Mr. Chair, my colleague talked about the Annapolis Valley. I like to think the best valley in Nova Scotia is the Musquodoboit Valley, but that is another point.
Before I start with him, I just want to reiterate some of the concerns I have with my Conservative colleagues on their conversion to the road to Damascus. Their current leader, between 1993 and 1997, voted for every cut to agriculture that was brought forward by the Liberals, supported by the Reform Party at that time and the current leader at that time. The former leader of the Saskatchewan Party, Elwin Hermanson, voted for every cut to agriculture that the Liberals presented, supported at that time by the Reform Party. They cut the Crow rate. The grain elevator reductions and everything the Liberals brought through for cuts in agriculture was supported by the Reform Party.
In fact we do not have to go far back. In 1997, in their platform book they advocated further cuts to the agriculture department of Canada. That was not the NDP. That was the Reform Party and the Conservatives of today.
When their senior trade critic was the president of the Canadian Agri-Food Trade Alliance, he denounced, not in these words, but criticized supply management and did not want farmers to be protectionist. Now CAFTA is complaining that the Conservatives, like the Liberals, are too afraid of losing dairy votes to stand up to a strong market access position that promises to break down all trade barriers including Canadian high tariff protection for the dairy, poultry and egg industries. Are the Conservatives afraid of CAFTA or are they afraid of the National Farmers Union?
They now have the member for Cypress Hills--Grasslands who said in this House that the Wheat Board was engaged in illegal and corrupt activities. The Wheat Board is a debatable thing. I understand the Conservatives have their view and we in the NDP have ours, but if a member of the Conservative Party is going to say that the Wheat Board is engaging in illegal and corrupt activities, that member should have the courage to stand outside beyond the curtain of immunity and say that outside in the lobby. Otherwise, it is a bunch of bunk, which is what we get from the Conservatives a lot of time.
They stand and complain that the $4.6 billion deal that the NDP made with the Liberal government did not have agriculture in it. I have represented many farms in Musquodoboit Valley. I grew up in western Canada, as the member may know, or he does not care to listen , but the fact is that farmers care about the environment, they care about educating their students and they care about homelessness.
We are going to work on agriculture. If they give us time that will be there as well. However the reality is that every morning when we have breakfast we should be thanking the farmers who get up and do the hard work that they do. We know that farming is one of the most dangerous occupations in the world today and for it not to be supported in any way, shape or form by any member of Parliament of any party is disrespectful and disgraceful.
The Liberal Party has been in government since 1993. A few years ago, when we had a farm lobby attend the NDP caucus, I spoke to a 12 year old boy outside of Prince Albert. I asked him if he would be a farmer and he said, “Absolutely not”. I asked him how many kids in his class of 23 students will take up agriculture as a livelihood. He said none. Why the hell would anyone get involved in that industry today? That is a shame.
We have lost thousands and thousands of farm families across the country, very similar, as the member from Digby knows quite well, to how many fishing families we have lost throughout the country. The agricultural and the fishing aspects of our rural parts of Canada are under severe attack and it is time the government, along with all members of Parliament from all parties, understand the serious nature that these people are in. They work every day to feed us and we should be doing everything in our power to be looking after them.
My only question to my hon. colleague from the great Annapolis Valley is this. Will he now tell the minister that if he is thinking about article XXVIII, that he should not think anymore, that he should stand and tell the farmers who are watching this debate that he will indeed invoke article XXVIII in order to say to the WTO and the rest of the world that Canada is serious about protecting the interests of its farmers and its families?