37^th Parliament, 3^rd Session
(February 2, 2004 - )

Edited Hansard • Number 005

Friday, February 6, 2004

STATEMENTS BY MEMBERS

Agriculture

    Mr. Garry Breitkreuz (Yorkton—Melville, CPC): Mr. Speaker, on January 8, 2004, I hosted an agriculture forum in my riding, where over 200 people attended to listen to speakers discuss a variety of issues. It was televised across Canada.

    A major concern expressed several times throughout the day was that if genetically modified wheat were grown anywhere in Canada, farmers would lose important markets around the world. They also felt very strongly that the Liberal government was not doing enough to get the border opened to live cattle.

    Farmers are experiencing great difficulty competing in the international marketplace. Policies of the government are negatively impacting on their businesses. They would like to know whether they can fly a flag of convenience, such as the Prime Minister's flag of Barbados, over their farms and avoid taxes they have to pay, taxes that are included in all their input costs.

    Will the Prime Minister allow them to fly this flag of convenience over their farms just like he does over his ships?