“Canadians rely too much on expensive imported food, and too much of our food is processed in other countries. How will our national food plan help us process more food here in Canada?”

“Mr. Speaker, Canada is one of the world’s largest food producers. However, too much of the food we produce is processed abroad, and too many Canadians still rely on high‑priced imports. Canadian farmers deserve more options for selling their products, and Canadians deserve more choices about where they buy their food. Could the Minister of Finance tell us how the first‑ever national food security strategy will help us produce and process more food right here in Canada, so that more Canadian food ends up on our plates and more money—”

“We announced our food plan last week. We are spending $1 billion on food buildings and transit hubs. We are also spending $750 million to help Canadians get more Canadian fruits and vegetables all year, and we are helping grocery competition.”

“Mr. Speaker, I would like to begin by thanking the member for Hull—Aylmer for his question and for all his leadership. I am sure that my colleagues will agree with me. He is right. Last week, we unveiled the national food security strategy, because we know that food security is a top priority for Canadians. These are flagship measures that will please everyone, even the Conservatives: $1 billion for food infrastructure, terminals and hubs, as well as $750 million to ensure that Canadians have access to more Canadian‑grown fruits and vegetables all year long. There are also measures to spur competition—”