These comments are direct quotations from the Hansard
documents.
CAIS
Mrs.
Diane Finley (Haldimand—Norfolk, CPC): Mr. Speaker, the U.S. border
has been closed to Canadian livestock for 526 days. Producers now more
than ever need immediate disaster relief. Currently the Canadian
agricultural income stabilization program requires producers to pay in
large deposits just to trigger payouts. This is at a time when producers
can least afford it.
When will the minister commit to getting rid of the onerous cash deposit
requirement?
Hon. Andy Mitchell (Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, Lib.):
Mr. Speaker, as the hon. member knows, what we have indicated is a
willingness to sit down with the industry and have a discussion about
exactly how CAIS should be restructured, if it should be.
I should make the point that the Canadian Federation of Agriculture has
made it clear that we should engage in this annual review. That process is
being put in place. I made the commitment to them that as we review this,
if there are alternative and better ways to make that particular program
work, I am quite willing to listen to them and work at putting them in
place.
Mrs. Diane Finley (Haldimand—Norfolk, CPC): Mr. Speaker, when?
Producers who have applied for the CAIS program are asking the Liberal
government to show them the money. Many are still waiting for their cash
advances for 2003.
I ask the agriculture minister, why is he failing farmers by not ensuring
that desperate producers who have applied already for the CAIS program
receive the cash they need right away?
Hon. Andy Mitchell (Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, Lib.):
Mr. Speaker, not only is money flowing to producers under the CAIS
program, but on September 10 we instituted a special CAIS program advance
for the beef producers. I am pleased to report that to date, 4,500 of
those producers have taken up the offer. We are in the process of ensuring
that they have the cash and the necessary liquidity in addition to the
restructuring measures that we took on September 10 that will allow our
industry to be profitable with or without a border opening.
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