Madam Speaker, when I asked the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food how he would transfer the money for farmers in crisis from the cabinet table to the kitchen table, he responded by saying “All the money will go through the process and the farmers will get it”. Unfortunately, the process the minister has faith in does not work and the money has not flowed to the farmers.
Fifty-nine per cent of Manitoba farmers who applied for AIDA were rejected. Close to 3,000 claims remain unprocessed. How can the minister believe that his process is working? Three-quarters of the AIDA money is still in government coffers and not in the hands of farmers.
Farmers in my riding are crying for help. They are farmers like Phil Lewis from Minnedosa who said “AIDA is a wild card and banks do not like it”. He has had 900 unseeded acres this year.
David Hamlin from Miniota said “We have been farming since 1972 on a family farm established since 1910. I will have to go out and get a job to stay afloat”.
Dorothy Andrew from Rossburn, Manitoba said “Another machinery dealer was here today and he wasn't here to offer a decrease in the payments on the machinery”.
Walter Stadnyk of Grandview said “Our forefathers worked hard to create the family farm. My two sons want to farm but won't be able to. It cost me $500 to fill out the AIDA forms and I was rejected”.
Maggie Creber from Newdale said “We the farmers are in trouble. We have no crops in and what was seeded at this date has very little chance to be a good crop. We are looking for aid and we shouldn't have to beg for it”.
George Guley of Ethelbert said “AIDA does not work”. He did not qualify and he cannot get work. What are producers like him expected to do?
Cam Flett from Angusville said “Many of your government grants are a terrible waste of money. The plight of farmers, health care and education are far more important and should be recognized as such”.
Ross Matheson from Decker, Manitoba said “No farmer wants to have to beg our government for subsidies, but the economics producers face are seemingly impossible”.
Herbert Christian from Kenville said “The AIDA formula does not recognize the extreme need of farmers who have had depressed incomes for several years”.
I end by saying that John Puchailo from Grandview said that he is afraid that there will be a full-blown civil revolution to clean out the government because it just does not listen or care about the west.
There is no doubt that farmers in Dauphin—Swan River and in the west need help. We need to take away the politics. Let us help those Canadians who need help. Premier Romanow and Premier Doer came to Ottawa asking for help and were denied. What will it take for this Liberal government to help the farmers in crisis?