Mr. Speaker, over 100 farmers showed up at a meeting in my riding this week to show protest, concern and disgust at the lack of concern by the government in dealing with the farm crisis.
The family farm is in jeopardy. That means that small towns across the prairies are in trouble and that businesses and farms which families built up over two and three generations are likely to disappear.
The Canadian Wheat Board came under universal condemnation. It is an organization which is completely failing farmers today. I heard how the wheat board prevented a 200,000 tonne export shipment of canola from being realized. I heard how the wheat board is more concerned about orderly marketing than maximizing revenue to the farmer.
There is no justice in a wheat board that is answerable to no one, has a monopoly on western wheat and barley, and fails miserably in its obligation to serve the farmer. While every farmer was concerned about whether he could survive, there was universal agreement that the Canadian Wheat Board should not survive.