Mr. Chair, as the member for Leeds—Grenville, I have a riding that is heavily dependent on supply management. We have the largest egg producer in Canada in our riding as well as many dairy farms. A lot of our economy in Leeds—Grenville is dependent upon supply management.
I just want to get it on the record that I am a former member of the Canadian Alliance and I was a strong member of the supply management system. I find it a little disingenuous from folks on the other side who seem to talk a lot about their support for supply management, but when the rubber hits the road, when they go to the trade negotiations, they do not instruct their trade negotiators to stand up for this system.
The farmers in my riding are always on edge that the system will disappear. There are concerns right now with the butter, sugar and oil blends and the imports of caseins and caseinates. The numbers now are having a major impact on our dairy industry in Canada.
Why does the member for Timmins—James Bay, my good friend, think his coalition partners on the other side are not standing up and asking for the invocation of article XXVIII? The minister told us that he is not interested in symbolism. However, when the rubber hits the road, when the negotiations are going on at the trade negotiations, Canada's interests are not being protected.