Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food knows that most of the 500,000 government and taxpayer dollars resulting from one mad cow went to Alberta feedlot operators. It helps explain why farmers in other provinces are beginning to liquidate a portion of their herd. In fact, a former agricultural economist and current leader of the Alberta Liberal Party said:
This program has to be the worst thought-out support program of all of the ag support programs I have studied in 35 years of ag policy work.
Why did the minister sign on to such a flawed, inequitable program that benefits a fortunate few at the expense of so many cattle producers?