Madam Speaker, I have been in the House for a little over 11 years, and I have never heard anything more duplicitous than the comments of the leader of the Bloc Quebecois.
That party, through its own choice, choosing its own time, knowing full well what else was going on, has decided to put a motion to the House criticizing the government about its agricultural policy. Then it has the audacity to suggest that I should not be in the House to debate and defend it. How duplicitous can one possibly be? The Bloc chose this date, it chose this motion and it chose what the subject would be here today. That is how duplicitous the member is across the way.
He says that there has been no additional support provided to agriculture over the last 10 years. Would he explain to the House, and to the producers who might be watching this, the $4.8 billion that was provided to producers in 2003, and $3 billion plus that have already been provided to producers in 2004? Would the hon. member please explain how that represents no assistance or a decline in assistance?