Hon. Robert Black: My question is for the Government Representative in the Senate. Senator Gold, Canada’s farmland remains a finite and valuable resource for Canadians and the world. Despite your government repeatedly stating the importance and prioritization of agriculture and food security, I remain perplexed by the agreements and policies that we continue to see which undermine the capabilities and capacities of our processors and producers.

In a recent deal, a foreign company was given the green light for the procurement of 1,500 acres — the equivalent of 1,134 football fields — of prime agricultural land in southern Ontario. Around this deal was $700 million from Ottawa to build a plant along with $500 million from the Ontario government, plus $13 billion in federal subsidies for this gigafactory. Let’s not forget as well, colleagues, the $34 million in tariffs taken from farmers’ fertilizer purchases earlier this year, an essential product needed to feed the country and the world, which was not returned to our farmers.

While the province retains jurisdiction of land use planning, governments at all levels have permitted the land that grows our food to be swallowed up by urban sprawl, damaging valuable soils and reducing our food production capacities, all while subsidizing this destruction and financially limiting those who put food on our tables.

My question is this, Senator Gold: When will this government actually prioritize Canadian agriculture and food, stop financially depriving our farmers and stop giving monies to companies that will actively undermine and take away our crucial farmlands?