Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate you and to thank the people of Lévis—Lotbinière for putting their trust in me for the fourth time. I would also like to thank my wife Chantal, my five children, and everyone, near and far, who took part in my re-election.
I am pleased to participate in the first late show of this 42nd Parliament in order to get more information, or so I hope, on a question that I asked in the House on December 7. I would like to remind the House that the Speech from the Throne did not make any mention of agriculture, not a single word or paragraph. Perhaps this government simply made an error that seems very embarrassing for its members who come from rural areas in Canada.
It will now be difficult for them to look farmers in the eye and say that they are defending them in Canada's Parliament. Nevertheless, family farms are the very foundation of the Canada that we hold dear today. The products are evolving, along with the technology, but one thing remains the same: from well before sun-up until well after sundown, Canadian farmers do the back-breaking job of feeding the country.
Canada's agriculture and agri-food sector contributes more than $100 billion per year to Canada's economy and employs more than two million people. We cannot underestimate the importance of agriculture to our national interests. Our party always put farmers first and we will continue to do so from this side of the House.
Farmers in my region are concerned about this government's lack of interest in the agriculture sector. The evasive answers in the House add to the cynicism of this government we are unfortunately stuck with for another four long years.
I would like to know how the Liberal government plans to support Canadians in rural regions, when it did not even acknowledge them in the Speech from the Throne.
Also, will this government help farmers penetrate new markets through free trade agreements such as the trans-Pacific partnership, even though the Minister of International Trade says that it is not her job to promote trade?
In closing, our farmers under the supply management system want to know whether the agreement and compensation in the trans-Pacific partnership will be honoured since the Minister of International Trade says she is not bound by the compensation commitments.
I hope that the minister will be able to clarify or at least explain her position on this issue that is so important for the future of our farmers under supply management. It is this type of decision that determines the economic choices for the future of Canadian agriculture.