Mr. Speaker, these days everyone is talking about biofuels. Across the country there is a buzz about this developing industry. Standards are being set, policies put in place and plants are being built.
Provincial governments must move quickly if they wish to establish an industry in their jurisdiction.
One of the biggest surprises that I received after the election was to realize how little the previous government had done on this file. The new federal government has worked hard in a short time to put a comprehensive biofuels strategy in place. It will be released this fall and will address both ethanol and biodiesel.
We have worked hard to make sure that producer ownership is a part of the alternate fuels equation.
If we do not ensure that producers have the ability to fully participate in the biofuels sector, we will have failed them.
Cypress AgriEnergy Inc. has worked for years to advance the case for ethanol development in my area and it is at it again. It has gone together with Action Southwest to sponsor a forum on ethanol in Shaunavon, Saskatchewan scheduled for October 12. It brings together a wealth of information and I, along with 400 others, will be there to learn more about the industry.
Once again, southwest Saskatchewan leads the way.