Mr. Speaker, happy Food Freedom Day. It is kind of like tax freedom day except it pertains only to our food bill. If we put 100% of our total income toward our basic food requirements, today is the day we would have our yearly bill paid in full.
This day is possible because Canadians enjoy a safe and affordable food source produced by the Canadian farmer. Despite the fact that our farmers generate a safe and accessible product the portion of the bill that goes directly to them was paid in early January.
If we were to eat a meal worth $9.20 excluding tip in a restaurant, only 50 cents would go to pay the people who produce all the food. By comparison a respectable gratuity for the server on that same meal would be about $1.38.
To continue to have a reliable food supply our farmers need our support. I am calling upon every member of the House to support our primary producers with a lobby for cash. Let us make food freedom day a celebration for everyone in Canada.