Mr. Speaker, I have letters from farmers desperate for assistance in the face of unfair foreign subsidized markets and unreliable, unfair agricultural policy from this government.
Craig Hanson is the type of university educated agricultural professional Canada wants and he has written the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food calling for action. He has done everything asked of him, yet he still faces financial ruin because of the government.
He, like other farmers, face a marketplace which moves a lot fast than government. They desperately need government to become much more efficient and responsive when dealing with their concerns. Time is their biggest enemy.
Murray Downing has proposed a sensible emergency cash advance program to meet these special needs. He and his fellow farmers want the minister to consult with them. They fear further closed door bureaucratic decisions that will not help. The government gives the impression the problem is resolved when it is not.
Farmers and rural citizens of all political persuasions are seeking a common sense approach and plead for the minister to listen.