Madam Speaker, last Friday disgruntled Ontario farmers and rural landowners shut down a portion of Highway 401. The demonstration, dubbed the Rural Revolution, was aimed at delivering a message to all levels of government to stop intrusive legislation and enshrine property rights in our Constitution.
Western Canadian farmers would agree. The Endangered Species Act, cruelty to animals legislation and the national firearms registry are just a few examples of this government's total disregard and disrespect for farmers and rural landowners in this country.
Very little or no consideration is ever given to the way these intrusive and costly measures affect rural Canadians. There are enough natural disasters, such as BSE, the drought and the avian flu, plaguing our farmers. We certainly do not need any more government-made crises.
I therefore implore the government to ensure that all legislation and policies are closely analyzed for their impact on agriculture and rural Canada.