It's not true; it's wrong. In 1998, the legislation was changed for the Wheat Board by the Government of Canada, under Ralph Goodale, to change the electoral process so that farmers could have control over their own industry and control it. In fact, farmers spoke in the last election, when they elected eight out of ten of the directors pro single-desk selling. That was the decision they took; that was the decision they made. We have always said, as a party, that it's farmers who should decide. They've decided, and we're going to try to assure that the laws are abided by, not undermined, as some of the folks on the other side want to do.
Anyway, I'll turn to the purpose of why we're here today. All of you spoke about being competitive. I have to ask this question: competitive compared to what?
I hear the free traders. They're before us all the time. We even hear them in the cattle and hog industry. When the national organizations come before this committee, you wouldn't think there was a problem in the world. We're getting farmers going broke every day in many industries. It's as if some people believe that in pure competition out there, God, it's a wonderful world and everybody trades fairly. That isn't the real world.
I might ask, can we get a copy of the pulse crop rotation paper? I don't want to forget that.
Thanks, Gordon.
I have questions in these areas. One, how do we compare in farm policy on a competitive basis with the U.S. Farm Bill? That's our main competitor. What do we have to do, as a country, to stack up against that?
Two, on the regulatory environment, what regulations do we have to do away with?
Three, on the research area, do we need more public research—canola being a result of public discovery research by government at one point in time?
And the fourth area is transportation. We're captive to the rail to a certain extent, even captive to container cars out of the Peace River block. What do we have to do in that area? Do we need a costing review on the railways? What other things can be done on transportation to ensure we are on a level playing field with the United States?
I'll leave it at those questions.