Agronomist, once again you are being deliberately misleading.

I am not talking about the insurance program CAIS. I am talking about the direct financial subsidy, the Canadian Farm Income Program (CFIP). This is a subsidy program that was increased significantly last year. I will repeat part of the announcement for you so you can understand (although I am sure you do, you just don't want to admit you are wrong.)

"Through today's announcement of $755 million, together with the $439 million provided through the Farm Income Payment program earlier this year, the Government of Canada is making nearly $1.2 billion available to address the immediate needs of grains and oilseeds producers."

and the government press release on http://www.agr.gc.ca/cb/index_e.php?s1=n&s2=2005&page=n50329a

"The Farm Income Payment Program will begin delivering the money in April as part of a two-part plan to ease immediate financial pressures on farmers and allow for a transformation of the industry that addresses the root causes of declining farm income."

Australian Exceptional Circumstance funding is linked to frost, drought, flood etc not to loss of income from dropping commodity prices and increased costs that would be experienced with GM crop adoption.

NonGMFarmer. The Canadian Farm Income Program no longer exists. It has been incorporated in CAIS, which opperates like an insurance scheme to protect income. It is you who insist on calling it a subsidy. Nobody else does.

As I have explained previously, the way the scheme operates is of no use to any farmer who has their income decreasing as over time, their protected margin will decrease. The scheme operates to smooth out some of the downs of farm income, so they are not so devastating. I imagine something the same is true of your exceptional circumstances program.

If you read the government releases on the subject, you are quite wrong.

Perhaps rather than misinterpreting the Government Press Releases, you should read the details of the scheme. They are readily available from the Federal and Provincial Governments.

Let's face it, this is another of your cherished misconceptions about Canada that is wrong.

The exceptional circumstances payments in Australia are due to droughts or floods.
Canada had an excellent high yielding season in all commodities last year so it was not a seasonal problem.
The support was due to high costs and low commodity prices.
Just because you can't admit you are wrong Bill, doesn't mean you are right.

For goodness sake Agronomist it's a Canadian subsidy. Read what the Canadian Government release said. It's a subsidy. Admit you're wrong and move on.