Mr. Speaker, on what planet does the government live? The fact is farmers are going out. He said that he is out of time here tonight. Pork producers are out of time and the government sits on its haunches and talks about trade challenges. Trade challenges will not solve the problems of producers in our country.
He talks about agristability. The fact is hardly any hog producers this year will qualify for that.
If the government would put money directly out there, that would add to the trade challenge. It would tell the Americans that it is high time, that this country will stand up against this illegal trade action and non-tariff barriers that they put in place, and then we wait three years to get a ruling at WTO and elsewhere.
These people need cash. The Americans will win by default if the government does not step up to the plate and meet the $30 per hog 2008 numbers that the Canada Pork Council has requested.
I call upon the government to just do it, do it now and save this industry.