Mr. Speaker, I do not know if the word “double-talk” is allowed in the House. However, since the member used it, let me be very clear that there is no double-talk on this side of the House. The double-talk is coming from that side of the House. We just had an example of it. That member has stood up as if the federal government on its own can do away with the CAIS deposit. The member knows, or if he does not know he should, that it cannot. It is by federal provincial agreement.
Why did the government vote against the motion? Because the Conservative motion was one of misrepresentation of the facts. The government does not have the authority on its own to do away with the CAIS deposit.
However, we have made a commitment in the budget, which I outlined earlier in my remarks. We will move to do away with the CAIS deposit. We will be in discussions with the provinces to do that. The member has the government's commitment. That is what farmers asked for and that is what we are committed to do. We have seen a lot of smoke and mirrors from over there.
The member talked about money going to Newfoundland and Labrador or to Atlantic Canada. If the member had listened to my remarks, he would have heard that the largest commitment ever in the history of Canada to the primary producers came from the federal government; $4.8 billion in 2003. It is probably $4.9 billion in 2004. That is the kind of commitment the government has given. The problem and the reality is, although the other side does not want to admit it, the marketplace is not working for producers. We have to try to work together to change that, and we will.
For heavens sake, do not say we are not committed. The biggest financial commitment ever made to the farming community was by this government.