Madam Speaker, I listened to the comments of the member of the New Democratic Party. I am somewhat upset that he took the easy way out in the sense of simply turning his guns on the Americans and blaming them for everything that has transpired. I think we could get into a long debate about whether that is the proper way to go and the proper way to try to get the border open at this point.
He talked about taking a tough line with the Americans. One would not have to take a long look at the balance of trade to see who ultimately would end up getting hurt the most. However I understand that sentiment because I hear it in my riding, as I am sure the member does in his. It is being expressed by a lot of people who are hurting right now.
I want to very briefly say that one of the truly terrific things that has come of this crisis in our beef industry is the response by the Canadian public. It is just incredible what we have seen unfold from coast to coast to coast in Canada.
Beef consumption has shot up dramatically as people recognize that our beef is safe in Canada, unlike a lot of other countries that suffered through something similar when mad cow disease was found in their herds. Their public basically did not support their farmers. That has not happened in Canada. It is quite the opposite in fact. I would suggest that if the government provided even half of the support that the general public is showing to our beef industry, our industry would not be facing the problems that it is.
The member spoke very eloquently about some of the harm he has seen in his riding being done to very real people who have worked real hard over a lot of years to build up their farms and their businesses, whether it is a trucking business that hauls live livestock, or whether it is the farms, or the packing houses and the people who are employed there. There is a lot of hurt all across the nation.
I would put to the member that the proper place to point the finger is across the way. The deterioration we have seen in the relationship between our country and the Americans is playing itself out to the detriment of our beef industry. I would offer those comments to my colleague.