Minister for the great vision he shared with us. This appointment serves as a strong signal of the importance the government attaches to rural Canada.
The government has also developed the rural lens to make sure the impact of policies and programs for rural Canadians has been given full consideration at all levels of the decision making process.
One size does not fit all when it comes to developing policy in Canada. The Secretary of State for Rural Development will have an opportunity with his cabinet colleagues to ensure the rural lens is being applied when policy discussions take place and the challenges and priorities of rural Canadians are understood and taken into account both in our current initiatives and in our long term planning.
Another important element of the government's work in rural Canada is to ensure rural Canadians see tangible results. We have already started to do some very specific work at the community level by introducing a number of pilot projects across the country. So far the Government of Canada has invested $3.8 million through Canadian rural partnership to initiate 68 pilot projects all over Canada. The CRP funds allowed project proponents to lever another $10 million from other federal departments and various other sources.
One project in Saskatchewan, for example, is aimed at developing and implementing an alternative to the current grain handling system to generate more returns for producers. The government is now assessing proposals for a second round of pilot projects. I am certain it will find other gems to enable rural Canadians to continue to make a valuable contribution to Canada's future successes.
Beyond the CRP pilot projects the Government of Canada has also made great strides in rural communities with the community access program, SchoolNet, Community Futures Development Centres and Health Canada's office of rural health where Dr. John Wooten is the chief executive director.
The government believes that the choice to live in rural Canada should not be a choice that results in reduced citizenship rights. Simply because people live in rural Canada does not mean they should have to put up with an inferior level of health care, an inferior level of social safety nets or inferior access to government services.
Rural Canada is the backbone of a large part of our economic wealth. It is a great place and full of great energy and ingenuity. The resources of the producers of fine food are shared with all Canadians. Healthy rural communities are essential to a healthy agricultural food sector. The government is working to build a strong foundation that will ensure the future of both the sector and rural Canada as a whole.
I call on all members of parliament to work with us to make the future as bright as it can possibly be. The Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-food has played a very important role. Members of the committee from all five parties have worked very hard and very well together. We have much left to do. I ask for all people to co-operate and work together.