Mr. Speaker, I have no intention of taking cheap shots or blaming anybody for this issue. I am just trying to lay out the facts as I have crossed paths with the provincial government on this issue.
As with any initiative, when working with partners we need to ensure that the provinces are in agreement with the strategy that we adopt and that we have adopted the best possible approach to the targets that we are trying to hit. Once a disaster framework is in place, with cost sharing established and criteria finalized, governments will be more responsive to unforeseen and unavoidable disasters in the farming sector.
In the meantime, we have been discussing with the provinces the need for disaster assistance to help those facing extraordinary costs due to the drought of 2006. The member needs to realize that it is important to have provincial participation in any assistance as we move forward toward implementing a disaster relief framework for the long term. As such, we will continue to work with the affected provinces to see if and how assistance should be made available for those most seriously affected by the drought of 2006.