Mr. Speaker, Quebec beef producers have received no federal assistance since acquiring the Levinoff-Colbex slaughterhouse. They recently demonstrated their commitment by injecting another $30 million. The Conservatives' election promises and budget announcements have come to naught. Worse still, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Agriculture stated that the government might provide assistance in the form of repayable loans, but that is not what producers as looking for, as they told us in committee this morning.
Can the minister confirm that Levinoff-Colbex qualifies for the program to strengthen slaughterhouse capacity, and that assistance will be provided in the form of direct funding?