38th PARLIAMENT, 1st SESSION

EDITED HANSARD • NUMBER 070

CONTENTS

Friday, March 11, 2005

ORAL QUESTION PERIOD

Mr. Garry Breitkreuz (Yorkton—Melville, CPC): It is no secret that Canadian farmers have been struggling financially with the border closure and years of adverse growing conditions for grains. The 2005 crop year is already in question for many farmers because they cannot afford to put seed in the ground. The farm improvement loans program provided farmers with an option to bank and credit union loans with special interest rates and terms.

With that knowledge, why then is the Liberal government quietly scrapping this desperately needed program in the midst of the worst agriculture crisis since the Great Depression?

Hon. Andy Mitchell (Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, once again, a question that has no basis in reality. Nothing done for producers? There were record payments in 2003. Canadian producers received $4.9 billion. We have an income stabilization program. We have production insurance. We have spring advances to assist with the planting. We have fall advances which are used to help market products.

As we have said and demonstrated yesterday, we will continue to make investments in this important Canadian industry.

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