Mr. Chair, since my election on January 23, I have taken time to meet with dozens of farmers in my riding. There is no question about the sense of desperation that exists in our agricultural community. There is on the one hand very strong support for the supply management system, which I also support. At the same time, there is total and absolute frustration with the CAIS program.
The system is so cumbersome that farmers and even their chartered accountants cannot manoeuvre the complex maze. This program needs a major overhaul or it needs to be scrapped altogether and replaced with the two part program that was outlined by our agriculture minister tonight.
I am proud to serve with a caucus which cares deeply about farmers and I am honoured to serve under the leadership of an agriculture minister who took weeks of his time travelling across this country listening to farmers. I am confident that the farmers in my riding and all across Canada will finally have a sense of hope for the future of agriculture in this great country.
Recognizing the failure of the CAIS program, can we count on the member and his party's support to implement the two part program that was outlined by our agriculture minister earlier this evening?