Mr. Speaker, the hon. member for Palliser is once again dead wrong on his interpretation of what he thinks he heard during the 1993 election. Certainly the Reform Party never ever said that there would not be programs in place to keep the field level for international competition between our farmers and other farmers. That misrepresentation is just the same as when the NDP goes around trying to say that the Reform Party will get rid of medicare or health care, that it will wreck health care and it will be gone forever.
We all ran in the last election. NDP members went around saying that kind of garbage and the voters sent back 60 Reformers and 18 or 19 NDPers. I do not think the interpretation of the Reform platform in the last election, or in the election of 1993, contributed in any what whatsoever to the Liberal government taking virtually all the domestic support away from the farmers of Canada.
Certainly the government is trying to replace it now on the same old ad hoc basis it has been using since the start of Confederation. When there is a problem it tries to figure out something in a hurry. It comes up with details and criteria which do not work because it has not had time to put any thought into it.
Reform is saying “Mr. and Mrs. Voter, give us a chance and we will come up with the long term programs”. We will make sure that Canada can compete with other countries around the world. We will free Canadians so they can do business without as much government interference.
I would invite everyone to compare the NDP platform with what we have done here in Ottawa on behalf of farmers.
Reform is way ahead in asking questions in the House on agriculture. When I look at the opportunity to use supply day motions to discuss agriculture issues, Reform is way ahead. Which party was it that moved for an emergency debate on the grain handlers crisis? It was Reform. The Reform Party got the debate going, but then we learned that a settlement had been reached during the debate.
That is the kind of action we need in Ottawa. Reformers take the bull by the horns and show all other opposition parties, including the NDP, what can be done in moving this country forward.