Mr. Speaker, I would like to point out how the Government of Canada works with the provinces to help farmers manage the risks inherent in agriculture.
Last year, the Government of Canada committed a maximum of $1.1 billion for 1998 and 1999 to help farmers deal with the revenue crisis.
On January 13, our government announced additional spending of up to $500 million a year for two years to establish a new shared cost national disaster relief program.
As we can see, the Government of Canada is acting effectively and creatively to help Canadian producers and ensure a quality of life for them.